Even in the streaming era, television shows still know when to drop the occasional Halloween episode, wherein familiar fictional characters dress up as other familiar fictional characters. So now is a great time to throw on a few favorites while you put together your last-minute costume. (You do have a costume, right?) If horror movies, even the not so-scary ones, aren’t the vibe you’re looking for, let good ol’ TV help set the tone for All Hallows' Eve. From classic shows like The Brady Bunch to more modern favorites like Abbott Elementary, there is no shortage of great Halloween-themed episodes to binge before November 1.
In the spirit of Halloween, Esquire’s entertainment editors spent some time digging through our favorites to settle on the best 30 Halloween episodes ever. Grab some candy corn, put on your coziest jack-o'-lantern socks, and settle on the couch. These are the best Halloween-themed episodes of TV ever made.
Ted and John’s annual tradition of throwing eggs at bad Halloween costumes is thwarted when Blaire ropes Ted into being her designated driver for a party. Between Blaire’s impressive Catwoman costume, a killer gag referencing the Milgram Experiment, and a surprisingly moving story about seizing the day, Ted somehow has one of the best Halloween episodes in the entire streaming era. One of the most popular episodes of Bob’s Burgers is this Halloween episode from season 6.
When Louise claims she’s never been frightened by anything, the family tries to scare her good with their own haunted house. Just as the kids are ready to write off their parents’ lame efforts, the house seems to come alive. Stay for the credits to hear the hot new single from Boyz 4 Now, “I Love You So Much (It’s Scary).” “Home” is one of the darkest episodes in all of The X-Files, which is really saying something.
Originally aired in October 1996, the episode sees Scully and Mulder investigate a secluded farm home in Pennsylvania. While the episode is basically a tribute to American horror classics like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, “Home” delivers its own hair-raising scares in the Peacocks, a family of violent inbreds. Though The X-Files was limited in what it could show onscreen due to broadcast restrictions, its suggestive nature lends the episode its pitch-black power.
For quintessential ‘90s sitcom antics, look no further than Home Improvement. The first Halloween episode of the series mostly centers on Brad being in his first-ever fight with his girlfriend, which only Tim can help him sort out. But the Halloween stuff happens in the subplot, where Tim and Al build a haunted house to scare the daylights out of one smug kid in particular.
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