The special block lasted from October 19 until Halloween night, covering the thirteen days before the holiday.
[2] From 1998 to 2004, the block consisted mainly of made-for-TV movies aimed at an older audience, such as Casper: A Spirited Beginning, The Haunting of Seacliff Inn, Lost Souls, The Spiral Staircase, When Good Ghouls Go Bad, Deadly Invasion: The Killer Bee Nightmare, Tower of Terror, The Hollow, and Grave Secrets: The Legacy of Hilltop Drive, and Halloween themed specials such as Scariest Places on Earth and Ghost Stories.
Films that air during the lineup are usually edited for time constraints and for profane content, such as language or sexuality, to appeal towards all audiences.
[10] In 2012, the second Halloween-themed episode of Pretty Little Liars, "This is A Dark Ride" guest-starring former American Idol contestant Adam Lambert drew 2.8 million viewers.
[11] ABC Family announced that the episode had become the lineup's most watched programming in their key demographics in the block's fourteen-year history.
The stunt will also include the network television premieres of Dark Shadows and ParaNorman, and prime time airings of Hocus Pocus, Beetlejuice, and Monsters Inc.[18] Ratings for the 2014 event were generally even across the board with prior years.
[22] Hocus Pocus, which aired a staggering ten times during the event saw its highest rated showing at 1.7m viewers, even with previous years.
The schedule includes films such as the 2003 incarnation of The Haunted Mansion, The Addams Family, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Sleepy Hollow, Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Bewitched.
There were also several nostalgic flicks with no Halloween tie-in featuring Mulan, Bolt, The Goonies, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Frozen, The Breakfast Club, Jurassic Park, Big Hero 6, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, The Parent Trap and Mrs. Doubtfire.
Original stars from the movie, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy and more joined the special.
Vanessa Hudgens and Jordan Fisher hosted and had special performances by Dove Cameron, Jordin Sparks and more.
[29] On October 14, the Decorating Disney: Halloween Magic special premiered with 932,000 total viewers tuning in to the show, hosted by Cierra Ramirez from Freeform's The Fosters and Good Trouble, that gave viewers a look on how Disney parks and ships are decorated for Halloween overnight.
[32] On October 7, the network premiere of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street was watched by 395,000 viewers.
It also features the network premieres of Goosebumps, Mostly Ghostly: One Night in Doom House, the first three Scream films, and the specials Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space and Scared Shrekless.
It featured non-Halloween family films such as Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Hook, Matilda, Finding Nemo, Finding Dory, National Treasure, 101 Dalmatians, Iron Man, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Moana, Mrs. Doubtfire, Zootopia and The Incredibles.
The only non-Halloween films in this seasonal television schedule are Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, The Goonies, Jumanji, Matilda and Shrek.
[36] This year's seasonal lineup includes the network premieres of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Men in Black II, The House with a Clock in Its Walls, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Fright Night, Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween, Cowboys & Aliens, The Huntsman: Winter's War, and the first three Jaws films.
It also features the network premieres of Hocus Pocus 2, the 2023 Haunted Mansion film, Arachnophobia, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Muppets from Space, and The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.