“Creepy and kooky, mysterious and spooky,” The Addams Family remains one of the most beloved television adaptations born from a 1960s comic strip. Inspired by Charles Addams’ single-panel cartoons in The New Yorker, this darkly comedic series premiered in 1964 and has since captivated generations. From animated series in the 1970s to a Halloween reunion special, and a successful film trilogy in the 1990s, the Addams Family’s eerie charm has transcended decades. Netflix’s 2022 spin-off, Wednesday, starring Jenna Ortega, further cemented the family’s global appeal, sparking viral trends like recreations of Ortega’s dance to “Goo Goo Muck.” Beyond the screen, The Addams Family universe extends to Broadway and video games, proving its enduring cultural impact.
But how well do you really know the original Addams Family tv show? Let’s unearth ten fascinating and eerie facts about this classic series that might just surprise you.
Fact 1: Before they graced the television screen, Charles Addams’ iconic characters were nameless. It wasn’t until the 1964 The Addams Family TV show was in development that Addams, working with the show’s producers, finally gave names to the peculiar family members. A fun fact for trivia enthusiasts: Wednesday Addams has a middle name – Friday!
Fact 2: “Da-da-da-dum, snap snap!” The iconic theme song is as synonymous with The Addams Family tv show as the characters themselves. This catchy and instantly recognizable tune was composed by Vic Mizzy. In a cost-saving move, the studio initially hesitated to hire a vocal trio. Mizzy ingeniously used multi-tracking to record himself singing all three vocal parts, creating the memorable chorus we all know and love.
Fact 3: John Astin, who perfectly embodied Gomez Addams, initially auditioned for a very different role: Lurch. During auditions, Astin found it challenging to picture himself as the towering butler. However, the producers wisely recognized his comedic talent and charismatic energy were ideally suited for the patriarch, Gomez Addams, leading to his iconic casting.
Fact 4: The Addams Family TV show debuted the same week as another macabre-themed, black-and-white family sitcom, The Munsters. To avoid direct comparisons and carve out their own identities, both shows consciously avoided casting guest stars who had appeared on the other series. John Astin himself drew a distinction between the two in interviews, arguing that The Munsters were outwardly monstrous but essentially ordinary, while The Addams Family, despite their normal appearance, were profoundly eccentric. Despite these efforts, audiences often conflated the two shows. David Levy, The Addams Family series creator, clarified the show’s premise to columnist Erskine Johnson: “We have made [the family] full-bodied people, not monsters… They are not grotesque and hideous manifestations. At the same time we are protecting the images of Charles Addams’ ‘children,’ as he refers to them. We are living up to the spirit of his cartoons.”
Fact 5: Ted Cassidy, famed for his portrayal of Lurch, pulled double duty on The Addams Family set. Beyond his iconic grunts and lumbering presence as the butler, Cassidy also played Thing. Thing, the disembodied hand, would emerge from various boxes and locations within the Addams mansion and even the mailbox, all thanks to Cassidy’s versatile performance – or rather, handiwork.
Fact 6: Despite the transition to color television during the show’s run, The Addams Family TV show was filmed entirely in black and white, mirroring the stark and shadowy aesthetic of Charles Addams’ original cartoons. Interestingly, the actual interior walls of the Addams family house set were painted pink. This choice, while seemingly bizarre, was likely made to create better contrast and depth when filmed in grayscale, highlighting the gothic atmosphere.
Fact 7: In a testament to Hollywood’s resourcefulness, some of the interior decorations and set pieces used for The Addams Family house were recycled from the movie The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Both productions were under the MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) banner and filmed around the same time, making it a practical and cost-effective solution. The Unsinkable Molly Brown was released just months before The Addams Family premiered.
Fact 8: Long before home computers became commonplace, the Addams Family were television pioneers. They hold the distinction of being the first TV family to own a home computer. While Bruce Wayne’s Batcomputer in the Batcave came later, the UNIVAC (Universal Automatic Computer) featured on The Addams Family offered television’s first glimpse into domestic computing, albeit in a quirky, Addams Family way.
Fact 9: Gomez Addams’ cigar-smoking habit was more than just a character quirk; it was a nod to the show’s sponsor, Dutch Masters Cigars. Adding to Gomez’s eccentric persona, John Astin developed a habit of extinguishing his lit cigars in his coat pocket. To ensure actor safety amidst this peculiar routine, the prop department lined Astin’s suit pockets with asbestos, a fire-resistant material, although now known to be highly toxic.
Fact 10: The Addams Family’s spooky charm extended to Saturday morning cartoons. In 1972, The New Scooby-Doo Movies featured an episode titled “Wednesday is Missing,” which served as a crossover and quasi-reunion for The Addams Family cast. John Astin, Carolyn Jones, Jackie Coogan, and Ted Cassidy all reprised their roles in voice acting form. Notably, a young Jodie Foster, at age 11, voiced Pugsley Addams. This animated appearance paved the way for The Addams Family animated series in 1973.
