Review: Saturday Night Live “David S. Pumpkins Halloween”

It works!

Halloween and Christmas, two multi-billion dollar industries typically ring in the holidays with animated specials for and this season is no different. Whether it’s a Christmas special for a series that’s been on television or something a bit more original, broadcast networks do their best to make sure you are watching SOMETHING related to the holiday.

Arguably, last year’s “David S. Pumpkins” Saturday Night Live sketch was probably one of the most viral holiday bits ever leading to NBC to attempt to cash-in on the sketch’s popularity and bring us a 30-minute animated spin-off produced by Bento Box Entertainment that was completed from start to finish in about 11 weeks.

Yes, I know, South Park is six days to air, but Bento Box somehow pulling together what is usually a nine-month process in just a matter of weeks is simply nuts and fans of the studio’s prior work on such shows as Brickleberry and The Awesomes will definitely notice character design similarities from the guys that also bring us such fine work as Bob’s Burgers. 

This original special is narrated  by Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) and features a premise revolving around “David S. Pumpkins” showing up with his skeleton crew and featuring Tom Hanks, Mikey Day, and Bobby Moynihan reprising their roles from the famed SNL sketch which is a pretty big deal because typically whenever a Tom Hanks animated role is adapted for television usually Tom’s brother Jim Hanks will take on Tom’s role but that’s not the case this week. Tom, as usual, is excellent in his reprisal as David affectionately delivering over-the-top cantor that will surely place David S. Pumpkins in the same conversation of holiday special stars like the Grinch or Charlie Brown. And whoever thought of Dinklage as the narrator should get a raise because I’m not sure Boris Karloff could have done a better job.

David S. Pumpkins’ role in this universe is to make sure kids are trick-or-treating and getting their candy and that’s just what he does regardless if some kids think the tradition is a bit childish or if there are “Raincoat Men” terrorizing the whole area, David combines the use of magic with the power of song to spread cheer about Halloween and to warn kids against accepting raisins as an acceptable candy replacement.

Are there ideas in the special that are clearly inspired by the Peanuts cartoons or even some Santa Clause type fare? Absolutely, but not since Halloween Is Grinch Night have I had this much fun with a primetime animated holiday special. Episode writers Mike Day and Bobby Moynihan did a stellar job in writing a special that was silly and rife with punchy dialogue and narration that is so good I can’t decide if this should be reaired every year from here on out or instead if additional episodes should be produced once a year to see what the hell else they can get David S. Pumpkins into. Regardless, NBC may have a strong candidate for Emmy consideration, and hopefully, will convince SNL and the network to bring back TV Funhouse…(ed. note had to try!)