The Addams Family (1964)

Watchseries; What excellence! No one miscast. And Carolyn Jones. Each plot another chance to stick it to mainstream corporate America. And Carolyn Jones. Normal people revealed for the hypocrites they were and are. And Carolyn Jones. The basso profundo sounds of Lurch. And Carolyn Jones. Model trains used for what they were meant to be. And Carolyn Jones. Zen yogi (only Berra could top that one!). And Carolyn Jones. It's so nice to have a thing around the house. And Carolyn Jones. Wednesday's child and the enthusiasm of Pugsley. And Carolyn Jones. Those Festering wounds (a little less dynamite next time) and Granmama's vulture stew. And Carolyn Jones.

Ah, Tish, when you speak French it drives me wild!

Ah, Tish!

What excellence! No one miscast. And Carolyn Jones. Each plot another chance to stick it to mainstream corporate America. And Carolyn Jones. Normal people revealed for the hypocrites they were and are. And Carolyn Jones. The basso profundo sounds of Lurch. And Carolyn Jones. Model trains used for what they were meant to be. And Carolyn Jones. Zen yogi (only Berra could top that one!). And Carolyn Jones. It's so nice to have a thing around the house. And Carolyn Jones. Wednesday's child and the enthusiasm of Pugsley. And Carolyn Jones. Those Festering wounds (a little less dynamite next time) and Granmama's vulture stew. And Carolyn Jones.

Ah, Tish, when you speak French it drives me wild!

Ah, Tish!

The Addams Family watchseries. The Addams Family was supposed to be an odd ball rich excentric family of near monster almost circus type people who instead of be cound by all societies conventions lived by their own values. They were decent wonderful people with hearts understanding compassion the equal of some and, better than most in so called normal society. The Addam's so secure in their sense of self individually and as a family unit were completely unknowing or caring of the reactions of normal polite society. Indeed members of the Addams family to a person / it and, thing were so secure in themselves they oftebn felt it was the people of normal society who were weird and, that was the core of its comedic genius. Yes the props are all old the special effects are all painfully obvious to us sophisicated folk of the new millennium but the jokes the reactions of the people the whole Addams aura is still as alive in each of those episodes as it was they day they were shot.

You can not go wrong buying all these episodes each on a treasure in itself. Never has learning about human psychology and, seeing shallow superfical people for the fools they are ever been so much fun. I can not recommend anything more highly than getting these Addam's family episodes you will never regret it if you know how to laugh at all.

Real america beyond the fake and, plastic families who waste their lives trying to reach today's artifical moving traget ideal are just like the Addams Family. The Addams family said and, did those things that we all think of doing and, want to do if we were free of our conformist shackles of what makes a pretty house, a nice car, a beautiful gardenm, well adjusted children. Some might say the Addam's Family with their odd ways flouted societies conventions where I feel they lived up to each in its fullest.

I don't think I've ever seen an inferior product regarding the family Addams, but this original TV sitcom tops them all. After all, who but Carolyn Jones could offer her visitors (for their tea) saccharine in a ring she wore? And who but John Astin could capture the multifaceted personality of Gomez Addams, and actually show all facets equally?

A huge mistake I made was going into this show (which only happened recently, as a matter of fact) expecting some semblance of the '90s Anjelica Huston/Raul Julia movies. The two families, while both Addams, are totally different. The family in the films acts like they know they're unusual, while these Addamses are convinced that the world is full of nuts... a category in which they're not included. And in the TV show, Pugsley is nearly invisible, and Wednesday is more like Cindy Lou Who than Elvira's love child with Charles Manson.

Somehow, there's so much of this show that you never get over. Like the mystery of Thing, who never leaves the box. Or Lurch always ready to answer with a greeting of, "You rang?" Or Mama inflicting torture like a regular chiropractor.

Too soon ended and too long obscure, this classic is one of ABC's two best series ever. Duh-duh-duh-duh, snap snap!

This was the Best show of the best era for American situation comedies, the 1960s. John Astin was incredibly zany as the good natured, yet macabrely devoted husband Gomez, and the lovely Carolyn Jones played the sexily Gothic Morticia. I find it almost obscene that the show was cancelled after only two seasons, as along with the Munsters, it was still very popular with the masses.Was there an agreement by fundamentalists at both CBS and ABC TV networks to end both these shows? We'll never know! I only know that I much preferred the Addams's as it was just a little more sinister, and like most other teenage boys I was completely in love with Morticia.Jackie Coogan was great as the irrepressible Uncle Fester, causing massive explosions and coming up with weird, inconceivable experiments week after week.Then there were the children of the union, Wednesday and Pugsley. Wednesday was a cute little bag of nuts, her mother in the making, but Pugsley was a reminder to me of the boy who used to chase me home from school when I was about six!Then there was Ted Cassidy as Lurch with his darkly deep "You Rang?" voice, who also had his hand play the part of "Thing" when he was not on camera. Then there was of course, cousin Itt, that hairy little mischief maker that turned up from time to time. Gomez was very musical and of course full of energy, as demonstrated by his working out on the trampoline, and his constant overtures to the Beautiful Morticia. I could only ever give this show a conservative ten out of ten.There will never be another one like it!

This show had it ALL--the original thinking man's unconventional humor, sex appeal, the breaking and questioning of the conventions of conformity as well as looking at the world in a unique, offbeat frame of mind!! This show perfected the genre of "looking at the world from the opposite side of the lense."

Innovative, without a doubt--the one-liners, sight gags, catch phrases!

Carolyn Jones and John Astin were the consummate performers in every way--the sex appeal, the humor, the acting ability, their natural chemistry.

You just couldn't help but feel sorry for Lurch though. No matter what happens, he opts for the misery.

Night Court, Get Smart and The (1964) Addams Family--The perfect trio!

Matt A.

One of the funnier and more enjoyable series of the period about a ghoulish family that just seems to be totally unaware of their strangeness. Led by John Astin and Carolyn Jones, the group included the two aforementioned performers as the parents to two creepy youngsters and the odd voices of reason to various other family members. Jackie Coogan definitely stole the show as the creepy Uncle Fester. A short run of success for three seasons ended in 1966 with only 64 episodes being made. Used to have a home in syndication, but is harder to find on television these days. The series had a renaissance in the early-1990s with two theatrical installments starring Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd and Anjelica Huston. The movies are not on par with the series, the main reason for this is the fact that the situations and characters play out so much better on the boob tube. 4 stars out of 5.