Mystery TV’s Halloween Quick Picks: Psych, Marple, and More!

by Karen A. Romanko

Happy Halloween! Here are some Halloween quick picks I’ve been posting on my Facebook group Mystery TV—British and American Series. These mystery episodes are in the Halloween spirit, with witches, spooky legends, and costumes galore. They are fun and (mostly) not scary, qualities I look for in this, my most favorite of seasons. Enjoy!

October 14: Every other year or so around Halloween I watch The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh (a.k.a. Dr. Syn), a three-part adventure first shown on Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color in 1964. As a kid, I so loved this story of smugglers in 18th century England, who disguised themselves in eerie, menacing costumes to stay one step ahead of the King’s soldiers. The always fascinating Patrick McGoohan portrays the Scarecrow, who by day works as Dr. Syn, a peace-loving parish vicar. I was in the right (virtual) place at the right time in 2008 to scoop up a limited edition DVD of the series, which sold out in three weeks. I’m currently enjoying the program once again this Halloween season, particularly appreciating the night scenes, which were actually shot during the day with a special filter, “day for night.” The blues of the night sky are so vivid and rich, and you can actually see what’s going on, a departure from some modern productions.

On the southern coast of England
There’s a legend people tell
Of days long ago
When the great Scarecrow
Would ride from the jaws of hell
And laugh (Ahahahahaha!)
With a fiendish yell!

October 21: Time to kick into high gear for Halloween! First up, Amateur sleuth Ernesta Snoop (Helen Hayes) questions a satanic rockstar (Alice Cooper) in The Snoop Sisters, “The Devil Made Me Do It!” (1974).

October 23: Continuing in Halloween high gear… Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) takes Julie (Emmy Clarke) trick-or-treating in between reuniting with his estranged brother and solving a murder mystery involving poisoned candy in “Mr. Monk Goes Home Again,” a 2005 episode of Monk.

October 25: More of Mystery TV Halloween! This time it’s witches, murder, and malevolence in ”The Pale Horse,” a 2010 episode of Agatha Christie‘s Marple with Julia McKenzie. Just watched my DVD and thoroughly enjoyed it.

October 29: Mystery TV’s Halloween watch continues with “Scary Sherry: Bianca’s Toast,” a 2007 episode of Psych. Sorority hijinks lead to a possible murder which resembles a local Halloween legend. Needless to say, Shawn (James Roday) and Gus (Dule Hill) will be sent running and screaming. What fun we had watching this one last night, the perfect treat to get in the Halloween spirit. (From our DVD collection.)

October 30: Mystery TV’s final Halloween 2022 selection is “Husbands, Wives & Killers,” a 1971 episode of McMillan & Wife. While not a Halloween episode per se, it has a wild and colorful costume party full of devils, a red herring, a kittycat (Susan Saint James), and probably the tallest and cutest rabbit ever seen on TV (Rock Hudson). Happy Halloween from Mystery TV!

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Television's Female Spies and Crimefighters and Women of Science Fiction and Fantasy Television
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