Nostalgia Trip: The Addams Family (1964-1966) Geekville Radio's Nostalgia Trip
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Halloween month is here so it is once again time for our annual Halloween sampler. Last year we spotlighted The Munsters. This year, we look at the other mid-60s monster family sitcom, The Addams Family, which ran on ABC for two seasons from 1964-1966.
2:30 – Charles Addams comic strips
The characters that became The Addams Family as drawn by Charles Addams
The basis for the TV show was a series of comic strip panels created and drawn by Charles Addams. Contrary to popular belief, the strip was not called The Addams Family, nor were any of the characters even named. Not only that, the vast majority of Addam’s cartoons didn’t even have the characters in them.
5:30 – TV Show
While there have been many versions in various media over the years, the classic TV show is probably still the most identifiable one. It ran on ABC from 1964 to 1966, the same years as CBS’s sitcom The Munsters. In fact, The Munsters was created in response to The Addams Family.
One thing the two families have in common is they are both loving families who always try to be friendly with others. likewise, they seem oblivious as to why people react with fear or confusion around them. However, unlike the Munster family, the Addams aren’t monsters. They are a family that happens to have bizarre tastes and an appreciation for dark macabre things.
Television producer David Levy approached Addams about adapting some of his creations into a TV show. Addams was given the freedom of naming the characters and fleshing out their personalities. While he was not credited with writing particular episodes, he was very involved with the creative process. Including many of the gags and quirky scenes that the show became famous for.
13:30 – The Characters
Morticia Addams (Carolyn Jones) – The mother in the family and arguably the most recognizable character of the show. Much like the similar but unrelated character Vampira, Morticia has jet black hair and wears a black dress. Her maiden name is Frump
Gomez Addams (John Astin) – Gomez is Morticia’s husband and the father of their children. He often wears pin-striped suits and smokes cigars. One of Gomez’s favorite hobbies is building model train sets simply so he can blow them up with dynamite.
Pugsley Addams (Ken Weatherwax) – The elder of the two children who occasionally engage in secular activities. These activities would seem normal to the average person, so naturally, the family gets concerned whenever this happens.
Wednesday Addams (Lisa Loring) – The younger of the two children. Wednesday is good-hearted, despite her interest in things like spiders and reptiles. She often plays a much bigger role in future incarnations.
Lurch (Ted Cassidy) – Lurch is the giant but faithful butler. He usually speaks in phrases or short sentences. Cassidy’s 6’9″ frame made it easy ...
Halloween month is here so it is once again time for our annual Halloween sampler. Last year we spotlighted The Munsters. This year, we look at the other mid-60s monster family sitcom, The Addams Family, which ran on ABC for two seasons from 1964-1966.
2:30 – Charles Addams comic strips
The characters that became The Addams Family as drawn by Charles Addams
The basis for the TV show was a series of comic strip panels created and drawn by Charles Addams. Contrary to popular belief, the strip was not called The Addams Family, nor were any of the characters even named. Not only that, the vast majority of Addam’s cartoons didn’t even have the characters in them.
5:30 – TV Show
While there have been many versions in various media over the years, the classic TV show is probably still the most identifiable one. It ran on ABC from 1964 to 1966, the same years as CBS’s sitcom The Munsters. In fact, The Munsters was created in response to The Addams Family.
One thing the two families have in common is they are both loving families who always try to be friendly with others. likewise, they seem oblivious as to why people react with fear or confusion around them. However, unlike the Munster family, the Addams aren’t monsters. They are a family that happens to have bizarre tastes and an appreciation for dark macabre things.
Television producer David Levy approached Addams about adapting some of his creations into a TV show. Addams was given the freedom of naming the characters and fleshing out their personalities. While he was not credited with writing particular episodes, he was very involved with the creative process. Including many of the gags and quirky scenes that the show became famous for.
13:30 – The Characters
Morticia Addams (Carolyn Jones) – The mother in the family and arguably the most recognizable character of the show. Much like the similar but unrelated character Vampira, Morticia has jet black hair and wears a black dress. Her maiden name is Frump
Gomez Addams (John Astin) – Gomez is Morticia’s husband and the father of their children. He often wears pin-striped suits and smokes cigars. One of Gomez’s favorite hobbies is building model train sets simply so he can blow them up with dynamite.
Pugsley Addams (Ken Weatherwax) – The elder of the two children who occasionally engage in secular activities. These activities would seem normal to the average person, so naturally, the family gets concerned whenever this happens.
Wednesday Addams (Lisa Loring) – The younger of the two children. Wednesday is good-hearted, despite her interest in things like spiders and reptiles. She often plays a much bigger role in future incarnations.
Lurch (Ted Cassidy) – Lurch is the giant but faithful butler. He usually speaks in phrases or short sentences. Cassidy’s 6’9″ frame made it easy ...