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Esquire has published a list ranking 30 of its editors’ favorite Halloween-themed television episodes, from “The Brady Bunch” to “Abbott Elementary.” The selection mixes actual Halloween specials with episodes that fit the season but did not air in October.
Esquire has published a list of 30 Halloween TV episodes, selected by its entertainment editors as seasonal viewing options ranging from classic sitcoms to animation, horror and streaming-era comedy. The roundup includes both episodes built around Halloween and entries chosen for their Halloween-adjacent scares or themes, giving viewers alternatives to horror films during the holiday season.
The selection spans decades and genres. Among the entries described in the supplied report are “Fright Night” from The Brady Bunch, “Pinkeye” from South Park, “The Hauntening” from Bob’s Burgers, and “Candy Zombies” from Abbott Elementary. Esquire also includes the especially dark The X-Files episode “Home,” as well as the sitcom haunted-house story “The Haunting of Taylor House” from Home Improvement.
Several selections bend the definition of a Halloween special. “And Then There Was Shawn”, a slasher-inspired Boy Meets World episode, aired in February 1998, according to Esquire’s account. “Scoobynatural”, the Supernatural crossover with Scooby-Doo, aired in March 2018. The list also highlights BoJack Horseman’s “Mr. Peanutbutter’s Boos,” which uses parties across several years to explore a character’s relationship patterns.
The supplied source material identifies the list as a selection by Esquire’s entertainment editors, rather than a survey or ratings-based ranking. It does not provide a methodology, scoring system or details about how the episodes were ordered. The source excerpt contains descriptions of 10 entries, while the article’s title and introduction say the full list contains 30.
A Seasonal Watchlist Across TV Eras
The roundup offers viewers a cross-genre Halloween watchlist instead of limiting seasonal viewing to horror. Its choices include family sitcom pranks, animated comedy, a slasher parody, a supernatural crossover and a genuinely unsettling crime story. That range matters for viewers choosing episodes to watch with different ages, tastes or tolerance for scares; the descriptions make clear that not every pick has the same tone.
The list also treats “Halloween episode” as a flexible category. Some entries are explicitly set around the holiday, while others are included because they use horror conventions or suit a seasonal marathon. Esquire’s inclusion of episodes that aired outside October gives readers a wider selection, but also means the list is an editorial recommendation, not a definitive or objectively measured ranking of all television Halloween episodes.
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From Sitcom Pranks to TV Horror
Esquire frames its list as a response to the continuing appeal of Halloween television in an era when traditional fall TV schedules have changed. The publication says shows still release occasional Halloween episodes, and presents older and newer programs together for viewers planning a seasonal rewatch. The supplied material refers to the streaming era but does not identify a particular platform or claim that streaming caused the list’s choices.
The examples show how broadly television has used Halloween. The Brady Bunch turns the holiday into a household prank contest, while Bob’s Burgers builds a family haunted house around Louise’s insistence that she cannot be scared. At the darker end, Esquire describes The X-Files’ “Home” as a story about an investigation at a secluded Pennsylvania farm. The report says the episode originally aired in October 1996 and draws on American horror films.
“The editors “spent some time digging through our favorites to settle on the best 30 Halloween episodes ever.””
— Esquire’s entertainment editors
How Esquire Chose Its 30 Episodes
The supplied source does not explain how the 30 episodes were ranked, whether the order reflects preference, or what criteria editors used. It also does not include the full text describing all 30 selections: the material provided here contains 10 entries. The list’s title establishes its stated scope, but the remaining entries and their explanations cannot be verified from this excerpt alone.
It is also unclear whether Esquire intended “best” to mean most frightening, most entertaining, most influential or simply especially suited to a Halloween watch. Because some picks were not broadcast near Halloween, the list appears to use a broad editorial definition rather than a strict release-date rule.
Readers Can Check the Full List
Readers seeking all 30 selections and their accompanying descriptions can consult Esquire’s original article. The supplied report does not announce a follow-up, additional ranking methodology or related release. For a seasonal viewing plan, the descriptions can help readers distinguish lighter choices such as The Brady Bunch from the darker material in The X-Files.
Key Questions
What is Esquire’s Halloween TV list?
It is an editorial selection of 30 episodes that Esquire’s entertainment editors recommend for Halloween viewing. The supplied source does not describe it as a poll or data-based ranking.
Are all the episodes actual Halloween specials?
No. Esquire includes some episodes that aired outside October, including “And Then There Was Shawn” from Boy Meets World and “Scoobynatural” from Supernatural, based on their horror or Halloween-friendly themes.
Which shows are named in the supplied excerpt?
The excerpt describes entries from The Brady Bunch, South Park, Bob’s Burgers, Abbott Elementary, The X-Files, Home Improvement, Supernatural, BoJack Horseman and Boy Meets World, along with the series Ted.
Does the source explain how the episodes were ranked?
No ranking method or scoring criteria are provided in the supplied material. Esquire says its entertainment editors chose from their favorites, so the list should be read as an editorial recommendation.
Source: esquire.com
