This year’s Halloween TV offerings are surprisingly slim. Most of the returning sitcoms are not doing new Halloween episodes, and a few of the new shows I wonder if they will be around by Halloween. Fox, which frequently runs into scheduling conflicts due to the baseball post-season, ran The Simpsons annual “Treehouse of Horrors” episode extra-early this year (two weeks ago!)
Wednesday, October 24th
Guys with Kids, NBC - The eponymous “guys” fight with the new head of the co-op board over their annual Halloween hallway decorations - and in doing so, take drastic measures.
The Neighbors, ABC - The aliens-living-amongst-humans normally fear Halloween and shut off their gated community to it, so the one human family in the neighborhood decides to teach them to love Halloween.
The Middle, ABC - Youngest son Brick goes through an “unexpected transformation” when he eats too much candy in an episode that is cleverly titled “Halloween III: The Driving.”
Thursday, October 25th
Up All Night, NBC - The Christina Applegate sophomore series doesn’t have much in the way of frights, other than a neighbor who does a big neighborhood haunted house display.
Parks and Rec, NBC - Xena the warrior princess guest stars as the surliest (Ron) and dumbest (Andy) guys in the office take her girls trick-or-treating. The episode is titled “Halloween Surprises,” so hopefully there is more in store.
The Office, NBC - Other than the cast dressing up in Halloween costumes, nothing Halloween-y happens.
The Big Bang Theory, CBS - The comic book shop has a Halloween party, and a couple of the characters dress up like Papa Smurf and Smurfette.
Friday, October 26th
Grimm, NBC - Moving away from the tales of the brothers Grimm, tonight’s episode revolves around the Mexican legend of La Llorna, the weeping woman. It also is meant as a tie-in with the Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights maze.
Mockingbird Lane, NBC - The much talked about The Munsters reboot is finally here, for one night only. Set those DVRs now.
Monday, October 29th
Hawaii 5-0, CBS - Murder is always bad, but when it happens on Halloween, it is both grisly and ritualistic.
Tuesday, October 30th
Go On, NBC - When Yolanda is disappointed by her friends, they join together to give her her dream “Alice in Wonderland” Halloween.
The New Normal, NBC - The boys go all-out with decorating, crazy costumes, and a pumpkin patch visit. George Takei guest stars.
Raising Hope, Fox - Another “not Halloweeny plot but everyone is in costumes so it counts” episode.
Ben & Kate, Fox - Kate uses Halloween as an excuse to shed her uptight image (as do 90% of women on Halloween), while Ben and his buddy stay home to pass out candy, only to discover one of the kids has eaten the “special Amsterdam” candy.
New Girl, Fox - Jess gets a job as a zombie in a haunted house.
The Mindy Project, Fox - See Raising Hope, above.
Wednesday, October 31st
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, ABC - It wouldn’t be Halloween without Charlie Brown and Linus.
Face Off, Syfy - The prosthetic makeup reality contest has its grand finale in a live Halloween special.
Friday, November 2nd
Blue Bloods, CBS - This procedural brings the scares into November in an episode about a Halloween murder investigation that leads into the world of voodoo.