It’s officially October! It is not only my favorite month of the year, but it is also my birth month and the time that brings about everything horror. In the spirit of the season, I want to introduce some shows that I believe are the most enjoyable to watch during this fall month. I guarantee that these throwback cartoons will most definitely get you in the mood for Halloween. I have ranked each show in order of total creepiness and what I believe to be the most memorable and spooky October episodes. Along with that, much of this ranking is also based on how enjoyable I think each show is overall. It is perfectly fine to disagree, but my rank is quite final in how spooky I deem these cartoons to be! With that being said, let’s not waste any more time and dive right into it.
- Number 5 – “Scooby Dooby Doo”
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Scooby Dooby Doo is an ageless classic that has seen more remakes than I have seen B’s on my report card! If you have not already heard of the overwhelmingly popular Scooby Dooby Doo, it is about a group of teenage mystery investigators – Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and their dog Scooby-Doo – coming together to solve a number of different mysteries. Some include uncovering the case of the Headless Horseman, a vampire, a phantom, and even Big-Foot. Though most of these monsters turn out to be people seeking revenge against their boss, friends, or family, the episodes still have a way of making you jump out of your seat. Trust me, I truly believe that for some of the particularly spooky Scooby Dooby Doo episodes, you should not watch it alone or in the dark. Nevertheless, this show never fails to get you in the perfect mood for Halloween.
- Number 4 – “Hey Arnold”
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I know you may be thinking that Hey Arnold is not creepy at all and you might be confused as to why it is ranked better than something as spooky as Scooby Dooby Doo, and you might have a point. But, in case you do not know, Hey Arnold is a hit 90s show that details the adventures of a boy named Arnold and all of his friends: Gerald, Helga, Harold, and Phoebe. When it comes to Halloween especially, this shows know how to spook some little kids! I still remember every detail of its most haunting episodes, with everything from “The Haunted Train” (the photo above) to “Ghost Bride”. The former episode mentioned is about Arnold and the gang getting stuck on a train that was still controlled by a dead conductor. The latter episode, “Ghost Bride”, shows the gang getting introduced to a bride that haunts the cemetery after murdering her sister and her fiancé. She even comes out every Halloween on the day she committed suicide humming the ‘Wedding March,” still seeking her revenge. Pretty spooky, am I right?
- Number 3- “Regular Show”
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Regular Show was one of my favorite shows to watch when I was nine years old, the same year that the first episode premiered. I would spend all of my time watching this show with my older brother and little sister. Despite the name, Regular Show was nothing but regular! The show contained characters like a talking gumball machine, a man with an abnormally shaped head, and a high-fiving ghost. The show follows Mordecai ,a blue jay bird, and his best friend Rigby, a raccoon, working as groundskeepers at a park trying not to get fired by their strict boss, who is the gumball machine. While at work, many bizarre things happen to them. Some of my personal favorites episodes include them getting sucked into a black hole, bringing video game characters to life, and destroying the entire park multiple times. However, despite the craziness of their situations, it alway turns out fine for the boys at the end. Even though Regular Show can be scary, it is also a funny and heartwarming cartoon filled with relatable characters: A combination perfect for October!
- Number 2- “Danny Phantom”
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Even though Danny Phantom might not be considered a scary show either, it still had many quality Halloween episodes. Not only that, it was also one of my favorite childhood shows, so it definitely deserves second place on my account. Danny Phantom is about a high school student who’s parents are ghost hunters and who accidentally turns into a ghost himself from his parent’s ghost portal machine. Him and his friends, Sam and Tucker, fight off all of the ghosts that threaten to destroy the town. The show is amazing for the way that it draws you into every episode, and it is also very funny with many lovable characters. Since Danny Phantom is more of a comedic-action show, it has a hilarious action-packed Halloween episode called “Fright Night.” In this episode, Danny Phantom gets taken advantage of by Fright Night, the Spirit of Halloween, when trying to design the best haunted house in the neighborhood. Again, this episode really creates a perfect recipe of everything Halloween-themed!
- Number 1- “Courage the Cowardly Dog”
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Not only was Courage the Cowardly Dog my favorite show to watch during Halloween, but it is also one of my favorite shows of all time! This is without a doubt the number one show to watch during Spooky October. It is quite hard to even put into words how good Courage the Cowardly Dog is – it is truly that brilliant. The show about a dog named Courage living in the middle of nowhere with his owners Muriel and Eustace. Unfortunately, there are many monsters in the middle of nowhere that bring trouble to the family nearly every day. If you easily spook or despise gore, then I would not recommend this show for you. I am still confused as to why it became a children’s show, but despite that, it is still a very good show with many horror themes that I enjoy. One of my favorite and spookiest episodes of this show is “Demon in the Mattress.” Muriel becomes possessed by a demon in the mattress and it is up to Courage the dog to rescue her. Another personal favorite episode is “King Ramses Curse”, in which a curse is put on Eustace and the family and once again, Courage has to come and save the day. A final episode worth noting is “Freaky Fred” which details Muriel’s deranged, haircutting-obsessed nephew who comes to visit and Courage must step in and get rid of the nephew before he causes serious harm. Many of the episodes throughout this television show sound like pages out of a Stephen King novel. This shows that it truly is the scariest Halloween cartoon of them all!
I definitely recommend that you go and check out all of the shows listed above. Even after October comes to an end, I guarantee that each cartoon is still very enjoyable to watch on its own and you will not regret binge-watching every episode!