We are looking at a special from 1978, from Canada but also aired on US television network, NBC. That is "Witch's Night Out". It was produced by Leach/ Rankin productions as a sequel to a 1974 special called "The Gift of Winter".
The first thing you'll notice in this special, is it's very distinct animation style. The characters, minus the starring witch, are all one color giving them a distinct pop to the darker backgrounds. Our main characters are an eleven year old girl named Tender, and her brother , nine-year-old Small. (Small and Tender, just like how people like their chicken nuggets) They love Halloween. There are these other characters named Rotten and Malicious whose names are a little too on the nose. (If you are named Rotten, what do you expect) There's also Mayor Goodly (yeah sure the mayor is good?) and there's a reporter named Nicely. (She's actually very mean, no we are kidding; she's nice)
The mayor wants to make Halloween better for adults because mayor reasons. They are going to make a town Halloween party at the haunted house. This special is called "Witch's Night Out" so where's the witch? Where's the Night? Where's the Out?! Oh there's the witch. She's in her home with her cat. She thinks she's a washed up witch. I like her design, it pops out from the other characters and yet, fits with the show's look. She also turned her cat into a bat.
Witch!
So, the house the Mayor and Rotten go out to check is the same house the witch lives in. She seems happy that they are going to party in her house. Now it's night (oooh thank goodness) Small and Tender got out and trick or treat. They are find out that their costumes are scary, they are cute.
eeeeek!
It's bedtime, and the babysitter for the kids and he reads them a story that special doesn't have time to tell us, but the kids want a fairy god mother,they wish they could be a real were man and ghost. (That last one is do able, but painful) The witch shows up and breaks through the window because that's what witch's do. The kids think she is a fairy good mother, the baby sitter is named Bazooey, knows she's a witch,but the kids don't care. She turns Small in to a wolf man, and turns Tender into a ghost (so, she's dead now?) and she turns Bazooey in to a Frankenstein's Monster,(That's Frankenstien's...oh never mind) They are invited to the party.
We are copyright safe, public domain wins!
At the party, the witch makes things happen. and scares everyone. The kids who wanted to be scary are sad that they scared a party off. (make up your minds) Wait , there's like 9 minutes left, we need a plot! So, let's see.... (spins wheel) ah. that's right, her wand has been taken and can't turn the kids and baby sitter back into themselves, perfect!
Rotten and Malicious have the witch's and and Malicious figures out how to use to use it. The mayor decides to organize something that makes sense, an angry mob! (I didn't vote for him!) The witch goes looking for her wand. The town starts chasing the kids, baby sitter , and witch. Rotten and Malicious are doing their own thing, and trying to get rich from magic.(same) Then the kids and witch find them and they give up the wand easy. The witch turns them into monsters. She turns the kids and baby sitter back to normal and town chase the monsters of Rotten and Malicious.
I'm a politician!
Bazooey comes to those two aid because sure why not? She turns everything back to normal, then everyone feels for the witch, and everyone asks her to turn them into monsters . She's our hero now? That's the end.
This special is pretty interesting, the art design is unique. The story is nice, it's doing a simple on Halloween you can be anything plot ,but using a witch. It's fun little special that a young child could really enjoy and it's not boring for an older person to watch with them.
That's it for now, tune in next time when we turn into witches just to get a free magic wand.
