Best Halloween TV Specials

The best part about the holidays outside of food, candy and presents, OK fine family, are all the cool cartoon/TV oriented specials. I still get giddy when I see ads for shows I used to love as a kid. Since it is Halloween, here are my top five favorite Halloween specials:

5. Bugs Bunny's Howl-Oween Special - Granted, this was just a rehash of old cartoons, but I love watching the episode when Bugsy pal is dressed up like Hansel and the witch tries to eat him.

4. Paul Lynde Halloween Special - I was 3 years old and I was just blown away because KISS made it's national TV debut and performed three songs.

Take into consideration you have Paul Lynde, Margaret Hamilton, Witchie Poo (Billie Hayes H.R. Puff n Stuff), Florence Henderson performing a disco version of That Old Black Magic and Disco Lady. Oh yes, The Osmonds!! All of this ads to a cornucopia of what the hell is this? Sheer brilliance!

3. Raggedy Ann and Andy in The Pumpkin Who Couldn't Smile - I do not remember much of this cartoon. But when this debuted in 1979, I remember seeing commercials that Kiss was going to be on Tom Snyder. Obviously I could not stay up that late, but I got to see the episode many years later. A wonderful episode because Ace Frehley is piss drunk and absolutely hysterical. I recommend you youtube this.

2. Fat Albert Halloween Special - I should say the best reason to watch this, is just to hear Bill Cosby in his Fat Albert voice say,"IT'S THE FAT ALBERT HALLOWEEEEEEEEEEEN SPECIAL!" You have the Cosby kids hanging out with Mudfoot who eats 10 wads of gum and talks with his mouth full. I used to impersonate this as a child and annoy every family member along the way.

1. It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown - No Contest. I think this is every one's favorite. What other cartoon can take a crazy halloween story and suddenly bring Snoopy's Red Baron role into it. How does this story for kids turn into Apocalypse Now? You have Snoopy in his "aircraft" shooting down German planes, taking in enemy gun fire and then walking in the forest to escape enemies. I don't know about you, but nothing says Halloween like World War I.

Another quick note. Remember when Lucy asks Linus how he is going to mail the letter to the GP in the mail box that is like 10 feet high? So eventually Linus gets the letter up there by using his blanket?

Seriously, how small are these kids and how high are these damn mail boxes?

Happy Halloween Everyone!!