‘SNL’ David S. Pumpkins Animated Special Scares Up Ghoulish Reviews

Tom Hanks returns to voice his quirky character on 'Saturday Night Live' Halloween special.

October 29, 2017 10:59 am

The jury is out on whether it was a trick or a treat, but Saturday Night Live aired a full animated special around its David S. Pumpkins character.

Oscar winner Tom Hanks returned to voice the role of the black, pumpkin-pocked suit wearing horror icon wannabe he made popular
on the Oct. 22, 2016, episode of SNL he hostedWhat seemed a throwaway sketch turned out to be pop culture phenomenon after the “Haunted Elevator” went on to be viewed more than 10 million times on YouTube.

David S. Pumpkins also became one of the most popular costumes of last Halloween, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Saturday night’s special opened with Hanks reuniting with  Mikey Day and Bobby Moynihan’s skeletons in a live-action intro. The special then transitioned to full cartoon glory with Peter Dinklage narrating the saga of “Halloween Santa.”

But not everyone was thrilled with that much Pumpkins. “I hate this whole #DavidSPumpkins thing on #SNLoween,” tweeted one disgruntled viewer. “It wasn’t funny last year and it’s still not funny.”

Slate’s Browbeat culture blog called it, “David S. Awful.”

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