‘SNL’s Halloween Host David S. Pumpkins’ Middle Name Revealed

Halloween spirit was all of over the television landscape like never before in 2016, with more than a few series and specials celebrating our favorite holiday, including the October 22 episode of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, hosted by Tom Hanks, which featured three seasonal sketches, one of which became a viral sensation with Hanks playing an enthusiastic horror show host known as David S. Pumpkins. Now one of the writers of the bit have revealed what the “S” stands for in Pumpkins’ middle name.

Speaking with The Huffington Post, Saturday Night Live cast member Bobby Moynihan, who co-wrote the sketch and played one of Pumpkins’ dancing skeletons, disclosed that Pumpkins’ middle name is …Simon.

“David Simon Pumpkins,” said Moynihan. “Me and Mikey Day and Streeter Seidell were trying to write something together. We like working together. Me and Mikey just wanted to do some weird dancing thing, and it was a lot of weird ideas, and around 5 o’clock in the morning, Mikey just went, ‘What if he was David Pumpkins?’ And then I said, ‘What if it was David S. Pumpkins?’”

It’s not much of a meaningful reveal afterall, however, as Moynihan explains that the mysterious middle name really has no significance. “[It’s Simon] for no reason whatsoever.” he said. “It was a lot of the idea of just, ‘Why is this person here?’ Because he is. And we just thought that was funny.”

You can watch the fun sketch below, in which a couple takes a ride on a haunted elevator Halloween-themed attraction called 100 Floors of Frights, but it is more “Pumpkins” than they bargained for.

(Click an image to enlarge.)

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE -- "Tom Hanks" Episode 1708 -- Pictured: (l-r) Tom Hanks as David Pumpkins and Bobby Moynihan during the "Haunted Elevator" sketch on October 22, 2016 -- (Photo by: Will Heath/NBC)
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — “Tom Hanks” Episode 1708 — Pictured: (l-r) Tom Hanks as David Pumpkins and Bobby Moynihan during the “Haunted Elevator” sketch on October 22, 2016 — (Photo by: Will Heath/NBC)

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Matt Artz

Founded Halloween Daily News in 2012 and the Halloween International Film Festival in 2016. Professional writer/journalist/photographer since 2000.