Sometime next month, a trick-or-treater will come across an overlooked Milky Way Mini Bar. Like that once-cast-off piece of Halloween candy, a number of animated TV specials and episodes created for Halloween have been lost to time as well.
Continuing an annual tradition of looking back at some overlooked or forgotten Halloween specials (2022, 2023: & 2024), here is a fourth round of some “Hidden Haunts” – seasonally appropriate TV specials and episodes.
Halloween is Grinch Night (1977)
Halloween is in the title only; other than that, it’s never mentioned even once in the special. However, this prequel to the classic Dr. Seuss Christmas story and special finds a way to incorporate the Grinch into a spookier scenario.
As the “sour sweet wind” blows into Whoville, the residents know that it’s Grinch Night and that the “Mean One” (along with his put-upon dog, Max) will descend upon them to torment the Whos.
However, a young Who named Euchariah accidentally ventures out into the night and decides that he must confront the Grinch and stop him from coming to Whoville.
Directed by Gerard Baldwin, Halloween is Grinch Night was produced by DePatie-Freleng, and that studio’s style meshes well with the whimsical world of Dr Seuss. The good Doctor himself, Theodore Geisel, produced the special which helps it achieve the right note (“It’s a wonderful night for Grinch Night!” sings the Grinch, “Their troubles will now commence, Oh I wouldn’t stay home on a night like this for sixty dollars and sixty cents.”)
The special even works in an existential crisis for Max the dog, who questions his place in the world as he performs an entire musical number (each crafted by Joe Raposo of Sesame Street).
Sadly, Boris Karloff had passed away by the time Grinch Night was produced, but a nice substitute was found in Hans Conried as the Grinch and the narrator. The cast also includes Hal Smith as Euchariah’s father, Josiah, Gary Shapiro as Euchariah, Irene Tedrow as his mother, Mariah, and Henry Gibson as Max. Thurl Ravenscroft returns for one of the musical numbers.
The animation also takes on a nice, surrealistic tone during the song “The Spooks Tour,” evoking a Seussian version of “Night on Bald Mountain.”
While there isn’t a “Happy Halloween,” or Jack-O’lantern to be found in the special, Halloween is Grinch Night, which won the Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Program, provides enough of an offbeat, spooky vibe to make it decidedly different seasonal viewing.
The Real Ghostbusters: When Halloween was Forever (1986)
It’s Halloween and something’s just not right, so the question, of course, is “Who Ya Gonna Call?” This episode of the hit animated series, based on the blockbuster movie, perfectly pairs the Ghostbusters with Halloween night.
Egon (Maurice LaMarche), discussing the history of Halloween with the other Ghostbusters —Winston (Arsenio Hall), Venkman (Lorenzo Music), and Stantz (Frank Welker) —mentions an artifact that has arrived in the city for examination. Egon is wary of the artifact, and he has reason to be, as it releases Samhain, the Ghost of Halloween (Bill Martin). The spirit intends to make sure that Halloween never ends and gathers what he calls his “little ones,” which are spirits from throughout the city.
Slimer (also Welker) gets caught in this giant round-up, but is seen as a traitor by Samhain, so it’s up to the Ghostbusters to free their slimy friend and end this endless Halloween.
Written by J. Michael Straczynski and directed by Richard Rayniz, When Halloween was Forever, is an effective episode of the series. The spectre of Samhain is an imposing design, with a pumpkin head and bony fingers draped in a Dracula-like cloak. Additionally, the scenes where ghosts are summoned are both creepy (the spirits swirl in the night sky above the city) and humorous (the ghosts appear in the water during an apple bobbing contest at a Halloween party).
Fans of The Real Ghostbusters recall this episode as one of their favorites for how it pivots between the expected comedy and the unsettling horror. Plus, any Halloween episode that concludes with Slimer popping out of a Jack O’Lantern deserves an appropriate shout-out.
Eek! The Cat: HallowEek (1992)
This clever series, from creators Savage Steve Holland and Bill Kopp, that revolves around the title character, a genial purple cat (voiced by Kopp) who perpetually looks afraid of everything, is a perfect combination with Halloween.
In this episode, the two children that Eek lives with, Wendy (Elizabeth Daily) and J.B. (Charlie Adler), are upset over the fact that their giant chicken costume won’t allow them to see, and they won’t get any candy when they go trick-or-treating. So, Eek comes up with an idea to put on the head himself and stand on their shoulders so that he can steer.
As they make their way through the neighborhood, the chicken head with Eek inside of it winds up popping off and lands on top of a biker, taking Eek crashing through the neighborhood and beyond. Meanwhile, the kids wander around like a headless chicken.
Eek meets and befriends a ghost (who looks like a partially deflated balloon) in a cemetery. The ghost has lost his family, and the two decide to work together to find their missing parties.
Meanwhile, a witch and her black cat (who speaks with a reggae accent) have gotten hold of the Spirit Entrapment book and want to use it to take over the world by casting a spell and need “two bickering children” to help create her new cosmetic line.
The witch has found those bickering siblings in Wendy and J.B., but Eek will inadvertently save the day and, in the process, reunite the little ghost with his family.
HallowEek (written by Holland and Kopp) is filled with the series’ trademark off-kilter humor, pop culture references that fly by at impressive speed, and sharp dialogue. In one sequence, trick-or-treaters are at a house where a woman is handing out bags of money. “Thank you, kind, nearsighted, millionaire widow lady!” they shout.
It’s all a whirling thirty minutes of Halloween fun, filled with references to everything from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow to The Godfather, and Paul Lynde.
So, as you dig through your bag of candy, there are three more choices to round out your viewing on this Halloween. As always, there are plenty more out there – leave some of your favorites in the comments below.
Happy Halloween!
Michael Lyons is a freelance writer, specializing in film, television, and pop culture. He is the author of the book, Drawn to Greatness: Disney’s Animation Renaissance, which chronicles the amazing growth at the Disney animation studio in the 1990s. In addition to Animation Scoop and Cartoon Research, he has contributed to Remind Magazine, Cinefantastique, Animation World Network and Disney Magazine. He also writes a blog, Screen Saver: A Retro Review of TV Shows and Movies of Yesteryear and his interviews with a number of animation legends have been featured in several volumes of the books, Walt’s People. You can visit Michael’s web site Words From Lyons at: 
Earlier this month, I saw one of the main “SpongeBob” series’s most recent holiday specials, “The Legend of Boo-kini Bottom” (2017), which I had not seen until that point.
I commend the artists and animators at Screen Novelties for providing their Rankin/Bass-esque interpretation of the “SpongeBob” universe, like they did for “It’s a SpongeBob Christmas!” (2012).
“Halloween is Grinch Night” is my all time favorite Halloween cartoon. I saw it for the first time when I was five, and I love it now as much as I did then. I screen my 16mm of it for my fourth graders every year so it won’t be as forgotten. I also set up the projector in the garage with Halloween cartoons (including Grinch) for neighbors that come trick or treating.
I had no idea that the word “Hallowe’en” doesn’t get a mention in the Grinch special. It seems so grounded in Hallowe’en that it never occurred to me that it’s only in the title.
I agree that Hans Conreid was a worthy successor to Boris Karloff in the role. Overall, a great voice cast! Hal Smith, of course, was everywhere doing both live action and animation. Henry Gibson was memorable from “Laugh-In” and guest starring roles on other series. Irene Tedrow had a recurring role on Dennis the Menace, and later on had a recurring role on the Mary Tyler Moore show–and of course many more. It’s always fun to take notice of those whose careers bounced around from live action to animation.
If we may turn our attention back to the golden age of theatrical cartoons, there is one that, if not completely forgotten, tends to be overlooked at this time of year, namely the 1948 Mighty Mouse cartoon “The Witch’s Cat”. The mice are enjoying the Halloween festivities when a wicked witch swoops down on her broom and attempts to gather them up to feed to her dimwitted cat. Who, oh who will come to the rescue?
Although “The Witch’s Cat” is unlikely to appear on many favourites lists, even those of such enthusiastic Terrytoons fans as myself, it is nevertheless noteworthy for several reasons. First, it explicitly takes place on Halloween night and is not merely set in a spooky cemetery or haunted house. Second, it is one of only a handful of Mighty Mouse cartoons in which our hero sings out the tagline from his theme song, “Here I come to save the day!” Finally, it begins and ends with an original song, “Halloween Parade”, which is the earliest example of a Halloween song that I know of, and the only one predating the rock and roll era.
Happy Halloween, everybody, and don’t forget to brush your teeth!
“Grinch Night” was disappointing and unsatisfying when I was ten years old watching the premiere broadcast, and the passing of the decades hasn’t changed my opinion. So many talented folks involved, and it just doesn’t quite work for me. The sluggish pacing and the unmemorable songs (from a gifted lyricist like Seuss) certainly doesn’t help.
Well, it won an Emmy.
To be honest, I was hoping for a celebration article for the 40th anniversary of another Halloween special, “Garfield’s Halloween Adventure” (1985).
I recall the kid went outside because he had to use “the euphemism” — that is, a Seussian outhouse out back. The word was used multiple times. Also remember another special — also Halloween? — pitting the pre-Christmas Grinch against the Cat in the Hat.
As for theatricals, the Raggedy Ann Noveltoon “The Enchanted Square” takes place on Halloween — sort of. Early on, some small boys in masks shout “Halloween” and carry a jack-o-lantern on a stick. In the fantasy sequence they’re part of a big circus-style costume parade. No reference to any other Halloween customs, and certainly nothing spooky. The parade is closer to Mardi Gras, and in the cartoon’s “real” world nobody but the three boys are taking any notice of the holiday.
You just reminded me that Eek! never got a proper complete home release. This is a travesty.