Halloween Shows Comeback!

Halloween has returned and for the first time in what seems like ages it's actually noticeable.  Halloween as a holiday has flown way under the radar for years.  I'd say that has something to do with my age and relative maturity.  At the same time I always enjoyed the Halloween "atmosphere" that existed when I was a child and young adult.  In recent years I thought there was a clear lack of that in an America that seems to be rushing to devalue all of its holidays. 

This year I've noticed that many major network shows are featuring Halloween episodes.  Several channels are featuring themed episodes for entire comedy blocks, such as NBC's Thursday comedies and Fox's Sunday animation.  While it's a far cry from the days when the major networks would play one off specials, such as Charlie Brown or Garfield, it's been a big improvement in the Halloween atmosphere this year.  Community had an outstanding zombie episode, on The Office the highlight was Michael Scott's impromptu Daryl costume, and the new Outsourced introduced Halloween to India.  The standout was of course Community and the zombies, Teacher Chang pulling the racist card, zombies again, and a reenactment of Aliens' Ridley in a pseudo-mech suit killing an alien.  The episode was amazing.  I have yet to see the Halloween versions of How I Met Your Mother, The Simpsons, Family Guy, etc since they haven't been on yet.  They will be shown after the 31st for some reason.  Despite that little hiccup there is a great feeling of Halloween on television this year.

Treehouse of Horrors is a yearly Halloween episode on The Simpsons that has become a tradition, however for the last few years it has been a delayed tradition.  The World Series has forced Treehouse of Horrors to be played the week after Halloween despite the holiday having been on Sunday numerous times.  Fox has the rights and feels (probably rightly) that the boring baseball championship is more important.  I really won't get into how immensely boring I find baseball, but my hatred for this pointless sport has grown ever since they've thrown the yearly Halloween specials into November.  Even times when the World Series was finished by Sunday Fox still didn't play Treehouse of Horrors until the next week, steadfastly sticking to their foolish programming schedule.  It is a continual source of aggravation since The Simpsons contributed to the Halloween feeling strongly.  This year all four Sunday night animated shows have Halloween specials but that still isn't enough to see them in October.  Damn baseball.

I don't believe Ashes and I have anything planned for Halloween this year.  Last year we dressed up as Bob and Charlotte from Lost in Translation.  I was hoping we would be able to have somewhere to go this year but alas there was nothing.  I've always liked the idea of dressing up in costume but have never had a reason, since the one day a year it was acceptable I never had anywhere to go.  The only time in the last 15ish years I've done anything was last year with Ashes.  We're not settled in the area enough to have any friends to do stuff with so that puts that to a stop.  Plus I'm working.  Lame.

Enjoy your holiday of horror and candy.  I know I will be enjoying the dark atmosphere.  Despite work of course.  Go kick some ass people!