Skip to main content

Halloween | October 2026

Email share
by Mark Lasswell • Published on
Halloween Shows banner with a glowing full moon, turquoise clouds, bats, and spooky stylized lettering.
Programming

Get into the spooky spirit with these spine-tingling Halloween specials on WTVP.

Illustration of a zombie with glowing eyes in snow, screaming with a burning car in the background.

EXHUMED: A History of Zombies

Wednesday, 10/28/2026 @ 10:00 PM

Unearth some of the most significant moments of zombie pop culture over the last two centuries. Host Dr. Emily Zarka explores how zombie folklore arose before it became mainstream and how the monster changes in tandem with a changing world.

Smiling person by campfire with kettle and red cup; tent and trees visible in background.

Haunted Heartland

Thursday, 10/29/2026 @ 8:30 PM

Turn down the lights and journey into the stories that have haunted Central Illinois. Hosted by acclaimed storyteller Brian “Fox” Ellis, Haunted Heartland explores legends tied to Illinois Wesleyan University, Peoria State Hospital, Springdale Cemetery and Cole Hollow Road, revealing how tales of the mysterious take hold, evolve and refuse to disappear.

Gothic castle at night with dramatic clouds and full moon, illuminated by warm lights.

Samhain: The Birth of Halloween

Tuesday, 10/27/2026 @ 10:00 PM

Michael Londra, host of the popular travel series Ireland with Michael, embarks on a spine-tingling journey through Ireland to uncover Samhain, the ancient Celtic festival behind Halloween. Blending rich history, haunting folklore and modern traditions, the film reveals how this ancient celebration evolved into a holiday now observed in many parts of the world.

Man with a bag standing in a grassy cemetery, looking at old gravestones and a cross, with trees and cloudy sky in background.

Secrets of the Dead #2202

Field of Vampires

Wednesday, 10/28/2026 @ 9:00 PM

In Eastern Europe, archeologists make a terrifying discovery: a skeleton dating from 1650 buried with a sickle across her neck and a giant padlock on her toe—double protection to keep her from rising from the dead. All the evidence points to fears that she was a vampire. And she’s not alone—ultimately more than 50 deviant burials lie around her. Who was she and what did all of the burial rituals mean?

UFO over Stonehenge with text,

Theater of the Mind

Brain Raiders from Outer Space

Friday, 10/30/2026 @ 9:30 PM

Theater of the Mind presents another Margo Mason Mystery! It's 1946, the war is over, England is rebuilding and ace newspaper reporter Margo Mason is hot on the trail of the scoop of a lifetime when tentacled monsters invade and take over the bodies and brains of citizens and a construction crew at Stonehenge. Theater of the Mind is radio you can see, with actors, music and a sound effects crew.