The first episode of the first season of Aaahh!!! Real Monsters.
Gromble's Opening Line: "Get down here!"
In this double length premiere, Ickis, Oblina and Krumm sneak out of the dump (against the wishes of the Gromble) to enjoy a Halloween night. However, things go awry when Ickis accidentally swaps places with a human boy named Nicky.
The Switching Hour contains examples of:
- Big Brother Bully: Nicky's brother Jake.
- Bittersweet Ending: Nicky and Ickis manage to swap back again, Nicky manages to get some revenge against his mean older brother and the trio earn the commendations of the Gromble for sneaking out on Halloween, but are punished for disobeying him.
- Cat Scare: The audience is first treated to a "scare" of a cat quickly walking past the screen.
- Cassandra Truth: Nicky insists that a monster (Ickis) showed up to scare him, but his brother thinks that he was frightened by a bunny.
- Establishing Character Moment:
- The Gromble's first scene establishes him as a Sadist Teacher quite well.
- The Snorch's first appearance has the monsters terrified of receiving his punishments.
- For Halloween, I Am Going as Myself: The monsters discover the humans believe they're wearing costumes, and soon play along with it.
- Girls Have Cooties: Alluded to.Nicky's Mom: What about my kiss? I don't have cooties.
Ickis: You can borrow mine! - Gross-Up Close-Up: "I can stuff six of these things on each side of my mouth!"
- Halloween Episode: The first half of the episode is set on Halloween.
- Insult Backfire:Jake: You really are a dweeb.
Ickis: (Cheerfully) Thanks. - Innocently Insensitive: Ickis cheerfully states in front of a whole class that he lives in a dump. It's true, but the teacher thinks Ickis is speaking negatively about his household and sends him to detention.
- Intentional Mess Making: During Ickis' breakfast with Nicky's human family, he deliberately knocks down his oatmeal and orange juice.
- Mondegreen Gag: The trio mishear "Trick or treat" as "Prick your feet".
- Monstrous Cannibalism:Krumm: The Gromble's gonna bite our heads off for sure.
Nicky: You said monsters don't eat humans.
Oblina: True, but I never said we don't eat other monsters. - Nails on a Blackboard: Nicky does this to give the Gromble the discordant sound he's looking for.
- Noodle Implements: The Gromble uses a rusty tweezer and garden weasel to force a confession out a student.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Even though Ickis and Nicky (in his Ickis costume) look and sound nothing alike, nobody can tell the difference.
- Sham Supernatural: Nicky wears a costume based on Ickis for Halloween. Oblina and Krumm (at first), and later the Gromble, are all fooled into thinking he's really Ickis.
- To Serve Man: Defied, Oblina says that monsters do not eat humans. "Who knows where they've been?" "Who'd be left to scare?"
- You Do Not Want To Know: One of the Gromble's three punishment rooms is a pretty pink cottage. What's behind it is apparently so bad that he says the students do not want to know what's behind it.
