If it’s October, it must be time to break out the ghouls and ghosts for a month of Halloween. Get into the spirit of the season early with these spooky treats:
“The Simpsons” (Sunday, 8 p.m., Fox)
Just think, you can tell your kids all about how you remember way back when the “Treehouse of Horror” spooktacular special aired after Halloween — back when Fox used the animated family as a sweeps ratings grabber — rather than 25 days prior to the big day. And your kids can ask you 1. What are sweeps? And 2. Who are “The Simpsons”?
“Scarecrow” (Saturday, 9 p.m., Syfy)
The science fiction channel is designed for otherworldly hauntings, so it dives head-first into its 31 Days of Halloween with a slew of movies, including its latest cheesy original movies. This one stars Robin Dunne of “Sanctuary” and Lacey Chabert of “Party of Five” as a part of a group of teens and their teacher who are stranded in the country with a murderous scarecrow. It’s as corny as it sounds.
“American Horror Story: Coven” (Wednesday, 10 p.m., FX)
The third installment of this often terrifyingly disturbing series is set in New Orleans, the land of voodoo. Regulars Sarah Paulson and the awesome Jessica Lange are back again, this time as witches who are fed up with being hunted down ever since that ugly incident in Salem, Mass. Warning: Jessica There may be snakes.
“Beneath” (Friday, 9 p.m., Chiller)
A teen horror movie has never taken so long to get horribly gruesome — 17 minutes in, and we’re still watching these stereotypical kids trying to launch a boat. But, on the bright side, you can comfort yourself with the fact that you’re only wasting two hours of your life on this mediocre killfest, as opposed to the suckers who stood in line for its limited run in theaters this summer.
“The Vampire Diaries” (Thursday, 8 p.m., The CW)
It’s always Halloween in Mystic Falls, what with the undead blood suckers strolling about town — and now the gang is headed to college. Considering most of the actors on the show are pushing — or way past — 25, and the show is in its fifth season, it’s about time these “kids” started their next chapter, even if it does raise the specter of the dreaded post-high school slump that befalls so many teen series.