The wealthy Addams family live at 0001 Cemetery Ridge in a spooky, gothic 19th century mansion. Gomez Addams (John Astin) is an attorney who rarely practices law. Instead he enjoys leisure, especially his toy trains in the cellar which he blows up. "Why else would a grown man play with trains?" he asks. His wife Morticia Frump Addams (Carolyn Jones) is a sexy woman who enjoys the finer things in life, such as poisonous food, drinks, and plants, or relaxation on a torture rack.
Uncle Fester Frump (Jackie Coogan) is crazy and carries an electrical charge. He can illuminate a light bulb by sticking it in his mouth. Grandmama Addams (Blossom Rock) is cranky but good at mixing magic potions. Pugsley Addams (Ken Weatherfax) and Wednesday Friday Addams (Lisa Loring) are the spoiled children. Lurch (Ted Cassidy) is the 7 foot tall zombie butler with the deepest voice on earth. His usual dialogue consists of two words: "You rang?" Cousin Itt (Felix Silla) is short and entirely covered with hair. Thing (Ted Cassidy) is a disembodied hand.
Pugsley: "Mother! Father! Wednesday's flown the coop!"
Gomez: "Talk sense boy."
Pugsley: "She's run away from home."
Gomez: "Really? Very adventurous spirit. I didn't run away from home until I was 8."
Morticia: "That's ridiculous."
Pugsley: "She even left a note. I helped her write it." (hands note to Morticia)
Morticia: (reading) "Dear Mother and Father, I hate you. Goodbye. Love, Wednesday."
Morticia: "Look at Mr. Addams. He's always developing outside interests."
Gomez: "Right now I have the most enviable collection of coroner's reports in the neighborhood."
(a dance instructress faints at the sight of Puglsey's toad)
Gomez: "Pugsley, take your toad out of here. Things like this upset him."
(trying to convince Lurch to attend the Butlers' Ball)
Wednesday: "It'll be fun."
Lurch: "I like being miserable."
Wednesday: "You might find a nice girl to be miserable with."
(while speaking to a political candidate)
Gomez: "I love a man with integrity. I wish I knew one."
Morticia: (to Gomez) "I've been yours since that first day you carved my initials in your leg...Think of Romeo and Juliet."
Gomez: "They died!"
Morticia: "Oh, but what fun they had those last three days."
THE ADDAMS FAMILY is a satirical sitcom based on the macabre cartoons created by Charles Addams for "The New Yorker" magazine. They are ghouls surrounded by various evil spirits in the adjacent cemetery and swamp. Humour comes partly from their interaction with mainstream society. Unlike the inferior MUNSTERS, which they are always compared to, the Addams have no illusions that they can fit into regular society.
As the most bohemian characters on TV, there is also morbid humour in their weirdness and the strange accouterments in their home. Their mansion is filled with unusual oddities such as a mounted swordfish with a man's foot sticking out of its mouth. The episodes are simple, meaningless stories that are lively, exciting, and funny. Morticia and Gomez are a sexy and romantic couple who still reminisce about their honeymoon in a cave in Death Valley "amid the soft flutter of bat wings".
The first episode was telecast Friday, September 18, 1964 on ABC. The last broadcast was September 2, 1966. 64 black and white episodes were produced. There were 9 directors, especially Sidney Landfield, and 32 writers, most notably Charles Addams. Music is by Vic Mizzy.
HALLOWEEN WITH THE NEW ADDAMS FAMILY (1977) is a TV reunion movie aired by CBS on October 30, 1977--the night before Halloween. It features most of the original cast, except for Blossom Rock who was ill at the time. Grandmama is played by Jane Rose. The show was videotaped in colour on location in a real house, which does not look the same as the original set. Special effects, such as cauldrons and a graveyard, were added. It's OK but tries too hard.
THE ADDAMS FAMILY (1991) stars Raul Julia as Gomez and Anjelica Huston as Morticia. Sleazy con artists try to steal the Addams' fortune by using an imposter posing as long-lost Uncle Fester, who says he was in the Bermuda Triangle for 25 years. Fester is Gomez's older brother in all the films, although in the original television series he is a Frump, Morticia's uncle. The movie is well written with impressive set design, lots of laughs, and nice special effects. It's good to see Thing move about, which never happens in the TV show. Huston and Julia are perfect in their roles as they dispense ghoulish black humour.
ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES (1993) is an equally good sequel with Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston reprising their roles. Wednesday and Puglesy go to summer camp and a serial-killer nanny is hired, who schemes to steal Uncle Fester's money. Christina Ricci nearly steals the show again as deadpan Wednesday. The movie is full of hilarious one-liners, black humour and subplots, but runs out of steam towards the end.
ADDAMS FAMILY REUNION (1998) has a different cast because Raul Julia had died. Tim Curry plays Gomez and Daryl Hannah plays Morticia. Both are miscast. Gomez discovers his grandparents have developed "Walazhiemer's Disease" and he organizes a family reunion to find a cure. Unfortunately, they are reunited with a different Addams family. The humour is witty and there are many outrageous sight gags. This movie was released directly to video. It was produced by Warner Brothers, not Paramount as the previous movies, and is actually the pilot for the NEW ADDAMS FAMILY TV series. There is a large continuity error, in that Tim Curry follows Raul Julia's style, whereas the TV sitcom's Gomez imitates John Astin's interpretation.
THE NEW ADDAMS FAMILY (1998-1999) is an updated TV version of the original ADDAMS FAMILY show and aired on the Fox Family Channel and around the world. Stories are mostly recycled remakes of the original series' episodes, with Glenn Taranto as Gomez and Ellie Harvie as Morticia. Occasionally John Astin plays Grandpa Addams. It's a good TV show and looks great in colour. Shot and produced in Canada, the series cost over $35 million and was cancelled for financial reasons, despite its popularity. Production ceased on Friday, May 28, 1999, upon completion of the 65th episode, "Death visits the Addams Family".
