Looking for the perfect Halloween trick or treat? Then look no further than BBC iPlayer this spooky season. Join us as we look at what’s on BBC iPlayer this Halloween week.
A Ghost Story for Christmas: Lot No. 249
Because a ghost story really isn’t just for Christmas, check out Mark Gatiss‘ 2023 festive fright!
It’s 1881, and Old College, Oxford, plays host to three very different academics. Abercrombie Smith (Kit Harrington) is a model of Victorian manhood, clean of limb and sound of mind. At the same time, Monkhouse Lee (Colin Ryan) is a delicate and unworldly student from Thailand. Occupying the rooms between them is the enigmatic Edward Bellingham (Freddie Fox), whose unconventional research into the secrets of ancient Egypt is the talk of the college. Can Bellingham’s experiments truly bring the breath of life to the horrifying bag of bones in the mysterious Lot No. 249?
Why not also watch M.R. James: Ghost Writer on October 27.
Strictly Halloween Special 2024
The Strictly Come Dancing Halloween Special is on Saturday, 26 October, from 6.25 pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The judges have already been showing off some of their finest fancy dress looks during Movie Week, but Halloween Week always takes things up a level.
Expect terrifying transformations as our remaining couples enter the Halloween spirit with spooky new routines.
In the Flesh
Thousands of dead people have risen from their graves and nearly destroyed Britain. A cure has been found, but can the treated zombies be reintegrated into living society?
Horror has long provided a vital home for Queer storytelling and representation, from Cat People (1942) to The Haunting (1963). As BBC Three began to find its feet, Dominic Mitchell’s 2013 take on a zombie apocalypse would place the relationship between Queer representation and horror centre stage on the small screen. Mitchell’s underrated series delved into complex discussions of mental health, sexuality, and community as we followed a young queer zombie named Kieran through the trials and tribulations of a new undead life and the teenage experiences that came before it. Here, Mitchell would weave the standard zombie story with the experiences of minority communities, maintaining a delightful mix of horror and comedy.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
Five years ago, a schoolgirl was murdered by her boyfriend. Case closed, right? Not according to Pip. This dark, twisty mystery is based on Holly Jackson’s hit novel starring Emma Myers.
What’s on BBC iPlayer – Halloween Special
Pretty Little Liars
Pretty people, ugly secrets. How far will they go to keep them safe? A year after their friend disappears, four girls receive mysterious messages from ‘A’ in this mystery drama, which spawned multiple spin-offs.
Red Rose
It’s not just your battery that could die… In a long, hot, post-exam summer, friends are seduced by the dark power of the sinister Red Rose app.
The Fades
Seventeen-year-old Paul (Iain de Caestecker) can see the spirits of the dead. When one of these restless spirits crosses back into the living world, he is forced into a fight to prevent the apocalypse.
On its initial release, Jack Thorne’s superb fantasy/horror never got the same level of praise as BBC Three’s equally fabulous Being Human, and, like In the Flesh, it struggled to find an audience. As a result, we never got the richly deserved second season this show demanded. Despite the lack of a resolution, just as things were warming up, this delightful tale of a young person stumbling upon a parallel supernatural world is well worth your time, and who knows, maybe one day the BBC will explore a resurrection.
What’s on BBC iPlayer – Halloween Special
Being Human
Long before we sank our teeth into the divine TV adaptation of Interview with the Vampire, the equally fabulous Being Human had us enthralled with its twisty, funny, emotional and downright beautiful tale of a vampire, a ghost and a werewolf trying to navigate the human world from a shared house in Bristol.
Toby Whithouse’s supernatural comedy/horror placed BBC Three on the map with a cast including the fabulous Aidan Turner, Lenora Crichlow, Russell Tovey, Jason Watkins, Michael Socha, Sinéad Keenan, Annabel Scholey and Damien Molony, to name just a few. Running for five deliciously dark, fun, and always engaging seasons, Being Human remains one of the best shows to have come from BBC Three.
Inside No. 9
Jaws will drop, and spines will tingle. Hell, heads might even roll!
Enjoy darkly twisted comic tales from the imaginations of Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, joined by a host of stars.
What’s on BBC iPlayer – Halloween Special
Doctor Who
Doctor Who Boom. The Doctor (NCUTI GATWA). BBC Studios/Bad Wolf, James Pardon.
Hiding behind the sofa has never been so much fun! Doctor Who has a long history of bringing us stories designed to unsettle us, as science fiction, fantasy, and horror combine to create nightmares in time and space. This Halloween, I suggest you explore the following spooky stunners from the recent Doctor Who archive.
The Empty Child (2005) “Are You My Mummy?”
The Waters of Mars (2009) “I’ve gone too far. Is this it? My death? Is it time?”
Midnight (2008) “We must not look at goblin men.”
The God Complex (2011) “My name is Lucy Hayward. And I’m the last one left.”
Silence in the Library (2008) “Someone’s in my library! No, no, please, it’s not allowed! It’s not allowed!”
Blink (2007) “Don’t even blink. Blink, and you’re dead.”
The Impossible Planet/ The Satan Pit (2006) “Some may call him Abaddon. Some may call him Krop Tor. Some may call him Satan. Or Lucifer. Or the King of Despair. The Deathless Prince. The Bringer of Night. And these are the words that shall set him free.”
Night Terrors (2011) “First things first. Have you got any Jammie Dodgers?”
Boom (2024) – “Faith! The magic word that keeps you never having to think for yourself.”
Movies
The Omen (1976)
Richard Donner’s The Omen would redefine the image of the devil on screen while creating its own religious mythology. Inspired by Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist, The Omen would twist our notions of childhood innocence, as the mark of the devil sat beneath the thick black locks of a five-year-old boy. However, The Omen’s journey to the screen wasn’t without its challenges, with nearly every major studio turning down what was initially titled ‘Antichrist’. However, when 20th Century Fox executive Alan Ladd Jr. read the David Seltzer script, he enthusiastically collaborated with Seltzer and Donner to develop it. Ladd would suggest a title change and changes to the final scenes, ultimately ensuring Damien’s first outing gave birth to a whole trilogy.
The Omen would joyously play with every parent’s worst nightmare: the life of your child versus the lives of others. At the same time, rumours of a deadly curse during production would only strengthen its advertising and box-office pull. Ultimately, it is the audience’s reaction to the devil in kids’ clothing that makes The Omen a game-changer. Often copied but never equalled, Donner’s movie is one of the finest horrors ever made.
Watch on BBC iPlayer from October 31.
What’s on BBC iPlayer – Halloween Special
Candyman (1992)
Candyman was born in the imagination of the formidable Clive Barker in “The Books of Blood” (1984-1985). Barker’s original story took place on a Liverpool housing estate as residents investigated the urban legend of a local serial killer. However, British director Bernard Rose (Paper House) would relocate the action to 1990s Chicago, creating a folk horror rooted in social themes of poverty, crime, and racial oppression, themes that remain just as urgent today as they were in the post-Reagan era.
Candyman’s horror comes from mixing urban legend with the uncomfortable reality of a racially divided America. Once seen, never forgotten, Candyman is a genuinely unique horror that has earned its place as one of the finest movies of the early 1990s.
Watch now on BBC iPlayer.
Cat People (1942)
Directed by Jacques Tourneur, Cat People centres on Irena Dubrovna (Simone Simon), a Serbian woman living in New York who has fallen in love with a man named Oliver (Kent Smith). But Irena fears her desire and any form of intimacy with Oliver; the reason for this fear is an urban legend that surrounded her village in Serbia, a legend that states the villagers become cat people if aroused. Oliver has no time for this story and quickly proposes, believing she will give herself to him once a ring is on her finger.
However, Irena remains celibate, even in marriage, and Oliver turns to his friend Alice (Jane Randolph) for romance. Irena’s anger, jealousy, and frustration soon boil over as she seeks support from her psychiatrist (Tom Conway) with deadly results. Cat People is a classic tale of transformation, doomed love, and folklore, with a more compelling psychological edge as it explores themes of sexuality, desire, imprisonment, and repression.
Watch now on BBC iPlayer.
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