3 Halloween Specials Parents Grew Up Watching (And Are Still Afraid Of)

Can you handle these nostalgic throwbacks?

The last week of October marks the official kickoff of Halloween season—which means trick-or-treating, costume planning, and endless ghost stories. It also means pulling up classic spooky shows and nostalgic reruns.

For many Millennial and Gen X parents, part of the Halloween tradition is revisiting the horror specials that once kept them up at night. Decades later, these shows remain spooky enough to make moms and dads run to their partners for comfort—or ask their kids to accompany them when turning off the lights in the house!

If you are curious about the Philippine pop culture specials parents grew up watching through the years, here are three iconic classics. Believe us: you might still want someone sitting by your side when you hit play.

1. Magandang Gabi Bayan: Kababalaghan

For many Filipino families, Halloween wasn’t complete without Noli de Castro’s iconic October specials in the ’90s. Years later, the segment evolved into Kababalaghan, where the veteran news anchor and his investigative team continue to report on supernatural encounters across the country.

In a past interview on Rated K with Korina Sanchez, “Kabayan” Noli admitted that he has had his own share of eerie experiences. In fact, due to one of the haunting stories documented by his team, he confessed that he avoids looking into mirrors in the dark to this day.

2. Gabi ng Lagim (Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho)

Over the past decade, veteran journalist Jessica Soho and her team at Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS) have set the standard for modern Halloween television. Their annual Gabi ng Lagim specials deliver cinematic re-enactments and real-life paranormal investigations from across the country.

The special became such a massive pop-culture staple among both parents and their kids that Gabi ng Lagim was adapted into a feature film, bringing some of the show’s most terrifying urban legends straight to the big screen.

3. Regal Shocker

Before TV news magazines got everyone hiding under their blankets, Regal Entertainment’s Regal Shocker was already scaring Filipino households week after week.

First premiering on television in 1989 (alongside a movie adaptation of the same title), the show’s eerie theme music and opening sequence alone were enough to make viewers’ hair stand on end. The anthology series made a return in 2011, introducing a new generation to classic Filipino horror storytelling.

A Shared Halloween Tradition for the Family

While today’s kids have their choice of jump-scare YouTube videos and horror video games, there is something special about sitting down as a family and introducing them to the TV shows that shaped your own childhood fears.

Whether you decide to brave these reruns alone after the kids fall asleep or cozy up together on the couch for a throwback movie night, these three specials serve as a fun reminder: no matter how old we get, a good ghost story never loses its thrill.

Happy Halloween!

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