No need to go trick-or-treating: You can get your Halloween thrills all this week with several classic comedies and two intriguing specials that capture the mischief and madness of the holiday. And if that doesn’t work, there’s always the second-season premiere of “Stranger Things” Friday on Netflix.
Tuesday
“The Middle”
8 p.m., ABC
As Halloween approaches, Frankie (Patricia Heaton) discovers that a woman died in their house 50 years ago. Frankie’s sure it was murder, and sets out to find the killer.
“The Mayor”
9:30 p.m., ABC
Mayor Courtney Rose (Brandon Micheal Hall) and police Chief Fox (Kristen Johnston) find themselves at odds on how to handle Fort Grey’s first annual spook-tacular celebration at City Hall. Dina (Yvette Nicole Brown) gets into the spirit by dressing up as Rep. Maxine Waters, while Jermaine (Bernard David Jones) and T.K. (Marcel Spears) set out to prank Val (Lea Michele).
Wednesday
“The Goldbergs”
Wednesday, 8 p.m., ABC
After Adam (Sean Giambrone) and Jackie (Rowan Blanchard) have a falling out over their Halloween costumes, Murray (Jeff Garlin) steps in to give Adam some helpful advice.
“Speechless”
8:30 p.m., ABC
The DiMeo kids mistakenly eat old Halloween candy that causes feverish dreams of horror and wish fulfillment. Meanwhile, Kenneth (Cedric Yarbrough) agonizes over which era of Michael Jackson’s career to choose from for his costume.
“Modern Family”
9 p.m., ABC
Although their kids are grown, Phil (Ty Burrell) and Claire (Julie Bowen) still want to celebrate Halloween in a big way. But no one else in the family seems to share their enthusiasm.
Thursday
“Superstore”
8 p.m., NBC
A dead body is discovered in the Cloud 9 store on Halloween, throwing Glenn (Mark McKinney) and Dina (Lauren Ash) into a panic, and confusing the shoppers.
Friday
“Michael Jackson’s Halloween”
8 p.m., CBS
This new animated special celebrates the music of the Gloved One. The storyline follows Vincent (Lucas Till) and Victoria (Kiersey Clemons), millennials who meet at a strange hotel and embark on an unusual adventure. Contributing voices include Christine Baranski, Alan Cumming, Brad Garrett, Lucy Liu and Jim Parsons.
Saturday
“The David S. Pumpkins Halloween Special”
11:30 p.m., NBC
Last year’s “Haunted Elevator” sketch featuring Tom Hanks as David S. Pumpkins proved so popular, NBC turned it into a special. Set in a small suburb on All Hallows’ Eve, David Pumpkins and his dancing skeleton sidekicks show a young boy and his sister the true meaning of Halloween. Hanks returns, as does Bobby Moynihan, one of the sketch’s creators and now the star of “Me, Myself and I” on CBS.
Monday
“American Masters — Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive”
9 p.m., PBS
The creator of the detective story and such Gothic classics as “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Pit and the Pendulum” is commemorated in this special, which explores how Poe came to depict states of madness so vividly and how he was maligned after his untimely death at age 40. Denis O’Hare (“American Horror Story”) portrays Poe; Kathleen Turner narrates.