The Munsters: America's First Family of Fright

Although it was only on the air for two seasons, The Munsters is an American television classic. It was originally aired in September of 1964 by CBS. In September of 1966, the show closed, but subsequently continued in syndication. It features a family of horror movie monsters and their day-to-day lives and experiences living in modern-day society. One of the main components that made the show so humorous was the fact that the characters did not realize that they were at all different from everyone else. It is therefore needless to say that their interaction with society yielded hilarious results. The frightened reactions of those that they came into contact with was the stem of much of the humor. The Munsters was shot and aired in black and white and was created by Allan Burns and Chris Hayward. The Munsters have long been considered a rival of The Addams Family which coincidentally premiered the same week and also ended after two seasons in 1966. The Munsters lasted 70 episodes and starred Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo (who recently passed away on January 8, 2007), Pat Priest, Al Lewis and Butch Patrick.

Meet Herman Munster, wonderfully portrayed by Fred Gwynne, he is the patriarch of the Munster household. He was created in Germany by Dr. Frankenstein himself. He was subsequently taken in by the Munster family of England. He moved to Transylvania where he met and married his wife, Lily. Although he is 150 years old, he is a bit of a bufoon and often acts like a child (especially when he does not get his way). He is an employee of Gateman, Goodbury and Graves Funeral Parlor. He stands at seven-foot-three and (just like the Universal Studios rendition of Frankenstein's monster) has a flat head and electrodes obtruding from his neck. He has a green complection and is always seen in a slightly ill-fitting black suit. He has a twin brother: a scam artisit named Charlie.

Born in Transylvania, the lovely Lily Dracula Munster is the family matriarch. She is the daughter of Sam Dracula (a.k.a. Grandpa). She has a brother named Lester (a werewolf) and an unnamed sister. Her attire typically includes a flowing gown and a bat medallion which she wears around her neck. She has flowing black hair with a distinctive white streak (reminiscent of the "Bride of Frankenstein"). She is a housewife whose duties include caring for her family, cooking, spreading dirt throughout the house and ending the constant bickering between her father and husband. Lily is played by Yvonne De Carlo.

Sam Dracula (more commonly known as Grandpa) has been married several times and has a daughter (Lily), a son (Lester), and an unnamed child. He is a mad scientist who spends much of his time in his laboratory, which is located in the cellar. He is a shape-shifter and can transform himself into a bat and a wolf. Grandpa usually wears his cape and is almost always working on a new potion or invention. Grandpa is lovably sarcastic and is portrayed by Al Lewis.

Marilyn Munster is the daughter of Lily's sister. She is the only member of the family to have a completely normal, non-ghoulish appearance. She is strikingly pretty in a Marilyn Monroe sort of way and has blonde hair. The rest of the family is slightly embarrassed by her "ugliness," but they love her anyway. Marilyn is completely oblivious to the fact that her family is slightly odd. She instead blames herself for her inability to keep a boyfriend (when in fact it is her family that frightens the young men away). It is never mentioned why or how she came to live with her Aunt Lily and Uncle Herman however, she stayed with them throughout the whole show. She attends Westbury College. Marilyn was originally played by Beverly Owen who quit the show after only thirteen episodes. She was replaced by Pat Priest who remained until the show ended.

Edward Wolfgang Munster (better known as Eddie) is your typical little boy, minus the fact that he happens to be a werewolf and sleeps in a coffin. He is approximately nine years old and is in elementary school. He has a cherished doll named Woof-Woof and often enjoys howling at the moon and playing with the neighborhood children. He is portrayed by Butch Patrick.

The Munsters' home is an eerie mansion located at 1313 Mockingbird Lane, Mockingbird Heights. The mansion has a gothic decor, fully equipped with an abundance of dust and cobwebs. The family has several pets. Spot is their fire-breathing dragon; he spends all of his time underneath the staircase. Igor is Grandpa's pet and assisstant; he usually "hangs out" in the laboratory. Charlie is a talking raven. He lives in a cuckoo clock and frquently says "Nevermore" (obviously an allusion to Edgar Allan Poe's infamous poem, The Raven). The Munsters also have several vicious goldfish, a snake named Elmer and last but not least, "Kitty Cat," a black cat who appears normal but has the roar of a lion.

Although it was a short-lived series, The Munsters is beloved by many and is etched in American television history. It is still shown today on TV Land, a cable station that exclusively features classic television shows.