| The Munsters | |
|---|---|
 Season One opening, with Yvonne De Carlo featured behind the title | |
| Created by | Allan Burns Chris Hayward[1] |
| Developed by | Norm Liebmann Ed Haas |
| Starring | Fred Gwynne Yvonne De Carlo Al Lewis Beverley Owen (1964) Pat Priest (1964–66) Butch Patrick |
| Theme music composer | Jack Marshall Bob Mosher (unaired lyrics) |
| Opening theme | "The Munsters' Theme" |
| Ending theme | “The Munsters’ Theme” |
| Composer | Jack Marshall |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 70 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producers | Joe Connelly Bob Mosher |
| Production locations | Universal Studios, Universal City, California |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 23-26 minutes |
| Production companies | Kayro-Vue Productions Universal Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | September 24, 1964 – May 12, 1966 |
| Related | |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
The Munsters is an American sitcom about the home life of a family of benign monsters that aired from 1964 to 1966 on CBS. The series stars Fred Gwynne as Frankenstein's monster[Notes 1] Herman Munster, Yvonne De Carlo as his vampire wife Lily,[2] Al Lewis as Grandpa the aged vampire Count Dracula,[Notes 2] Beverley Owen (later replaced by Pat Priest) as their niece Marilyn, and Butch Patrick as their werewolf-like son Eddie. The family pet, named "Spot", was a fire-breathing dragon.
Produced by the creators of Leave It to Beaver, the series was a satire of American suburban life, the wholesome television family fare of the era and traditional monster movies.[3][4] It achieved higher Nielsen ratings than did the similarly macabre-themed The Addams Family, which aired concurrently on ABC.
In 1965, The Munsters was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series[5] but lost to The Rogues. In the 21st century, it received several TV Land Award nominations, including one for Most Uninsurable Driver (Herman Munster).[6]
The series originally aired on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. from September 24, 1964 to May 12, 1966. Seventy episodes were produced. The show was canceled after ratings had dropped to a series low in the face of competition from ABC's Batman.[7] Patrick said, "I think Batman was to blame. Batman just came along and took our ratings away."[8] However, The Munsters found a large audience in syndication. A spinoff series ensued, as well as several films, including one with a theatrical release and several more recent attempts to reboot it.[9]
- ^ Fox, Margalit (December 19, 2006). "Chris Hayward, 81, TV Writer and a Creator of 'Munsters,' Is Dead". The New York Times. Retrieved October 10, 2010.
- ^ "Yvonne De Carlo Is The Mama In a Nice Monster Family". St. Petersburg Times. June 23, 1964. Archived from the original on June 6, 2020. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
- ^ "The Munsters: The Complete First Season". DVD Talk. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
- ^ "The Munsters: The Complete Series". DVD Talk. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
- ^ "Munsters, The". Golden Globes. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
- ^ Genzlinger, Neil (March 14, 2005). "'TV Land Awards' turn back the time". Chicago Tribune. New York Times News Service. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
- ^ Fred John Del, Bianco Jr. (2012). 50 Favs of the '60s '70s '80s: A Look Back at Three Dynamic Decades. AuthorHouse. p. 58. ISBN 978-1-468-56111-1.
- ^ Nolasco, Stephanie (October 30, 2019). "'Munsters' child star Butch Patrick explains why hit '60s series came to an end". Fox News. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
- ^ Decaro, Frank (October 26, 2008). "A Neighborhood Where Every Day Was Halloween". The New York Times. Retrieved October 10, 2010.
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