By Daniel Furn

Published: Friday, 29 October 2021 at 12:00 am

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Spooky season is upon us once again – and while Halloween Kills may be the obvious choice on the big screen, there are plenty more options at home on the small screen.

We’ve already been treated to streaming scares in the form of Mike Flanagan’s Midnight Mass on Netflix and the long-awaited launch of American Horror Story: Double Feature on Disney Plus – and of course, who could forget Muppets Haunted Mansion for the young ones (and young-at-heart!).

The big show on terrestrial TV is of course Doctor Who series 13, with the show’s first-ever Halloween special kicking off a brand new six-episode miniseries ahead of Jodie Whittaker’s impending exit.

There are also plenty of horror films on the box this year, from classic creature features to undiscovered gems you might wish were left undiscovered…

Read on for our picks of the best TV shows and films showing this Halloween.

Doctor Who – Sunday 31st October at 6:25pm, BBC One

For a show so famously associated with iconic baddies and behind the sofa, it’s a wonder it took nearly 60 years for Doctor Who to get a proper Halloween special. Nevertheless, it’s finally happening – while series 13 will tell one serialised story called Flux, the first episode will be titled The Halloween Apocalypse and see the Doctor and Yaz hunt fearsome Karvanista in the Arctic Circle, deep Space and present-day Liverpool.

Featuring the introduction of John Bishop as new companion Dan, the return of classic villains the Sontarans and the start of a brand new experimental series, it’s set to be one big episode of Doctor Who – and will also double as Halloween fun for all the family.

The Addams Family – Saturday 30th October at 1:55pm, ITV

An animated film is currently in cinemas and a Wednesday Addams series is in the works at Netflix from Tim Burton, but it’s hard to deny the gothic charm of the original ’90s live-action films. The first feature-length film featuring the classic cartoon characters, The Addams Family introduces to the clan’s many spooky and kooky members, who welcome the return of long-lost brother Fester – but soon suspect he may be a fraud…

A young Christina Ricci steals the show in her breakthrough role as Wednesday Addams, but she’s in great company with Anjelica Huston as Morticia Addams and Christopher Lloyd as Fester. A sequel, Addams Family Values, is on Channel 5 straight afterward.

Bride of Frankenstein – Saturday 30th October at 3:55pm, Horror Channel

It’s the time of year for the Horror Channel to shine – and they’ve pulled out all the stops with a movie marathon of the classic Universal Monsters films. Dracula, Bride of Frankenstein and Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman are up on Saturday, with The Invisible Man on All Hallow’s Eve itself.

A reboot of Bride of Frankenstein has been in development hell for a long time, with Universal reportedly eyeing Angelina Jolie for the part. However it’ll struggle to live up to this 1935 original, with horror icon Boris Karloff starring as the titular monster. As the title suggests, Dr. Frankenstein reluctantly creates a mate for the monster – but it’s not exactly love at first sight…

The Exorcist – Saturday 30th October at 10:40pm, BBC Two

The Exorcist is several decades old now and has been parodied several times since – but it still remains one of the most effective horror movies ever made. Starring a then-unknown cast who endured a difficult shoot, The Exorcist follows a mother who hires two priests to save her possessed daughter – who can spin her head 360 degrees and is saying all sorts of foul-mouthed things.

Infamously controversial, moviegoers queued outside in the cold for a chance to see it in 1973 – only for many of them to faint upon seeing the film according to urban legend. See what effect it has on you…

Midnight Mass – Netflix

Although Midnight Mass premiered back in September and has since been somewhat eclipsed by the runaway success of Squid Game, it’s well worth going back and watching – and Halloween is the perfect time to do so. Loosely based on creator Mike Flanagan’s childhood as an altar boy, Midnight Mass follows the isolated community of Crockett Island, which starts to experience miracles after the arrival of the charismatic Father Paul. Some are more skeptical of the priest however – and some experience chilling omens…

An isolated island setting? Check. Unexplained supernatural events? Check. A charismatic new arrival who may or may not be able to perform miracles? Check. Midnight Mass has all the recipes for a classic scary story – no wonder seeing as it’s from Mike Flanagan, the man behind The Haunting of Hill House and Bly Manor also.

American Horror Story – Disney Plus

A wait for the UK release means that only two episodes of the new season 10 of American Horror Story will be available on Disney Plus by Halloween, but luckily the reviews suggest it might be one of the strongest seasons so far. Titled Double Feature, the tenth season will be split into two scary stories for the first time, kicking off with Red Tide which sees author Harry move his family to a seaside town to cure his writer’s block. Harry soon discovers a cure for his productivity problem – but then strange things start happening, and vampires start turning up…

Series stalwarts Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters make a long-awaited comeback in Double Feature, and Macaulay Culkin of all people is among the many guest stars this time around. Season nine is also available on Disney Plus, as is spin-off American Horror Stories.

Muppets Haunted Mansion – Disney Plus

Much like Doctor Who, the Muppets have been on the air for decades yet have never had a Halloween special – until now. The Muppets Haunted Mansion is just what you’d expect and hope from a spooky special involving everyone’s favourite felt creations, seeing Gonzo and Pepe take on the challenge of staying in the mansion for one night – cue comic misadventures, child-friendly frights and a bucketful (jack-o’-lanternful?) of guest stars.

Adults will likely enjoy seeing the many famous faces pop up, which includes Will Arnett, Taraji P. Henson and Community star Yvette Nicole Brown – as well as Danny Trejo and the late, great Ed Asner as ghosts – while kids will get a kick out of seeing the trademark Muppet humour get a Halloween-themed twist for the first time.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It – from 29th October on Sky Cinema/NOW

There are now eight(!) instalments in the Conjuring universe including the many spin-offs, but this latest film returns to the main premise of following paranormal investigators Ed and Louise Warren as they look into haunting cases. As the title implies this time the focus is the trial of Arne Cheyne Johnson, better known as the ‘Devil Made Me Do It Case’ which was the first use of demonic possession as a defence in US court history.

The supposed last film in the series, the always dependable Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson help refresh this somewhat flagging franchise – with the first two Conjuring films available on BBC iPlayer also.

Watch movies now with a Sky Cinema Membership from NOW TV – get a 7 day free trial. (It’ll then auto-renew at £9.99 a month, but you can cancel anytime!)

Also check out our list of best horror films on Netflix. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide.

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