Before the Kardashians turned their family drama and extravagant lifestyles into a multimillion-dollar empire, MTV gave us Rich Girls. The short-lived 2003 reality series followed Ally Hilfiger, daughter of infamous fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger, and her best friend Jaime Gleicher, heiress to a luggage fortune, as they navigated their final year of high school in New York City.
Between shopping sprees, summer trips to Nantucket, and enough designer handbags to make a Bergdorf Goodman sales associate blush, the girls offered viewers a glimpse into a world most of us could only imagine.
‘Rich Girls’ walked so The Kardashians could run
At the time, Rich Girls was absurd excess. Ally and Jaime weren’t particularly interested in hiding their privilege, and they didn’t seem concerned with making their lives relatable. They shopped, traveled, complained, and occasionally attempted to convince viewers that money couldn’t buy happiness. It was the exact kind of television that made you fascinated while also scoffing at the screen. In other words, it fit perfectly into early-2000s MTV.
Looking back, however, Rich Girls feels like an early blueprint for the celebrity reality TV that would eventually make the Kardashian-Jenner clan household names. When Keeping Up With the Kardashians premiered in 2007, it expanded on a formula that shows Rich Girls had already introduced: give audiences unrestricted access to the lives of the wealthy and let the spectacle do the rest. The difference was the Kardashians (namely momager Kris Jenner), understood how to turn that access into an empire. Their relationships, business ventures, and family arguments became part of a carefully cultivated celebrity brand.
‘Rich girls’ is a Y2K time capsule
Part of what makes the series so fascinating today is how little it resembles the reality television landscape it helped inspire. Rich Girls arrived before social media turned wealth into a constant performance, when audiences relied on television and gossip magazines to catch glimpses of how the other half lived. There were no carefully curated Instagram feeds. Instead, viewers got an unfiltered (or at least seemingly unfiltered) look at two teenagers whose biggest problems often involved deciding where to spend their parents’ money.
There’s something particularly charming about revisiting a show like Rich Girls now. The ridiculous oversized sunglasses, gaudy Louis Vuitton bags, and unapologetic early-2000s materialism are almost like a time capsule. Before every celebrity had a personal brand and every family feud became a television storyline, two wealthy teenagers were simply allowed to be rich, young, and a little ridiculous on camera.
Boy Meets Boy was one of those reality shows that could have only existed in the early 2000s. When television producers seemed determined to find increasingly ridiculous ways to turn dating into a competitive sport, Bravo decided to put its own spin on the traditional Bachelor formula. The network introduced something entirely new: a dating show centered on a gay man looking for love. The catch? Not everyone competing for his affection was actually gay.
Premiering on July 29, 2003, Boy Meets Boy was a six-episode experiment that arrived at a particularly interesting moment for LGBTQ representation on mainstream television. Alongside Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, which premiered just days earlier, the series helped establish Bravo as a network willing to put queer men at the center of its programming. Unfortunately, its approach was a little more complicated than anticipated.
Hosted by British television personality Dani Behr, the series followed 32-year-old James Getzlaff, a Los Angeles human resources manager searching for a romantic partner among 15 male contestants. Filmed in Palm Springs, California, the men lived together, participated in group activities, and went on individual dates with James. Much like The Bachelor, the show gradually eliminated contestants until only one lucky man remained. James also brought along his best friend, Andra Stasko, who acted as a confidante and sounding board throughout the process.
Bravo’s First Gay Dating Show Had a Cruel Twist That Sparked Controversy
But James didn’t know a key detail: some of the contestants were straight men recruited to compete for a cash prize. If James chose a gay contestant, the pair would receive a monetary reward and a romantic vacation to New Zealand. If he chose a straight man, that contestant would walk away with the money, leaving James empty-handed.
The twist wasn’t revealed until James had narrowed the competition down to its final three. Suddenly, what had appeared to be a fairly straightforward search for love became a ?. Would James find love or choose someone playing along for financial gain. The emotional stakes couldn’t have been any higher.
The show got backlash from the LGBTQ+ community
While the concept certainly made for compelling television, it also attracted criticism from LGBTQ+ viewers and advocacy groups. The idea of deliberately deceiving a gay man about the intentions of his potential romantic partners struck many as unnecessarily cruel, particularly at a time when queer relationships were still fighting for meaningful representation on television. There were also concerns that the premise relied on stereotypes about sexuality and encouraged viewers to question whether they could identify someone’s sexual orientation based on appearance or behavior.
Fortunately, James correctly identified Franklin as the straight contestant and chose Wes Culwell as his final mate. The two walked away with their promised trip to New Zealand, although whether reality television is the ideal place to find lasting romance is another question entirely.
Boy Meets Boy never returned for a second season, but its brief existence remains an interesting footnote in reality television history. In 2004, it earned a GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding Reality Program. Looking back, it’s a fascinating reminder of how far queer representation on television has come, but also how often early attempts at inclusion came packaged with an unnecessary gimmick.
There’s something so comforting about watching a Christmas classic on television that makes the holiday season feel official. This year, Disney is bringing back a little piece of holiday nostalgia that millennials and Gen X viewers might remember fondly.
Mickey’s Christmas Carol, Disney’s beloved 1983 animated adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic novella, is returning to ABC on November 25 as part of The Wonderful World of Disney holiday lineup. It marks the special’s first broadcast on the network since 2003, making this a particularly exciting moment for anyone who grew up watching Mickey Mouse and friends bring a little Christmas magic into their living rooms.
The half-hour special reimagines Dickens’ A Christmas Carol with some of Disney’s most recognizable characters. Scrooge McDuck plays Ebenezer Scrooge, Mickey Mouse plays his underpaid clerk Bob Cratchit, and Goofy appears as the ghost of Jacob Marley. Donald Duck, Minnie Mouse, and Jiminy Cricket also join the festivities, transforming the familiar Victorian ghost story into a distinctly Disney affair.
Directed by Burny Mattinson, the film was a major moment for the mouse house, marking Mickey’s return to theatrical animation after a three-decade absence. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, cementing its rightful place in Disney animation history.
‘Mickey’s Christmas Carol’ Is Returning to ABC After 23 Years, and Fans Won’t Want to Miss It
There’s a reason that people still talk about the short decades later. Mickey’s Christmas Carol captures the spirit of Dickens’ story without losing the charm of the characters audiences already know and love.
It introduces younger audiences to a literary classic without sacrificing the darker elements that make Dickens’ original story compelling. From the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come to Scrooge’s lonely, miserly existence, the special doesn’t shy away from the story’s more haunting moments, even through the familiar faces of Disney characters.
For years, the short has remained available to audiences through home video and streaming, but there’s something undeniably nostalgic about its return to broadcast television. Before streaming services made holiday movie marathons available at the click of a button, catching a seasonal favorite on network television was an event in itself. You watched when it aired, gathered around the television, and let the familiar story become part of your holiday traditions. Now a new generation can experience that same tradition.
How To Watch Mickey’s Christmas carol
Mickey’s Christmas Carol airs Wednesday, November 25, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, kicking off the network’s holiday programming. While you’re prepping all your Thanksgiving favorites, don’t forget to add a little Christmas magic. It’s a bit sacrilegious, like putting your tree up before December 1st, but who is going to argue against Mickey Mouse?
When people think about Halloween-themed animated specials, the first that comes to mind is usually It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. However, there’s a lesser-known special that’s actually quite scary. Featuring everyone’s favorite fat orange tabby cat, Garfield’s Halloween Adventure aired on Oct. 30, 1985.
At the 1986 Emmys ceremony, it won the Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program. So if you don’t believe us, listen to the critics on this one.
‘Garfield’s Halloween Adventure’ Has No Right to Be This Creepy
Originally titled Garfield in Disguise, the special opens with Garfield waking only to realize it’s Halloween. He convinces Odie to dress up as pirates so they can go trick-or-treating. As they hope to fill their buckets and bellies with candy, ghost pirates soon loot them. They stumble onto an abandoned mansion and meet an old man who warns them of an urban legend that pirates would return 100 years later to reclaim their treasure. As the 24-minute special goes on, the tone grows darker and more sinister, which creator Jim Davis was hoping for. “I wanted to go somewhere that would at least scare 4-year-olds,” he told A.V. Club in 2014.
Not only that, as family-friendly as it may seem today, Davis admitted they toed the line of what Standards and Practices allowed for scares in the ‘80s. “…It hard to grasp because they said, ‘scaring kids.’ [Laughs.] ‘Too scary.’ We could have the ghosts, but we couldn’t have anyone touch anyone else in a threatening way. It couldn’t be anything that appeared to be physical harm.”
They find themselves stuck on the deserted island, and when the clock strikes midnight, the ghost ship returns as promised. They get chased by the terrifying-looking ghosts (that are, in fact, nightmare-inducing to this day). Eventually, though, they make it home safe and sound.
There’s certainly no shortage of gory horror films to watch during October. For those looking for something much more lighthearted and nostalgic but not necessarily a family-friendly Disney Channel Original Movie, there are plenty of hilarious Halloween-themed ‘90s sitcoms episodes ripe for picking. Whether background noise during trick-or-treat or a cozy night in, we’ve got you covered.
Keep reading for four of our favorite episodes to rewatch before October is over.
ABC
1. Sabrina The Teenage Witch
Sabrina the Teenage Witch is perfect rewatch material for the fall and Halloween season, and unsurprisingly, it has plenty of Halloween-themed episodes. As for which episode makes this list, Season 2, Episode 6, “A River of Candy Corn Runs Through It” takes the cake. Hilda is waiting for their new furniture to be delivered, even though they can just…zap it out of thin air. Witches, they’re just like us! The only problem? The furniture is infested with talking termites.
Annoyed that Libby is hosting a Halloween party Valerie and Sabrina weren’t invited to, Valerie blurts out that she and Sabrina are hosting their own party at Sabrina’s. Sabrina ends up having to conjure up things to distract her classmates, and they believe it’s all just a “special effect” for Halloween.
ABC
2. Boy Meets World
Funnily enough, the Boy Meets World Halloween episode didn’t even air in October. It premiered in February of 1998, but it spoofed the slashers of the time like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. The episode’s tone was much darker than viewers were used to. It throws out everything people know about sitcoms as they film with a single handheld camera. It’s really genius. With the inclusion of scream queen Jennifer Love Hewitt as well as the nod to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, it’s clear that the crew were fans of the genre.
FOX
3. That ’70s Show
That ’70s Show has a few Halloween-themed episodes, but the most creative is the Alfred Hitchcock-themed episode, Season 3, Episode 4, “Too Old to Trick or Treat, Too Young to Die.”
The group watches Hitchcock films, joking about how funny it would be if they were in a Hitchcock film and didn’t know it. The rest of the episode is spent spoofing various Hitchcock films. Instead of providing the spooks, it gives the giggles.
FOX
4. The SIMPSONS: Treehouse of Horror
Every year The Simpsons air their Halloween special, “Treehouse of Horror.” Beginning in 1990, the non-canon episode features spoofs of horror, sci-fi, and supernatural stories. It’s become something that die-hard fans of The Simpsons look forward to, and with 36 years’ worth of episodes, there’s no shortage of entertainment.
“Treehouse of Horror V” (Season 6, Episode 6) is widely considered the best, and it’s easy to see why it tops everyone’s list once you watch the segments. It spoofs The Shining and includes a crime-and-punishment-themed segment in which Homer breaks a toaster, sending him through different timelines.
Halloween parodies have been around for decades, with Hollywood putting their spin on everything from Boy Meets World, The Simpsons, and Happy Endings to sitcom favorite That ’70s Show. While the holiday has inspired plenty of memorable television moments, few episodes have managed to blend classic horror with sitcom comedy quite like the Fox series’ Alfred Hitchcock-themed Halloween special.
“Too Old to Trick or Treat, Too Young to Die,” the fourth episode of That ’70s Show’s third season premiered on October 31, 2000. More than two decades later, it remains one of the sitcom’s most creative holiday episodes, transforming the familiar antics of the friend group into a hilarious tribute to one of the most influential filmmakers of all time.
How That ’70s Show Turned Alfred Hitchcock Movies Into Sitcom Comedy
The episode begins with the gang watching an Alfred Hitchcock movie marathon, which gives Kelso an idea. What if they were living in a Hitchcock movie without realizing it?
They play it off as a joke; however, his suggestion sets the stage for an episode packed with references to five of Hitchcock’s most recognizable films: Psycho, The Birds, Vertigo, Rear Window, and North by Northwest.
Rather than recreating the movies scene for scene, the sitcom takes the most recognizable moments and gives them the kind of twists that could only happen on That ’70s Show.
The result is a Halloween episode that rewards Hitchcock fans without alienating viewers who have never watched one of his films.
The Psycho Shower Scene Gets a That ’70s Show Twist
FOX
One of Hitchcock’s most famous films gets a particularly memorable nod when Kelso finds himself in a situation reminiscent of Psycho.
The 1960 thriller, starring Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh, is best remembered for its infamous shower scene where Marion Crane is attacked at the Bates Motel. The sequence became one of the most influential moments in horror history, helping establish the level of suspense and shock imitated today.
Kelso gets beaten up by a child and finds his way into the Forman house to take a shower. At the same time, Laurie Forman is returning home covered in bird poop (a nod to Hitchcock’s The Birds). Instead of attacking him with a knife, she attacks him with a scrub brush. She then makes the water temperature even hotter, making him shriek.
The creatives behind the episode turned a scene associated with one of film’s most notorious murders into something considerably less threatening and sexually awkward.
Kitty Forman Learns the Hard Way That The Birds Wasn’t Just a Movie
Fox
While Hitchcock’s Psycho is known for its shower scene, The Birds gave audiences a different reason to fear ordinary things.
Released in 1963, the film follows a California community terrorized by seemingly inexplicable attacks from birds. Hitchcock transforms creatures that people encounter every day into an unpredictable threat.
That ’70s Show puts its own spin on the premise through Kitty Forman who discovers that feeding a neighbor’s birds isn’t as harmless as she initially thought.
It’s a particularly fitting reference for Kitty, whose maternal instincts and determination to keep everything under control often put her in situations that are anything but peaceful.
Fez and Hyde Become the Stars of a Rear Window Mystery
Fox
Perhaps the episode’s most entertaining Hitchcock reference involves Fez and Steven Hyde.
After Fez injures his leg, he spends more time observing the world around him. Like L.B. Jefferies, the photographer played by James Stewart in Hitchcock’s Rear Window, Fez becomes convinced that something sinister is happening inside a neighbor’s home.
The 1954 Hitchcock thriller follows a wheelchair-bound photographer who suspects that a man across the courtyard has murdered his wife. Unable to investigate it himself, Jefferies attempts to piece together the truth from what he can see through his apartment window.
In the sitcom’s version, Fez and Hyde spy on their neighbors, Bob and Midge Pinciotti, after becoming convinced that Bob killed his wife.
The supposed murder investigation is exactly the sort of overblown conspiracy that could emerge when two bored teenagers have too much time on their hands. It’s absolutely ridiculous but that’s what makes it so great.
Eric Forman’s Fear of Heights References Vertigo
Fox
Eric Forman gets his own Hitchcock-inspired storyline when an incident involving a fall leaves him afraid of heights.
The plot references Vertigo, Hitchcock’s 1958 psychological thriller starring James Stewart and Kim Novak. The film follows a former police detective whose fear of heights becomes entangled in an increasingly disturbing mystery involving obsession, deception, and identity.
In That ’70s Show, Eric’s experience is considerably less glamorous. His fear becomes another obstacle for the perpetually anxious teenager, whose tendency to overthink everything makes him an ideal character for a parody of Hitchcock’s psychological suspense.
Where Hitchcock used vertigo to explore the darker corners of the human mind, the sitcom uses it to create another opportunity for Eric to embarrass himself.
Kelso Gets His Own North by Northwest Moment
The episode also references North by Northwest, Hitchcock’s 1959 thriller starring Cary Grant as an advertising executive who becomes caught up in a case of mistaken identity and is pursued across the country.
The film’s most famous sequence involves Grant’s character being chased through an open field by a crop-dusting plane.
Kelso’s storyline draws on the film’s mistaken-identity premise, with a paperboy pursuing him over a debt Red Forman forgot to pay. It’s a ridiculous misunderstanding, but the reference is unmistakable for anyone familiar with Hitchcock’s work.
The joke also feels right for Kelso, whose mix of confidence and questionable intelligence often lands him in situations he doesn’t fully understand.
Why That ’70s Show’s Halloween Episode Still Works
What makes “Too Old to Trick or Treat, Too Young to Die” so memorable isn’t the number of Hitchcock references crammed into the 22-minute runtime. It’s how naturally the crew weaves those references into the characters’ everyday problems.
The episode doesn’t abandon the sitcom’s established personalities. Instead, it uses the films as a guide for stories that feel entirely at home in Point Place.
The episode also arrived at a time when Halloween specials were an established television tradition, with sitcoms regularly using the holiday to experiment with different genres and storytelling styles. By combining a classic horror homage with its own brand of irreverent humor, That ’70s Show managed to create something that felt both nostalgic and distinctly its own.
Unlike some television parodies that rely entirely on viewers recognizing the original material, the episode remains entertaining even if you’ve never seen a Hitchcock movie.
After all, the gang might be too old to trick-or-treat and too young to die, but they’re never too young (or old) to find themselves in the middle of a Hitchcock film!
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