There are two major families of fright in pop culture. One reimagines theclassic Universal monstersas your standard American sitcoms likeLeave it to BeaverorFather Knows Best. The other portrays a loving family of oddballs who couldn’t be happier about being different from the humdrum world around them. Both shows embraced macabre sensibilities and developed adoring fanbases. The former, of course, isThe Munstersand the latter is the live-action adaptation of Charles Addams’ comics stripThe Addams Family. You may have grown up either identifying as aMunstersfan or anAddams Familyfan, like comic book readers who devote themselves to either Marvel or DC. However, the shows complement each other very well and actually much more connected than you might think.
Filmmaker and rock star Rob Zombie unveiled his reboot ofThe Munstersin a trailer that promised it would bereleased in Fall 2022. Later, it was confirmed that the film was set to premiere on Netflix on August 04, 2025. It was also announced that the comedy series from Tim Burton,Wednesday, starring the titular Addams daughter, will be premiering sometime in the fall as well. While releasing two reboots of similar properties at approximately the same time may seem like a bad idea, it’s just par for the course with these two properties since they both premiered within one week of each other back in 1964.
Creating Two Iconic Families
Charles Addams (a curious man himself) introduced the world to his creepy and kooky family in the pages of The New Yorker in 1938. Single-panel comics depicting odd little characters often enjoying macabre entertainment in the middle of a perfectly normal situation, this nameless family became a hit with the public. In the 1960s, television networks came calling and the strip was adapted into a television show. At the same time, television writers Alan Burns and Chris Hayward (who had previously been working onTheBullwinkle Show) got to talking about creating a sitcom about a bizarre family. Inspired by the Addams cartoons, they came up with a pitch calledMeet the Munsters. The concept for the show was, more or less, taken from Burns and Hayward and the family became renditions of the Universal Monsters. BothThe MunstersandThe Addams Familywere in production simultaneously, and they premiered within six days of each other in September 1964.
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Here Come the 90s
BothThe Addams FamilyandThe Munstersran for two seasons from 1964 to 1966, but that wasn’t the last we would see of them. They continued producing television specials centered around the families, and in 1988, a modernized 80s seriesThe Munsters Todaywas released. While not as fondly remembered as the original, it did last three seasons, ending in 1991. That same year saw the release of directorBarry Sonnenfeld’s indomitable classicThe Addams Family, starring Anjelica Huston as Morticia and the late Raul Julia as her adoring husband Gomez. The film was such a success that spawned a sequel (and an animated series in between) in 1993 that is every bit as beloved as, if not more so than, its predecessor. Then, in 1995, another reboot ofThe Munstersthat showed a lot of promise calledHere Come The Munsterswas broadcast. The following year, a holiday-themed sequelThe Munsters' Scary Little Christmascame and went. 1998 gave usThe Addams Family Reunionand the showThe New Addams Familyto cap off the century.
Returning to Mockingbird Lane
The end of the 20th Century was much kinder to the families of fright than the beginning of the 21st. We wouldn’t see either return to our screens until 2012, when the failed pilot for a more grounded take onThe Munstersfrom creatorBryan Fuller calledMockingbird Lanewas released as something of a Halloween special. Then, things got quiet again for a bit. 2019 gave usThe Addams Familyas a big-budget animated feature with huge talents like Oscar Isaac and Charlize Theron. While much sillier than the previous films, the characters never looked more like Charles Addams' original creations. In 2021, the Addams' returned in their animated form forThe Addams Family 2. It would seem that Hollywood was getting back on the spooky family train.
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Forever Linked
The fact of the matter is that these two shows will always be connected. They were both inspired by the same source material. They hit the airwaves at just about the same time. Whenever one got rebooted, the other wasn’t far behind. Therefore, the fact that we’re being reunited with our pals the Munsters and the Addamses this fall couldn’t be more perfect. Beyond their scheduling history, though, the shows simply are linked because they offer different and wonderful takes on the traditional family dynamic as depicted in media. They are both close, loving families who look out for each other and offer us something to aspire to. It’s okay to embrace the things that make you different because that’s what makes you special, and as long as you have people around to remind you of that, you can never go wrong.
