Punky Brewster: Love Thy Neighbor (1985)

Originally aired November 17, 1985. On Halloween night, a woman named Isabelle Peavy behaves rudely to the children in Punky's building and refuses to give them candy. Punky and Cherie enter her apartment to play a joke on her, but their plans go awry when Brandon accidentally gets left behind. The next day, Henry goes over to retrieve the dog, and he ends up learning some interesting information about Isabelle. (Synopsis from TV.com) Watch episode on NBC.com.

Brady Bunch: Out of This World (1974)

From Season 5, this episode originally aired January 18, 1974. I have never really associated UFOs and space aliens with Halloween, but there are plenty of sci-fi movies shown on TV around the holiday and alien masks sold in costume shops. And UFOs will be forever linked to Halloween because of Orson Welles's October 30, 1938 radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds, which sent many people into a panic across the U.S. I would like to include this episode on my Halloween blog because I really enjoy The Brady Bunch, and because this episode has a similar feel to "Fright Night," a true Brady Bunch Halloween episode. Motivated by his younger brothers' interest in space exploration and stories of UFOs, Greg plays a trick on them by projecting a flying saucer image out of the attic window. The boys are able to capture pictures and develop them, with Mom's help, which leads to a government investigation. There is also a dream sequence in which the UFO lands in the back yard and Bobby talks with the pint-sized aliens.

Little Rascals: Hide and Shriek (1938)

Here is a silent 8mm version of the 1938 Rascals short, "Hide and Shriek". It has been retitled "The Haunted House" for this version. Alfalfa is a private eye, and with the help of Buckwheat and Porky, tracks a couple of suspects, Leonard and Junior, who are accused of stealing Darla's box of candy. The two little kids get into the cab of a flatbed truck, so the three sleuths climb in back and hide in a box. Leonard and Junior, however, simply exit the opposite side, unknown to the older boys. It turns out the truck is taking supplies to a haunted house carnival ride, which is where the boys find themselves, but they think they are encountering actual spooks. (Synopsis from TV.com)

Roseanne: Trick Me Up, Trick Me Down (1991)

Originally aired October 29, 1991. Roseanne is worried that her uptight neighbour Kathy Bowman will take revenge for the Halloween joke she played on her; Jackie flirts with a moose at the Lodge costume party who turns out to be her former boyfriend Booker. (Synopsis from Hubpages.com)

Roseanne: Halloween V (1993)

Originally aired October 26, 1993. Roseanne falls for several jokes played on her by her family. She tries to get Dan to play a joke on her friend Nancy who is convinced that Dan doesn't like her, and Roseanne discovers that Darlene and David are dating. (Synopsis from Hubpages.com)

My So-Called Life: Halloween (1994)

Originally aired October 27, 1994. Angela finds herself in 1963 during a mystical Halloween experience. Graham and Patty create some magic of their own with the help of medieval Halloween costumes. (Synopsis from TV.com)

Donald's Halloween Scare (2000)

Donald scares his nephews to steal their candy, and they plot their revenge. This cartoon feels similar to the 1954 Donald Duck classic "Trick or Treat."

The Haunted History of Halloween (1997)

In this History of the Holidays segment, the History Channel examines Halloween. Discover the history of Halloween and how the Celts played a part in this popular holiday.

Fat Albert Halloween Special (1977)

This Halloween special isn't one I remember seeing as a kid (I was one year old when it first aired), but I discovered it a few years ago and have made it a part of my Halloween entertainment ever since. Fat Albert and the gang roam the neighborhood in search of "old people" to scare and other mischief, but by the end of the evening they will learn the truth about Mrs. Bakewell! Originally aired 24 October 1977.

CHiPs: Trick or Trick (1978)

Originally aired October 21, 1978. Ponch suffers from a series of misfortunes after crossing the path of thirteen black cats, breaking his shaving mirror, and walking under a ladder. Ponch and Jon also attempt to find a boy who goes missing after Ponch threatened to arrest him after the kid played a Halloween prank on the California Highway Patrol officer.

The Berenstain Bears: Trick or Treat (2003)

As Brother and Sister Bear don their costumes to go trick-or-treating by themselves for the first time, they plan to avoid Miz McGrizz's spooky home. But during their Halloween outing, the cubs discover that appearances can be deceiving.

Happy Days: Haunted (1974)

Originally aired October 29, 1974. After experiencing a few strange happenings, Richie begins to buy into the legend that the place where Ralph's Halloween party is to be held, the old Simpson house, is haunted.

The full episode is playable here without sound, but can be downloaded with sound (click the three dots on the right side of the player controls).

SNL: Halloween with Matt Foley (1993)

Originally aired October 30, 1993.

Tom and Jerry: Fraidy Cat (1942)

Popeye: Fright to the Finish (1954)

Little House on the Prairie: The Monster of Walnut Grove (1976)

Originally aired November 1, 1976. On Halloween night, Laura and Mary get permission from their parents to walk into town and pull off a little prank at the mercantile. Laura's imagination runs wild when she peeks into the Olesons' window and thinks she sees Nels killing Mrs. Oleson. Scared by what she has seen, Laura can't seem to get anyone to believe her. Her friend, Carl, the only person to believe her, joins the search for evidence to solve the crime. Meanwhile, Mrs. Oleson has gone away, so the two really think that she has been murdered. When Nellie and Willie hear the story, they don't believe it but decide to scare Laura and Carl by saying that their father has been digging in the cellar.

Trick or Treat (1969)

A public service film showing how a Halloween prank can result in a serious accident.

The Brady Bunch: The Slumber Caper (1970)

"The Slumber Caper" is one among a handful of Brady Bunch episodes that had a Halloween feel, even if the holiday was not specifically mentioned. Originally aired 9 October 1970, the episode contains many examples of spooky fun: the Brady boys in Halloween masks (Frankenstein monster, Phantom of the Opera, Creature from the Black Lagoon), fake spiders, a flashing skull in the refrigerator, ghost stories, howls outside the window, itching powder in the sleeping bags...

All of this Halloween fun doesn't begin until halfway through the episode. But be patient...it is worth the wait!

Little Rascals: Alfalfa's Aunt (1939)

I once recorded this episode off TV in the late 80s or early 90s, but only caught the tail end of it. The storyline doesn't involve Halloween, but it does include elements that fit the holiday mood. Alfalfa's aunt Penelope is a mystery writer who comes to visit. Alfalfa finds a page from a story she is writing, which is in the form of a letter. It reads:

Dear X,

I have discovered that only my nephew stands between me and the Switzer millions! So like the others, he shall die in agony - tonight - at the stroke of nine!

Believing that his own aunt is planning to murder him, Alfalfa recruits the gang to help protect him from her.

The Brady Bunch: To Move or Not To Move (1970)

While technically not a Halloween episode, this Brady Bunch story involves the kids trying to keep their parents from selling the house by scaring away the potential buyer. "To Move or Not To Move" will satisfy your cravings to see children posing as ghosts under bedsheets, to hear strange creaking noises throughout the house, and to see Alice holding up an amulet to protect herself from evil spirits. From the show's first season, the episode originally aired 6 March 1970, which is why the character Mrs. Hunsaker quips, "I must say, you people celebrate Halloween at a strange time of year." Here is the episode's key scene:


Other Brady Bunch episodes that could be categorized as Halloween-related are "The Slumber Caper" (1970), "Fright Night" (1972), "Two Petes in a Pod" (1974), and "Out of This World" (1974), which is similar to "Fright Night" but involves a UFO instead of a ghost.