The rise of streaming platforms has pushed the art of storytelling into all-new realms, making possible narratives that could never exist in more traditional mediums. Both in the production values and in their distribution models, audiences are introduced to a variety of stories with the push of a button, as well as streamers offering the chance to dive deeper into a platform’s library to witness classic movies and TV series. Despite all of the positive ramifications of streaming and the doors they’ve opened for storytellers, one unintended consequence has been the almost complete death of beloved October traditions: Halloween-themed commercials and TV episodes.
Prior to the Internet becoming such a powerhouse when it came to how audiences consumed content, the dominating platform for such entertainment was in-home television. For those of us who grew up watching TV, one of the first indicators that the spooky season was right around the corner was the debut of commercials honoring All Hallow’s Eve. Whether it was a commercial specifically promoting Halloween candy or related festivities, or if a brand used the season as a clever way to honor their year-round mascots, these commercials started to roll out as early as August and would dominate the airwaves up through November 1st.
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The current age of streaming means that, while you might still have to suffer through ads on platforms while you attempt to catch up on your favorite programs, the emphasis on any advertisement is taking an evergreen approach. Brands are far less interested in making a commercial that comes with an expiration date than they are in making a promo that can run for a majority of the year, if not in perpetuity. Halloween-themed commercials aren’t a requirement to enjoy the holiday, and they do still sporadically get made, but anyone born in the last two decades has missed out on being treated to a few minutes of ads that all honor the spirit of the season. Given that Halloween is such a community-focused event, seeing dozens of new Halloween commercials pop up every year added a universality to all of the content you consumed on your TV.
Commercials aren’t the only things that hope to embrace an evergreen approach to delivering stories, as TV series, no matter what the genre, have all modified their storytelling structure. Network series would often have at least 22 episodes per season, which meant that writers were always looking for ways to fulfill that quota. The tradition of making an episode that directly tapped into the Halloween season goes back to the ’50s, but the popularity of Halloween and of sitcoms arguably peaked in the ’80s and ’90s, resulting in some of the most popular programs on TV delivering viewers themed episodes. And, if you were lucky, ABC’s TGIF or Nickelodeon’s SNICK could see the entire evening dominated by tributes to October 31st.
No matter what the title might be, there’s always something a little special about watching an episode of a TV series honoring a real-world holiday, if only to use the premise to honor the sillier sides of the season. These tie-in specials aren’t gone for good, as animated series like The Simpsons and Bob’s Burgers regularly take part in the tradition, while Ghosts, The Goldbergs, Modern Family, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine kept the spirit alive over the past decade of live-action sitcoms. With so many TV shows in the streaming age maxing out at 13 episodes a season, and some being as short as six episodes, there’s less of a need and likely less of an interest in filling time with a tribute to Halloween, or any holiday. Additionally, with so many series potentially being released without much certainty as to whether it’ll get picked up for more seasons, the stories themselves need to have a timelessness to them so that, if it’s discovered years later, they can be just as entertaining in a complete bubble and without any cultural signifiers to potentially date them.
There have been countless, undeniably beneficial components of streaming platforms and what they’ve done for entertainment over the past decade. Despite those advantages, we can’t help but pine for the earlier days of TV and the opportunity to watch Halloween-themed episodes of our family’s favorite series as you’re surrounded by those closest to you, only to have those shows interrupted by creepy and kooky commercials to help build excitement towards October 31st. With the market trending towards offerings that can be consumed all year round, entire generations of TV fans will be denied the thrill of seeing your favorite characters sporting Halloween costumes to build excitement about getting to participate in those festivities yourself.
Do you wish more TV series had Halloween episodes? Contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!
