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We've made it to Halloween! After a season spent revisiting the films, television specials, music, and memories that made Halloween so magical for our generation, Meghan and Lyle are celebrating the grand finale of their Xennial Countdown to Halloween with two very Special Guests from one of the most beloved Halloween films of all time: Hocus Pocus (1993)! Joining us are Larry Bagby, who played Ernie, better known as Ice, and Tobias Jelinek, who played Jay, the unforgettable teenage troublemakers who made Max Dennison's arrival in Salem anything but welcoming. In this very special Halloween episode, Larry and Tobias take us behind the scenes of the Disney classic that became a Halloween tradition for generations of fans. From memories of filming and working with the legendary Sanderson Sisters to their enduring friendship, memorable encounters with fans, and the remarkable legacy of Hocus Pocus, we're celebrating the film that helped define Halloween for so many Xennials. It's the perfect way to bring our countdown to a close! 0 days until Halloween! Happy Halloween! Follow The Halloween Podcast: Website: https://www.TheHalloweenPodcast.com Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Email: [email protected] Haunt Line: 731-400-0472 Support the show on Patreon to get the full countdown experience including exclusive shows and giveaways, early listening access, and behind-the-scenes content: https://www.Patreon.com/TheHalloweenPod Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For the penultimate episode of our Xennial Countdown to Halloween 2026, 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. What makes this collection so special is the way it captures just how completely Halloween seemed to take over everyday life during the 1980s. It wasn't simply a holiday celebrated on October 31st. It was everywhere, from our classrooms and neighbourhoods to the television programmes and commercials we watched at home. Join us as we revisit the sights, sounds, and wonderfully familiar atmosphere of Halloween during our Xennial childhoods, and reflect on what made those Octobers so unforgettable. Just 1 day until Halloween 2026! Watch it here: https://youtu.be/gutTf4NLnTg?si=32gBGKSIOmuGfNv_ Follow The Halloween Podcast: Website: www.TheHalloweenPodcast.com Facebook: www.Facebook.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Instagram: www.Instagram.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Email: [email protected] Haunt Line: 731-400-0472 Support the show on Patreon to get the full countdown experience including exclusive shows and giveaways, early listening access, and behind-the-scenes content: www.Patreon.com/TheHalloweenPod Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today on our Xennial Countdown to Halloween, we're revisiting Disney's Mr. Boogedy (1986), the wonderfully spooky television movie about a family who moves into a haunted house in Lucifer Falls, New England. Originally broadcast as part of The Disney Sunday Movie in April 1986, it later became part of the Disney Channel's Halloween programming, which is where Meghan first discovered it as a child. And while it genuinely frightened her, that was precisely why she loved it! 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. Could this peculiar little movie have helped inspire a lifelong love of supernatural horror? Boogedy, boogedy, boo! 3 days until Halloween! Follow The Halloween Podcast: Website: www.TheHalloweenPodcast.com Facebook: www.Facebook.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Instagram: www.Instagram.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Email: [email protected] Haunt Line: 731-400-0472 Support the show on Patreon to get the full countdown experience including exclusive shows and giveaways, early listening access, and behind-the-scenes content: www.Patreon.com/TheHalloweenPod Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There's something about the Halloween decorations we grew up with that instantly takes us back to childhood. Long before elaborate animatronics and enormous outdoor displays became commonplace, our homes were filled with glowing pumpkins, cheerful ghosts, and all those wonderfully nostalgic decorations that made October feel so special. Today, Meghan shares her top five favorite Xennial Halloween decorations, along with a few honorable mentions that deserve some love! 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. 3 days until Halloween! Follow The Halloween Podcast: Website: https://www.TheHalloweenPodcast.com Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Email: [email protected] Haunt Line: 731-400-0472 Support the show on Patreon to get the full countdown experience including exclusive shows and giveaways, early listening access, and behind-the-scenes content: https://www.Patreon.com/TheHalloweenPod Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

60 years ago today, on October 27, 1966, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown first aired on television, beginning a Halloween tradition that generations of families have cherished ever since! Today, we're celebrating that extraordinary anniversary with a very special guest: Sally Dryer, who brought Lucy Van Pelt to life in It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! Sally 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. From Lucy's unforgettable Halloween antics to the magic of waiting all year for Charlie Brown to appear on television, this is a celebration of everything that makes It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown such a treasured part of our childhoods. But Sally's story doesn't end in the pumpkin patch! Today, she calls the historic former mining town of Jerome, Arizona, home, where she is involved with the extraordinary Nellie Bly Kaleidoscopes and Art Glass gallery. We'll explore the fascinating history of Jerome, its reputation for hauntings, Sally's beautiful kaleidoscope gallery, and her work with the Jerome Humane Society. Along the way, we'll discover what it's like to have helped create something that continues to bring joy to children and adults 60 years later. Whether you grew up marking the television broadcast in your TV Guide, wore out your childhood VHS tape, or are now sharing the Great Pumpkin with your own children, this is one Halloween conversation you won't want to miss! 4 DAYS UNTIL HALLOWEEN! Follow The Halloween Podcast: Website: www.TheHalloweenPodcast.com Facebook: www.Facebook.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Instagram: www.Instagram.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Email: [email protected] Haunt Line: 731-400-0472 Keep it family friendly and your message may be used on the show! Support the show on Patreon to get the full countdown experience including exclusive shows and giveaways, early listening access, and behind-the-scenes content: www.Patreon.com/TheHalloweenPod Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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 Dark. They look back at Schwartz’s version and then follow the source trail to find out just how old this story really is. Along the way, they uncover earlier versions collected by Ralph Steele Boggs, Leonard Roberts, William Lynwood Montell, and the Frank C. Brown Collection of North Carolina Folklore. They compare the different tellings, including versions featuring knives, nails, forks, sticks, cash wagers, and victims who accidentally pin their own clothing before believing something from the grave has grabbed them. Lyle and Meghan also trace the legend to an 1886 newspaper article that was already calling the story an old recycled tale, and look at how it continued to be retold through pop culture, including The Twilight Zone and the Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction episode “Grave Sitting.” How did a simple graveyard dare survive for generations, and why does the story still work when there may never have been a ghost at all? 5 days until Halloween! Follow The Halloween Podcast: Website: www.TheHalloweenPodcast.com Facebook: www.Facebook.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Instagram: www.Instagram.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Email: [email protected] Haunt Line: 731-400-0472 Support the show on Patreon to get the full Countdown experience, including exclusive shows and giveaways, early listening access, and behind-the-scenes content: www.Patreon.com/TheHalloweenPod Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A childhood Halloween record, a classroom full of children learning to spell Halloween, and a song that's still delighting a new generation more than fifty years later! 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. From its wonderfully spooky sound effects and memorable children's voices to the music teacher who introduced Meghan to “Halloween Macabre,” we're exploring the history behind this charming collection of Halloween songs, stories and games. We'll also discover how these recordings found new life through the 2012 Golden Records Spooky Halloween Hits compilation, explore the origins of some of its additional songs, and find out what Lyle makes of it all as a first-time listener. And perhaps best of all, Meghan's three-year-old son is now learning to spell Halloween with the very same song that taught her all those years ago! 6 days until Halloween! Halloween: Games, Songs and Stories (1969): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED6HqCm3Oks Golden Records Spooky Halloween Hits (2012): https://open.spotify.com/track/6qe7wAadi3aJHXovY5HL1E Halloween Songs That Tickle Your Funny Bone (1974): https://music.apple.com/us/album/halloween-songs-that-tickle-your-funny-bone/1009605262 Spooky Halloween (1974): https://scarstuff.blogspot.com/2006/05/wonderland-singers-and-accompaniment.html Sounds of Terror! (1974): https://archive.org/details/SoundsofTerror Follow The Halloween Podcast: Website: www.TheHalloweenPodcast.com Facebook: www.Facebook.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Instagram: www.Instagram.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Email: [email protected] Haunt Line: 731-400-0472 Support the show on Patreon to get the full countdown experience including exclusive shows and giveaways, early listening access, and behind-the-scenes content: www.Patreon.com/TheHalloweenPod Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There are some television shows that stay with you long after you've switched off the TV, and for an entire generation of Xennial kids, Unsolved Mysteries was certainly one of them! This time, 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. From the show's 1988 Halloween-week episode to its supernatural mysteries of 1990 and 1992, we're looking back at the hauntings, historical locations, and eerie reenactments that kept us glued to our televisions—even when we knew we'd probably regret it at bedtime! For Meghan, Unsolved Mysteries inspired equal parts terror and excitement, and that iconic theme tune still has exactly the same effect today. Join us as we revisit a show that wasn't made specifically for children or Halloween but nevertheless earned a special place in our spooky childhood memories. 7 days until Halloween! Watch now on Tubi and Amazon Prime Video Follow The Halloween Podcast: Website: www.TheHalloweenPodcast.com Facebook: www.Facebook.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Instagram: www.Instagram.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Email: [email protected] Haunt Line: 731-400-0472 Support the show on Patreon to get the full countdown experience including exclusive shows and giveaways, early listening access, and behind-the-scenes content: www.Patreon.com/TheHalloweenPod Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lyle and Meghan are back with another Xennial Countdown to Halloween episode, and this time we're revisiting a childhood Halloween favourite that Meghan first discovered during her adolescence! 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. Based on Jill Murphy's 1974 children's novel, this distinctly British production became a Halloween tradition for many American Xennials thanks to HBO. We explore the film's wonderful cast, its rather unusual boarding-school setting, the challenges facing poor Mildred Hubble, and what made this little piece of British children's television so memorable for audiences across the Atlantic. And, of course, we couldn't possibly discuss The Worst Witch without talking about Tim Curry's gloriously bizarre performance of “Anything Can Happen on Halloween”! Meghan shares her memories of discovering the film as a teenager, while Lyle brings his own perspective to this peculiar piece of 1980s Halloween television. Want to hear Lyle perform Tim Curry's iconic “Anything Can Happen on Halloween”? If we can get just 17 more Patreon supporters before the clock strikes midnight on Halloween, he's agreed to do it! Watch it here: https://youtu.be/hUkVcd7SbTw?is=y0aFTnxvL0cD_smr 8 days until Halloween! Follow The Halloween Podcast: Website: www.TheHalloweenPodcast.com Facebook: www.Facebook.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Instagram: www.Instagram.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Email: [email protected] Haunt Line: 731-400-0472 Support the show on Patreon to get the full countdown experience including exclusive shows and giveaways, early listening access, and behind-the-scenes content: www.Patreon.com/TheHalloweenPod Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Remember when Halloween wasn't just something you saw in stores, but something that took over your television screen? For Xennials, those wonderfully spooky, silly, and sometimes downright bizarre commercials were as much a part of the Halloween season as trick-or-treating, costumes, and our favorite Halloween specials! 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. From catchy jingles to memorable characters and commercials we haven't seen in decades but somehow still remember word for word, we're revisiting the ads that helped make Halloween feel like Halloween. Will their lists overlap? And how many of these forgotten little gems will you remember? 9 days until Halloween! Follow The Halloween Podcast: Website: https://www.TheHalloweenPodcast.com Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Email: [email protected] Haunt Line: 731-400-0472 Support the show on Patreon to get the full countdown experience including exclusive shows and giveaways, early listening access, and behind-the-scenes content: https://www.Patreon.com/TheHalloweenPod Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens when Disney takes some of the biggest hits of the 1960s, 70s and 80s, pairs them with decades of classic animation, and gives the whole thing a wonderfully spooky makeover? You get Disney's DTV Monster Hits, a 1987 television special that might just be one of the greatest Xennial Halloween mixtapes ever assembled! Today, Meghan revisits one of her most treasured childhood Halloween favorites, while Lyle experiences it for the first time. From the rise of MTV to the surprising stories behind some of the songs, we're exploring the music, the nostalgia, and the wonderfully strange combinations that made this special so memorable. And with Lyle bringing his perspective as a musician, there's plenty to discuss! 10 days until Halloween! Watch now: https://youtu.be/ObRrngr-bgc?is=S3IQvjpdbILRfQ1o Follow The Halloween Podcast: Website: www.TheHalloweenPodcast.com Facebook: www.Facebook.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Instagram: www.Instagram.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Email: [email protected] Haunt Line: 731-400-0472 Support the show on Patreon to get the full countdown experience including exclusive shows and giveaways, early listening access, and behind-the-scenes content: www.Patreon.com/TheHalloweenPod Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. From ’80s and ’90s favorites to episodes that became yearly Halloween watches, Lyle looks back at the stories, characters, and moments that stuck with him the most. Along the way, he shares his memories of watching them growing up, why each episode earned a spot on the list, and what still makes them worth revisiting every October. There are haunted houses, Halloween parties, costumes, scares, and plenty of classic sitcom nostalgia as Lyle works his way to his number-one pick. 11 days until Halloween! Follow The Halloween Podcast: Website: www.TheHalloweenPodcast.com Facebook: www.Facebook.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Instagram: www.Instagram.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Email: [email protected] Haunt Line: 731-400-0472 Support the show on Patreon to get the full Countdown experience, including exclusive shows and giveaways, early listening access, and behind-the-scenes content: www.Patreon.com/TheHalloweenPod Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lyle and Meghan are taking a deep dive into one of the most iconic music videos ever made: Michael Jackson’s Thriller. They look back at the song, the making of the video, John Landis’ direction, the horror-movie influences, the unforgettable choreography, and Vincent Price’s legendary spoken-word performance. They also talk about how Thriller blurred the line between music video and short film, how heavily it leaned into classic monster imagery, and why it became such a permanent part of Halloween culture. Along the way, Lyle shares his own memories of being scared by the video as a kid even though he loved the song, and they revisit the impact Thriller had on MTV, pop culture, and generations of Halloween fans. 12 days until Halloween! Follow The Halloween Podcast: Website: www.TheHalloweenPodcast.com Facebook: www.Facebook.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Instagram: www.Instagram.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Email: [email protected] Haunt Line: 731-400-0472 Support the show on Patreon to get the full Countdown experience, including exclusive shows and giveaways, early listening access, and behind-the-scenes content: www.Patreon.com/TheHalloweenPod Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

yle and Meghan are digging into another story from Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: “The Teeth.” They look at the story itself, the strange image at the center of it, and where Schwartz may have drawn his inspiration from. From older folklore and printed sources to similar tales involving frightening strangers and exaggerated teeth, they follow the trail behind the story and compare those earlier versions to the one generations of readers came to know from Scary Stories. Along the way, they talk about what makes “The Teeth” so simple, so bizarre, and still so memorable all these years later. 13 days until Halloween! Follow The Halloween Podcast: Website: www.TheHalloweenPodcast.com Facebook: www.Facebook.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Instagram: www.Instagram.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Email: [email protected] Haunt Line: 731-400-0472 Support the show on Patreon to get the full Countdown experience, including exclusive shows and giveaways, early listening access, and behind-the-scenes content: www.Patreon.com/TheHalloweenPod Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. We're taking a trip back to the early days of the internet, when a clever marketing campaign had audiences questioning what was real and what wasn't. From its improvised performances and handheld camerawork to its unsettling realism and innovative approach to publicity, The Blair Witch Project helped bring found-footage horror into the mainstream and paved the way for later films such as Paranormal Activity and Hell House LLC. We'll revisit the original Blair Witch phenomenon, share memories of bringing its eerie atmosphere into our own Halloween celebrations, and explore how filmmakers continued to build upon its legacy. Then we're heading into the abandoned Abaddon Hotel for Hell House LLC (2015), a film Curtis recommended during his previous appearance on the podcast. From darkened woods to haunted attractions and some seriously creepy clowns, we're discovering why found-footage horror continues to get under our skin! 14 days until Halloween! Follow The Halloween Podcast: Website: www.TheHalloweenPodcast.com Facebook: www.Facebook.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Instagram: www.Instagram.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Email: [email protected] Haunt Line: 731-400-0472 Support the show on Patreon to get the full countdown experience including exclusive shows and giveaways, early listening access, and behind-the-scenes content: www.Patreon.com/TheHalloweenPod Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.