Best Halloween TV Episodes to Watch

By Daniel S. Levine

Halloween is not just the best time of year for candy and horror movies. The holiday also brings its own specials, from the annual Simpsons "Treehouse of Horror" episodes to perennial classics like It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Friends, The Office, and other series also have beloved Halloween episodes that have become part of Halloween celebrations around the country.

This year, there are plenty of new horror shows and movies to watch at home. Netflix is home to the already-classic series The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manner. The other streaming platforms have also cashed in on the never-ending horror frenzy. Even Disney+ and Marvel jumped into the fray with the spooky Werewolf by Night special.

With so much new horror to experience on TV, it is important to remember the horrific and funny Halloween episodes of the past. Here's a look at 10 great Halloween episodes.

Parks and Recreation - 'Halloween Surprise'

Parks and Recreation (available on Peacock) featured a couple of Halloween episodes during its run, including the Season 5 episode, "Halloween Surprise." So much goes on in the episode, which features Leslie in a Rosie the Riveter costume. She also gives Jerry a heart attack and it gives us the priceless scenes of Ron taking his girlfriend's daughters trick-or-treating. It also ends with Ben proposing to Leslie.

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The Office - 'Halloween'

The Office's season two "Halloween" episode is one of the early classics in the series. We have Jim pretending to be Michael to torture Dwight. Michael dressed up as a two-headed version of himself and fired Devon, who smashes a pumpkin on Michael's car. The episode (available on Peacock) had a notably serious plot, with Dunder Mifflin downsizing, while everyone is dressed in costumes.

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The Simpsons - 'Treehouse of Horror V'

The Simpsons (available on Disney+) has been doing a special "Treehouse of Horror" episode since the second season in 1990. The fifth one from 1994 is often regarded as one of the best, due to its parody of The Shining, titled "The Shinning." The episode also features James Earl Jones in its "Time and Punishment" segment, voicing an alternate universe Maggi who appears to Homer. "Treehouse of Horror V" is also famous for cramming as much violence as possible into a half-hour animated show.

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Boy Meets World - 'And Then There Was Shawn'

Boy Meets World (available on Disney+) parodied the teen slasher film genre with "And Then There Was Shawn." In this one, the gang is locked in the school in detention when a series of eerie things happen, including the deaths of Mr. Feeny, a janitor, and a fellow student. Jennifer Love Hewitt also makes a guest appearance.

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Buffy The Vampire Slayer - 'Fear, Itself'

In the Season 4 episode of Joss Whedon's supernatural series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (available on Hulu), "Fear, Itself," all the characters have to confront their worst fears during a Halloween party. Coincidentally, the mansion used as a fraternity house in the episode was also used in the first season of American Horror Story. The series did several Halloween-centric episodes, but "Fear, Itself" is considered one of the best.

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Freaks and Geeks - 'Tricks and Treats'

There are countless priceless moments in Freaks and Geeks' Halloween episode, "Trick and Treats" (available on Hulu). It was one of only 18 episodes made of the short-lived beloved series.

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American Horror Story - 'Halloween'

The two-part "Halloween" episode of American Horror Story's first season (available on Hulu) shows just how creepy things can get on the show. On Halloween in Ryan Murphy's world, ghosts take over the Murder House, which becomes hell for Ben and Vivien. The episode was written by The X-Files veterans James Wong and Tim Minear notes Vulture.

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Friends - 'The One With The Halloween Party'

"The One With The Halloween Party" is surprisingly Friends' only Halloween episode (available on HBO Max), and featured a guest appearance from Sean Penn as the fiance of Phoebe's twin sister. The episode centered on an arm-wrestling competition, with Chandler dressed as an Easter bunny and Ross as "Spud-Nik." Phoebe dressed as Catwoman, and Monica was Supergirl.

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Modern Family - 'Halloween'

Modern Family's 2010 "Halloween" episode (available on Hulu and Peacock) has become a modern classic and came at a time when the show was still at its best. In the episode, we learned that Claire loves Halloween and tries to turn the Dunphy home into a haunted house. Unfortunately, in typical Modern Family fashion, everything goes wrong until the family comes together in the end.

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Roseanne - 'Boo'

No list of the best Halloween episodes would be complete without a mention of a Roseanne (available on Peacock) Halloween special. During the show's original run, the Halloween episodes became central to the show's identity. "Boo" was the show's first Halloween special and showed just how outrageous the Conners were on the holiday. They might not be rich, but they had just enough money to go all-out on Halloween.

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