Halloween is getting closer, and BBC iPlayer has filled up with horror films, creepy television, paranormal stories and a few much safer options for anyone who wants the spooky season without spending the night checking every dark corner of the house.

There is a pretty big mix available this October too. Horror fans can choose from Stephen King adaptations, modern favourites and older classics, while the TV selection ranges from vampires and ghosts to slashers and paranormal investigations. There are also plenty of family-friendly picks, plus a whole collection of Doctor Who episodes made for a late-October rewatch.

Horror Films to Watch on BBC iPlayer This Halloween

If you want an actual horror night, there is plenty to choose from. The Mist, based on Stephen King’s story, follows a father and son trapped inside a supermarket after a mysterious mist brings something terrifying with it, while Starve Acrestars Matt Smith in a 1970s-set folk horror about a family living on a remote farm.

Jordan Peele’s Get Out is also available, alongside The Silence of the Lambs, starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins, and Remi Weekes’ brilliant His House. There is also The Wicker Man, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Candyman, Immaculate and the very unsettling Longlegs if you are looking for something a little more recent.

Other films currently included in the BBC’s Halloween selection include Fall, Horror Express, I Walked with a Zombie and The Awakening, with even more available through the Fright Night collection on BBC iPlayer.

Spooky TV Shows on BBC iPlayer

The TV side is a little more mixed, so there are options if full horror is not really your thing. What We Do in the Shadows and Ghosts are both available if you would rather have your supernatural stories with plenty of comedy, while The Reluctant Vampire, based on the books by Eric Morecambe and starring Lenny Rush, follows a vampire heir who discovers he is actually human.

For something bloodier, Wreck mixes comedy, conspiracy and slasher horror as Jamie searches for his missing sister aboard a cruise ship. Uncanny brings Danny Robins’ paranormal stories to television, while Paranormal and Hauntings offer more real-life ghost stories and unexplained mysteries.

There is also Scottish Gaelic horror Loch nam Madadh / Wolf Bay, following Angus as he returns to North Uist for his grandfather’s funeral and ends up trapped aboard a ferry entering the mysterious Wolf Bay. The series will be available on BBC iPlayer from Friday 23 October.

The Best Doctor Who Episodes for Halloween

BBC iPlayer has also pulled together plenty of Doctor Who episodes that are basically made for Halloween. That includes The Empty Child, The Waters of Mars, Midnight, The God Complex, Silence in the Library, Village of the Angels, Listen, Hide and, of course, Blink. So if Weeping Angels are somehow your idea of a relaxing Halloween evening, there are plenty waiting for you.

Strictly Come Dancing Halloween Week Is Coming

The Strictly ballroom will also get its annual Halloween makeover on 31 October, with the remaining celebrities and professional dancers taking on spooky routines for Halloween Week. The judges normally get just as involved, with Craig Revel Horwood and Anton Du Beke memorably turning up as the twins from The Shining for Halloween 2025. Whether this year brings tricks or treats remains to be seen.

Family-Friendly Halloween Picks

There are plenty of choices for younger viewers too. Three series of What’s New Scooby-Doo? are available on iPlayer, alongside Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, Fright Krewe, Crazy Fun Park, Shaun the Sheep: Farmageddon, Monster Loving Maniacs and The Worst Witch.

So whether Halloween in your house means Longlegs with the lights off or Scooby-Doo with a bowl of sweets, there is quite a lot to work through before 31 October.

For CultureCues, this is the time of year when our watchlist basically turns into horror, horror and more horror, and there are some really good picks in here. Get Out, The Wicker Man, His House and Longlegs give you a pretty strong movie night on their own, and we will never say no to another excuse to rewatch Blink or Midnight. Add Wreck, Ghosts and the annual Strictly Halloween special and BBC iPlayer has us fairly well covered for spooky season. Consider us sat, snacks ready and fully prepared to be scared.

The BBC’s Halloween films, TV shows and collections are available to watch on BBC iPlayer throughout October.