Here’s one that slipped past a lot of people. Back on October 27, 2017, CBS aired a 70-minute animated Halloween special built entirely around Michael Jackson’s music. It was called “Michael Jackson’s Halloween,” and 5.67 million people tuned in to watch.
If you missed it the first time, you’re not alone. A lot of longtime fans have never seen it.
The story follows two young people named Vincent and Victoria who wind up at a magical place called the This Place Hotel. Together they have to stop a wicked witch named Conformity, who wants to ban music and dancing from the world. The whole thing is stuffed with 28 of Michael’s songs, some of them remixed for the show.
One of the people who runs Michael’s estate said Michael “loved Halloween,” and you can feel that all over this special.
A look at the Michael Jackson Halloween special CBS put on the air
Give this a quick look to see the style of the whole thing. It’s bright, spooky and full of music, the kind of show you’d happily watch with the grandkids.
Now for the fun part. The voice cast is loaded with famous names you’ll know from your favorite TV shows. Jim Parsons from “The Big Bang Theory” is in it. So are Alan Cumming, Christine Baranski, Lucy Liu and Brad Garrett. It’s the sort of cast you’d expect for a big movie, not a Halloween cartoon most folks forgot about.
Here’s a longer trailer that shows off more of the characters and the look.
The official trailer with a better peek at the cast and the story
Watch for the witch, Conformity. She makes a pretty great villain for a show all about the freedom to dance.
But the moment every Michael fan should see comes near the very end.
In the big dance finale, an animated version of Michael himself shows up. He doesn’t speak any lines in the show. His presence comes through his music and his old recordings. Still, seeing him appear in that final number is a genuinely sweet surprise, and it’s the heart of the whole special.
The ending where an animated Michael joins the dance
This is the clip to watch if you only have a minute. It’s the payoff the whole show builds toward.
So if you love Michael and you love Halloween, you’ve got a whole new old thing to enjoy this month. It’s silly and sweet and packed with the songs you already know by heart. Round up some candy and let the King of Pop’s music carry one more spooky night with the grandkids.