Halloweentown is a Disney Channel classic that premiered in October of 1998. Now, in October of 2020, I believe it is time for the franchise to get a Disney+ series. I’ve thought this ever since Disney+ was created. Like I said in that original piece, Halloweentown has serious reboot potential. Another thing I wrote was this and this still reigns true for Disney+.
It seems like Disney+, a service built on nostalgia would be the perfect place for a continuation (of Halloweentown).
Now I’m going to give five reasons on Halloween why Halloweentown is perfect for a Disney+ series adaption.
It’s a popular Disney Channel classic
First of all, it’s a Disney Channel classic. The original Halloweentown spawned three sequels. Also, all four films put up impressive ratings when they premiered.
The films are widely regarded as some of the best Disney Channel has to offer. Plus, the Halloweentown series is also regarded as some people’s favorite, kid-friendly Halloween franchise (more on that later).
It also seems like Disney Channel is slow to integrate into Disney+. It’s debatable that High School Musical: The Musical: The Series counts as a Disney Channel property considering it is so different. Plus, the Lizzie McGuire Disney+ series has stalled. So, a Halloweentown Disney+ series would bring more of that Disney Channel feel to the streaming service.
You can do more worldbuilding within a series
The Mandalorian has already shown how massive worldbuilding can be for Star Wars. A Halloweentown series could expand the world so much more which you wouldn’t be able to do during a film. Learning about unknown parts of Halloweentown or different conflicts would be cool.
What if there are other places like Halloweentown within this universe? What about the origins of that creepy Halloweentown Council? What about Witch University from Return to Halloweentown? Also, what about that cliffhanger from Return to Halloweentown? There is a ton to explore and it would be fun to expand the franchise. A series gives you time to do that.
Plus, what if Benny the Skeleton Taxi Driver now drives for Halloweentown’s version of Uber?
Having a Halloween-specific series every Halloween would be awesome
Similar to how we see an influx of Christmas specials air every year. Wouldn’t it be cool if Disney+ had a permanent series that would air during the Halloween season every year?
A Halloweentown series would be perfect for that. It would make sense from a marketing standpoint too. Having a family-friendly fantasy franchise that specifically focuses on Halloween just makes too much sense. Especially considering that it’s a lot of people’s favorite Halloween franchise.
It’s a way to continue the franchise but without the original cast
With the passing of Debbie Reynolds in 2016, it was unlikely that another Halloweentown would even happen. You can’t replace the iconic Aggie Cromwell. Plus, the original Marnie was replaced in the final installment. If Disney+ brought back Halloweentown it would probably opt to bring in a brand new cast full of fresh faces.
Although we’ve seen a ton of franchises over the years reinvent themselves and create new storylines. So, a Halloweentown series doesn’t have to necessarily follow the Cromwell family.
They could go the route of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series where they just have guest stars from the original films but they play a non-essential part. Halloweentown has the potential to tell new stories and the concept is too good for Disney+ to pass up.
Disney+ needs more original shows
Lastly, this is probably the biggest point. Disney+ just needs more original series. Even though it is off to a good start. Remember Disney+ isn’t even a year old yet. Yet, the streaming series needs more and more originals if it wants to compete for the long-term. We are in the streaming wars baby.
Once the COVID-19 pandemic gets under control and once Disney gets back to creating more content for Disney+ this would be a good concept to do. Also, this series wouldn’t cost as much as a Mandalorian or WandaVision. Disney+ should invest in more small to mid-budget Disney+ series because there is potential to create some hits for the service. This would be one of them.
At the end of the day, I just want more Halloweentown and I think Disney+ is the perfect way to continue it.
All four Halloweentown films are streaming on Disney+.
🎃Happy Halloween from the Boardwalk Times 🎃
Zach Perilstein is the Editor-in-Chief of the Boardwalk Times
