This month marks the 30th Anniversary of this classic and brilliant Halloween special featuring the animated cast of probably one of the most brilliant and influential Saturday Morning Television programs of all time.  

During October of 1977 the Fat Albert Show was tapped for a Halloween Special and unlike a number of specials this was not so much a gimmicky adventure as it was a morality tale that featured the kids’ fear of a creepy old woman who lived alone by herself. Surely, she must be an evil witch….a notion put forth by an obnoxious kid who perpetually goads and pranks the gang much to the chagrin of Fat Albert and Russell who can see through his arrogance. This annoying kid goads the gang into sneaking up on the old lady’s home on a dare and, of course, the old woman turns out to be a sweet lady who lives by herself because her beloved husband has died and instead of being mean to the kids she is truly happy that they have come to visit her as she doesn’t get much company or joy in her life anymore….and that obnoxious kid gets it in the end when his very irked and angry father shows up to show him the error of his pranking ways.

Sorry if I am leaving out any details, but I haven’t seen the special in 20 years and am writing this completely by memory.

There are a number of morality lessons that are taught in this special and the social commentary present about not to far the elderly or those who may seem a little different is poignant. The scene were Russell kisses the elderly woman on the cheek is so very touching that it resonates a feeling of compassion that is seldom seen in animated programming. Unfortunately, most Halloween specials simply take the well known characters and throw them into a creepy setting such as the previously mentioned Flintstones Halloween special. The Fat Albert Halloween special is so very much different that it is still remember fondly today even after 30 years.

When this episode was released in syndication in the mid-1980's, a new voice over narration was added to the closing credit that featured a somber Bill Cosby intoning that "when the Fat Albert Halloween Special was first made it was safe to go into strangers homes. Sadly, today, time have changed....." How true Bill, how true.

Also equally brilliant was the 1977 Fat Albert Christmas special. Hey, did you know that there was a 1982 Fat Albert Easter Special? I never saw it or new it was produced.