Guest Author - Amy Ralston Young

It’s Halloween time again! This means your favorite shows will be pulling out all of the stops to create spooktacular Halloween episodes.

In honor of All Hollow’s Eve, I put together this list of best Halloween episodes from some shows famous for ghoulish laughs.

“Roseanne” 1988-1997
First up is “Roseanne.” Other “family” shows had touching Christmas shows where they discovered the true meaning of love, or that giving is better than receiving, or how lucky they are to have each other. Well not this show. Christmas may have passed like any other day, but you could bet Halloween was one holiday the Connor family celebrated.

This working-class family from Illinois knew a thing or two about haunted houses and devilish tricks. In fact, the Halloween episodes were so popular; you can buy them as a special collection on DVD.
Here is a recap of the best three Halloween episodes:

At the number three spot, we find “Boo” from season 2. In this show, Dan and Roseanne spend the entire time trying to one up each other. Dan is the first to strike. He convinces Roseanne the disposal took off his hand and as blood flies throughout the kitchen, Roseanne frantically tries to help her husband. Then she sees that it was all a prank with fake blood. Roseanne wins the contest after Dan overhears her on the phone with her mother inviting her to move in and he almost has a heart attack.

Second on the list is “Trick Me Up, Trick Me Down” from season 4. I must admit George Clooney’s guest appearance is a main factor in this show’s ranking. His character Booker returns in a Moose costume and flirts with his ex Jackie at a costume party. Meanwhile, Dan and Roseanne prank their next door neighbor Kathy. Kathy is scared senseless when Roseanne convinces her she murdered Dan in a fit of rage. Roseanne spends the rest of the episode waiting, rather obsessing over, Kathy’s retaliation. When nothing comes, Dan fakes one in order to ease Roseanne’s mind.

The best Halloween episode comes in season 5’s “Halloween IV.” Roseanne, the master of undead festivities has lost her Halloween spirit. Depressed because Becky is gone, the Connor matriarch sends her family out to a party so she can wallow in self pity at home alone. Well, the cosmos have something bigger in store for Roseanne, and she is visited by three “ghosts” that night. In a throwback to Charles Dickens, the ghosts of Halloween past, present and future arrive to help Roseanne find the true joys of Halloween.


“The Simpsons” 1989 – present
Another sitcom famous for Halloween episodes is the animated genius of Matt Groening. Halloweens with the Simpsons is a little different than other sitcoms. “The Simpsons” take you to a whole new world – something completely out of the blue, presided over by aliens Kang and Kodos. Another big difference, the show is broken up into three unrelated segments, giving viewers three shows in one. The show never ties in with any other episode, and a regular character always dies.

Coming in at the No. 3 spot is “Time and Punishment” from “Treehouse of Horror V.” In this segment, Homer accidentally creates a time machine and travels back in time to the age of dinosaurs. Every thing seems to be cool until Homer returns to present-day Springfield and discovers that every little thing he does in dino land causes major changes (and not for the good) in Springfield. Homer continuously ventures back and forth trying to get it right (Ned becomes ruler of the world, the sky rains doughnuts, Maggie kills Groundskeeper Willie…).

The second greatest Halloween episode is “Dial Z for Zombies” from “Treehouse of Horror III.” After Snowball, the Simspons’ beloved cat, dies Bart decides to resurrect the feline. In true Halloween fashion, it’s not just Snowball that comes back to life, but a whole town of Zombies. You see everyone from George Washington to William Shakespeare to Krusty to Principle Skinner, all in glorious Zombie form. Homer cashes in on this opportunity for violence – a little too excitedly.

The best Halloween segment was “The Shining” from “Treehouse V.” This Simpsons rip off Stephen King’s story of a crazed family man couldn’t have happened to a better family. Homer decides to take the family to a closed hotel for the winter. At first, every thing seems to work out well for the clan, but keep Homer away from beer and television for too long and bad things are bound to happen. Homer turns homicidal and tries to off his loved ones. It is a perfect parody of the Jack Nicholson movie, only Homer’s obsession is beer and television. By far the greatest Halloween show ever.


“Home Improvement” 1991-1999
What’s Halloween without Tim “The Toolman” Taylor? “Home Improvement” never disappointed when it came to spooks – and laughs.

Coming in third place is season 6’s “I Was a Teenage Taylor.” Everyone is trying to trick someone else – resulting in a battle of Halloween pranks. Tim scares Al, and then Brad and Randy give it to Jill. Finally it’s Tim’s turn to scream as an odd man shows up at the Taylor’s house asking to check out the basement. Creepy!

The second show on the list is season 8’s “Bewitched.” Tim decides to throw a Halloween bash at his house and everyone shows up – including Wilson with a date. Wilson’s date claims to be a witch, and her and Tim later get into an argument. That’s when strange things start to happen. Tim can’t seem to catch a break and then Wilson disappears. The police zero in on Tim as their main suspect, and starts thinking maybe the new girlfriend really is a witch.

The No. 1 Halloween episode though has to be season 3’s “Crazy for You.” Jill is fed up with all of Tim’s antics and decides a little payback is in order. With help from her friend Marie, Jill’s plan goes into action. Tim receives flowers from a fan, and strange things start happening. Not only does Tim think he has an obsessed fan, but he thinks “Rose” is trying to kill him. Tim’s erratic behave is reason enough to love this episode, but the creepy way his mind twists every little thing (rose related or not), makes it a classic!