Comments on: Television and the Haunted Holiday

By: Peter

Peter — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 19:36:40 +0000

And the best thing about that episode is that the characters wore costumes that actual real people would actually make and wear (as opposed to TV characters who have the entire Warner Brothers props department at their disposal)

By: Eleanor Seitz

Eleanor Seitz — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 02:49:23 +0000

Definitely one of the more heart wrenching episodes of Freaks & Geeks!

By: Matt

Matt — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 10:01:36 +0000

Myles, I need to preface my response with a brief disclaimer. While at times certainly enjoyable, German television is not particularly original or innovative. The bulk of TV series is composed of comedy shows. And the quality is mercurial, not remotely comparable to US standards. Sitcoms, for instance, are generally conceived as a compilation of short skits. The more sophisticated American template, a tightly structured, self-contained narrative, be it serialized or episodic, is rarely employed. Notable exceptions, in my opinion, include TÜRKISCH FÜR ANFÄNGER, a show about the dynamics of an intercultural patchwork family (unfortunately it was cancelled), STROMBERG (the German take on THE OFFICE) and BERLIN, BERLIN (EMMY winner!).

To my knowledge, however, German TV series do not incorporate holidays into the structure of their narrative, except for ‘Weihnachten’ (christmas), ‘Neujahr’ (New Year’s Eve) and ‘Fasching’ (probably the equivalent to Mardi Gras). The latter is comparable to Halloween in the sense that it provides a forum for the utilization of costumes and party venues. Soap operas, the dominant television format due to its longevity and financial viability, frequently deploy these situational tropes. Yet, the cultural context is undoubtedly neglected. Holidays only serve as a backdrop.

Halloween offers an interesting case, however. Although it is a distinctly American tradition, it is quite pervasive in Germany, particularly on television. The networks usually offer theme-based TV episodes. Sitcoms, soap operas, late-night talk shows, prime-time programming (inclusion of several horror films) and specifically programs for children (educational documentaries, animated series, game shows) feature Halloween. The essence of the holiday itself, its cultural mythology, is however only peripherally referenced (except for the children’s shows which elaborate upon the tradition of the holiday). In TV shows, it usually serves as a backdrop for horror-inflected parody or lavish costume and set design. I have yet to see a German show which draws on the concept of a holiday as a seminal narrative or aesthetic element.

By: Myles McNutt

Myles McNutt — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 04:06:59 +0000

I don’t know about past years, as I haven’t exactly been paying attention, but this year showed a larger number of Halloween episodes than in year’s past, and they were met with great success – as a result, I expect we’ll see more new shows and returning shows try it out next year.

And yes, syndication does mess with the holiday situation, but I think that the initial timeliness is worth the syndication confusion.

By: Myles McNutt

Myles McNutt — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 04:05:05 +0000

I think your inability to contain yourself (which is never a problem) stems from the sheer volume of examples this year: with so many shows doing Halloween episodes, it’s inevitable that we start comparing them. Community told a very broad zombie story, Parenthood was incredibly grounded, and The Office, Cougar Town and Modern Family sort of fit in between.

Thanks for the kind words, and for sharing your own thoughts!

By: Myles McNutt

Myles McNutt — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 04:03:25 +0000

Watching Buffy for the first time, there’s some fun novelty in the idea that demons dislike the holiday so as not to fit into the stereotype – looking forward to whatever seasons 6 and 7 might bring on that front.

By: Myles McNutt

Myles McNutt — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 04:02:40 +0000

I’m curious, Matt, about whether there are holidays which operate in a similar fashion in German television (if you are acquainted with it). While Halloween itself (as you indicate) is not particularly common, are holiday episodes as a whole something you’d see in a season?

By: Myles McNutt

Myles McNutt — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 04:00:59 +0000

I really need to buy those Freaks and Geeks DVDs so that moments like this where I have an urge to return to the show can actually come to fruition.

As it is, I shall look back fondly.

By: Tausif Khan

Tausif Khan — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 23:57:57 +0000

Is it just me or are their just less halloween episodes or just holiday episodes on the air then their used to be? I think I remember in the past that shows with no reason to incorporate holiday themes into their shows would do so anyway as a network promotion. Does anyone else seem to remember this or am I just emphasizing the family friendly shows I watched as a youngster?

It does get ridiculous sometimes when I see a sitcom in syndication which shows their Halloween episode in the middle of July.

I can’t resist: “How many times have I told you there is money in the banana stand!”

By: Zach

Zach — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 23:48:04 +0000

I absolutely love this piece. I thought that the Parenthood Halloween episode was by far the best I’ve seen, and I think that is mostly because it wasn’t used in the way you discussed, as a means to shake up the status quo. It was this family experiencing a real situation with the problems they have; the consequences ensued, whether or not they were the expected ones or not.
Modern Family was hilarious, and it was what I expected from the show. Definitely a well-done episode.
Cougar Town felt like an episode of Scrubs. Probably because of Ken Jenkins’ guest spot, but, come on, Bill Lawrence IS behind the damn thing. The comedic beats and just the overall tone of the episode had a very JD-older brother dynamic to it.
Otherwise… Glee was mindless as ever. Enjoyable filler for an evening. I don’t actually watch The Middle.
And The Office was more enjoyable than I thought, I just felt like the main storyline between Darryl and Michael was out of place, otherwise it was a strong, entertaining episode. And Community? Pure brilliance. I am incredibly happy that the show has fully adopted the absurdist and, at times, surrealist nature that fits it so well. Definitely my favorite comedy at the moment (sorry, Modern Family and 30 Rock, this season you have been great but not the first show I check out on Hulu).
Wow, I meant to write this just to praise this article, but I ended up feeding my ego a few donuts and had to voice my opinion.
So…
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Great article! Informed, informative, and even a bit deep. It’s a winner.