When you think of October, you immediately think of Halloween. It’s one of the most beloved and unique holidays celebrated in the United States, and it holds a huge influence in pop culture. A huge reason why Halloween is so talked about and celebrated is its appearance in many shows and movies. Whether it’s a scary thriller or a humorous family special, Halloween-themed content has certainly become its own genre and industry.
That’s why today we want to show you our Top 31 Halloween TV Shows & Specials of all time! We’ll break it down into 3 distinct categories, and then reveal our pick for BEST Halloween Show or Movie of all time!
Best Halloween Kids Shows & Movies Movies
Halloween is known for its scary ghouls, ghosts, and other scary stories, but not every Halloween show or movie needs to scare you silly! Sometimes, you want a great Halloween movie that’s appropriate for the whole family, and can keep your children happy and entertained.
With that being said, here are some of the best Halloween shows and movies for kids!
Goosebumps (2015)
Jack Black and crew jump into one of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps novels and spooky hilarity ensues!
Frankenweenie
A young boy brings his beloved dog back to life, which causes some problems in his school.
Igor!
This animated special follows the iconic assistant extraordinaire in his aspirations to become a scientist himself!
Muppets Haunted Mansion
The Muppets are back in action, and this time Gonzo has taken the challenge to stay a full night in a haunted mansion.
Monster House
A group of neighborhood kids investigated some spooky happening at the creepy house across the street.
Hotel Transylvania
Count Dracula has left the mortal realm and created a spooky resort for his ghoulish friends, when a human boy accidentally finds them and creates some potential issues!
Coraline
A young girl exploring her new home finds a door to a different realm, but not all may seem as great as it first appears!
Scooby Doo (2002)
This live action movie features everyone’s favorite crime-solving dog and his crew of meddling kids, tackling some paranormal activities!
100% Wolf
This Australian animated movie follows the story of a young werewolf who accidentally ends up transforming into a poodle!
Coco
Pixar’s Day of the Dead masterpiece pays homage to the importance of family and history, while also forging your own path!
Best Scary Halloween Shows & Movies
If you’re looking for some Halloween movies or shows to really get you into the spooky season mood, you’ll definitely want something scary. There’s nothing better than sitting with a group of friends and all yelling at the same time for a good old fashioned jump scare! In good news, there are generally a lot of scary Halloween movies and shows to pick from, but unfortunately many of them are not very great, and end up being super one-dimensional.
If you’re looking for a scary movie that will keep you entertained and get your blood pumping, here are our top picks!
Us
This psychological horror thriller follows a young family as they are attacked by a group of doppelgangers!
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
This grizzly horror classic spins the tale of an unlucky group of friends who falls prey to a pack of not-so-friendly cannibals.
The Shining
Jack Nicholson plays an aspiring writer who becomes a caretaker of a remote hotel to defeat his writer’s block, but ends up driving him mad.
The Conjuring
A pair of paranormal experts explore the haunted and demonic activities occurring in their own new home.
The Invisible Man (2020)
An deranged ex-boyfriend creates an invisible suit to torment his former lover’s entire life.
The Witch
A young girl becomes possessed by a 17th century English witch and slowly dismantles her family’s life.
The Blair Witch Project
One of the most unique horror films ever produced that shows the found footage of 3 young filmmakers who went missing in the woods.
Scream (2022)
The fifth iteration of the slasher classic follows a group of friends and family who are seeing hallucinations that eventually destroy their lives.
Midsommar
A dysfunctional couple head to Sweden for a friend’s retreat, but end up in a Paganistic horror competition.
Donnie Darko
Jake Gyllenhaal shows his dark side as he plays a sleep-walking teenager who is visited by an evil rabbit costume named Frank and changes the potential course of his life.
Best Halloween TV Shows & Specials
Halloween season is obviously dominated by full-length movies, but there are quite a few great Halloween based shows and specials out there. Whether you’re looking for seasonal cooking recipes and cooking challenges or some original drama programs, there are plenty of options out there.
If you’re looking for some Halloween programs on your tv, here are some of our favorite options!
The Walking Dead
The zombie apocalypse has arrived and society has crumbled, but it’s humans who still pose the biggest threat to each other!
Halloween Wars
Cake decorators, pumpkin carvers, and candy makers compete to make the biggest, baddest, and most unique Halloween creations!
Ghost Adventures
The Travel channel circles the globe and investigates some of the world’s most haunted places!
Scared Shrekless
Everyone’s favorite ogre competes with his friends to tell the scariest story, and be named the “King of Halloween.”
It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
This iconic animated special follows a group of friends on their Halloween plans including trick-or-treating, pumpkin picking, and more!
Best Classic Halloween Movies
Halloween can be a time of renewed nostalgia, reminding people of their childhood costumes and experiences. It can also bring you back to the time of watching classic movies with your friends and families, and sharing them with those around you now. There’s nothing better than watching one of your favorite films and being brought back to the time you first watched that, and with so many iconic Halloween films, there are a ton to pick from.
Here are just a few of our favorite classic Halloween movies!
The Addams Family
The First Family of Halloween is having some familial disputes over the Addams mansion and fortune, Gomez Addams is forced to confront his brother Fester!
A Nightmare on Elm Street
This supernatural slasher introduced us to Freddy Krueger, one of the most instantly recognizable villains of all times, who can murder people through their dreams.
Beetlejuice
Tim Burton’s classic shows an undead couple haunting their original home and its new owners with some unhelpful assistance from Beetlejuice – a mischievous spirit.
Friday The 13th
Camp Crystal Lake is finally reopening 20 years after the drowning of a young boy, and a new batch of counselors’ summer fun is interrupted by a deranged murderer.
Halloween
Years after killing his teenage sister, Michael Myers escapes his sanitarium and returns to his hometown to exact revenge.
Our Top Pick For Best Halloween Movie or Show
With so many amazing Halloween-themed movies and shows out there to watch, you should have no problem finding quite a few that capture your imagination and keep you entertained. Whether you’re looking for a family movie night, or a scary event with friends, there is certainly a perfect option for you.
With that being said, we wanted to give our pick for Best Halloween movie, show, or special.
Hocus Pocus
Three unsuspecting teens accidentally set a trio of 17th century witches free in Salem, Massachusetts, and must now stop them from making themselves immortal.
Hocus Pocus was an instant classic, and perfect for the whole family. It’s accessible for just about everyone, gets people laughing, and sets a perfect mood for the Halloween season. Hocus Pocus really is a top-notch film, and is highly-recommended for all ages!
Does DISH Network Show Halloween Movies?
Yes! DISH Network is the home of Halloween, with tons of amazing Halloween films, shows, and specials across a huge variety of channels. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking to keep your kids entertained with some animated programs, or having a scary movie night with some friends – DISH Network has you covered for Spooky Season!
DISH Spooktacular
If you want to watch some of the amazing films and shows we just covered above, be sure to check out DISH Spooktacular! Channel 306 on DISH Network is showing a constant stream of Halloween classics such as Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown, Freddy vs Jason, Casper, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and more!
What DISH Network Channels Show Halloween Movies?
DISH Network boasts an impressive amount of channels showing Halloween programming, including a couple you wouldn’t necessarily expect. Channel 306 will be showing the DISH Spooktacular all month long, but you can also find some amazing Halloween content on channels such as the Sundance TV Channel, Hallmark Channel, Travel Channel, Freeform, and more!
