Today show's best Halloween costumes through the years

By Bryanne Salazar 7:13am PDT, Oct 31, 2019

We can't wait to see the creative costumes the stars of NBC's "Today" will wear each year! Join Wonderwall.com as we take a look back at some of the best Halloween looks from the morning show news crew… starting with some of their 2019 costumes… Hoda Kotb dressed up as John Travolta's character — Tony Manero in "Saturday Night Fever" — for the "Today" show's dance-themed Halloween special on Oct. 31, 2019. Keep reading for more fabulous costumes from "Today"…

Al Roker and Craig Melvin dressed up as Carlton and the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air for the "Today" show's dance-themed Halloween special on Oct. 31, 2019.

Savannah Guthrie and Carson Daly dressed up as Olivia Newton-John's Sandy and John Travolta's Danny from "Grease" for the "Today" show's dance-themed Halloween special on Oct. 31, 2019.

The "Today" cast delivered some amazing '80s-inspired attire during their 2018 Halloween special. In this hilarious group pic, Peter Alexander and Jenna Bush Hager are dressed as Maverick and Goose from "Top Gun," Craig Melvin is Prince Akeem from "Coming to America," Hoda Kotb is music legend Elton John, Savannah Guthrie is pop icon Cyndi Lauper, Sheinelle Jones is soul superstar Tina Turner, Dylan Dreyer and Al Roker are Marty McFly and Doc from "Back to the Future," Kathie Lee Gifford is a "Material Girl"-era Madonna, Willie Geist is Ferris from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and, finally, Carson Daly is The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen. We can't leave out the show's former Puppy with a Purpose, Sunny, who donned a hilarious wig a la Cher.

We can't stop laughing about former first daughter Jenna Bush Hager's family-inspired Halloween costume from the Oct. 31, 2016, episode of "Today." Donning a frosty white wig, magenta blazer and signature pearls, Jenna transformed into her very own grandmother, former first lady Barbara Bush.

A blast from the past! Former "Today" anchor Katie Couric made us want to sing "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" when she dressed as sultry Marilyn Monroe in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" for her old morning show's 2005 Halloween special.

Taking inspiration from real life, "Weekend Today" anchors Lester Holt and Amy Robach dressed as singer Susan Boyle and "Britain's Got Talent" judge Simon Cowell for the 2009 Halloween special. Their costumes were a nod to Susan's jaw-dropping singing audition that went viral that year.

Longtime "Today" show weatherman Al Roker has serious Halloween costume style. For the show's 2005 Halloween special, Al transformed into superhero sidekick Robin and arrived on the scene at Rockefeller Plaza in the Batmobile alongside former anchor Matt Lauer (not pictured), who dressed as Batman.

The theme for the "Today" show's 2008 Halloween special was favorite storybook characters from nursery rhymes and fairy tales. Former anchor Meredith Vieira turned into the beloved wooden boy, Pinocchio, while Hoda Kotb transformed into the woodland's basket-carrying stealth ninja, Little Red Riding Hood.

Kathie Lee Gifford — who retired from "Today" in 2019 — got into the fairy tale spirit back in 2008 as the Big Bad Wolf from "Little Red Riding Hood," but her warm smile made it hard to see her as anyone remotely dangerous.

Is there any costume more amazing than Al Roker as Steve Urkel from "Family Matters"? The "Today" anchors went with a '90s theme for their 2016 Halloween special and that gave Al the inspiration for this hilariously dorky look complete with oversized spectacles and springy red suspenders. He's clearly feeling himself in this pic and we love it.

Here's former "Today" star Tamron Hall dressed as escort Vivian Ward from the 1990 hit movie "Pretty Woman" for the morning show's 2016 Halloween special. We can't get over how amazing Tamron looks in this costume!

For their 2017 Halloween special, the "Today" show went country and y'all, we can't get over how funny Carson Daly and Savannah Guthrie look as musicians Billy Ray Cyrus and Kenny Rogers. The duo walked down a New York City street with Carson carrying a guitar, giving onlookers a huge laugh. Check out Savannah's amazing blue boots! We think Kenny would approve.

Disgraced former "Today" anchor Matt Lauer got in on the country music action when he transformed himself into iconic singer-actress Dolly Parton for the morning show's 2017 Halloween special. Dolly, as it turns out, even had a hand in helping with Matt's costume.

Somehow Al Roker makes a better Willie Nelson than the actual Willie and we're not sure how we feel about that. Al's hilarious folk-country transformation for the 2017 "Today" show Halloween special included Willie's trademark gray braids, beard and headband and relaxed look that says "I'm higher than an airplane right now."

Another pic from the "Today" show's country-inspired 2017 Halloween special shows Hoda Kotb dressed as music star and "The Voice" coach Blake Shelton. Of course, Blake wasn't about to be impersonated on "Today" without making an appearance himself! We think the two look like long-lost twins.

We're feeling all kinds of nostalgic over the "Today" show stars' costumes for their 2015 Halloween special. Dressed as the "Peanuts" gang, the broadcasters turned a spooky holiday into one of childhood magic. From left to right we have Meredith Vieira as Pig-Pen, Willie Geist as Schroeder, Carson Daly as Linus, Natalie Morales as Marcie, Tamron Hall as Peppermint Patty, Al Roker as Charlie Brown, Savannah Guthrie as Sally Brown, Matt Lauer as Lucy, Hoda Kotb as Snoopy and Kathie Lee Gifford as Woodstock.

The 2007 theme for the "Today" show's Halloween special was the iconic comedy series "The Munsters." Former anchor Meredith Vieira looked positively spooktacular as Lily Munster, while we barely recognized Al Roker in that amazing Grandpa Munster costume!

The theme for the "Today" show's 2009 Halloween special was "Star Wars." Natalie Morales took the throne as Queen Amidala, who was played by another Natalie on the big screen — Natalie Portman — in the 1999 reboot of the space saga.

"Today" show besties Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford got into the "Star Wars" swing of things in 2009 with their incredible film-inspired costumes. Hoda's Yoda is movie-screen good while Kathy's C-3P0 looks a little more attainable for the at-home viewer.

Al Roker gave the world his version of Harrison Ford's Han Solo during the "Today" Halloween episode in 2009.

2011's big royal wedding inspired the "Today" show's incredible Halloween theme the same year. We're talking about the nuptials between Prince William and Duchess Kate, who exchanged vows in front of a worldwide audience on April 29 that year. In this fun group pic we have Savannah Guthrie as the father of the groom, Prince Charles, Al Roker as Prince Harry, Natalie Morales as the bride's sister, Pippa Middleton, former anchor Ann Curry as bride Kate Middleton and former anchor Matt Lauer as groom Prince William.

For the "Today" show's 2010 Halloween extravaganza, the staff went pop culture crazy! One of the best costumes of the day was Meredith Vieira's spot-on recreation of Lady Gaga's look at the Grammy Awards that same year. Peep another pop culture hero, Superman (aka Al Roker), in the background!

Yabba dabba do! The theme for the "Today" show's 2013 Halloween special was "shows of yesteryear," and what show was more iconic than "The Flintstones"? Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb morphed into prehistoric housewives Wilma Flintstone and Betty Rubble.

Willie Geist got in on the "Today" show Halloween fun in 2013 when he dressed up as David Hasselhoff's beloved "Baywatch" lifeguard, Mitch Buchannon. Side note: Willie's rug of faux chest hair makes us want to dive in the deepest part of the ocean and swim far, far away.

On Oct. 31, 2014, the "Today" show cast transformed into the stars of another iconic New York-based series, "Saturday Night Live," when they picked costumes representing their favorite characters on the long-running sketch-comedy series. From left to right we have: Natalie Morales as armpit-sniffing Catholic school girl Mary Katherine Gallagher and Peter Alexander as her high school priest; Willie Geist and Tamron Hall as the obnoxious Spartan cheerleaders Craig and Ariana; Lester Holt and Al Roker as the iconic Blues Brothers; Matt Lauer as androgynous nerd Pat (standing beside the actress who originally played the character, Julia Sweeney); Savannah Guthrie, Jenna Bush Hager and Meredith Vieira in a hilarious recreation of Tina Fey's "mom jeans" spoof; and, finally, Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford as our favorite rock 'n' roll doofuses, Garth Algar and Wayne Campbell of "Wayne's World."

Can you guess the controversial future president Katie Couric impersonated for the 2004 "Today" show Halloween special? If you guessed Donald Trump, you'd be right. The theme for the year was TV personalities and at the time, Donald was the star of the reality series "The Apprentice." Honorable mentions from the show's costume file that year include Al Roker (not pictured), who dressed as Oprah Winfrey, and Matt Lauer (also not pictured), who channeled hotel heiress-turned-tabloid star Paris Hilton.

From one president to another! On the 2010 Halloween episode of "Today," former host Tamron Hall posed as then-president Barack Obama. The show's theme that year was pop culture favorites, making President Obama a natural costume choice. Tamron even impersonated the pres, saying, "As you can imagine, I'm pretty busy right now, but when I was invited to see the crowd at the 'Today' show, I could not resist… God bless America. Happy Halloween!"

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