The Munsters
Encyclopedia
The Munsters is a 1960s American
family
television sitcom depicting the home life of a family of monsters. It starred Fred Gwynne
as Herman Munster
and Yvonne De Carlo
as his wife, Lily Munster
. The series was a satire of both traditional monster movie
s and popular family entertainment of the era, such as Leave It to Beaver
. It ran concurrently with The Addams Family
.
The idea of a family of comical monsters was first suggested to Universal Studios
in the late 1940s by animator
Bob Clampett
, who wanted to do a series of cartoons. The project didn't see development until the early 1960s, when a treatment or 'format' for a similar idea was submitted to Universal Studios
by Rocky & Bullwinkle writers Allan Burns
and Chris Hayward
. This format was later handed to writers Norm Liebman and Ed Haas, who wrote a pilot script, Love Thy Monster. For some time, there were executives who believed the series should be made as a cartoon
and others who wanted to see it made using live-action. Finally, a presentation was filmed by MCA Television for CBS
, using live-action.
The series aired at night once a week in black-and-white
on the CBS
Television Network from September 24, 1964 to May 12, 1966, for 70 episodes. It was broadcasted weekly on BBC1 in the UK. It was canceled after ratings dropped to a low due to the premiere of ABC
's Batman
, which was in full color
. Though ratings were low during its initial two-year run, The Munsters grew in popularity during decades of syndication. This popularity warranted a spin-off series, as well as several films, including one with a theatrical release.
Reruns of the series have aired on Boomerang
starting on October 3, 2011.
Despite superficial similarities of horror-movie characters incongruent with their communities and a generally gothic look, this and Addams Family
were actually different in the style of series and characterisation. Overall, the characters of The Addams Family were wealthy eccentrics with a gothic look who generally stayed at home, while the Munsters were a blue-collar and generally outgoing family of legendary monsters.
The costumes and appearances of the family members other than Marilyn were based on the classic monsters of Universal Studios
films from the 1930s and 1940s. Universal produced The Munsters as well, and was thus able to use these copyrighted designs, including their idiosyncratic version of Frankenstein's monster
for Herman. Other studios were free to make films with the Frankenstein creature, for example, but could not use the costume and style of makeup originally created by Jack Pierce for the 1931 Universal Studios
film Frankenstein
.
was 15 minutes and in color (later cut to just over 13 minutes) and was used to pitch the series to CBS and its affiliates. It never aired, and the script was reused as the basis for the episode "My Fair Munster". The cast in order of appearance in the title sequence were: Joan Marshall
as Phoebe (instead of Lily), Beverley Owen as Marilyn, Nate "Happy" Derman as Eddie, Al Lewis as Grandpa and Fred Gwynne
as Herman. Although the same house exterior was used in the actual show, it was changed to make it look more gothic and "spooky". Changes included adding the tower deck and Marilyn's deck, a new coat of paint, and enlarging the living room
. Although Grandpa had the same dungeon
, Herman did not have padding in the pitch episode and was broad but thin. The most noticeable difference was his somber expression, compared to his comical silliness during the series. All characters, except Marilyn, had a blue/green tint
to their skin. The biggest character difference was that Eddie was portrayed by Derman as a nasty brat.
The title sequence had light happy music (picked up from the Doris Day
movie, The Thrill of it All) instead of the more hip surf
theme that was to come. The episode is available on the complete first season of The Munsters DVDs. It was also decided that Joan Marshall looked too much like Morticia Addams
and that Happy Derman was too nasty as Eddie, so both were replaced. On the basis of the first presentation, the new series, still not completely cast, was announced by CBS on February 18, 1964. A second black-and-white
presentation was made with the new actors. In this version, Butch Patrick
's Eddie looked more "normal" although his hairstyle
was later altered to include a widow's peak
.
, who were already known for creating the Leave It to Beaver
television series. Prior to that, they wrote over 1,500 episodes of Amos 'n' Andy
, a presence on network radio for nearly its entire history.
, riddled with smoke, filthy with dust and cobwebs.
Rich, shadowy photography echoed James Whale
's expressionistic Frankenstein
films, emphasizing the family's ghoulishness.
The Munsters was filmed in black-and-white
.
, in an episode aired on 18 November 1947 on the DuMont network
. This may be confused with the first television couple to share a bed when the actors were not married to each other in real life, which was Samantha and Darrin Stephens of Bewitched
, on 22 October 1964.
. It was then put into storage for several years. Sometime in the 1950s, it was assembled with other homes on the back lot to create "River Road." Until production of The Munsters in 1964, the house could be seen as a backdrop on many shows, including Leave It to Beaver
. It was remodeled and featured on Desperate Housewives
and located on Colonial Street
in the backlot (which has now been officially dubbed "Wisteria Lane" by the studio). It was also the home of the family in Shirley (ABC, 1979–80) and has appeared in other TV shows such as Coach
. The interiors were contained entirely on an enclosed sound stage
.
Sandra and Charles McKee of Waxahachie, Texas
have built a fully livable recreation of the mansion.
built two automobiles for the show: "Munster Koach
", a hot rod
built on a lengthened 1926 Ford Model T
chassis with a custom hearse body. It was 18 feet long and cost almost $20,000 to build. Barris also built the DRAG-U-LA (which inspired a Rob Zombie
song by the same name
), a dragster built from a coffin, which Grandpa used to win back "The Munster Koach" after Herman lost it in a race. Footage of the drag race was included in Zombie's first horror film House of 1,000 Corpses. (According to Barris, a real coffin was, in fact, purchased for the car.) In real life, Yvonne De Carlo drove a Jaguar
sedan fitted with custom-made "spooky" ornaments, for example spider webs on the rims. She had to give up on it, as the car was repeatedly vandalized by fans hunting for souvenirs.
. The theme song's lyrics written by the sitcom's co-producer Bob Mosher did not air on CBS. Described by writer Jon Burlingame as a "Bernard-Herrmann
-meets-Duane-Eddy
sound", the theme was nominated for a Grammy Award
in 1965.
Surf band Los Straitjackets
recorded the song for the 1998 compilation album Halloween Hootenanny. Butch Patrick released a 1983 single, "Whatever Happened To Eddie?" which used
the melody with lyrics added ("You might wonder why I have a dragon for a pet/ He's just there
to keep me company on the set"). The New York band The Comateens also released an instrumental
version of the theme in the early 1980s.
produced a "Munsters" comic book
which ran 16 issues from 1965 to 1968 and had photo covers from the TV series. When it first appeared, the Comics Code Authority
still forbade the appearance of vampire
s in comic books. However, this was not a problem at Gold Key, because Gold Key was not a member of the Comics Magazine Association of America and therefore did not have to conform to the Comics Code. Lily and Grandpa appeared in the comics without controversy.
There was a sizable amount of merchandise produced for the show to capitalize on its popularity, like a set of rubber squeak toys, Colorforms
, and an Aurora
model kit of the house. AMT produced model kits of the Munster Koach as well as Drag-u-La. There was also a model of the living room with Herman in his electric chair, Eddie squatting in front of the fire, Lily was knitting and Grandpa was hanging, bat like, from the rafters. Marilyn was not included.
A video game based on the Munsters was published by "Again, Again" (a division of Alternative Software) in 1989. It was available for the Amstrad CPC
, ZX Spectrum
, Commodore 64
, Commodore Amiga, Atari ST
, MSX
and DOS
, but was heavily criticised by gaming press at the time because of its short length and lacklustre gameplay.
has released the entire series on DVD in Regions 1 & 2.
Also, the "Family Portrait" episode in color, which was absent from the season 1 & 2 standalone box sets, was released on a standalone Region 1 DVD.
, explained the 22 year gap through an accident in Grandpa's lab that put the family to sleep. They awake in the late 1980s and have to adapt to their new surroundings. It featured John Schuck
(Herman), Lee Meriwether
as Lily, Howard Morton
(Grandpa) and Jason Marsden
(Eddie). Marilyn was portrayed by Mary-Ellen Dunbar in the unaired pilot, and by Hilary Van Dyke
thereafter. The show used many props and set pieces from the original series, and also reworked some old storylines. From the second season onwards, the show developed a more modern approach, with colorful new costumes and more contemporary storylines.
creator Bryan Fuller
is in development for NBC. A reboot of The Munsters, it is intended to be written and executive produced by Fuller as a one-hour drama with "spectacular visuals". It is to explore the origins of the Munster family and to be darker and edgier, while retaining plenty of humor.
NBC confirmed ordering the pilot episode in November 2011.
(1966). The Munsters go to England to claim Munster Hall after the death of an old relative. The film starred the series' cast, with the exception of Pat Priest who was replaced by Universal Pictures
by its teenage contract player Debbie Watson
. Priest commented in the A&E Biography on The Munsters that she was devastated at the producers' decision not to include the then-29-year-old actress. The film gave fans a chance to see the Munsters in color during their original 1960s run for the first and only time. The film also featured the DRAG-U-LA car.
that was part of The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie
. Al Lewis provided the voice of Grandpa.
(1981), a made-for-TV movie
. The owner of a wax museum creates robots of Herman and Grandpa and uses them as part of a plot to rob a traveling Egyptian antiquities exhibit. Gwynne, De Carlo, and Lewis recreated their roles, but Eddie and Marilyn were played by K.C. Martel and Jo McDonnell respectively.
(1995), another made-for-TV movie. The family search for Herman's brother-in-law
Norman Hyde, only to find out that he has unknowingly turned himself into Brent Jekyll, who is running for Congress. The film features a cameo scene of De Carlo, Lewis, Priest, and Patrick (Gwynne died in 1993) as a bickering family in a restaurant who were served by (the new) Herman Munster who was a waiter.
(1996). Grandpa has accidentally captured Santa Claus
and two of his elves, while Lily is trying to win the local neighborhood Christmas home decorating competition. Meanwhile, Marilyn has invited family and friends from the "old country" to stay for Christmas.
, Shawn Wayans, and Marlon Wayans
negotiated a deal with Universal Pictures
to produce a contemporary film adaptation
of The Munsters. In September 2006, Shawn Wayans revealed that The Munsters would be produced and written by the brothers and that it was slated for a 2007 release starring Rose McGowan
as Marilyn Munster
. Shawn also indicated that the cast would not be all-black in the adaptation like The Honeymooners (2005), instead continuing to have a green appearance like its '60s predecessors. Shawn also reported that the film would be rated PG-13 in the United States to continue moving away from the R-rated comedies that attracted minors.
As of 2009 there has been no update on this movie, and it was most likely cancelled.
----
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
family
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
television sitcom depicting the home life of a family of monsters. It starred Fred Gwynne
Fred Gwynne
Frederick Hubbard "Fred" Gwynne was an American actor. Gwynne was best known for his roles in the 1960s sitcoms Car 54, Where Are You? and The Munsters, as well as his later roles: Pet Sematary and My Cousin Vinny...
as Herman Munster
Herman Munster
Herman Munster, 5th Earl of Shroudshire, is a fictional character in the CBS sitcom The Munsters, originally played by Fred Gwynne. The patriarch of the Munster household, Herman is an entity much like Frankenstein's monster along with Lurch on the show's competitor The Addams Family.Due to the...
and Yvonne De Carlo
Yvonne De Carlo
Yvonne De Carlo was a Canadian-born American actress of film and television. During her six-decade career, her most frequent appearances in film came in the 1940s and 1950s and included her best-known film roles, such as of Anna Marie in Salome Where She Danced ; Anna in Criss Cross ; Sephora the...
as his wife, Lily Munster
Lily Munster
Lily Munster, Countess of Shroudshire , is a fictional character in the CBS sitcom The Munsters, originally played by Yvonne De Carlo. The matriarch of the Munster household, Lily is an undead vampire. Her character resembles Vampira...
. The series was a satire of both traditional monster movie
Monster movie
Monster movie is a name commonly given to movies, which centre on the struggle between human beings and one or more monsters...
s and popular family entertainment of the era, such as Leave It to Beaver
Leave It to Beaver
Leave It to Beaver is an American television situation comedy about an inquisitive but often naïve boy named Theodore "The Beaver" Cleaver and his adventures at home, in school, and around his suburban neighborhood...
. It ran concurrently with The Addams Family
The Addams Family (TV series)
The Addams Family is an American television series based on the characters in Charles Addams' New Yorker cartoons. The 30-minute series was shot in black-and-white and aired for two seasons in 64 installments on ABC from September 18, 1964, to April 8, 1966...
.
The idea of a family of comical monsters was first suggested to Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
in the late 1940s by animator
Animator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...
Bob Clampett
Bob Clampett
Robert Emerson "Bob" Clampett was an American animator, producer, director, and puppeteer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes animated series from Warner Bros., and the television shows Time for Beany and Beany and Cecil...
, who wanted to do a series of cartoons. The project didn't see development until the early 1960s, when a treatment or 'format' for a similar idea was submitted to Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
by Rocky & Bullwinkle writers Allan Burns
Allan Burns
Allan Burns is an American screenwriter and television producer. Burns is best known for, alongside James L. Brooks, creating and writing for the television sitcoms The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Rhoda.-Early life:...
and Chris Hayward
Chris Hayward
Chris Hayward was an American television writer and producer. He was the co-creator, with Allan Burns, of the 1960s television show The Munsters and the creator of Dudley Do-Right....
. This format was later handed to writers Norm Liebman and Ed Haas, who wrote a pilot script, Love Thy Monster. For some time, there were executives who believed the series should be made as a cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
and others who wanted to see it made using live-action. Finally, a presentation was filmed by MCA Television for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, using live-action.
The series aired at night once a week in black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
Television Network from September 24, 1964 to May 12, 1966, for 70 episodes. It was broadcasted weekly on BBC1 in the UK. It was canceled after ratings dropped to a low due to the premiere of ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Batman
Batman (TV series)
Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
, which was in full color
Color television
Color television is part of the history of television, the technology of television and practices associated with television's transmission of moving images in color video....
. Though ratings were low during its initial two-year run, The Munsters grew in popularity during decades of syndication. This popularity warranted a spin-off series, as well as several films, including one with a theatrical release.
Reruns of the series have aired on Boomerang
Boomerang (TV channel)
Boomerang is a 24-hour American cable television channel owned by Turner Broadcasting System, a division of Time Warner. Boomerang specializes in reruns of animated programming from Time Warner's extensive archives, including pre-1986 MGM, Hanna-Barbera, Cartoon Network, DePatie-Freleng Enterprises...
starting on October 3, 2011.
The Munster Family
The family, while decidedly odd, consider themselves fairly typical working-class Americans of the era. Herman, like many husbands of the 1960s, is the sole wage-earner in the family, though Lily and Grandpa make (short-lived) attempts to earn a little money from time to time. While Herman is the titular "head of household," Lily actually makes most of the decisions.Despite superficial similarities of horror-movie characters incongruent with their communities and a generally gothic look, this and Addams Family
The Addams Family (TV series)
The Addams Family is an American television series based on the characters in Charles Addams' New Yorker cartoons. The 30-minute series was shot in black-and-white and aired for two seasons in 64 installments on ABC from September 18, 1964, to April 8, 1966...
were actually different in the style of series and characterisation. Overall, the characters of The Addams Family were wealthy eccentrics with a gothic look who generally stayed at home, while the Munsters were a blue-collar and generally outgoing family of legendary monsters.
The costumes and appearances of the family members other than Marilyn were based on the classic monsters of Universal Studios
Universal Monsters
Universal Monsters or Universal Horror is the name given to a series of distinctive horror, suspense and science fiction films made by Universal Studios from 1923 to 1960...
films from the 1930s and 1940s. Universal produced The Munsters as well, and was thus able to use these copyrighted designs, including their idiosyncratic version of Frankenstein's monster
Frankenstein's monster
Frankenstein's monster is a fictional character that first appeared in Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. The creature is often erroneously referred to as "Frankenstein", but in the novel the creature has no name...
for Herman. Other studios were free to make films with the Frankenstein creature, for example, but could not use the costume and style of makeup originally created by Jack Pierce for the 1931 Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
film Frankenstein
Frankenstein (1931 film)
Frankenstein is a 1931 Pre-Code Horror Monster film from Universal Pictures directed by James Whale and adapted from the play by Peggy Webling which in turn is based on the novel of the same name by Mary Shelley. The film stars Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles and Boris Karloff, and features...
.
Regulars
| Character | Actor/Actress |
| Herman Munster Herman Munster Herman Munster, 5th Earl of Shroudshire, is a fictional character in the CBS sitcom The Munsters, originally played by Fred Gwynne. The patriarch of the Munster household, Herman is an entity much like Frankenstein's monster along with Lurch on the show's competitor The Addams Family.Due to the... |
Fred Gwynne Fred Gwynne Frederick Hubbard "Fred" Gwynne was an American actor. Gwynne was best known for his roles in the 1960s sitcoms Car 54, Where Are You? and The Munsters, as well as his later roles: Pet Sematary and My Cousin Vinny... |
| Lily Munster Lily Munster Lily Munster, Countess of Shroudshire , is a fictional character in the CBS sitcom The Munsters, originally played by Yvonne De Carlo. The matriarch of the Munster household, Lily is an undead vampire. Her character resembles Vampira... |
Yvonne De Carlo Yvonne De Carlo Yvonne De Carlo was a Canadian-born American actress of film and television. During her six-decade career, her most frequent appearances in film came in the 1940s and 1950s and included her best-known film roles, such as of Anna Marie in Salome Where She Danced ; Anna in Criss Cross ; Sephora the... |
| Grandpa (Sam Dracula) | Al Lewis |
| Eddie Munster Eddie Munster Edward Wolfgang "Eddie" Munster is a fictional character on the CBS sitcom The Munsters, originally played by Butch Patrick. The only child of Herman and Lily Munster, Eddie is a werewolf... |
Butch Patrick Butch Patrick Butch Patrick is a former American child actor. He is widely known for his role on the TV show The Munsters where he played Eddie Munster, the son of Herman and Lily Munster... |
| Marilyn Munster Marilyn Munster Marilyn Munster is a fictional character in the CBS sitcom The Munsters, originally played by Beverley Owen with actress Pat Priest later assuming the role. In the original series she is the daughter of Lily Munster's sister, with Herman alluding to her "plain" looks coming from Lily's side of the... |
Beverley Owen Beverley Owen Beverley Owen is a classically-trained American actress perhaps most widely known for having played the role of Marilyn Munster during the first season of The Munsters... (ep. 1-13) / Pat Priest Patricia Ann Priest Patricia Ann Priest is an American actress who is best known for portraying Marilyn Munster on the television show, The Munsters .-Show business career:... (ep. 14-70) |
| The Raven | Mel Blanc Mel Blanc Melvin Jerome "Mel" Blanc was an American voice actor and comedian. Although he began his nearly six-decade-long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros... and Bob Hastings Bob Hastings Robert "Bob" Hastings is an American film, radio, and television character actor. He has also provided voices for animated cartoons.... |
| Spot | |
| Kitty | As himself |
Recurring guests
| Character | Actor/Actress |
| Dr. Edward H. Dudley, MD | Paul Lynde Paul Lynde Paul Edward Lynde was an American comedian and actor. A noted character actor, Lynde was well known for his roles as Uncle Arthur on Bewitched and Harry MacAfee, the befuddled father in Bye Bye Birdie... (ep. 4, 6, 19), Dom DeLuise Dom DeLuise Dominick "Dom" DeLuise was an American actor, comedian, film director, television producer, chef, and author. He was the husband of actress Carol Arthur from 1965 until his death and the father of: actor, director, pianist, and writer Peter DeLuise; actor David DeLuise; and actor Michael DeLuise... (ep. 55) |
| Mr. Gateman | John Carradine John Carradine John Carradine was an American actor, best known for his roles in horror films and Westerns as well as Shakespearean theater. A member of Cecil B DeMille's stock company and later John Ford's company, he was one of the most prolific character actors in Hollywood history... |
| Clyde Thornton | Chet Stratton |
The pitch episode
The first presentationTelevision presentation
Television presentation refers to the way in which television stations present themselves between programs.It has become increasingly important in the recent multichannel television environment for television stations to create an attractive and distinct on-air appearance, through the various...
was 15 minutes and in color (later cut to just over 13 minutes) and was used to pitch the series to CBS and its affiliates. It never aired, and the script was reused as the basis for the episode "My Fair Munster". The cast in order of appearance in the title sequence were: Joan Marshall
Joan Marshall
Joan Marshall was an American actress.-Early life and career:Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Marshall began her career as a showgirl in Chicago clubs. After appearing as a dancer in the 1945 film The Chicago Kid and a part in the television series Have Gun – Will Travel in 1958, she moved to...
as Phoebe (instead of Lily), Beverley Owen as Marilyn, Nate "Happy" Derman as Eddie, Al Lewis as Grandpa and Fred Gwynne
Fred Gwynne
Frederick Hubbard "Fred" Gwynne was an American actor. Gwynne was best known for his roles in the 1960s sitcoms Car 54, Where Are You? and The Munsters, as well as his later roles: Pet Sematary and My Cousin Vinny...
as Herman. Although the same house exterior was used in the actual show, it was changed to make it look more gothic and "spooky". Changes included adding the tower deck and Marilyn's deck, a new coat of paint, and enlarging the living room
Living room
A living room, also known as sitting room, lounge room or lounge , is a room for entertaining adult guests, reading, or other activities...
. Although Grandpa had the same dungeon
Dungeon
A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period...
, Herman did not have padding in the pitch episode and was broad but thin. The most noticeable difference was his somber expression, compared to his comical silliness during the series. All characters, except Marilyn, had a blue/green tint
Tint
In color theory, a tint is the mixture of a color with white.Tint may also refer to:* Tint control, an adjustment to correct for phase error in the picture color on a NTSC television set* Tint , an album by Merzbow...
to their skin. The biggest character difference was that Eddie was portrayed by Derman as a nasty brat.
The title sequence had light happy music (picked up from the Doris Day
Doris Day
Doris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
movie, The Thrill of it All) instead of the more hip surf
Surf music
Surf music is a genre of popular music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Orange County and other areas of Southern California. It was particularly popular between 1961 and 1965, has subsequently been revived and was highly influential on subsequent rock music...
theme that was to come. The episode is available on the complete first season of The Munsters DVDs. It was also decided that Joan Marshall looked too much like Morticia Addams
Morticia Addams
Morticia A. Addams is the fictional matriarch of "The Addams Family", created by cartoonist Charles Addams and based on his first wife Barbara .Morticia is the wife of Gomez Addams and mother of Wednesday Addams and Pugsley Addams...
and that Happy Derman was too nasty as Eddie, so both were replaced. On the basis of the first presentation, the new series, still not completely cast, was announced by CBS on February 18, 1964. A second black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
presentation was made with the new actors. In this version, Butch Patrick
Butch Patrick
Butch Patrick is a former American child actor. He is widely known for his role on the TV show The Munsters where he played Eddie Munster, the son of Herman and Lily Munster...
's Eddie looked more "normal" although his hairstyle
Hairstyle
A hairstyle, hairdo, or haircut refers to the styling of hair, usually on the human head. The fashioning of hair can be considered an aspect of personal grooming, fashion, and cosmetics, although practical, cultural, and popular considerations also influence some hairstyles.-History of...
was later altered to include a widow's peak
Widow's peak
A widow's peak is a distinct point in the hairline in the center of the forehead. This hair anomaly is a result of a lower-than-usual position of the intersection of the bilateral periorbital fields of hair-growth suppression on the forehead.-Definition:...
.
Producers
The show was produced by Joe Connelly and Bob MosherBob Mosher
Robert "Bob" Mosher was a television and radio scriptwriter born in Auburn, New York. He was best known for his work on Amos and Andy, Meet Mr. McNutley, Leave It To Beaver, Ichabod and Me, Bringing Up Buddy, and The Munsters, along with his co-writer Joe Connelly who is buried in Culver City's...
, who were already known for creating the Leave It to Beaver
Leave It to Beaver
Leave It to Beaver is an American television situation comedy about an inquisitive but often naïve boy named Theodore "The Beaver" Cleaver and his adventures at home, in school, and around his suburban neighborhood...
television series. Prior to that, they wrote over 1,500 episodes of Amos 'n' Andy
Amos 'n' Andy
Amos 'n' Andy is a situation comedy set in the African-American community. It was very popular in the United States from the 1920s through the 1950s on both radio and television....
, a presence on network radio for nearly its entire history.
Production values
While its humor was usually broad, the series was visually sophisticated. The Munsters' home was a crumbling Gothic mansionGothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
, riddled with smoke, filthy with dust and cobwebs.
Rich, shadowy photography echoed James Whale
James Whale
James Whale was an English film director, theatre director and actor. He is best remembered for his work in the horror film genre, having directed such classics as Frankenstein , The Old Dark House , The Invisible Man and Bride of Frankenstein...
's expressionistic Frankenstein
Frankenstein
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
films, emphasizing the family's ghoulishness.
The Munsters was filmed in black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
.
Herman and Lily's bed
Herman and Lily Munster are often mistakenly named as the first couple to share the same bed on American television, in the episode "Autumn Croakus" on 26 November 1964. In actuality, that distinction goes to Mary Kay and JohnnyMary Kay and Johnny
Mary Kay and Johnny is the first situation comedy broadcast on network television in the United States. Starring real-life married couple Mary Kay Stearns and Johnny Stearns, the series is the first program to show a couple sharing a bed, and the first television series to show a woman's pregnancy...
, in an episode aired on 18 November 1947 on the DuMont network
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
. This may be confused with the first television couple to share a bed when the actors were not married to each other in real life, which was Samantha and Darrin Stephens of Bewitched
Bewitched
Bewitched is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for eight seasons on ABC from 1964 to 1972, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York and Dick Sargent , Agnes Moorehead, and David White. The show is about a witch who marries a mortal and tries to lead the life of a typical suburban...
, on 22 October 1964.
The Munster Mansion
The original Victorian home of the Munster family was at 1313 Mockingbird Lane in the fictional Mockingbird Heights. The town's location is not specified in the series, but in later incarnations is described as a small town outside of Los Angeles, California. The exterior shots were filmed on the Universal Studios backlot. The house was built in 1946 for the movie So Goes My LoveSo Goes My Love
So Goes My Love is an American 1946 comedy film, produced by Universal Pictures. It is based on A Genius in the Family, the memoir of Hiram Percy Maxim, and focusing on the relationship between Maxim and his father, Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim.- Cast :*Don Ameche as Hiram Stephens Maxim*Bobby...
. It was then put into storage for several years. Sometime in the 1950s, it was assembled with other homes on the back lot to create "River Road." Until production of The Munsters in 1964, the house could be seen as a backdrop on many shows, including Leave It to Beaver
Leave It to Beaver
Leave It to Beaver is an American television situation comedy about an inquisitive but often naïve boy named Theodore "The Beaver" Cleaver and his adventures at home, in school, and around his suburban neighborhood...
. It was remodeled and featured on Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
and located on Colonial Street
Colonial Street
Colonial Street is one of the backlot street sets at Universal Studios Hollywood. The street set has a long history, spanning over 60 years of movies and television...
in the backlot (which has now been officially dubbed "Wisteria Lane" by the studio). It was also the home of the family in Shirley (ABC, 1979–80) and has appeared in other TV shows such as Coach
Coach (TV series)
Coach is an American television sitcom that aired for nine seasons on ABC from 1989 to 1997. The series starred Craig T. Nelson as Hayden Fox, head coach of the fictional Division I-A college football team, the Minnesota State University Screaming Eagles...
. The interiors were contained entirely on an enclosed sound stage
Sound stage
In common usage, a sound stage is a soundproof, hangar-like structure, building, or room, used for the production of theatrical filmmaking and television production, usually located on a secure movie studio property.-Overview:...
.
Sandra and Charles McKee of Waxahachie, Texas
Waxahachie, Texas
Waxahachie is a city in Ellis County, Texas, United States, and a southern suburb of Dallas. The population was 21,426 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Ellis County....
have built a fully livable recreation of the mansion.
Munstermobiles
George BarrisGeorge Barris (auto customizer)
George Barris is a designer of custom cars.-Early history:George and his brother Sam were born in Chicago in the 1920s. After the deaths of their parents, they moved to Roseville, California as children to live with relatives. Both were good students, interested in drama, music, and design...
built two automobiles for the show: "Munster Koach
Munster Koach
The Munster Koach was the family car that was used in the television series, The Munsters. The show's producers contracted George Barristo provide the Koach. Barris asked Tom Daniel to design the car, and had it built at Barris Kustoms, First by Tex Smith, but finished by Dick Dean, his shop...
", a hot rod
Hot rod
Hot rods are typically American cars with large engines modified for linear speed. The origin of the term "hot rod" is unclear. One explanation is that the term is a contraction of "hot roadster," meaning a roadster that was modified for speed. Another possible origin includes modifications to or...
built on a lengthened 1926 Ford Model T
Ford Model T
The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Henry Ford's Ford Motor Company from September 1908 to May 1927...
chassis with a custom hearse body. It was 18 feet long and cost almost $20,000 to build. Barris also built the DRAG-U-LA (which inspired a Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie
Rob Zombie is an American musician, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He founded the heavy metal band White Zombie and has been nominated three times as a solo artist for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.Zombie has also established a career as a film director, creating the...
song by the same name
Dragula (song)
-Covers:The song was covered by gothic metalcore band Motionless in White in 2009. It was also covered by Transient for The Electro-Industrial Tribute to Rob Zombie in 2002.-Personnel:* Tom Baker - Mastering* Paul DeCarli - Additional Programming...
), a dragster built from a coffin, which Grandpa used to win back "The Munster Koach" after Herman lost it in a race. Footage of the drag race was included in Zombie's first horror film House of 1,000 Corpses. (According to Barris, a real coffin was, in fact, purchased for the car.) In real life, Yvonne De Carlo drove a Jaguar
Jaguar (car)
Jaguar Cars Ltd, known simply as Jaguar , is a British luxury car manufacturer, headquartered in Whitley, Coventry, England. It is part of the Jaguar Land Rover business, a subsidiary of the Indian company Tata Motors....
sedan fitted with custom-made "spooky" ornaments, for example spider webs on the rims. She had to give up on it, as the car was repeatedly vandalized by fans hunting for souvenirs.
Theme song
The instrumental theme song, titled "The Munsters' Theme", was written by composer/arranger Jack MarshallJack Marshall (composer)
Jack Marshall was an American guitarist, conductor, and composer. He is the father of producer-director Frank Marshall and composer Phil Marshall....
. The theme song's lyrics written by the sitcom's co-producer Bob Mosher did not air on CBS. Described by writer Jon Burlingame as a "Bernard-Herrmann
Bernard Herrmann
Bernard Herrmann was an American composer noted for his work in motion pictures.An Academy Award-winner , Herrmann is particularly known for his collaborations with director Alfred Hitchcock, most famously Psycho, North by Northwest, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Vertigo...
-meets-Duane-Eddy
Duane Eddy
Duane Eddy is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist. In the late 1950s and early 1960s he had a string of hit records, produced by Lee Hazlewood, which were noted for their characteristically "twangy" sound, including "Rebel Rouser", "Peter Gunn", and "Because They're Young"...
sound", the theme was nominated for a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in 1965.
Surf band Los Straitjackets
Los Straitjackets
Los Straitjackets is an American instrumental rock band that formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1988. Originally comprising guitarists Danny Amis and Eddie Angel and drummer L. J. "Jimmy" Lester under the name The Straitjackets, the band split up soon after forming and reunited as Los Straitjackets...
recorded the song for the 1998 compilation album Halloween Hootenanny. Butch Patrick released a 1983 single, "Whatever Happened To Eddie?" which used
the melody with lyrics added ("You might wonder why I have a dragon for a pet/ He's just there
to keep me company on the set"). The New York band The Comateens also released an instrumental
version of the theme in the early 1980s.
Merchandise
Gold Key ComicsGold Key Comics
Gold Key Comics was an imprint of Western Publishing created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated from 1962 to 1984.-History:...
produced a "Munsters" comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
which ran 16 issues from 1965 to 1968 and had photo covers from the TV series. When it first appeared, the Comics Code Authority
Comics Code Authority
The Comics Code Authority was a body created as part of the Comics Magazine Association of America, as a tool for the comics-publishing industry to self-regulate the content of comic books in the United States. Member publishers submitted comic books to the CCA, which screened them for adherence to...
still forbade the appearance of vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
s in comic books. However, this was not a problem at Gold Key, because Gold Key was not a member of the Comics Magazine Association of America and therefore did not have to conform to the Comics Code. Lily and Grandpa appeared in the comics without controversy.
There was a sizable amount of merchandise produced for the show to capitalize on its popularity, like a set of rubber squeak toys, Colorforms
Colorforms
Colorforms, invented by Harry and Patricia Kislevitz, refer to a general type of vinyl adhesive toy set produced under the Colorforms brand.-Definition:...
, and an Aurora
Aurora Plastics Corporation
The Aurora Plastics Corporation is a U.S. toy and hobby manufacturing and marketing company. It is known primarily for its production of plastic model kits in the 1960s.-History:Aurora Plastics Corporation was founded in March, 1950 by engineer Joseph E...
model kit of the house. AMT produced model kits of the Munster Koach as well as Drag-u-La. There was also a model of the living room with Herman in his electric chair, Eddie squatting in front of the fire, Lily was knitting and Grandpa was hanging, bat like, from the rafters. Marilyn was not included.
A video game based on the Munsters was published by "Again, Again" (a division of Alternative Software) in 1989. It was available for the Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
, ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, Commodore Amiga, Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
, MSX
MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
and DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
, but was heavily criticised by gaming press at the time because of its short length and lacklustre gameplay.
DVD releases
Universal Studios Home EntertainmentUniversal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is the home video division of Universal Pictures...
has released the entire series on DVD in Regions 1 & 2.
| DVD Name | Ep# | Region 1 | Region 2 | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 38 | August 24, 2004 | October 17, 2005 |
|
| Season 2 | 32 | October 25, 2005 | May 1, 2006 |
|
| The Complete Series | 70 | October 7, 2008 | N/A |
|
| The Complete Series (Closed Casket Collection) | 70 | N/A | October 8, 2007 |
|
Also, the "Family Portrait" episode in color, which was absent from the season 1 & 2 standalone box sets, was released on a standalone Region 1 DVD.
The Munsters Today
The Munsters Today ran from 1988 to 1991 and lasted for 72 episodes. The unaired pilot episode, written by Lloyd J. SchwartzLloyd J. Schwartz
Lloyd J. Schwartz is an American television producer and writer.-Career:Schwartz is the son of TV mogul Sherwood Schwartz and has worked alongside him since the late 1960s. He has teamed with his father on many Brady Bunch projects, often as writer or producer.He also has written for TV series...
, explained the 22 year gap through an accident in Grandpa's lab that put the family to sleep. They awake in the late 1980s and have to adapt to their new surroundings. It featured John Schuck
John Schuck
Conrad John Schuck Jr. is an American actor, primarily in stage, movies and television. He is best-known for his roles as police commissioner Rock Hudson's mildly slow-witted assistant, Sgt. Charles Enright in the 1970s crime drama McMillan & Wife, and as Lee Meriwether's husband, Herman Munster...
(Herman), Lee Meriwether
Lee Meriwether
Lee Ann Meriwether is an American actress, former model, and the winner of the 1955 Miss America pageant. She is perhaps best known for her role as Betty Jones, the crime-solving partner in the long-running 1970s crime drama, Barnaby Jones. The role earned her two Golden Globe Award nominations in...
as Lily, Howard Morton
Howard Morton
Howard Morton was an American actor.A tall man with comedic talent, Morton appeared as Dolph Sweet's doltish police subordinate on Gimme a Break! for five seasons and appeared in many other TV shows and films...
(Grandpa) and Jason Marsden
Jason Marsden
Jason Christopher Marsden is an American screen and voice actor who has done numerous voice roles in animated films, as well as various television series.-Early life:...
(Eddie). Marilyn was portrayed by Mary-Ellen Dunbar in the unaired pilot, and by Hilary Van Dyke
Hilary Van Dyke
Hilary Van Dyke is an American actress and singer who began her career in TV advertisements before landing the role of Marilyn Munster in The Munsters Today, replacing the actress in the original pilot episodes, Mary Ellen Dunbar.-Acting:...
thereafter. The show used many props and set pieces from the original series, and also reworked some old storylines. From the second season onwards, the show developed a more modern approach, with colorful new costumes and more contemporary storylines.
Bryan Fuller remake
Another remake from Pushing DaisiesPushing Daisies
Pushing Daisies is an American comedy-drama television series created by Bryan Fuller that aired on ABC from October 3, 2007 to June 13, 2009. The series stars Lee Pace as Ned, a pie-maker with the ability to bring dead things back to life with his touch, an ability that comes with stipulations...
creator Bryan Fuller
Bryan Fuller
Bryan Fuller is an American screenwriter and television producer.Fuller graduated from Clarkston High School in Clarkston, Washington in 1987...
is in development for NBC. A reboot of The Munsters, it is intended to be written and executive produced by Fuller as a one-hour drama with "spectacular visuals". It is to explore the origins of the Munster family and to be darker and edgier, while retaining plenty of humor.
NBC confirmed ordering the pilot episode in November 2011.
Munster, Go Home! (1966)
Munster, Go Home!Munster, Go Home!
Munster, Go Home! is a 1966 American film based on the hit 1960s family television sitcom The Munsters. It was directed by Earl Bellamy, who also directed a number of episodes in the series...
(1966). The Munsters go to England to claim Munster Hall after the death of an old relative. The film starred the series' cast, with the exception of Pat Priest who was replaced by Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
by its teenage contract player Debbie Watson
Debbie Watson (actor)
Debbie Watson, is an American movie and television actress.-Career:Born in Culver City, Los Angeles County, California, Watson got her start on television, starring as the boy-struck teenage girl Karen Scott in the 1964 sitcom TV series Karen, the only portion of the largely unsuccessful "90...
. Priest commented in the A&E Biography on The Munsters that she was devastated at the producers' decision not to include the then-29-year-old actress. The film gave fans a chance to see the Munsters in color during their original 1960s run for the first and only time. The film also featured the DRAG-U-LA car.
The Mini-Munsters (1973)
The Mini-Munsters (1973), a one-hour animated TV-movieTelevision movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
that was part of The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie
The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie
The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie — renamed The New Saturday Superstar Movie in its second season — is a series of one-hour animated TV-movies , broadcast on the ABC television network on Saturday mornings from September 9, 1972, to November 17, 1973.Intended as a "Movie of the Week" for kids, this...
. Al Lewis provided the voice of Grandpa.
The Munsters' Revenge (1981)
The Munsters' RevengeThe Munsters' Revenge
The Munsters' Revenge is a 1981 telefilm produced by Universal Studios. It reunited Munsters cast members Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo and Al Lewis. Marilyn Munster was portrayed by newcomer Jo McDonnell and Eddie Munster by child actor K. C. Martel rather than Butch Patrick. The film was produced...
(1981), a made-for-TV movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
. The owner of a wax museum creates robots of Herman and Grandpa and uses them as part of a plot to rob a traveling Egyptian antiquities exhibit. Gwynne, De Carlo, and Lewis recreated their roles, but Eddie and Marilyn were played by K.C. Martel and Jo McDonnell respectively.
Here Come the Munsters (1995)
Here Come the MunstersHere Come the Munsters
Here Come the Munsters is a telefilm that aired on Fox October 31, 1995. It starred Edward Herrmann, Christine Taylor and Veronica Hamel. It included cameos from original Munsters surviving cast members Yvonne De Carlo, Al Lewis, Butch Patrick, and Pat Priest...
(1995), another made-for-TV movie. The family search for Herman's brother-in-law
Brother-in-law
A brother-in-law is the brother of one's spouse, the husband of one's sibling, or the husband of one's spouse's sibling.-See also:*Affinity *Sister-in-law*Brothers in Law , a 1955 British comedy novel...
Norman Hyde, only to find out that he has unknowingly turned himself into Brent Jekyll, who is running for Congress. The film features a cameo scene of De Carlo, Lewis, Priest, and Patrick (Gwynne died in 1993) as a bickering family in a restaurant who were served by (the new) Herman Munster who was a waiter.
The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas (1996)
The Munsters' Scary Little ChristmasThe Munsters' Scary Little Christmas
The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas is a television movie featuring characters from the 1960s American television sitcom The Munsters. It featured an entirely different cast from the series and the previous movie Here Come The Munsters. The movie is set around Christmas time and was met with mixed...
(1996). Grandpa has accidentally captured Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
and two of his elves, while Lily is trying to win the local neighborhood Christmas home decorating competition. Meanwhile, Marilyn has invited family and friends from the "old country" to stay for Christmas.
Future film
In August 2004, the brothers Keenen Ivory WayansKeenen Ivory Wayans
Keenen Ivory Wayans is an American actor, comedian, director and writer known as the host and creator of the FOX sketch comedy series In Living Color, which also starred Jim Carrey, Jamie Foxx, brothers Damon Wayans, Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans, sister Kim Wayans, David Alan Grier, Tommy...
, Shawn Wayans, and Marlon Wayans
Marlon Wayans
Marlon L. Wayans is an American actor, model producer, comedian, writer, and director of movies, beginning with his role as a pedestrian in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka in 1988...
negotiated a deal with Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
to produce a contemporary film adaptation
Film adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
of The Munsters. In September 2006, Shawn Wayans revealed that The Munsters would be produced and written by the brothers and that it was slated for a 2007 release starring Rose McGowan
Rose McGowan
Rose Arianna McGowan is an actress and singer. She is known for her role as Paige Matthews in The WB Television Network supernatural drama series Charmed. She played Ann-Margret alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Elvis Presley in the CBS mini-series Elvis...
as Marilyn Munster
Marilyn Munster
Marilyn Munster is a fictional character in the CBS sitcom The Munsters, originally played by Beverley Owen with actress Pat Priest later assuming the role. In the original series she is the daughter of Lily Munster's sister, with Herman alluding to her "plain" looks coming from Lily's side of the...
. Shawn also indicated that the cast would not be all-black in the adaptation like The Honeymooners (2005), instead continuing to have a green appearance like its '60s predecessors. Shawn also reported that the film would be rated PG-13 in the United States to continue moving away from the R-rated comedies that attracted minors.
As of 2009 there has been no update on this movie, and it was most likely cancelled.
External links
- The Munsters DVD Official Universal Studios site
- Russ "Uncle Creepy Jones Visits The Munsters Set
- The Munsters Episode Guide
- The Munsters Kustomized Automobiles
- Website of the full scale Munster Mansion Replica Home in Waxahachie, Texas
- Munsterland Guide to Everything About The Munsters
- Portrait of The Munsters
- The Munsters on TVLand.com
- Pat Priest Interview at Elvis2001.net
- Munster – Maxim Home # 504 River Road – Colonial Street – Photo Album
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