Why It’s So Hard to Watch This Surprisingly Dark Grinch Halloween Special

When most people think of the Grinch, their minds go straight to Christmas; after all, 1966’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas has become a holiday classic, airing year after year with Boris Karloff‘s unforgettable narration. However, tucked away in television history is another Grinch special: a darker, grimmer prequel called Halloween Is Grinch Night. Airing on ABC on October 28, 1977, and is often considered a prequel of sorts to the Christmas classic.

What is the forgotten Grinch Halloween special about?

Unlike the original Grinch movie, which was adapted directly from Dr. Seuss’s beloved book, Halloween Is Grinch Night was an original story created for television — though it was written by Dr. Seuss and produced under his civilian name, Ted Geisel.

However, despite coming from the pen of the beloved children’s author, Halloween Is Grinch Night is notable darker and stranger than its predecessor.

The plot centered on a strange “sour-sweet wind” that prompted the Grinch to descend from Mount Crumpit in his Paraphernalia Wagon down to Whoville. The story introduced bizarre creatures like the Grunkers and Hakken-Krakks, paired with an offbeat song called, “I Wouldn’t Go Out on a Night Like This.” In another unusual twist, it ended without the redemptive conclusion we usually associate with the Grinch; he comes in a villain and leaves a villain, his heart remaining the exact same size throughout. Over time, it has developed a reputation as one of the strangest films in the Dr. Seuss franchise.

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What’s are the differences between Halloween is Grinch Night and How the Grinch Stole Christmas?

The biggest difference between the two specials was the voice behind the Grinch. Since Karloff passed away in 1969, the role went to Hans Conried, a veteran actor who was already familiar to Disney fans as the voice of Captain Hook in Peter Pan. Conried also narrated the special and gave the Grinch a slightly different personality. He was joined by actor Henry Gibson, best remembered from Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, who provided additional voices. Sadly, Conried died in 1982, before he could voice the role again in another film.

The music for the Halloween special was composed by Joe Raposo, the same man behind many of Sesame Street‘s most memorable tunes. Interestingly, the working title was Halloween Comes to Grinch Night, but it was shortened before its release. Later, when it was rereleased on VHS in the 1980s, it was titled It’s Grinch Night, which led to some confusion.

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Although it never became a seasonal favorite like its Christmas counterpart, the special did earn its share of recognition. In fact, Halloween Is Grinch Night won the 1978 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Program, and was often rerun on networks like TNT and the Cartoon Network around Halloween throughout the ’90s.

However, today, it’s unavailable on any streaming platform, doesn’t typically air on TV, and new DVDs of the special are not easily commercially available.

Where to Watch Halloween Is Grinch Night

The special has been released on DVD in Dr. Seuss collections. Around Halloween, it occasionally pops up on cable channels running holiday programming blocks, but it doesn’t seem to be on any schedules for now.

However, you can watch it on YouTube here:

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