The Halloween Podcast

Meghan and Lyle are taking one last trip back to the Halloween celebrations of our childhoods! This time, we're watching and reacting to a wonderfully nostalgic collection of 1980s Halloween television footage, featuring everything from local news reports about costumes and trick-or-treating to Halloween celebrations in schools, trick-or-treating in shopping malls, vintage commercials, and even a Halloween episode of Chicago's local children's programme, Kidding Around.

Joining Meghan and Lyle is returning Special Guest Gerry, host of the Totally Rad Christmas podcast, who shares Meghan's childhood affection for this delightfully creepy Disney classic. Together, they revisit the film's memorable characters, supernatural scares, and surprisingly dark backstory, while Lyle experiences Mr. Boogedy for the very first time.

Meghan and Lyle reminisce about the decorations that filled our homes and neighborhoods during the 1980s and 1990s, uncover some surprising Halloween history, and celebrate those familiar seasonal treasures that still make us smile.

Sally Dryer joins Meghan and Lyle to share her memories of bringing one of the most iconic characters in television history to life, working on those beloved early Peanuts specials, and becoming part of a Halloween tradition that has endured for six decades.

Lyle and Meghan are taking a deep dive into “The Girl Who Stood on a Grave,” the classic story from Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Da

Today, Meghan introduces Lyle to one of her most treasured childhood Halloween memories: Kay Lande and Wade Denning's 1969 album Halloween: Games, Songs and Stories.

Meghan and Lyle revisit the iconic Robert Stack series, its unforgettable theme music, and the genuinely frightening ghost stories that made it such a memorable part of our childhoods.

We're heading to Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches to explore the 1986 television film The Worst Witch, starring Fairuza Balk, Diana Rigg, Charlotte Rae and Tim Curry.

Today, Meghan and Lyle are taking a trip down memory lane to count down their personal Top 5 Halloween commercials from their Xennial childhoods, along with a few honorable mentions that were simply too good to leave out.

Lyle and Meghan are heading back to the Disney Halloween specials with a look at Disney’s Monster Hits, the 1987 compilation that mixed classic Disney animation with a soundtrack full of spooky songs.

Lyle is counting down his Top 10 Halloween sitcom episodes of all time, revisiting the shows and episodes that helped make Halloween television such a big part of growing up.

Lyle and Meghan are taking a deep dive into one of the most iconic music videos ever made: Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

Lyle and Meghan are digging into another story from Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: “The Teeth.”

Whatever happened to those three missing student filmmakers who ventured into the Maryland woods in 1999? In Part Two of our Xennial Countdown to Halloween special, Meghan and Lyle are joined once again by Special Guest Curtis Andersen of Sabrina the Teenage Witch to revisit The Blair Witch Project (1999) and explore its extraordinary influence on modern horror.

Halloween was growing up right along with us in the 1990s, and so were the horror movies! In Part One of this two-part Xennial Countdown to Halloween, Meghan and Lyle welcome back Special Guest Curtis Andersen of Sabrina the Teenage Witch to revisit two films that helped define a generation: The Craft (1996) and Scream (1996).

In today's Xennial Countdown to Halloween, Meghan and Lyle revisit Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), the beloved stop-motion musical that introduced audiences to Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, and the wonderfully strange world of Halloween Town.

Lyle and Meghan are joined by actress and musician Shay Astar for a special Xennial Countdown interview looking back at some of her most memorable roles.

This time, Meghan and Lyle are joined by Special Guests Kalyn Andrews and Christian Baxter Mott, hosts of That’s Pretty Dark, to revisit Disney’s Halloween Treat (1982) and A Disney Halloween (1983).

Lyle and Meghan are joined by Brian Earl from Christmas Past: A Christmas Podcast for a trip back into the world of Scooby-Doo and the spooky mysteries that made the franchise such a natural fit for Halloween.

Lyle is heading back to the ’80s for a look at ALF and its Halloween episode, Season 2, Episode 6, “Some Enchanted Evening.”

Lyle and Meghan are revisiting Once Upon a Midnight Scary, the 1979 television special hosted by Vincent Price and built around three classic spooky stories.

Lyle and Meghan are saying his name three times and heading into the strange, colorful world of Beetlejuice. This time, they’re looking back at both the 1988 movie and the animated series that became a favorite for kids growing up in the late ’80s and ’90s.

Lyle and Meghan are heading back to 1979 for a look at Casper’s Halloween Special, a classic animated Halloween special featuring everyone’s favorite friendly ghost.

Lyle and Meghan are digging into one of the sweetest parts of Halloween nostalgia: the treats that made the season taste like Halloween.

LVCRFT & Katharine Isabelle Skeleton Sam’s Deadtime Stories Interview

Lyle and Meghan welcome British composer and sound designer Leigh Haggerwood to The Halloween Podcast to explore something we hear every October but rarely stop to think about: the sounds that make Halloween spooky.

Under the Umbrella Tree was a cozy fixture of Meghan’s childhood Disney Channel viewing, but this Canadian children’s favorite is completely new to Lyle. For the Xennial Countdown, they revisit Holly, Iggy, Gloria and Jacob—and the wonderfully simple Halloween special that brought the holiday into their already delightfully unusual household.

Witch’s Night Out is one of Meghan’s beloved childhood Halloween specials — a wonderfully weird Canadian cartoon from 1978 featuring Gilda Radner as an eccentric Witch who can make a couple of kids’ Halloween dreams come spectacularly true.

Curtis Andersen, who played Gordy on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, joins Meghan and Lyle for a trip through Halloween horror!

Today, Meghan and Lyle sink their teeth into “Wonderful Sausage,” a particularly gruesome tale collected by Alvin Schwartz in Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones (1991), with unforgettable illustrations by Stephen Gammell.

Join us as Lyle shares his memories of this childhood favorite and Meghan discovers what she's been missing all these years. It's a little Halloween nostalgia, a little old-fashioned storytelling, and a reminder that sometimes the simplest things can still give us a good scare!

Jason Marsden joins us for today’s Xennial Countdown to Halloween! You know Jason from an incredible list of films and television shows, including A Goofy Movie, Eerie, Indiana, and very importantly around here Hocus Pocus

Today on the Xennial Countdown to Halloween, Meghan and Lyle are heading to one of the strangest little towns of the early 1990s: Eerie, Indiana.

Meghan revisits a childhood favorite filled with trick-or-treating, witches, a pair of criminals, and one ridiculously catchy title song.

We’re talking homemade costumes, trick-or-treating, Lou Rawls, Garfield’s questionable candy ethics, and the moment this funny neighborhood Halloween adventure turns into a genuinely creepy ghost story — with a little Halloween history along the way.

Today, Lyle and Meghan revisit the original Ghostbusters and The Real Ghostbusters, looking at the strange combination of comedy and the supernatural that made the franchise so much fun—and helped it find a permanent home at Halloween despite the movie having nothing whatsoever to do with the holiday.

Meghan and Lyle revisit “The Trouble” and dig into the real Seaford poltergeist case that inspired it, separating Schwartz’s version from the historical record and exploring the investigation that captured national attention.

Meghan and Lyle head back to 1977 to revisit this spooky seasonal special, talk about how it all came together, and spend some time with Bugs Bunny, Witch Hazel and a collection of familiar faces getting into some very strange Halloween trouble.

Special Guest Tim Jacobus, the original cover illustrator for R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series, joins us to talk about creating some of the most instantly recognizable book covers of the 1990s.

Today, Meghan and Lyle are going back to the original Goosebumps series from 1992–1997 and remembering what it was like to discover these books as kids.

Today we’re digging up one of the stranger corners of Rankin/Bass history with Jack O’Lantern, the wonderfully weird 1972 Halloween installment of Festival of Family Classics.

Today Meghan introduces Lyle to Fat Albert’s Halloween Special, a 1977 Halloween favorite that neither of us actually grew up watching. Meghan only discovered it as an adult after hearing it repeatedly mentioned among beloved classic Halloween television — and, much to her delight, she loved it.

Today on the Xennial Countdown to Halloween, we’re revisiting The Addams Family (1991), starring Anjelica Huston, Raúl Juliá, Christopher Lloyd and Christina Ricci.

We explain where Alvin Schwartz got the inspiration for his story The Dream.

For a generation of Xennial kids, staying on Nickelodeon long enough meant eventually crossing over into the wonderfully strange world of Nick at Nite.

We’re joined by Special Guest Justin Shenkarow, whose career is woven through some of the television that helped define a Xennial childhood.

For today’s Xennial Countdown to Halloween, we’re heading back to Hillwood for Hey Arnold!’s wonderfully spooky 1997 Halloween special, “Arnold’s Halloween.”

Disney’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow has been haunting Halloween television for generations. Meghan grew up with Ichabod Crane, the autumn abundance of the Van Tassel farm, Bing Crosby’s unforgettable narration and, of course, the Headless Horseman thundering through those wonderfully spooky woods. Lyle, on the other hand, somehow made it to adulthood without ever seeing it.

In 1977, Dr. Seuss brought the Grinch back to television for Halloween Is Grinch Night, a wonderfully strange special that has been part of Meghan’s Halloween season since childhood. For this episode, Lyle watched it for the first time — and the 2 hosts came away with very different opinions about what they had just seen.

Meghan presents the evidence, Lyle delivers his verdict, and then the case goes to the court of public opinion. You are the jury on appeal. When you see this episode on our social media, tell us whether you uphold Lyle's verdict or overturn it — and give us your best argument for why.

Today on the Xennial Countdown to Halloween, Lyle and Meghan revisit one of the most unforgettable pieces of spooky childhood reading: “The Green Ribbon,” Alvin Schwartz’s eerie little tale from In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories.

Meghan and Lyle revisit the 1979 animated special Raggedy Ann and Andy in The Pumpkin Who Couldn’t Smile — an absolute childhood favorite for Meghan and a first-time watch for Lyle.

This time on the Xennial Countdown to Halloween, Meghan and Lyle are joined by Gerry from the Totally Rad Christmas podcast for a trip back to 1979 and The Halloween That Almost Wasn't — and Gerry actually handpicked this wonderfully strange little piece of Halloween television as the special he wanted to discuss!

Lyle and Meghan kick off the Xennial Countdown to Halloween by heading back to the classrooms, hallways and school libraries of the late 1970s, ’80s and ’90s to remember what Halloween was like at school.

Lyle and Meghan are getting ready to kick off the Xennial Countdown to Halloween.

Halloween news update from Aug 23 Through Aug 30, 2026!

In 1981, Gloria Bruch thought she’d found the deal of a lifetime on a beautiful Victorian home. What no one told her was that the house already had a reputation for being haunted.

If Halloween is a lifestyle, your dream house needs to be about more than bedrooms, bathrooms, and square footage.

Halloween season is inching closer, and this week Lyle and Meghan dive into stories that highlight the business, nostalgia, and community spirit that make the holiday so special. From major horror headlines to heartwarming moments and paranormal mysteries, there's plenty to discuss as the countdown to October 31 continues.

The Scholastic Book Fair was more than a place to buy books. For many of us, it was where creepy covers, ghost stories, and strange adventures first turned reading into something exciting.

A forgotten Scholastic paperback promised young readers true stories of ghosts, haunted houses, and unexplained encounters from across America. Forty-five years later, we're digging into the mystery behind The Dynamite Book of Ghosts and Haunted Houses and the woman who claimed to have collected its stories from newspapers and eyewitnesses.

The Scholastic Book Fair was more than a temporary bookstore. It was where many of us discovered the creepy covers, ghost stories, and strange adventures that helped turn a childhood love of Halloween into something lifelong.

Spirit Halloween is officially opening for the season, Salem is preparing for a major new paranormal attraction, and the Haunt Line makes its debut with stories from listeners across the country. Join Lyle and Meghan as they explore the latest Halloween news, local legends, spooky nostalgia, and the countdown to October 31.

Long before Night of the Living Dead redefined zombies, radio audiences were introduced to a very different kind of undead. Join us as we revisit the 1943 Lights Out episode "Profits Unlimited" and explore one of horror's earliest zombie stories.

In 1962, Clairvius Narcisse was declared dead, buried by his family, and then returned nearly eighteen years later claiming he had been turned into a zombie. Was it a medical mistake, the work of a powerful poison, or one of the strangest mysteries ever documented?

Actor Lew Temple joins us for an unforgettable conversation about baseball, Hollywood, horror, and the paranormal. From working with Rob Zombie to surviving the zombie apocalypse on The Walking Dead, this interview covers it all.

Halloween season is ramping up as we break down the latest Resident Evil trailer, explore why Halloween is becoming more than just one day, and share the week's biggest spooky headlines. Plus, we head Around the Crypt, check in with Code Orange, and bring you plenty of Halloween news and nostalgia along the way.

Viral videos claim Teslas can detect ghostly figures in empty cemeteries, leaving millions wondering if the cars are seeing something we can't. This week, we separate internet legend from artificial intelligence to uncover what's really happening behind one of the internet's creepiest modern mysteries.

Bachelor's Grove Cemetery is known as one of America's most haunted places, but the newspaper record tells a very different story. This week, we trace the surprising evolution of a forgotten pioneer cemetery into one of the greatest ghost legends in America.

What if we told you that families once packed a lunch and spent the afternoon in a cemetery? This week, we uncover the surprising history of cemetery picnics and explore how these peaceful burial grounds became some of America's earliest gathering places.

The Halloween season keeps picking up steam as major paranormal news, horror movie announcements, and Halloween décor reveals make headlines. Join us as we break down the biggest spooky stories from July 13–19, 2026.

Some scary stories entertain you for a few minutes. Others stay with you for a lifetime. This week, Meghan and I count down the stories that still haunt our imaginations, from timeless literary classics to unforgettable old-time radio chills.

The Sallie House is one of America's most famous haunted homes, but is the ghost story we've all heard actually true? We dug through old newspapers and historical records to separate the legend from the documented history.

A mysterious voice calls from the sea, drawing two men toward a phantom ship and its dead crew. We revisit “The Sea Phantom,” a chilling 1953 episode of The Hall of Fantasy where curiosity may come with a permanent place aboard.

Halloween is showing up earlier than ever, but not all of the news is good. This week, we look at early Code Orange sightings, pumpkin crop concerns, and several fun stories from Around the Crypt.

Can you tell the difference between a classic horror video game, a vintage board game, and a game that doesn't exist at all? Play along as Lyle challenges Meghan with spooky game titles and nostalgic Halloween trivia to see who can separate fact from fiction.

Guests at the Hay-Adams Hotel have reported flickering lights, moving doors, swaying chandeliers, and the faint smell of almonds in the air. Many believe the presence belongs to Clover Adams, but there’s one problem: she died decades before the hotel was ever built.

Halloween may seem like harmless fun, but in some places, celebrating it can get you fined, removed from school events, or even arrested. In this episode, we uncover the countries, cities, and towns that tried to control Halloween, and the fears that made them do it.

There are now just 117 days until Halloween, and this week's update is packed with some of the biggest announcements of the summer. We're covering Hellraiser coming to Halloween Horror Nights, Spirit Halloween's newest animatronics, LEGO's latest Halloween sets, and much more from the week of June 29 through July 5.

The Fourth of July may be America’s birthday, but behind the fireworks and flags are deathbed coincidences, battlefield shadows, and strange stories that make the holiday feel a little haunted. In this special episode of The Halloween Podcast, we look at the spooky side of Independence Day and the eerie history hiding in the red, white, and blue.

Before Summerween had a name, Halloween fans were already finding ways to keep the spooky season alive all summer long. Join us as we compare forgotten vintage favorites from the '90s with today's creative Summerween treasures and see just how far this growing tradition has come.

Long before St. Anne's Retreat became one of Utah's most infamous haunted locations, it was a peaceful summer escape known as Hatch Camp. This Summerween, we're uncovering the forgotten history behind the ghost stories and asking how a place filled with laughter became known for restless spirits.

Summerween started as a strange little idea from Gravity Falls, but it has grown into something Halloween fans celebrate in the real world. In this special episode, we look at the history of Summerween, why Halloween works so well in the summer, and how spooky season found a way to sneak into the hottest months of the year.

Summerween is here, and we’re heading to Gravity Falls to revisit the episode that brought Halloween into the heat of summer. From jack-o-melons and trick-or-treating to candy monsters and summer scares, this episode is packed with all the Halloween goodness we love.

With just 131 days remaining until Halloween, this week's update covers the return of a haunted attraction after a 20-year absence, Disney's hottest Halloween ticket, and the growing Summerween movement in Tennessee. We'll also take a trip Around the Crypt, remember a horror icon, and bring you the latest signs that spooky season is creeping closer every day.

From haunted dreams and ghost hunters to zombies and monsters, these songs have been bringing Halloween to life for decades. Join us as we count down our picks for the Top 5 Halloween Songs.

Built on land tied to an infamous execution, the Whaley House has become one of America’s most talked-about haunted locations. In this first Haunted Thursday, we look at the history, the witnesses, the evidence, and the legends that keep people asking what still walks through those rooms.

What makes a song feel like Halloween? From Monster Mash and Thriller to the eerie sounds of horror movie soundtracks, we're exploring the music, myths, and musical tricks that have become the soundtrack of spooky season.

Spirit Halloween is gearing up for the 2026 season in a big way, Disney is already preparing for Halloween, and rumors are beginning to swirl about the possible return of McDonald's Boo Buckets. Join us as we cover the biggest Halloween news from June 8–14, 2026, with just 138 days remaining until Halloween.

Halloween in the 1970s was a decade of plastic masks, pillowcases full of candy, monster movies on television, and neighborhoods that came alive after dark. Join us as we step back into a time when Halloween was changing forever, bridging the gap between old traditions and the modern celebration we know today.

There are 145 days until Halloween, and spooky season is already making headlines. This week we're covering Spirit Halloween's Summerween celebration, new Ghostbusters merchandise, Halloween Horror Nights updates, Disney's Halloween plans, and the biggest Halloween news from June 1–7, 2026.

Before Halloween-themed donuts filled bakery cases and coffee shop displays every fall, there was a holiday created to honor women serving fresh donuts to soldiers during World War I. Today, we're taking a sweet trip through history as we explore National Donut Day, Halloween donuts through the years, and the nostalgic commercials that made them unforgettable.

Why do old Halloween costumes look so much scarier than modern horror movie monsters? The answer may have less to do with ghosts and monsters and more to do with how our brains react to faces that seem almost human.

Remember those creepy Halloween sounds that played in department stores, haunted houses, and front porches back in the 1990s? This week, Lyle and Meghan take a nostalgic trip through spooky sound cassette tapes, iconic Halloween decoration noises, and the eerie audio memories that made Halloween feel magical.

Before the magic, spells, and talking cat, there were two guys who helped define one of the most iconic 90s shows. This week, Lyle and Meghan sit down with Curtis Andersen and Nate Richert to talk Sabrina the Teenage Witch, their lives now, and the stories that still stick with them.

He painted one of the most famous images of fear in history… but the real story behind it is far more unsettling. This is the life of Edvard Munch — where grief, anxiety, and memory shaped a kind of fear that didn’t need the supernatural.

When the rest of the town was asleep, one man stayed awake, walking dark streets with only a lantern and the weight of whatever the night might bring. Tonight, I’m taking you into the real history of the night watchman and the strange stories that followed those who spent too many hours alone in the dark.

Every Christmas, something howls from the snowy ridge above Red Elk. This year, it’s calling someone home.

Christmas is supposed to be warm and comforting—but some of our strongest holiday memories feel a little strange when we look back. In this Christmas special of The Halloween Podcast, Lyle and Meghan unwrap the nostalgia, the movies, the commercials, and the subtle shadows that always seem to follow the season.