When I was a kid, I wasn’t huge on Halloween. I loved dressing up in cute costumes and loved all the fun things we would do at school, and of course, I was excited about the candy. But, I’ve never liked anything very scary, whether it was movies or haunted houses, and I’d always end up putting a coat on over my costume anyway. Moreover, it would get pretty boring walking in circles around my neighborhood, but I loved that when I got home, I’d get put in pajamas, sort and trade my candy, and most importantly, turn on the TV to watch all the Halloween episodes of my favorite shows. So, to bring a little childhood nostalgia back to your life this October, here’s a list of my favorites episodes and where you can stream them.
1. The Suite Life of Zack and Cody : S1 E19 “Do Not Play” on Disney+
I think we can all agree that this is one of the most notoriously scary Halloween episodes from our childhoods. I mean, that hotel room is so spooky, that painting still haunts my dreams, and Esteban literally gets possessed. Even though it still freaks me out a little, it’s one of my favorites. You can stream it Disney+!
2. Zoey 101 : S2 E6 “Haunted House” on Paramount+
I can vividly remember watching this episode on my living room floor as a kid and being totally freaked out. Dustin and his friend get lost in Logan’s extra-scary haunted house, and I actually thought they were going to get killed by ghosts or something. But of course, in true Nickelodeon fashion, it was all in the name of teaching a good lesson. Plus, Michael getting chased around by that French couple the whole time is so funny.
3. Wizards of Waverly Place : S3 E2 “Halloween” on Disney+
Technically you can watch almost any episode of Wizards of Waverly Place and call it a Halloween episode (with all the monsters and spells) but this is the one that aired specifically themed around Halloween. The Russos have to make their typically lame haunted house scarier, but Alex lets it get a bit out of hand. Wizards of Waverly Place was always one of my favorite shows as a kid, so this one will definitely be on my TV this Halloween.
4. iCarly : S1 E7 “iScream on Halloween” on Netflix
iCarly actually has two Halloween episodes, but the second is in a later season and it just doesn’t have the same Nickelodeon-Halloween energy we all know and love. This is a super classic kids’ show Halloween episode, with a bunch of spooky happenings in apartment 13B that all turn out to be very specific and outrageous miscommunications.
5. Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide : S3 E5 “Halloween/Vampires, Ghosts, Werewolves, and Zombies” on Paramount+
Personally, I think Ned’s Declassified is a super underrated show from our childhood. I always thought it was hilarious, but so few people seemed to watch it. I really liked this episode because the first half (“Halloween”) was a regular episode about a Halloween party, but the second half (“Vampires, Ghosts, Werewolves, and Zombies”) is an alternate-universe episode where all the students at the school are spooky Halloween creatures.
6. Gravity Falls : S1 E12 “Summerween” on Hulu
Gravity Falls is another show where lots of the episodes feel like a Halloween episodes because of all the spooky anomalies that happen around the town. This episode is special because the town celebrates Halloween in the middle of the summer. I really like this episode because of the balance between classic Halloween fun and creepy monsters!
7. Spongebob Squarepants : S1 E13a “Scaredy Pants” on Paramount+
Spongebob is another kids’ show with multiple Halloween episodes, which makes sense based on how long it has been airing, but this one is my personal favorite. Spongebob is such a…strange show, I can’t quite explain exactly what this episode is about. All you need to know is there’s a Halloween party at the Krusty Krab, and Spongebob carves his head down to be a better shape for his ghost costume.
8. Hannah Montana : S1 E17 “Torn Between Two Hannahs” on Disney+
Honestly, this episode isn’t the spookiest; I just love Hannah Montana. It’s a pretty classic episode plot, with Miley almost getting exposed as Hannah. The real Halloween fun of the episode is when Jackson and Robby get into a Halloween battle with their neighbor. It’s a nice, lighthearted interlude to throw into your watch list.
9. Jimmy Neutron : S2 E4 “Nightmare in Retroville” on Paramount+
Jimmy Neutron always freaks me out — not because of the plot, but because the animation is just so creepy. In this episode, Jimmy turns himself and his friends into real monsters for Halloween so that they will have the best and scariest costumes. Everything goes haywire when the boys actually transform. Jimmy has to protect the townspeople from his monster friends and tries to get his friends home to change them back to normal.
10. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown on Apple TV+
This one is my personal favorite, and the biggest classic of all. I just love watching all of the Charlie Brown holiday episodes because they’re so nostalgic and they make me laugh no matter how many times I see them. There will be a couple of airings on cable, but your best bet for securing your watch is an Apple TV+ subscription.
Well, I know what I’ll have playing on my TV on October 31, and I hope this helps you too! Halloween was so magical as a child, and I think watching some of these special episodes will help bring some of that nostalgia back.
Happy Halloween!
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