X-Entertainment.com X-Entertainment.com A Proud UGO Affiliate
X-Entertainment loves Christmas and will not stop talking about it, ever.
« [Main Index] »

Perfect Strangers Halloween Episode!


When I started the Countdown, obviously a bit on the early side, I had this nagging sense that it wasn't really feeling like the Halloween season. Even today, I had a similar conversation with a friend, and we just chalked it up to us both being loser 9-5'ers, unable to partake in the season's wealth of spooky spirits. But, as I drove home tonight, I couldn't help noticing house after house after house decked with orange lights, spooky inflatables, carved pumpkins and mass mayhem. Like, more so than usual for this neighborhood. People like us, you and me, we'll "live" Halloween no matter what. We'll force it into our life, kicking and screaming. Still, it's nice to know that we've finally hit that point in the year where I can fill my grocery store wagon with all three General Mills monster cereals and not catch a glance.

Know what else is nice? Knowing that the best is yet to come. Enjoy tonight's Halloween Countdown article -- a review of an old Halloween-themed episode of Perfect Strangers.

Posted by Matt on 09/25/2006. E-mail me!



Discussion Thread: 79 comments

Matt, where did you find the Halloween DVD of the Roseanne show? It is eluding me!

Chestnuts roasted by threebeesatdisney @ 09/25/2006 10:03 PM

HOLY CRAP! PERFECT STRANGERS!!!!!

I totally remember being into that show when I was little. Wow that just brought back so many memories of when I used ta live in Alaska! I think I just blew a capillary, I gotta go lay down.

Chestnuts roasted by Jester @ 09/25/2006 10:07 PM

Holy Crap! Perfect Strangers- Halloween Episode. This whole thing caused what ever part of my brain that deals with sentimentality to malfunction.

It’s too much.

Chestnuts roasted by Jason Ozuma @ 09/25/2006 10:12 PM

Don’t have time to read the article right now as the phone just rang but gimmie 45 min and i’m sure i’ll have it licked.

Had time to read the blog entry though, sent you a mail bout a week or so ago saying how i wasn’t feeling it this year either, but slowly but surely each day is bringing it more and more into focus.

The new jukebox helps with that too by the way, don’t think i mentioned that. Kudos to the guy you said hooked it up, all though there’s a couple in there i chose to skip but it’s worth it.

Oh also, i think a reason i wasn’t feeling it as early as usual has been the weather in the tri-state throughout early september, mild, then hot, mild then warm, the leaves aren’t getting time to do their shit. But it’s starting.

Chestnuts roasted by Dan @ 09/25/2006 10:12 PM

I never saw “Perfect Strangers”, to be totally honest with you. Great article as always, though!

Chestnuts roasted by Retro Playback @ 09/25/2006 10:13 PM

I was thinking back through the years of Halloween special prime time TV episodes. My FAVORITE was 21 Jump Street’s “Ring of Fire” at least I believe that is what the episode was called. It played that song in the beginning “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash. I think 21 Jump Street had a few Halloween episodes that were pretty good. I don’t own the 21 Jump Street DVD set so I don’t know for sure. Sci-fi channel just announced Tales from the Darkside are going to be shown soon….I think they said MONDAYS…

WOW!  I never noticed the jukebox link before.  YEAH!  GHOSTBUSTERS!  Very cool….. well, I’ll be listening to this now so LATER FOLKS!

Chestnuts roasted by threebeesatdisney @ 09/25/2006 10:18 PM

I have the same Q as threebees! I went to target today to get it but alas it was nowhere to be found. :(
As for the halloween spirit, I feel as though I am more excited than usual, and it has alot to do with this years buildup and later countdown! Thanks so much Matt!!

Chestnuts roasted by jen @ 09/25/2006 10:36 PM

The Roseanne Halloween DVD can be found lots of places, but I found it at Best Buy.

Chestnuts roasted by Matt @ 09/25/2006 10:36 PM

I remembered watching Perfect Strangers, but I don’t remember any actual episodes. Not even this one. But we watched it every week.

What about the Home Improvement Halloween Episodes? Those were pretty effing sweet most of the time.

Chestnuts roasted by broomstickjockey @ 09/25/2006 10:42 PM

My fav is the Facts of Life episode where the girls think Mrs. Garrett has killed a customer.
I know they used a clip from that episode in the opening that year.

Chestnuts roasted by silverlovingcup @ 09/25/2006 10:44 PM

I think that my favorite thing about X-Entertainment is that I will read reviews of episodes I never heard of from tv shows I made it a point not to watch and still enjoy the reviews. Thanks, Matt!

Chestnuts roasted by Karen @ 09/25/2006 10:45 PM

Monster House helped me get into the Halloween spirit early. The cool weather helps, too :D

Home Improvement sports, in my opinion, the best Halloween episodes. They’re always just crazy fucking fun with plots revolving around haunted houses, spooky pranks, fake gore, horror movies, and trick or treating. The Xmas episodes are classic, too. Damn you, Doc Johnson!

Chestnuts roasted by Eddie Lightning Frog @ 09/25/2006 11:24 PM

Please, PLEASE! review some more cheesy late 80’s early 90’s TGIF sitcoms…particularly Full House or Family Matters (Urkel Robot!!!).

Chestnuts roasted by Kevin @ 09/25/2006 11:27 PM

Your tribute to the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is one of my all-time favorite X-E articles — I think you should do something special to honor The Great Pumpkin, too. I know I’d dig it.

Chestnuts roasted by Review the World @ 09/25/2006 11:41 PM

I love nothing more than a Halloween/Murder Special.
My favorites would have to be (in no particular order):

The BOY MEETS WORLD episode where the students are being killed off and Jennifer Love Hewitt guests. (not an actual Halloween episode, but one can hardly deny its horror roots).
The FACTS OF LIFE where there is a mystery killer after the girls go to a horror movie. I’ve watched this one every year since I was 10, it never gets old.
The GARFIELD HALLOWEEN SPECIAL. The Great Pumpkin gets a lot of praise, and rightfully so. But often this one is looked over. It’s quite good.
Lastly, the first TWO GUYS, A GIRL, and A PIZZA PLACE Halloween episode was something special. This show that was usually was only mediocre was able to surpass many others in this episode.

Chestnuts roasted by Thomas @ 09/26/2006 12:06 AM

I remember being a huge Perfect Strangers fan, even going so far as to try to find Mypos on a map (hey, I was young). But outside of the basic premise, I don’t remember anything about it. I don’t even have a favorite episode. Of course, I haven’t watched it since it aired. Plus, when it is rereunned, it is usually at 4:00 am or some weird hour where only insomniacs are up.

Reading this review, it sounded very similar to the Dick Van Dyke “Walnut” episode. Of course, I’m sure every sitcom did a “Body Snatchers” parody for Halloween.

Off-Topic but still Halloween-related: If you have WWE 24/7 they are celebrating the holiday by calling itself “WrestleVania” and highlighting the creepy/supernatural characters/angles like Undertaker, Kane, Raven, The Dungeon of Doom, and even Papa Shango. They’re also showing old Halloween Havocs. I’m having a blast.

Chestnuts roasted by JLAJRC @ 09/26/2006 12:08 AM

OMG!!! Fantastic review!!! I used to love Perfect Strangers as a kid! LOL this review brought back some fuzzy Halloween feelings! I dont know what I would do without this website now, its part of my annual Halloween fix!

Chestnuts roasted by Heather @ 09/26/2006 12:10 AM

C’mon now. How small does this planet has to be, to be hiding behind a dwarf planet?

Besides we all know it’s really called Rupert

Chestnuts roasted by K- @ 09/26/2006 12:20 AM

“my grocery store wagon”

I see Matt’s been shopping at Ye Olde Timey Grocerie Market and Apothecarie Hut. As a kid, I fucking *loved* that pink bird costume Balki has. If I had one I would’ve worn it at all times until I was forced to stop.

Chestnuts roasted by Welsh Rabbit @ 09/26/2006 12:30 AM

Cousin Larry! I used to love that show.
Don’t be ridiculous!

Chestnuts roasted by Justin @ 09/26/2006 12:32 AM

Sweetness, you sure know how to make my day. Whatever happened to those two actors?

Chestnuts roasted by mjf7583 @ 09/26/2006 12:33 AM

mjf, I have no clue what happened to Larry, but Bronson Pinchot went on to be in one of the more recent seasons of Surreal Life where we learn he had an abusive father. sad.

continuing from the last blog:

I’m in LI, by the way, in case anyone here wasn’t familiar with my dilemma last year.

Couldn’t find the cereals for 2 months, asked someone here, they sent me 2 boxes of Frankenberry, I thanked them fondly, then I ate the contents, then I was happy. Whoever sent that to me, I still wanna say thanx!

Chestnuts roasted by Invader Norbert @ 09/26/2006 1:18 AM

Coors, huh? I don’t think I’ll be able to consider myself grown up until I’ve developed a taste for beer, but I’ll take a fruity drink any day.
I’m much more familiar with Pinchot through his Beverly Hills Cop/Surreal Life work. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a complete episode of Perfect Strangers but now of course I want to.
I always preferred the Boy Meets World Halloween ep where Cory believes he’s turning into a werewolf. The Office and Reno 911 eps are great too. It’s odd to think of how many shows really didn’t bother with Halloween episodes, or those that had spooky but not exactly holiday eps (Zeke the plumber!).

Chestnuts roasted by squee4242 @ 09/26/2006 2:29 AM

But did they do the Dance of Joy?

I liked Perfect Strangers, it was (semi) good TV, yeah. Anyone know if it’s in syndication anywhere?

Chestnuts roasted by Julie @ 09/26/2006 2:39 AM

I wore the knife-in-chest/hockey mask combination about a decade later. I hope it was a coincidence and not my subconscious.

I thought you would have mentioned the Perfect Strangers theme at the end of Simpsons’ Halloween special 15. (There are sixteen countdown entries waiting to be written, or maybe 48, one for each tale.)

Chestnuts roasted by jrh @ 09/26/2006 3:41 AM

Add A New Comment!


This entry was posted on Monday, September 25th, 2006 at 9:56 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.