Addams Family versus the Munsters!

[Anthony Caranci]

Hello all,

Wolfman mentioned The Munsters had  a 25 - 21 edge over The Addams Family. Where was the voting taking place? In this Poll/thread? I wanted to vote.

Since this Poll/thread is about two situation comedies; which show had the best comedy material?

I just think the Munsters was a funnier show. Sure towards the end - the gags were repetitive, and Al Lewis did voice his distain over overused jokes and storylines. Still the jokes still hole up rather well. Take for instance The Treasure of Mockingbird Heights. The story is simple, and it becomes very funny when GREED sets in.

In watching both shows as I was growing up; I could relate to the comedy material of the Munsters a whole lot easier than I could The Addams Family.

Then we had those wonderful automobiles. The Munster Koach and Dragula were my favorite cars when I was growing up; along with Adam West's Batmobile and The Black Beauty of The Green Hornet. I don't remember The Addams Family vehicle - if there was one. The Munsters also had a color movie going for them as well.   

In the End; I'm grateful that both shows were there for me, because I really needed them.

[Anthony Caranci]

Okay - Stupid me! I finally found the vote button. Thanks for mentioning that there was a voting option. Time for new glasses. Don't I just love getting old!

[Haunted hearse]

Both shows are good and both have their fans.  Maybe a better question is, who had the worse reunion film done years after theses series were canceled, but with most of the original cast. "The Munsters' Revenge" (1981) or "Halloween with the New Addams Family" (1977)?

[Monster Bob]

Both shows are good and both have their fans.  Maybe a better question is, who had the worse reunion film done years after theses series were canceled, but with most of the original cast. "The Munsters' Revenge" (1981) or "Halloween with the New Addams Family" (1977)?

I love both shows. Unfortunately, I thought both reunions kinda stunk. Bad writing on both of them.

It was fun to see everyone back in costume in The Munsters Revenge, but most of polish and timing that made the old show funny was not there. Some of the actors, Bob Hastings and Sid Ceasar come to mind, were trying way to hard. Most of the jokes were just stale as hell.

Halloween With The new Addams Family started out promising and the better of the two, but lost wind about half way through the movie. The short-ceilinged house bothered me right off the bat. The props were not utilized well. Coogan seemed to have forgotten how to play his character.

The Addams actors themselves held up better than The Munsters, age-wise anyway. In a recent veiwing of this, it was surprsing to me how many original actors (Vito Scotty, Parley Baer, etc.) and behind the scenes people from the original Addams show were involved in Halloween, yet it still fell flat.

[Haunted hearse]

I love both shows. Unfortunately, I thought both reunions kinda stunk. Bad writing on both of them.

Halloween With The new Addams Family started out promising and the better of the two, but lost wind about half way through the movie. The short-ceilinged house bothered me right off the bat. The props were not utilized well. Coogan seemed to have forgotten how to play his character.

The House didn't bother me that much.  The house that was used is an Actual Victorian House that was also featured in the movie Willard.  It was probably a lot easier to film in an existing house, than attempt to recreate the interior sets, which were recycled from the musical "The Unsinkable Molly Brown".  Far more troubling to me was the need to have tow Pugsly's and two Wednesday, and calling the kids "Jr."

[Hepcat]

Maybe a better question is, who had the worse reunion film done years after theses series were canceled, but with most of the original cast. "The Munsters' Revenge" (1981) or "Halloween with the New Addams Family" (1977)?

Huh?! How would which of two bad alternatives is worse be a better question than which of two good alternatives is better? Are you sure you're living on the same planet as the rest of us?

 

[Haunted hearse]

Huh?! How would which of two bad alternatives is worse be a better question than which of two good alternatives is better? Are you sure you're living on the same planet as the rest of us?

 

The truth is, some of us prefer one over the other, and many of us like them both.  This thread is now over three years old, and with the exception to a newcomer to the UMA, most of us who like either series have had an opportunity to make their case. I thought it might be interesting add something to this long running thread if we looked at the two reunion films, and maybe look at where they went wrong.  Sometimes understanding what went wrong with a reboot, and in both these cases both reboots included most of our favoite performers from the two series, can also be interesting to fans of the original series.  By the way, when it came to the series revivals, I really preferred "New Addams Family" that ran on Fox Family, to "Munsters Today".

[Mord]

The truth is, some of us prefer one over the other, and many of us like them both.  This thread is now over three years old, and with the exception to a newcomer to the UMA, most of us who like either series have had an opportunity to make their case. I thought it might be interesting add something to this long running thread if we looked at the two reunion films, and maybe look at where they went wrong.  Sometimes understanding what went wrong with a reboot, and in both these cases both reboots included most of our favoite performers from the two series, can also be interesting to fans of the original series.  By the way, when it came to the series revivals, I really preferred "New Addams Family" that ran on Fox Family, to "Munsters Today".

I didn't like either. I didn't like the reunions, as well. Both shows had a unique chemistry that only fully worked in their original runs, IMO.

[horrorhunter]

I didn't like either. I didn't like the reunions, as well. Both shows had a unique chemistry that only fully worked in their original runs, IMO.

Yeah, it's tough to recapture the quality of those original shows when they were fresh. The actors and creative people were younger and excited about the work. I also think the synergy of the Monster Craze entertainment in general had some to do with it. It's like when Hammer was Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Terence Fisher, James Bernard, Jimmy Sangster, and Bernard Robinson, and on a roll. You can never go back to that, bro.

[Mord]

Yeah, it's tough to recapture the quality of those original shows when they were fresh. The actors and creative people were younger and excited about the work. I also think the synergy of the Monster Craze entertainment in general had some to do with it. It's like when Hammer was Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Terence Fisher, James Bernard, Jimmy Sangster, and Bernard Robinson, and on a roll. You can never go back to that, bro.

Well stated, perfect analogy.

[Haunted hearse]

To be honest, the actors did a good job with what they were given, but the writing was awful on both.   If maybe they had been given good material to work with, say the script for "Here Comes the Munsters", the "Munsters Revenge" would have been a better film. The only time I really didn't care for the performances put out by Gwynne and Lewis, were when they attempted to pass themselves off as waitresses.  That was just appalling.  But even the finest actors can't save poorly written material.

[horrorhunter]

But even the finest actors can't save poorly written material.

I agree with your general rule...but this fine fellow, and maybe a few others, are the exceptions. 

[Anthony Caranci]

I did not see the Addams Family Reunion, but I did catch The Munster's Revenge. I do have it on DVD. It is a disappointment, and I thought Sid Caesar ruined it. What I still love about it though is the Phantom breaking the glasses of Marilyn's boyfriend. Too bad the old magic wasn't there.

[Haunted hearse]

I did not see the Addams Family Reunion, but I did catch The Munster's Revenge. I do have it on DVD. It is a disappointment, and I thought Sid Caesar ruined it. What I still love about it though is the Phantom breaking the glasses of Marilyn's boyfriend. Too bad the old magic wasn't there.

I had a chance to see the Addams Family reunion in 1977 on TV, but haven't see it since.  I think it was released on VHS, but never on DVD, so your best hope to see it is on something like Youtube. 

[Anthony Caranci]

I really hate to choose one over the other though. And speaking (just) for myself; I don't find it necessary. True, I do favor The Munsters over The Addams Family. I'm a Universal Studios guy. Frankenstein is my favorite monster, along with the other Universal Classic Monsters. Also being a former employee of the studio; I am partial to everything Universal (within reason).

Still, I am a big fan of Carolyn Jones & John Astin, and I did watch the show too! But like I said already: I purchased Munster DVDs, but not Addams Family DVDs.

However, as someone previously mentioned: If The Addams Family had a budget & a major film studio backing them, then what kind of show would we have gotten? While we'll never know the answer to that; The Addams Family is a great show too! I like what Horror Hunter said about the Monster craze of the times having a lot to do with it. I was born in 1954, and I remember the early to mid 1960s; monsters were everywhere, and in everything! It was a wonderful time to be a little boy.