Why It’s So Hard to Watch This Surprisingly Dark Grinch Halloween Special

Unspecified - 1977: The Grinch, Max promotional artwork / storyboards for the ABC tv special 'Halloween is Grinch Night'.
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When most people think of the Grinch, their minds go straight to Christmas; after all, 1966’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas has become a holiday classic, airing year after year with Boris Karloff‘s unforgettable narration. However, tucked away in television history is another Grinch special: a darker, grimmer prequel called Halloween Is Grinch Night. Airing on ABC on October 28, 1977, and is often considered a prequel of sorts to the Christmas classic.