Scared Shrekless

In 2010, an American Halloween-themed animated special based on the Shrek movies aired on NBC on October 28. Titled *Scared Shrekless*, it was a fantasy comedy television event. For the first time outside of the video games, Dean Edwards voiced Donkey, as Eddie Murphy was unavailable. Other cast changes included Sean Bishop taking over for Rupert Everett as Prince Charming and for Chris Miller as Mister Geppetto, while Miles Christopher Bakshi and Nina Zoe Bakshi returned as the ogre babies Fergus, Farkle, and Felicia. The special was produced under the working title *Shrek or Treat*.

The story begins when Fiona and their children frighten off teenage trick-or-treaters. Shrek, Donkey, Puss in Boots, the Three Little Pigs, the Big Bad Wolf, Gingy, and Pinocchio fail to scare Shrek’s family, so they make a bet: whoever tells the scariest story without being eliminated becomes King of Halloween. They gather in the abandoned castle of Lord Farquaad in the ruined kingdom of Duloc.

Gingy goes first with “The Bride of Gingy.” He visits the Muffin Man, complaining that his girlfriend left him because he was selfish. Together they bake a new girlfriend named Sugar, but Gingy uses too much sugar against the Muffin Man’s advice. Sugar becomes obsessively clingy, and after Gingy pushes her into a vat of batter, she spawns thousands of zombie clones that devour him. The Three Little Pigs flee in fear, and the Big Bad Wolf follows them (they are his ride home). Shrek points out that Gingy couldn’t be present if he was eaten, so Gingy runs off in embarrassment, eliminating himself.

Next, Donkey and Puss tell “Boots Motel,” about taking shelter from a storm. Their story keeps ending with Puss dying, which frustrates him. Puss tries to rewrite it: he and Donkey enter the motel, but Donkey calls Puss his sidekick, then says Puss gave him a tongue bath. The innkeeper kills Donkey. Puss retells it so he fights the innkeeper, but Donkey trips him. The innkeeper turns out to be Prince Charming, who zaps Puss to dust. Puss counters that he leaped to safety, but Donkey says he stood on an X, and Charming drops him into a pit. Puss claims he would never allow that, so he wakes up—it was all a dream. Donkey then appears, saying Puss is on the ceiling. The lights go out, and when they return, Donkey is in the shower about to be eaten by a giant waffle.