Mill Creek Entertainment comprises five hours worth of Halloween episodes from some of their flagship sitcoms, and though it’s a mixed bag, it’s also a fun treat for the holiday. For folks that want to ring in Halloween without the gruesome horror entertainment, you’ll find some really great specials here, some of which I’ve seen at least a hundred times over. I can’t imagine a better greatest hits DVD for families this year. Featured on the DVD is the season two episode of “Roseanne” entitled “Boo!” where the Conner family rings in Halloween, while Roseanne and Dan wage a prank war on one another to see who is best at gruesome and funny pranks. This is a hysterical one shot for the series, and it was never quite topped.
The “News Radio” episode entitled “Halloween” from season three is equal parts funny and weird. When the staff isn’t invited to their boss Jimmy’s famous Halloween party for being killjoys, they decide to get in to the spirit. Meanwhile boss Dave upsets girlfriend Lisa by wearing her dress as a costume, as Phil falls for an old woman at the party. It’s a fun episode that the writers are never afraid to be surreal with. The “Married with Children” episode from season eight is entitled “Take My Wife, Please.” It’s a play on the classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” where Al wishes he were dead and is visited by the Grim Reaper who resembles Peg, much to his horror. On “Bewitched,” the episode “A Safe and Sane Halloween” finds Samantha and Darrin getting a normal mortal Halloween with daughter Tabatha, who brings to life three monsters from a Halloween book. “I Dream of Jeannie” features the episode “My Master, The Ghost Breaker” where Tony inherits a mansion that is said to be haunted, not realizing the former help and the lawyer of the estate are trying to scare him out of ownership.
“The Jeffersons” two part episode “Now You See It, Now You Don’t” George competes with Tom and Ellen as comedy icons for Halloween, while putting up with the landlord’s rotten children. Meanwhile, Louise accidentally witnesses a man in a bunny costume murder someone on the street, prompting everyone to believe Louise was hallucinating. When he turns up, he seeks to kill Louise and silence her. The “Square Pegs” episode titled “Halloween XII” finds characters Patty and Lauren invited to a Halloween party with the popular crowd only to find they’re being terrorized by someone outside, intent on ruining their night. The season five episode of “The Facts of Life” features the group horrified to find out Mrs. Garrett’s bakery was once the home of a vicious crime scene, and they soon begin to worry she might be possessed by the ghost of a serial killer. “The Cosby Show” episode “Halloween” features the Huxtables trying to outdo one another with unique costumes, while Vanessa tries to build the courage to talk to a boy during a party.
On “Mad About You” the episode “Unplanned Child” finds Paul and Jamie having to babysit his ten year old nephew. Jamie has to take him trick or treating though when Paul is held up at work editing a film. The “3rd Rock” episode “Scaredy Dick” sees character Dick running out of a medical appointment, while Sally and Tommy house sit and try to thwart trick or treaters from egging the house. There’s the “Ned and Stacey” episode “The Halloween Story,” in which a costume mix up causes Ned and Stacey to make out. Finally, The Halloween episode of “That 70’s Show” features the group visiting an abandoned school to tell ghost stories but when they find their old permanent records secrets begin to rise to the surface, Fez is astonished by the concept of Halloween, and Kitty thinks back to the Halloween when she found out she was going to be a mother. It’s a hilarious book end to a fun compilation.
