ABC Network - "The Halloween That Almost Wasn't" (Complete Premiere Broadcast, 10/28/1979)

Here's the complete premiere broadcast of a Halloween special that almost wasn't remembered, "The Halloween That Almost Wasn't," which aired on the ABC Network, and thus in Chicago over WLS Channel 7.

The premise of this one is that the Halloween monsters we all know had become too soft, and are faced with an ultimatum by Dracula (Judd Hirsch): become "frightening" again, or else he'll move out of his Transylvania castle forever. Also stars Mariette Hartley as The Witch, Henry Gibson (one of the voices on the Dr. Seuss cartoon special "Halloween Is Grinch Night" which aired before this and can be seen here: youtu.be/xPSDxfSdRb8 ) as Igor, Jack Riley as The Werewolf (named Warren, after Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London"), and John Schuck as The Frankenstein Monster; also featuring Robert Fitch as The Mummy, and Josip Elik as Zabaar The Zombie (neither of whom have a line of dialogue).

All segments end with a "We'll return after these messages" bumper, and the next segment begins with a "Now back to our story" with the title on the screen (all voiceovers by Gilbert Hodges)

(The Mork & Mindy episode "A Morkville Horror" aired right after this, posted separately here: youtu.be/ckHAl1MeN3I )

Includes:

Station ID / promo for Museum of Science & Industry coal mine exhibit (voiceover by Wayne Atkinson)

Show opening titles, followed by Act I

Sponsor billboard for Kenner (voiceover by Gilbert Hodges)

Commercials for:

"Star Wars" radio-controlled R2-D2 - from Kenner (voiceover by Norman Rose) (posted separately here: youtu.be/0mV8H-12qeQ)

Betty Crocker juicer-blender - from Kenner

Show Act II

Commercials for:

Cover Girl Darci doll - from Kenner

Play-Doh Dr. Drill n' Fill - from Kenner (posted separately here: youtu.be/kFXvd-6Zsw4)

Animated ABC ID, with lower-third station ID at lower right

Show Act III

Commercials for:

Sweetie Face doll - from Kenner

Stretch X-Ray (where you can see the figure's internal organs) - from Kenner (posted separately here: youtu.be/4ffUKDvAKVs )

Episode epilogue, with ending credits

Ending sponsor billboard for Kenner (voiceover by Gilbert Hodges)

One last look at show title

Promo for Eight Is Enough for Wednesday (voiceover by Ernie Anderson)

Commercials for:

Allegheny Airlines - growing into USAir (voiceover by Scott Muni)

Sanka coffee - with Robert Young

PSA for Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. - "Call Your Local Girl Scout Council"

WMET 95 ½ FM - "Pure Rock 'n Roll" (shorter version of ad posted here: youtu.be/2D6oWDD4MYE )

Station ID / PSA for Chicago Boy Scouts (voiceover by Wayne Atkinson)

This aired on local Chicago TV on Sunday, October 28th 1979 during the 6:30pm to 7:00pm timeframe.

This was from a tape donated to The Museum of Classic Chicago Television as part of The George Jen Collection.

About The Museum of Classic Chicago Television:

The MCCTv (FuzzyMemoriesTV) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose primary mission is the preservation and display of off-air, early home videotape recordings (70s to early 80s, mostly) recorded off of TV (in Chicago or other cities now too); things which would likely be lost if not sought out and preserved digitally. If you have any old 1970s videotapes recorded off of TV please email: [email protected] Even though (mostly) short clips are displayed here, we preserve the entire broadcasts in our archives - the complete programs with breaks (or however much is present on the tape), for historical preservation. For information on how to help in our mission, to donate or lend tapes to be converted to DVD, please e-mail [email protected] Thank you for your help!