The Ultimate Ranking of Nickelodeon's Top Halloween Episodes According to IMDb

Summary

Nickelodeon has a wide range of Halloween episodes in their catalog, ranging from silly to spooky, across their original programming.

Nickelodeon offers a variety of Halloween-themed episodes in its popular shows like Rugrats, Sam & Cat, and The Wild Thornberrys, ensuring a captivating and child-friendly entertainment experience. In addition, iCarly, Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom, Hey Arnold!, SpongeBob SquarePants, and The Loud House also feature noteworthy Halloween episodes with enjoyable and unforgettable storylines.

Nickelodeon emerged as the ideal combination of live-action and animated children's television, encompassing holiday content such as Nickelodeon's Halloween episodes. Being the first cable channel exclusively for kids, it successfully produced a variety of successful shows spanning various genres, including real-life and superhero/fantasy realms. These shows, in turn, featured Halloween-themed episodes that ranged from playful to chilling. Additionally, a significant portion of Nickelodeon's programming can now be streamed on Paramount+.

Rugrats: “Curse Of The Werewuff” (Season 8, Episode 11)

Rugrats, a highly popular children's cartoon on Nickelodeon during the 1990s, aired this particular episode in October 2002. Centered around the Halloween theme, toddler Angelica informs the other babies that they will turn into their respective costumes once the holiday ends.

The episode focuses on Chuckie, who is horrified at the prospect of becoming a "werewuff" due to Angelica's statement. However, it also highlights a significant moment where Chuckie confronts and stands up to Angelica, challenging the belief that he is transforming into a werewolf. Episodes that showcase Chuckie asserting himself are typically well-received, as his usual fearful nature often makes him the least adventurous character.

Sam & Cat: “#DollSitting” (Season 1, Episode 15)

Sam & Cat is a spinoff series that follows the adventures of Jennette McCurdy and Ariana Grande as they portray the title characters. In this particular episode, they join forces to start a babysitting business and become unlikely roommates. Their Halloween takes an interesting turn when they are offered double payment to watch a client's child, only to discover that the child is actually a doll named Clarice.

Throughout the night, strange things start happening as the doll seemingly comes to life, engaging in activities like carving a pumpkin, playing a scary movie, and making microwave popcorn. These peculiar events occur while Sam and Cat are not present in the room, leaving them puzzled and curious. The night reaches its climax with a surprising revelation that ties everything together.

This Nickelodeon Halloween episode provides a kid-friendly twist on the concept of menacing dolls, reminiscent of characters like Chucky or M3GAN. Although the story lacks violence, it offers an entertaining and enjoyable viewing experience for all.

The Wild Thornberrys: “Spirited Away” (Season 3, Episode 18)

The Wild Thornberrys appealed to its young audience by providing both educational and entertaining content, often focusing on the various regions and animals the family encountered. The show's central concept revolved around the family's travels as part of a nature docuseries.

Unlike other children's shows that primarily focused on Halloween, "Spirited Away" delves into the significance of the Day of the Dead. The Wild Thornberrys stands out among these shows by acknowledging and embracing this Mexican holiday, which honors the spirits of the deceased. In this particular episode, Eliza learns about the holiday from a young girl while her family prepares to film an episode of the docuseries dedicated to the Day of the Dead.

Victorious: “Tori The Zombie” (Season 1, Episode 6)

Unfortunately, Victorious never had a Halloween episode unlike iCarly and Sam & Cat. It's disappointing because a performing arts school like theirs would have surely come up with some amazing Halloween or Day of the Dead projects. However, Tori's zombie makeup mishap manages to incorporate Halloween into Nickelodeon's episodes. Throughout the storyline, Tori desperately tries to remove the makeup before her important lead role in a play. Fans of the show can't help but wonder how great a proper Halloween special would have been for Victorious.

As Told By Ginger: “I Spy A Witch” (Season 1, Episode 13)

Inspired by Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible," the Nickelodeon show As Told By Ginger presents an episode with a witch theme, albeit indirectly. While the school musical includes witches, the focus of the episode lies more on the play's themes rather than on Halloween-related witches. Titled "I Spy A Witch," this episode originally aired a few days before Halloween in 2001 as part of Nickelodeon's Halloween lineup.

In this episode, Ginger faces disappointment as she loses the lead role in the school musical due to being framed for a prank by one of her classmates. The musical revolves around a young woman accused of witchcraft who, like Ginger, vehemently denies the allegations. Eventually, Ginger is able to prove her classmate's wrongdoing and reclaim her spot on stage.

iCarly: "iScream On Halloween" (Season 1, Episode 7)

The rebooted version of iCarly did not include a Halloween special, unlike the original Nickelodeon series which featured two episodes dedicated to Halloween. Although one of them did not take place on Halloween, "iScream on Halloween" did center around the holiday. The story unfolds as Carly and Spencer receive mail meant for another apartment and discover that it has been vacant for 15 years due to rumors of it being haunted.

Upon learning this, Carly and her friends decide to film their weekly web show from the supposedly haunted apartment. Predictably, eerie occurrences begin to happen, but it is later revealed that the apartment is actually occupied by the son of its original tenant.

The Casagrandes: "New Haunt" (Season 1, Episode 5)

The Casagrandes is a spin-off of the well-loved Nickelodeon series The Loud House. This show follows Ronnie and her immediate family as they relocate to a new town and join their extensive extended family.

The episode "New Haunt" marks the show's first Halloween special, focusing on Ronnie's decision to forgo celebrating Halloween with her family in order to attend an exciting party. However, the party doesn't turn out as Ronnie had anticipated, and she quickly realizes how much she misses her family and the joyous Halloween traditions they usually share.

Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide: "Halloween & Vampires, Werewolves, Ghosts and Zombies" (Season 3, Episode 5)

Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide was an incredibly popular original series on Nickelodeon, running for three seasons. It gained a dedicated fanbase due to its clever survival tips that were showcased in every episode, and the Halloween episodes were no exception.

In Season 3, the show featured two Halloween episodes that were aired back-to-back. The first episode centered around a school-wide Halloween party that took a spine-chilling turn when everyone mistakenly believed that Principal Pal had passed away. The second episode transformed the middle school into a real-life nightmare as the students embraced the personas of their costumes. Valuable tips provided in these episodes included: "Get involved" and "Throw a scary party," as well as the cautionary advice that "Too much candy can give you nightmares."

Fairly OddParents: "Scary Godparents" (Season 2, Episode 12)

The Fairly OddParents had a total of ten seasons and featured numerous episodes based on different holidays. Although the Christmas episodes are often remembered, the Halloween-themed episode from season 2 is often overlooked, even though it is one of the most thrilling episodes in the series.

Titled "Scary Godparents," the episode takes place on Halloween night and revolves around Timmy, who finds himself stuck trick-or-treating with Vicky while wearing a boring costume. In an attempt to spice things up, Timmy wishes for everyone's costumes, including his own mummy costume, to become real and scary. However, things take a turn for the worse when the wealthy kids transform into gigantic monster robots, leading to a captivating and exciting storyline.

ChalkZone: "Pumpkin Love" (Season 2, Episode 7)

ChalkZone, one of Nickelodeon's most distinctive animated shows, often gets overlooked in discussions about the network. The show revolves around Rudy, a talented elementary school student who possesses the power to create portals using his magical chalk.

In the Halloween special episode titled "Pumpkin Love," Rudy finds himself participating in his school's jack-o'-lantern competition. Fearing that his pumpkin will be destroyed by his bully, Rudy ventures into ChalkZone, where he unexpectedly gets swept away to a rock concert and has his pumpkin snatched by the mischievous Jacko.

Danny Phantom: "Fright Knight" (Season 1, Episode 13)

Danny Phantom, a TV series centered around a 14-year-old boy who becomes a half-ghost with ghost-hunting parents, included a Halloween-themed episode during its three-season run. Titled "Fright Knight," the episode takes place on Halloween night and revolves around Danny and his high school rival Dash. Both characters compete to create the ultimate haunted house, with Danny borrowing a sword from the formidable ghost Fright Knight to enhance the scare factor. However, this plan does not go as expected, leading to an exciting and memorable episode. "Fright Knight" stands out not only for its Halloween theme but also for featuring one of Danny's most formidable ghost foes.

Zoey 101: "Haunted House" (Season 2, Episode 4)

Zoey 101 is a highly memorable Nickelodeon live-action show from the early 2000s, and rightfully so, as it was the most expensive production ever for the network. Despite not having many holiday-themed episodes, it did manage to create one of the creepiest Halloween episodes ever.

At PCA, it is a long-standing tradition for the older students to organize a haunted house for the younger students. This year, Logan takes on the challenge of creating the scariest haunted house ever. However, Zoey and Chase become concerned that he has taken it to extremes. Alongside the spooky storyline, the episode also features a hilarious B-plot involving Michael being mistaken for an injured individual, and an even more comedic twist ending to the haunted house plot.

Big Time Rush: "Big Time Halloween" (Season 2, Episode 5)

Big Time Rush seemed to be Nickelodeon's answer to Disney Channel's triumph with musical comedy series. And it proved to be quite a hit, running for four seasons, spawning a TV movie, and even releasing multiple albums. A notable highlight of the show was its exceptionally crafted Halloween episode, which transported viewers to an extraordinary world.

Titled "Big Time Halloween," the episode effortlessly transported us to a futuristic realm where humans and ghosts coexist harmoniously. Within the enchanting realm of Palm Woodsylvania, supernatural creatures like Vampire James, Zombie Logan, Franken-Carlos, and Werewolf Kendall reside alongside one another.

Invader Zim: "Halloween Spectacular Of Spooky Doom" (Season 1, Episode 14)

Invader Zim is often revered as a cult classic animated series that resonated more with adult viewers rather than Nickelodeon's target younger audience. The show revolves around Zim, an extraterrestrial creature assigned to infiltrate Earth, but his real mission is to cease bothering his fellow alien invaders.

Continuing its unsettling tone, the Halloween episode delves into Zim's unfamiliarity with the holiday. As a result, he becomes increasingly anxious, convinced that human children have transformed into ravenous creatures driven by an insatiable appetite for candy.

Hey Arnold!: "Arnold's Halloween" (Season 2, Episode 7)

Hey Arnold! is an underrated animated show from Nickelodeon, despite having five seasons and two movies based on the series. One of the most iconic episodes is "Arnold's Halloween" from Season 2, as it is the only Halloween-themed episode in the series.

What makes this episode interesting is that it serves as a parody of Orson Welles' classic horror story, "The War of the Worlds." In a playful twist for Halloween, Arnold and his best friend Gerald decide to play a prank on Grandpa by making him believe that aliens have landed in the city. However, things spiral out of control when the prank accidentally gets leaked and the entire town believes that it's a real invasion.

SpongeBob SquarePants: "Scaredy Pants" (Season 1, Episode 13)

With over 200 episodes, maintaining memorability and iconicity can be a challenge for SpongeBob SquarePants, except for the exceptional Halloween episode from season 1.

The episode begins with SpongeBob discovering the legend of "The Flying Dutchman," a ghost notorious for stealing souls on Halloween, through Mr. Krabs. Filled with terror, SpongeBob rushes home only to be startled by Patrick. Fed up with being frightened, SpongeBob decides to experiment with being scary by transforming into a ghost. Although not the most chilling episode, it offers an abundance of laughs, particularly when it is unveiled just how much sponge SpongeBob shaved off to resemble a ghost.

Doug: "Doug's Halloween Adventure" (Season 4, Episode 4)

After making the transition from Disney Channel to Nickelodeon, Doug premiered its inaugural Halloween episode. The show later featured two additional Halloween-themed episodes, but fans of Doug still regard the original as the ultimate favorite.

In this particular episode, Doug finds himself reluctantly accompanying his closest companion, Skeeter, to a recently unveiled haunted attraction at a nearby amusement park. Despite the park closing before they could experience the ride, the dynamic duo, along with their notorious acquaintance Roger, find themselves coerced into giving it a try nonetheless.

Are You Afraid Of The Dark: "The Tale Of The Laughing In The Dark" (Season 1, Episode 2)

The '90s horror anthology series Are You Afraid of the Dark is widely known as the ultimate Nickelodeon show for Halloween. It has made a comeback twice since its original airing and remains highly popular among young horror enthusiasts.

One standout episode, titled "The Tale of Laughing in the Dark," diverges from the Halloween theme but still manages to captivate viewers. Set in a local amusement park, it revolves around a spooky haunted house, adding an eerie atmosphere to the storyline. What makes this episode intriguing is its unique storytelling approach, combining a flashback format and real-time scenes as the characters uncover the truth about a ghostly clown haunting the house. "The Tale of Laughing in the Dark" has gained a significant following on Reddit, solidifying its status as a fan-favorite Nickelodeon episode.

The Angry Beavers: "The Day the World Got Really Screwed Up" (Season 2, Episode 10)

The Angry Beavers aired on Nickelodeon from 1997 to 2001, and stood out among other Nicktoons of that era with its more mature sense of humor. This made it appealing to both children and adult audiences. Similarly, Nickelodeon's Halloween episode struck a balance between adult humor and kid-friendly content.

In "The Day the World Got Screwed Up," Dag and Norb embarked on a misadventure while trick-or-treating, eventually leading them to explore a haunted house owned by their beloved movie star. This episode also introduced a groundbreaking live-action segment, which was an unprecedented element for the show.