Why Sitcoms Love a Halloween Special
(and My Top Five Picks)
(Rather listen than scroll? Here is the audio.)
Every October, something magical happens in sitcom land. No, not character development (let’s not get carried away). It’s the Halloween special. Suddenly, your favourite characters are in elaborate costumes, there are pumpkins in the background, and someone has gone way too far with the fake cobweb spray. If you grew up watching US sitcoms from the UK, these episodes felt like a cultural exchange programme — except instead of student host families, we got Roseanne in a witch’s hat and Homer Simpson chopping up Mr Burns with an axe.
Halloween specials are so baked into American TV that it’s hard to imagine a season without one. But why are they such a big deal, and why did we in the UK happily lap them up despite our parents still calling trick-or-treating “an Americanism” until about 1998? Let’s dig in.
A (Very) Brief History of the Halloween Special
Christmas episodes were baked into TV from the start. They were wholesome, sentimental, and usually ended with a group hug and a reminder that family matters more than presents (except in Friends, where it turns out Monica does have better presents if you’re Chandler). Halloween, on the other hand, was late to the party.
It wasn’t really until the 1970s and 80s that Halloween started turning up on American sitcoms. Part of this was timing — US networks launch their big new TV seasons in September and October, and a Halloween special early in the run gave them a ratings boost. Another part was creative: Halloween let sitcoms be chaotic, surreal, and even a little scary. Unlike Christmas, you didn’t have to end with a hug; you could end with your main character trapped in a haunted house or dressed as a giant potato.
For UK audiences, these episodes were weirdly exotic. We’d grown up with apple bobbing, the odd Guy Fawkes mask, and the kind of budget fancy dress that involved a bin liner and some face paint. Watching American families go all out with haunted houses, elaborate costumes, and full-on neighbourhood trick-or-treating felt like visiting Disneyland: thrilling, slightly baffling, and way out of our price range.
(By the way, if you want the full cultural history of Halloween itself, I did a whole standalone special on my podcast, Excuse the Jess, back in 2021. Consider this your spooky little advert break: you can find it wherever you get your podcasts or here. No tricks, just treats.)
Sitcoms That Really Dug Into Halloween
Plenty of sitcoms have dipped a toe into Halloween, but some went full skeleton-in-the-cupboard and made it a tradition. Here are the big ones you probably saw on UK screens:
The Simpsons
The annual Treehouse of Horror anthology episodes are the undisputed champions. Starting in 1990, they let the writers go feral: horror parodies, gore, and the kind of storylines that could never happen in canon (Maggie as an alien? Sure). These episodes became Halloween events in themselves.
Roseanne
In the late 80s and 90s, Roseanne did Halloween like no one else. Their working-class chaos made the holiday feel both over-the-top and relatable. Elaborate pranks, gory decorations, and some truly hideous costumes turned these episodes into instant classics.
Modern Family
Claire’s obsessive need to throw the perfect haunted house party was a running gag, and Gloria mangling the English language (“ske-le-ton”) was always a gift. These episodes are like comfort food: messy, funny, and full of fake blood.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Not technically scary, but the annual Halloween Heist became a sitcom institution. Elaborate schemes, increasingly ridiculous disguises, and Holt calling everyone “common criminals” in deadpan tones? Perfection.
The Top Five Halloween Specials (for Your Rewatch List)
Here’s my highly subjective, probably controversial, but absolutely correct list of the five greatest Halloween specials ever aired in sitcoms shown in the UK:
1. Roseanne – “Boo!” (Season 2, 1989)
This was the episode that set the template. Roseanne and Dan turn their house into a low-budget haunted house full of fake blood, grotesque costumes, and elaborate pranks on each other. It was grubby, anarchic, and felt more like a real family Halloween than anything glossy.
2. The Simpsons – “Treehouse of Horror V” (Season 6, 1994)
There are dozens of contenders, but fans still swear by this one. It spoofs The Shining (“No TV and no beer make Homer go crazy”), features time-traveling toast, and ends in full-blown cafeteria cannibalism. It’s as close as The Simpsons got to perfect.
3. Friends – “The One with the Halloween Party” (Season 8, 2001)
Ross turning up in a giant potato costume with antennae, explaining he’s “Spud-nik,” while Chandler sweats in a pink bunny outfit is peak Halloween silliness. Throw in Phoebe flirting with Sean Penn and a weird arm-wrestling contest, and you’ve got a classic.
4. Modern Family – “Halloween” (Season 2, 2010)
Claire’s dream of creating the ultimate haunted house collapses in chaos, Gloria tries to prove she’s not scary by over-enunciating, and Jay sulks in the corner. It’s one of the tightest ensemble episodes of the show and manages to be both funny and endearing.
5. Brooklyn Nine-Nine – “HalloVeen” (Season 1, 2013)
The first heist episode set the bar. Jake bets Holt he can steal his Medal of Valour before midnight, and what unfolds is pure sitcom joy: disguises, double-crosses, and just enough heart to keep you rooting for everyone.
Why We Can’t Get Enough
Halloween specials endure because they give sitcoms permission to go a bit rogue. Characters get to dress up, storylines can bend reality, and the usual sitcom rules are suspended for one night only. It’s playtime for the writers and joy for the audience.
In America, Halloween episodes feel like a natural part of the TV calendar. In the UK, they’ve always felt a little borrowed — but maybe that’s why we love them. They gave us a window into another world where entire neighbourhoods threw themselves into spooky theatrics, while we were still trying to carve a pumpkin with a blunt butter knife.
Halloween sitcom specials remind us why we love sitcoms in the first place: because they take everyday life, add a layer of absurdity, and show us the fun in it. Whether it’s a haunted house gone wrong, a heist disguised as a holiday, or just Ross Geller sweating inside a potato, the Halloween special is proof that comedy thrives when it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
So this October, put down the overpriced pumpkin spice latte and rewatch one of these. Because nothing screams Halloween quite like Chandler Bing in floppy bunny ears.
What's your favourite Halloween episode? Let me know in the comments.
Thank you!
