- "You can't be too careful these days. There's a lot of strange people in this world."
- ―Herman Munster
| The Munsters | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| Title: | The Munsters |
| Format: | Live-action |
| Running time: | 30 min. |
| country: | USA |
| Network: | CBS |
| Seasons: | 2 |
| Episodes: | 72 |
| Production | |
| Production company: | MCA Home Video Universal Studios |
| Executive producers: | Joe Connelly Bob Mosher |
| Principal cast: | Fred Gwynne Yvonne De Carlo Al Lewis Beverley Owen Pat Priest Butch Patrick |
| Air dates | |
| First aired: | September 24th, 1964 |
| Last aired: | May 12th, 1966 |
The Munsters is a black and white situation comedy that aired on CBS for two seasons from September 24th, 1964 to May 12th, 1966 spanning a total of 72 episodes. The series proved popular enough to spawn a 1966 feature-length film (following the show's cancellation) entitled Munster, Go Home!. A second full-length feature was broadcast on television in full-color in 1981 called The Munsters' Revenge. This second film added a new cast member, the Phantom of the Opera, who served as the Munsters' butler and whose soprano voice could shatter glass. A second Munsters television series, called The Munsters Today was broadcast from 1988 to 1991. While the program repurposed the comedic feel of the original, it never quite acquired the same level of popularity even though it lasted 73 episodes. This series likewise spawned a telemovie in 1995 called Here Come the Munsters.
The original series centered on the dysfunctional Munsters family, a clan of creepy, yet good-natured people who lived in a crumbling, haunted mansion at 1313 Mockingbird Lane. One of the repeating gaffs of the series was the idea that the Munsters viewed themselves as normal people and it was the rest of the world that abnormal or peculiar. The black sheep of the Munster family was niece Marilyn Munster, who by all accounts, is a relatively normal-looking, well-adjusted young woman, which is why she is perceived as being the "strange one" in the family.
Characters[]
| Image | Character | Actor | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Herman Munster | Fred Gwynne | Herman Munster is the head of the household of the Munster family, and the central character of the series. A pastiche of the Frankenstein Monster, Herman is a loveable, goofball who is sometimes prone to childish antics and temper tantrums. |
 |
Lily Munster | Yvonne De Carlo | Lily Munster is Herman Munster's pragmatic wife and is patterned in the style of a witch and/or vampire bride. She is the daughter of Grandpa Munster and the mother of Eddie Munster. Lily possesses supernatural powers and enjoys playing the harp. She is by far, the most practical member of the household. |
 |
Grandpa Munster | Al Lewis | Grandpa Munster is the eldest member of the Munster family and is several centuries old. A venerated scientist and vampire, Grandpa usually putters about his laboratory in the basement of 1313 Mockingbird Lane. He is always coming up with bizarre concoctions to help out his fellow Munsters, though his inventions tend to hinder the family's efforts more than they help. |
 |
Eddie Munster | Butch Patrick | Eddie Munster is the young son of Herman and Lily. A polite and kind-hearted "wolf boy", Eddie enjoys playing with his pet dragon, Spot. |
 |
Marilyn Munster | Beverley Owen/Pat Priest | Marilyn is often regarded as the black sheep of the Munster family, due primarily to the fact that she is absolutely normal. Unfortunately, Marilyn's family lifestyle often makes it difficult for her to find true love. Most of her boyfriends run in fright after meeting her family. |
Episodes[]
Season One[]
Season Two[]
Films & Specials[]
| Title | Airdate |
|---|---|
| Munster, Go Home! | June 15th, 1966 |
| The Munsters' Revenge | February 27th, 1981 |
| Here Come the Munsters | October 31st, 1995 |
| The Munsters' Scarly Little Christmas | December 17th, 1996 |
Notes & Trivia[]
- Also known as Meet the Munsters.
- There were two unaired pilots produced for this series, which eventually evolved into the second episode of the series, "My Fair Munster".
- Fred Gwynne was a life-long friend of co-star Al Lewis who played Grandpa Munster.
- Herman Munster was ranked #19 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time" [1]
- Beverley Owen disliked playing the role of Marilyn Munster and only accepted the job due to contractual obligations to Universal Studios. She appeared in only thirteen episodes of the series and was replaced by Pat Priest. [2]