The Halloween Special starts and ends with live-action segments directed by Don Roy King featuring David S. Pumpkins (Hanks), flanked by two skeletons (Day and Moynihan).

[2][3] One of the neighborhood children is dressed as Kevin Roberts, an SNL character portrayed by Larry David whose sketch has traits similar to Pumpkins' "Haunted Elevator.

[2] Before Dinklage was cast as Narrator/Adult Kevin, Pete Holmes, Chris Parnell, Jon Cryer, Eric McCormack, Bob Saget, and Zachary Levi were all considered.

[7] In writing the special the team sought to keep the mystery of the character that was present in the original sketch, with Day noting "There was talk about David Pumpkins’s universe, but we thought his appeal was in, the less you know about him, the better.

[10] It was produced by SNL creator Lorne Michaels and animated by Bento Box Entertainment with a score by Mark Mothersbaugh, and it was written by Day, Moynihan, and Seidell.