What to Watch this Halloween on KCTS 9

The air is getting crisp. The leaves are changing colors. The lattes are turning pumpkin spice. And, jack-o-lanterns are appearing on porches. Yes, Spooky Season is upon us. One of the magical thrills of celebrating the season is watching (or more likely streaming) your favorite Halloween-inspired TV shows and movies. From titillating mysteries to haunted histories, there’s something for everyone streaming this October on KCTS 9!   

Some of us can stomach some scary Halloween thrills. Many enjoy a cozy, homespun murder mystery. And, skeptics may be curious about the real reason things go bump in the night. KCTS 9 has something for every Halloween viewer from twisty mysteries like Flesh and Blood to Agatha Christie inspired fare to NOVA specials about bats and crows, oh my! PBS favorites old and new, you can watch all of our Halloween themed shows and more on the KCTS 9 World’s Best TV app and KCTS9.org. 

Since there is so much to stream, and so little time, here is a list of where to get started and what to watch this fall. Below is a list of the spooky, scary, mysterious, monstrous, curious and entertaining Halloween-inspired shows to watch this fall on KCTS 9’S World’s Best TV app and KCTS9.org. Happy haunting! 

Chilling & Thrilling Mysteries 

Get in the spirit of the season with chilling and thrilling mysteries streaming online now. From fun detective series like Frankie Drake Mysteries and Miss Scarlet and The Duke; to gritty series like Flesh and Blood and Unforgotten, there’s a mystery for everyone looking to get in the Halloween spirit. Find even more mysteries at KCTS9.org/CrimeShows

Myths and Legends 

The world is full of monsters, myths and legends and Monstrum isn’t afraid to take a closer look. The PBS Digital Studios show, hosted by Emily Zarka, Ph.D., takes us on a journey to discover a new monster for each new episode. Monstrum looks at humans’ unique drive to create and shape monster mythology through oral storytelling, literature and film.

You can also join Dr. Moiya McTier & Emily Zarka on Fate and Fabled to dig into the stories and characters of ancient mythologies and explore why such tales were crafted.

The Queen of Halloween: Agatha Christie 

What better way is there to celebrate spooky season than to cozy up with a few murder mysteries inspired by prolific crime writer Agatha Christie? In the alternative history feature film Agatha & the Midnight Murders the writer toys with killing off Hercule Poirot. 

You can also watch a fictionalized Agatha Christie travel to the deserts of Iraq for an archaeological dig, where the famous crime writer unravels a series of mysterious murders in the film Agatha & the Curse of Ishtar. 

In a story that hits closer to home, alternative history drama Agatha & the Truth of Murder explores how the crime writer became embroiled in a real-life murder case during her 11-day disappearance in 1926. The film depicts Christie investigating the murder of Florence Nightingale’s goddaughter and how her involvement in the case influenced her writing. The murder of Florence Nightingale Shore and the character of Mabel Rogers are based on real people and events

Antiques Roadshow

“Kooky & Spooky”

In this special Halloween episode of Antiques Roadshow, celebrate the “Kooky and Spooky” with thrilling and chilling finds, like a rag doll nicknamed “Chucky,” a nightmarish Leonora Carrington painting and an eye-catching "Bride of Frankenstein" pressbook. Which macabre and magnificent treasure is $250,000-$350,000?

“Thrills & Chills”

A new episode of Antiques Roadshow called "Thrills & Chills" will be airing on October 30, 2023. Watch the thrilling and chilling appraisals, including a MAD Issue 8 complete 'Frank N. Stein' story, a German wax-head doll, and a Georgian & Victorian mourning jewelry collection. Dare to guess the top $80,000 to $120,000 find!

It’s Lit! 

Several episodes of this PBS Digital Studios series explore our favorite authors who dabble in the macabre. Here are some of the best Halloween-inspired episodes to watch online now:  “The (Stephen) King of Horror,” “Edgar Allen Poe Isn’t Just a Sad Boy,” “Anne Rice, the Queen of Literary Monsters” and “Octavia Butler, the Grand Dame of Science Fiction.”

Stratford Festival: “Hamlet”

Canada’s Stratford Festival (North America’s largest classical repertory theater company), presents a selection of performances from some of Shakespeare and Shaw's greatest works.

A ghostly visitor with a shocking secret, a daughter devastated by loss, a deadly duel and the most famous question in all of drama: Shakespeare’s iconic tragedy will hold you spellbound. Hamlet has been called the greatest play and this Stratford Festival production “the most complete, most fulfilling, most satisfying in decades.” Watch Stratford Festival: "Hamlet" online now.

Sound Field: “How the Exorcist Changed the Sound of Horror”

Why do so many horror film scores today sound similar to The Exorcist from 1973? A lot of that is thanks to Krzysztof Penderecki, a Polish composer whose music was used by director William Friedkin to score The Exorcist. Penderecki's music can be heard in the works of Stanley Kubrick and David Lynch, and has even inspired the scores of more modern horror films such as Bird Box.

Local scares with Mossback’s Northwest 

From ancient legends to far-fetched theories to elaborate hoaxes, the Northwest is a place filled with mythology — Bigfoot, AKA Sasquatch, could be our most iconic Northwest cryptid? Discover more Northwest lore with these episodes of Mossback’s Northwest: “The Scientific Search for Bigfoot,” “Sea Serpents of the Salish Sea,” “‘Flying saucers'? You can thank WA for the term” and “ The Northwest’s most notable hoaxes.”

Lucy Worsley Investigates

Lucy Worsley re-investigates some of the most dramatic chapters in British history. She uncovers forgotten witnesses, re-examines old evidence and follows new clues. Watch it online now.

Creepy Cool Creatures 

Celebrate the real life creatures that go bump in the night with NOVA’s “Bat Superpowers” and “Bird Brain,” which will change the way you think about crows. 

Origin of Everything 

The PBS Digital Studios series Origin of Everything explores the origins of our intersecting histories. Here are the best episodes that get to the bottom of some interesting Halloween histories: “How a Spy Changed Horror Movies,” “Is Poisoned Halloween Candy a Myth?” and “The True Origin of Killer Clowns.” 

Dead & Buried 

What is our society’s relationship to death? Many are disconnected from its reality and afraid to even think of it or discuss it. How did we get here, and are there different ways to connect to this part of life that we all must face for ourselves and our loved ones? How do we reclaim death from the industries and processes that have distanced us from it? Watch Dead & Buried online now. 

Secrets of the Dead

Secrets of the Dead is part detective story, part true-life drama that unearths evidence from around the world, challenging prevailing ideas and throwing fresh light on unexplained events. Watch Secrets of the Dead online now.

Stay up-to-date on our October broadcast programs with the KCTS 9 Viewer Guide and our online schedule page.