If you are on the younger side, there’s a good chance “The Munsters“ isn’t on your radar. And no, we aren’t talking about that 2022 Rob Zombie movie—we are talking about the lightning-fast, brilliant 1964 sitcom that started it all.
For the uninitiated, here is the tragedy of television’s favorite monster family: they never quite got the massive, legendary love they deserved. Why? Because they fell victim to some of the worst scheduling luck in TV history, premiering on CBS just six days after ABC unleashed “The Addams Family.”
Meet the Family at 1313 Mockingbird Lane
If you aren’t familiar with this charmingly bizarre family, let me fill you in on the household:
Herman Munster (Fred Gwynne) is a literal Frankenstein’s monster and a dedicated husband who works at a funeral home and is the ultimate, good-natured blue-collar dad. Yvonne De Carlo played Lily Munster, Herman’s elegant, loving, level-headed vampire wife. Their young son, Eddie (Butch Patrick), is a werewolf (I know what you’re thinking) who wants to play with his fire-breathing pet dragon, Spot.
The family also includes Al Lewis, who plays Grandpa, a cantankerous, 300-year-old Count Dracula who spends his time in the basement conducting failed mad-scientist experiments. Marilyn plays the perfectly normal, conventionally beautiful niece. Both Beverley Owen and Pat Priest played her throughout the series.
The Genius
The genius of the show is the reverse-perspective irony: the Munsters consider themselves a perfectly normal, average American family. They are utterly baffled by why their terrified neighbors scream and run away whenever they say hello. Ed Haas and Norm Libmann created an amazing series with heart and humor.
Stream it Today!
If you need a little more monster in your life, and we all do, but want something endearing, wholesome, and delightfully spooky, “The Munsters” is your perfect fix. And it’s a great way to introduce kids to the horror genre without scaring them.
The best news? You can watch the entire classic series, all 72 episodes (some in black and white, some in color), for free with ads on Tubi or The Roku Channel.
