Forgotten Television: The Halloween Tree

Hidden among the granules of holiday television classics shines a polished gem inspired by a short story from Ray Bradbury—who also gave us The Martian Chronicles and other sci-fi epics. The Halloween Tree follows a group of children on a mission to rescue their terminally ill friend from the overworked but witty grim reaper Moundshroud (voiced by Leonard Nimoy), and wind up exploring various traditions throughout history that have contributed to our modern concept of Halloween.

From the pyramids of Egypt, to Dia de los Muertos, to Notre Dame—this special reveals the reasons why adults and children alike wear costumes every Oct 31^st, pass out candy, or just celebrate being scared silly. This show is appropriate for all ages, with Ray Bradbury weaving a gentle Halloween fairytale meant to enchant, rather than terrify.

It is more than the strong storyline or educational content that makes this a must-see flick. There are too few holiday shows nowadays (especially ones for Halloween) emphasizing the historical significance of our beloved annual celebrations, in favor of showing children or people focused on their more commercial elements. In Halloween Tree, getting as much candy as possible matters little to the kids, and their magical adventure across time is its own sweet reward.

As Moundshround says: “And that children, is Halloween—all rolled up in one. Night and day, summer and winter, life and death, 4,000 years ago, 100 years ago, or this year. One place or another, the celebrations are all the same.”

So while October 31^st has long since passed (or is still far away), if you are on the outlook for meaningful classics Halloween Tree is worth checking out.