Little Rascals: Spooky Hooky (1936)

As school lets out, Spanky and Alfalfa send Buckwheat and Porky back into the building to deposit a phony doctor's note on the teacher's desk, so that they can skip school the next day and go to the circus. As the teacher's leaving, she tells the boys that she's taking the whole class to the circus. When they run back to the building to retrieve the notes, the little kids are just closing the doors, which are now locked. They show up that night to break into the school and get the note back. Stormy weather, a power outage, and various other spooky happenings, send all four boys - and the janitor - running for their lives. (Synopsis from TV.com)

Brady Bunch: Out of This World (1974)

From Season 5, this episode originally aired January 18, 1974. I have never really associated UFOs and space aliens with Halloween, but there are plenty of sci-fi movies shown on TV around the holiday and alien masks sold in costume shops. And UFOs will be forever linked to Halloween because of Orson Welles's October 30, 1938 radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds, which sent many people into a panic across the U.S. I would like to include this episode on my Halloween blog because I really enjoy The Brady Bunch, and because this episode has a similar feel to "Fright Night," a true Brady Bunch Halloween episode. Motivated by his younger brothers' interest in space exploration and stories of UFOs, Greg plays a trick on them by projecting a flying saucer image out of the attic window. The boys are able to capture pictures and develop them, with Mom's help, which leads to a government investigation. There is also a dream sequence in which the UFO lands in the back yard and Bobby talks with the pint-sized aliens.

ABC Weekend Special: Red Room Riddle (1983)

Originally aired February 5, 1983. As part of a club initiation, Bill and Todd have to enter an old house haunted by the ghost of Jamie Bly. Soon the boys encounter a slew of ghosts, and they get trapped inside of a red, glowing room. (Synopsis from Retrojunk.com)

The Brady Bunch: The Slumber Caper (1970)

"The Slumber Caper" is one among a handful of Brady Bunch episodes that had a Halloween feel, even if the holiday was not specifically mentioned. Originally aired 9 October 1970, the episode contains many examples of spooky fun: the Brady boys in Halloween masks (Frankenstein monster, Phantom of the Opera, Creature from the Black Lagoon), fake spiders, a flashing skull in the refrigerator, ghost stories, howls outside the window, itching powder in the sleeping bags...

All of this Halloween fun doesn't begin until halfway through the episode. But be patient...it is worth the wait!

Little Rascals: Alfalfa's Aunt (1939)

I once recorded this episode off TV in the late 80s or early 90s, but only caught the tail end of it. The storyline doesn't involve Halloween, but it does include elements that fit the holiday mood. Alfalfa's aunt Penelope is a mystery writer who comes to visit. Alfalfa finds a page from a story she is writing, which is in the form of a letter. It reads:

Dear X,

I have discovered that only my nephew stands between me and the Switzer millions! So like the others, he shall die in agony - tonight - at the stroke of nine!

Believing that his own aunt is planning to murder him, Alfalfa recruits the gang to help protect him from her.

The Brady Bunch: To Move or Not To Move (1970)

While technically not a Halloween episode, this Brady Bunch story involves the kids trying to keep their parents from selling the house by scaring away the potential buyer. "To Move or Not To Move" will satisfy your cravings to see children posing as ghosts under bedsheets, to hear strange creaking noises throughout the house, and to see Alice holding up an amulet to protect herself from evil spirits. From the show's first season, the episode originally aired 6 March 1970, which is why the character Mrs. Hunsaker quips, "I must say, you people celebrate Halloween at a strange time of year." Here is the episode's key scene:


Other Brady Bunch episodes that could be categorized as Halloween-related are "The Slumber Caper" (1970), "Fright Night" (1972), "Two Petes in a Pod" (1974), and "Out of This World" (1974), which is similar to "Fright Night" but involves a UFO instead of a ghost.