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The Addams Family

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For other uses, see The Addams Family (disambiguation).

The Addams Family
File:Addams Family.jpg
One of Charles Addams' original cartoons, An Addams Family Holiday, showing (from left to right) Pugsley, Wednesday, Gomez, Aristotle the octopus, Fester, and Morticia Addams
Created byCharles Addams
Original workThe New Yorker cartoons
OwnersMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer (current rights holder)
Orion Pictures (original TV series and 1991 film)
Warner Bros. Entertainment (Hanna-Barbera 1973 & 1992 TV series, Scooby Doo crossover and 1998 film)
Paramount Pictures (1991 & 1993 films)
Disney Platform Distribution (1998 TV series)
Universal Pictures
United Artists Releasing (2019 & 2021 films)
Netflix (Wednesday 2022 TV series)
Print publications
ComicsSee below (1938)
Films and television
Film(s)
Short film(s)The Addams Family Fun-House (1973)
Television series
Television special(s)
Direct-to-videoAddams Family Reunion (1998)
Theatrical presentations
Musical(s)
Games
Video game(s)List of video games
Audio
Soundtrack(s)The Addams Family
Official website
The Addams Family

The Addams Family is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 unrelated single-panel cartoons, about half of which were originally published in The New Yorker over a 50-year period from their inception in 1938. They have since been adapted to other media, such as television, film, video games, comic books, a musical and merchandising.

The Addamses are a satirical inversion of the ideal 20th-century American family: an odd wealthy aristocratic clan who delight in the macabre and are seemingly unaware or unconcerned that other people find them bizarre or frightening. Beginning with the 1964 television series, the Addams Family consists of Gomez and Morticia Addams, their children Wednesday and Pugsley, close family members Uncle Fester[a] and Grandmama,[b] their butler Lurch, and Pugsley's pet octopus, Aristotle. The dimly seen Thing (later a disembodied hand) was introduced in 1954, and Gomez's Cousin Itt and Morticia's pet lion Kitty Kat in 1964. Pubert Addams, Wednesday and Pugsley's infant brother, was introduced in the 1993 film Addams Family Values.[c]

In 1964, a live-action television series premiered on ABC and ran for two seasons. It subsequently inspired a telefilm titled Halloween with the New Addams Family and cameos from the cast in other shows. An unrelated animated series aired in 1973. The franchise was revived in the 1990s with a feature film series consisting of The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993). The films inspired a second animated series (1992–1993) which is set in the same fictional universe. The series was rebooted with a 1998 direct-to-video film and a spin-off live-action television series (1998–1999). In 2010, a live musical adaptation featuring Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth opened on Broadway and was nominated for two Tony Awards and eight Drama Desk Awards. The series was again rebooted in 2019 with the animated film The Addams Family, which led to a sequel in 2021.

The franchise has become a staple of popular culture. It has spawned a video game series, academic books, and soundtracks which are based around its Grammy-nominated theme song. They have had a profound influence on American comics, cinema and television, and are seen as an inspiration for the goth subculture and its fashion.

History

Original The New Yorker cartoons (1938–1964)

Charles Addams began as a cartoonist in The New Yorker with a sketch of a window washer that ran on February 6, 1932.[2] The first Addams Family cartoon was published in 1938, in a one-panel gag format. Charles Addams became a regular contributor to The New Yorker, and drew approximately 1,300 cartoons between then and his death in 1988. 58 of these would feature the Addams Family, almost all of which were published in the 1940s and 1950s.[3]

In 1946, Addams met science fiction writer Ray Bradbury after drawing an illustration for Bradbury's short story "Homecoming" in Mademoiselle magazine, the first in a series of tales chronicling a family of Illinois monsters, the Elliotts. Bradbury and Addams became friends and planned to collaborate on a book of the Elliott Family's complete history, with Bradbury writing and Addams providing the illustrations, but it never materialized. Bradbury's Elliott Family stories were anthologized in From the Dust Returned (2001), with a connecting narrative, an explanation of his work with Addams, and Addams's 1946 Mademoiselle illustration used for the book's cover jacket. Although Addams's own characters were well established by the time of their initial encounter, in a 2001 interview, Bradbury states that Addams "went his way and created the Addams Family and I went my own way and created my family in this book."[4]

Outside of The New Yorker, Addams also published several collections, the most notable being Dear Dead Days: A Family Album in 1959. The editor of The New Yorker, William Shawn prevented any further Addams family cartoons from being printed after the 1964 launch of the television franchise.[3]

TV adaptations and rise to popularity (1964–1977)

A 1964 television adaptation brought the series to a much wider audience and was well received. Producer Nat Perrin took a "less evil" approach to the characters and stories than Addams had in the cartoons, emphasizing lighter, more comedic elements. Stephen Cox later referred to the series as "more zany than spooky". The popular series, broadcast on the ABC network, ran only two seasons.

The franchise remained in the popular consciousness even after the series concluded, with the "Lurch" dance move remaining popular through the 1960s for example. The television series was often re-run through television syndication for years afterward, in some areas continuing to broadcast as late as 1991. It was followed by a 1972 crossover appearance in Scooby-Doo and a 1973 animated series. The animated incarnation featured a new cast except for Felix Silla, who returned as Cousin Itt. A one-shot special, Halloween with the New Addams Family, reunited most of the original cast from the 1964 series.[3]

Film series

The franchise was largely inactive throughout the 1980s. The 1987 retirement of William Shawn allowed a brief return of the cartoons to The New Yorker, though Charles Addams himself died only a year later.

Two live-action films were directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and released in the early 1990s, featuring a new cast. While the 1991 film received mixed reviews from critics, it performed reasonably well at the box office. A second film in 1993, Addams Family Values, had the inverse reception. It was highly regarded by critics but, unexpectedly, performed poorly at the box office, and earned less than half the revenue of its predecessor. This, and the sudden death of Gomez actor Raul Julia in 1994, prevented Sonnenfeld from producing further films.[3] Both received nominations for Academy Awards, BAFTA Awards, and Hugo Awards. For her role as Morticia, Anjelica Huston was twice nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, and Raul Julia (as Gomez), Christina Ricci (as Wednesday), Christopher Lloyd (as Fester), and Joan Cusack (as Fester's wife, Debbie Jellinsky, in the sequel) received multiple Saturn Award and American Comedy Award nominations for their portrayals. Following the wave of interest in the franchise, a 1992 animated television series notably saw John Astin reprise his role as Gomez, almost thirty years after his first appearance in the role in 1964. It was nominated for four Daytime Emmy Awards, including one for Astin.

A direct-to-video film was produced by Saban Entertainment in 1998 and featured a returning Carel Struycken as Lurch, though was otherwise unrelated to the Sonnenfeld films and was very poorly received. The film was intended as the pilot to a Canadian-produced live-action television series, The New Addams Family, which aired until the following year. Astin, then in his late 60s, returned as Grandpapa Addams, rather than Gomez.

Animated revival

A Tim Burton stop-motion film was announced in 2010 but never developed. Instead, a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animated film was announced in 2013. Unlike the Burton version, this would use 3D computer animation. The film was eventually released in 2019, to a moderate box-office reception. A sequel, released in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, was far less successful. The first film received mixed audience reception, while the second film received negative audience reception with the two films scoring 45% and 28% on review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, respectively.

Premise and background

Gomez and Pugsley are enthusiastic. Morticia is even in disposition, muted, witty, sometimes deadly. Grandma Frump is foolishly good-natured. Wednesday is her mother's daughter. A closely-knit family, the real head being Morticia—although each of the others is a definite character—except for Grandma, who is easily led. Many of the troubles they have as a family are due to Grandma's fumbling, weak character. The house is a wreck, of course, but this is a house-proud family just the same and every trap door is in good repair. Money is no problem.

— Charles Addams[1]

The family appears to be a branch of an extensive Addams clan with relatives all over the world. In the original television series they are said to be related to "those one-D Adamses", a fact the family are deeply ashamed of. According to the film version, the family credo is, Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc (pseudo-Latin: "We gladly feast on those who would subdue us"). Charles Addams was first inspired by his hometown of Westfield, New Jersey, an area full of ornate Victorian mansions and archaic graveyards.[5] In the original comics series they live in a gothic house on Cemetery Ridge. According to the television series, the residence is a gloomy mansion adjacent to a cemetery and a swamp located in an unspecified American town. In the musical (first shown in Chicago in 2009), the house is located in Central Park.[6] In the 2019 film, the Addamses live in an abandoned asylum located in the outskirts of the state of New Jersey which is haunted by a disembodied resident who demands the property to remain undisturbed.

Although most of the humor derives from the fact that they share macabre interests, such as putting each other and themselves in the way of bodily harm (none of which seems to have an effect), the Addamses are not evil. They are a close-knit extended family. Morticia is an exemplary mother, and she and Gomez remain passionate towards each other; as established in the television series, she calls him "bubbeleh",[7] to which he responds by kissing her arms, behavior which Morticia can also provoke by speaking a few words in French (their meanings are not important; any words in French will do). The parents are supportive of their children (except in the 2019 film when Wednesday arrives home wearing a pink dress). The family is friendly and hospitable to visitors; in some cases, it is willing to donate large sums of money to causes (television series and films), despite the visitors' horror at the Addamses' peculiar lifestyle. The characters were unnamed until the advent of the 1964 television adaptation, except for Wednesday and Morticia who were first named for a 1962 licensed doll collection.[3]

Adaptations

Television

SeasonSeriesEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast airedNetwork
1The Addams Family34September 18, 1964 (1964-09-18)May 21, 1965 (1965-05-21)ABC
230September 17, 1965 (1965-09-17)April 8, 1966 (1966-04-08)
The New Scooby-Doo Movies crossoverSeptember 23, 1972 (1972-09-23)CBS
3The Addams Family16September 8, 1973 (1973-09-08)December 22, 1973 (1973-12-22)NBC
Halloween specialOctober 30, 1977 (1977-10-30)
4The Addams Family13September 12, 1992 (1992-09-12)December 5, 1992 (1992-12-05)ABC
58September 18, 1993 (1993-09-18)November 6, 1993 (1993-11-06)
6The New Addams Family65October 19, 1998 (1998-10-19)August 28, 1999 (1999-08-28)YTV (Canada)
Fox Family Channel (United States)
7Wednesday8November 23, 2022 (2022-11-23)Netflix

The Addams Family (1964–1966)

Main article: The Addams Family (1964 TV series)

In 1964, the ABC TV network created The Addams Family television series based on Addams's cartoon characters. The series was shot in black-and-white and aired for two seasons in 64 half-hour episodes (September 18, 1964 – September 2, 1966). During the original television run of The Addams Family television series, The New Yorker editor William Shawn refused to publish any Addams Family cartoons. However, he continued to publish other Charles Addams cartoons. Shawn regarded his magazine as targeting a more refined readership and he did not want it to be associated with characters who could be seen on television by the more general public. After Shawn's 1987 retirement, the characters were welcomed back to The New Yorker.

The New Scooby-Doo Movies (1972)

The Addams Family's first animated appearance was on the third episode of Hanna-Barbera's The New Scooby-Doo Movies, "Scooby-Doo Meets the Addams Family" (a.k.a. "Wednesday is Missing"), which first aired on CBS Saturday morning, on September 23, 1972. Four members of the original cast (John Astin, Carolyn Jones, Jackie Coogan, and Ted Cassidy) returned for the special, which involved the Addamses in a mystery with the Scooby-Doo gang. The Addams Family characters were drawn to the specifications of the original Charles Addams cartoons. After the episode aired, fans wanted more animated adventures featuring the Addamses, and Hanna-Barbera obliged.

The Addams Family Fun-House (1973)

In late 1972, ABC produced a pilot for a live-action musical variety show which was titled The Addams Family Fun-House. The cast included Jack Riley and Liz Torres as Gomez and Morticia (the pair also co-wrote the special), Stubby Kaye as Uncle Fester, Pat McCormick as Lurch and Butch Patrick (who had played Eddie Munster on The Munsters) as Pugsley. Felix Silla reprised his role as Cousin Itt, connecting it to the original TV series. The pilot aired in 1973, but it was not picked up for a series.[8]

The Addams Family (1973)

Main article: The Addams Family (1973 animated series)

The first animated series ran on Saturday mornings from 1973 to 1975 on NBC. In a departure from the original series, this series took the Addamses on the road in a Victorian-style RV. This series also marked the point where the relationships between the characters were changed so that Fester was now Gomez's brother, and Grandmama was now Morticia's mother (though the old relationships between the characters would be revisited in the 1977 television movie, in order to retain its continuity with the original sitcom). Although Coogan and Cassidy reprised their roles, Astin and Jones did not; their parts were recast with Hanna-Barbera voice talents Lennie Weinrib as Gomez and Janet Waldo as Morticia, while a ten-year-old Jodie Foster provided the voice of Pugsley. Again, the characters were drawn to the specifications of the original Charles Addams cartoons. One season was produced, and the second season consisted of reruns. The show's theme music was completely different and it had no lyrics and no finger snaps, although it retained a bit of the four-note score from the live-action show.

The Addams Family Comic Book

From 1974 to 1975, Gold Key Comics produced a comic book series in connection with the show, but it only lasted three issues. Each issue was adapted from a TV episode, starting with "In Search of the Boola-Boola" (October 1974).[9]

Halloween with the New Addams Family (1977)

Main article: Halloween with the New Addams Family

A television reunion movie, Halloween with the New Addams Family, aired on NBC on Sunday, October 30, 1977. It features most of the original cast, except Blossom Rock, who had played Grandmama. She was still alive but was very ill at the time; Jane Rose replaced her. Veteran character actors Parley Baer and Vito Scotti, who both had recurring roles on the original series, also appeared in the movie. The movie has a slightly different version of the theme song; the finger snaps are used but not the lyrics.

Gomez and Morticia have had two more children, Wednesday Jr. and Pugsley Jr., who strongly resemble their older siblings. Gomez's brother, Pancho, is staying with the family while Gomez attends a lodge meeting in Tombstone, Arizona. Gomez is jealous of his brother, who once courted Morticia. Halloween is nigh, and Pancho tells the children the legend of the Great Pumpkin-like character of Cousin Shy, who distributes gifts and carves pumpkins for good children on Halloween night. Wednesday (now called "Wednesday, Sr.") is home from music academy, where she is studying the piccolo (breaking glass with it). Pugsley (now "Pugsley, Sr.") is home from Nairobi medical school, where he is training to be a witch doctor. The family's home has been bugged by a gang of crooks which intends to steal the family's fortune. Lafferty, the boss, sends a gang member named Mikey into the house to investigate. Mikey panics and flees after treading on the tail of Kitty Kat the lion. The crooks employ a fake Gomez and Morticia to help them carry out their plans, along with two strong-arm goons, Hercules and Atlas. Gomez returns home to celebrate the Halloween party and trim the scarecrow. Lafferty poses as Quincy Addams (from Boston) to gain entrance to the house during the party. He has his men tie up Gomez and Morticia, and his doubles take their places, confusing Pancho, who is still in love with Morticia, and Ophelia, who is still in love with Gomez. Gomez and Morticia escape (thanks to the "Old Piccolo Game"), and rejoin the party, only to have Lafferty use various methods to try to get rid of them. Lurch scares off the thugs and terrifies Lafferty's other assistant. Fester, trying to be nice, puts Lafferty on the rack. Lafferty tries to escape through the secret passage and steps on Kitty Kat's tail. When the police arrive, the crooks gladly surrender. The Addamses are then free to celebrate Halloween happily, ending the night by singing together in welcome for Cousin Shy.

The Addams Family: The Animated Series (1992–1993)

Main article: The Addams Family (1992 animated series)

The remake series ran on Saturday mornings from 1992 to 1993 on ABC after producers realized the success of the 1991 Addams Family movie. This series returned to the familiar format of the original series, with the Addams Family facing their sitcom situations at home. John Astin returned to the role of Gomez, and celebrities Rip Taylor and Carol Channing took over the roles of Fester and Grandmama, respectively. Veteran voice actors Jim Cummings, Debi Derryberry, Jeannie Elias and Pat Fraley did the voices of Lurch, Wednesday, Pugsley and Cousin Itt, respectively. New artistic models of the characters were used for this series, though still having a passing resemblance to the original cartoons. Two seasons were produced, with the third year containing reruns. Oddly in this series, Wednesday maintained her macabre, brooding attitude from the Addams Family movies. Still, her facial expressions and body language conveyed the happy-go-lucky, fun attitude of her portrayal in the original television show. The original Vic Mizzy theme song, although slightly different, was used for the opening.

The New Addams Family (1998–1999)

Main article: The New Addams Family

The New Addams Family was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and ran for 65 episodes (one more than the original TV series) during the 1998–1999 season on the then-newly launched Fox Family Channel. Many storylines from the original series were reworked for this new series, incorporating more modern elements and jokes. John Astin returned to the franchise in some episodes of this series, albeit as "Grandpapa" Addams (Gomez's grandfather, a character introduced in Addams Family Reunion). The cast included Glenn Taranto as Gomez Addams, Ellie Harvie as Morticia, Michael Roberds as Fester, Brody Smith as Pugsley, Nicole Fugere (the only cast member from Addams Family Reunion to return) as Wednesday, John DeSantis as Lurch, Betty Phillips as Grandmama and Steven Fox as Thing.

Wednesday (2022)

Main article: Wednesday (TV series)

In 2021, Netflix announced a live-action TV series adaptation based on the character of Wednesday Addams, starring Jenna Ortega as the title character. Produced by MGM Television, with Alfred Gough and Miles Millar as showrunners and Tim Burton as series director in his first televised directorial effort.[10] Wednesday, a student at Nevermore Academy, solves mysteries using her psychic ability. These include murders and a 25-year-old mystery involving her family.[11] Luis Guzmán stars as Gomez,[12] and Catherine Zeta-Jones stars as Morticia.[13] Hunter Doohan, Georgie Farmer, Moosa Mostafa, Emma Myers, Naomi J. Ogawa, Joy Sunday, Percy Hynes White, Thora Birch, Riki Lindhome, Jamie McShane and Gwendoline Christie were added to the cast as series regulars.[14][15] In March 2022, Christina Ricci, who portrayed Wednesday in The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993), had joined the cast as a series regular.[16]

Feature films

Crew/detail Live action Animated
The Addams Family (1991) Addams Family Values (1993) Addams Family Reunion (1998) The Addams Family (2019) The Addams Family 2 (2021)
Director Barry Sonnenfeld Dave Payne Conrad Vernon
Greg Tiernan 		Conrad Vernon
Greg Tiernan
Co-directed by:
Laura Brousseau
Kevin Pavlovic[17]
Producer Scott Rudin Mike Elliott Gail Berman
Conrad Vernon
Alex Schwartz
Alison O'Brien 		Gail Berman
Conrad Vernon
Danielle Sterling
Alison O’Brien
Writer(s) Caroline Thompson
Larry Wilson 		Paul Rudnick Rob Kerchner
Scott Sandin 		Screenplay by:
Matt Lieberman
Story by:
Matt Lieberman
Erica Rivinoja
Conrad Vernon 		Screenplay by:
Dan Hernandez
Benji Samit
Ben Queen
Susanna Fogel
Story by:
Dan Hernandez
Benji Samit
Based on The Addams Family
by Charles Addams
Composer Marc Shaiman Amotz Plessner Mychael Danna
Jeff Danna
Cinematography Owen Roizman Donald Peterman Christian Sebaldt —
Editor(s) Dede Allen Arthur Schmidt
Jim Miller 		J. J. Jackson David Ian Salter Ryan Folsay
Production company Paramount Pictures
Scott Rudin Productions 		Scott Rudin Productions Saban Entertainment Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Bron Creative
Nitrogen Studios
Cinesite Studios
The Jackal Group 		Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Bron Creative
Nitrogen Studios
Cinesite Studios
The Jackal Group
Glickmania
Distributor Paramount Pictures (United States and Latin America)
Columbia Pictures (International)[18] 		Paramount Pictures Warner Home Video United Artists Releasing (United States)
Universal Pictures (International)
Runtime 99 minutes 94 minutes 91 minutes 87 minutes 93 minutes
Release date November 22, 1991 November 19, 1993 September 22, 1998 October 11, 2019 October 1, 2021

The Addams Family (1991)

Main article: The Addams Family (1991 film)

In the 1990s, Orion Pictures (which by then had inherited the rights to the series) developed a film version, The Addams Family (released on November 22, 1991). Because of the studio's financial troubles at the time, Orion sold the US rights to the film to Paramount Pictures. On October 1, 2019, Paramount Pictures[19] released double feature of Addams Family and Addams Family Values on Blu-ray in the United States.

Addams Family Values (1993)

Main article: Addams Family Values

Upon the last film's success, a sequel followed: Addams Family Values (released on November 19, 1993, with worldwide distribution by Paramount). Loosened content restrictions allowed the films to use far more grotesque humor that strove to keep the Addams cartoons' original spirit (in fact, several gags were lifted straight from the single-panel cartoons). The two films used the same cast, except for Grandmama, played by Judith Malina and Carol Kane in the first and second films, respectively. A script for a third film was prepared in 1994, but was abandoned after the sudden death of actor Raul Julia that year.

Addams Family Reunion (1998)

Main article: Addams Family Reunion

Another film, Addams Family Reunion, was released direct-to-video on September 22, 1998, this time by Warner Bros. through its video division. It has no relation to the Paramount movies, being in fact a full-length pilot for a second live-action television version, The New Addams Family, produced and shot in Canada. The third movie's Gomez, played by Tim Curry, follows the style of Raul Julia, while the new sitcom's Gomez, played by Glenn Taranto, is played in the style of John Astin, who had played the character in the 1960s. The only actors in this Warner Bros./Saban Entertainment production to have played in the previous Paramount films were Carel Struycken as Lurch and Christopher Hart as Thing.

Cancelled film

In 2010, it was announced that Illumination Entertainment, in partnership with Universal Pictures, had acquired the underlying rights to the Addams Family drawings.[20] The film was planned to be a stop-motion animated film based on Charles Addams's original drawings. Tim Burton was set to co-write and co-produce the film, with a possibility to direct.[21] In July 2013 however, it was reported that the film was cancelled.[22]

The Addams Family (2019) and The Addams Family 2 (2021)

Main articles: The Addams Family (2019 film) and The Addams Family 2

On October 31, 2013, it was announced in Variety that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer will be reviving The Addams Family as an animated film with Pamela Pettler to write the screenplay and Andrew Mittman and Kevin Miserocchi to executive produce the film and they were in final negotiations with BermanBraun's Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun to produce it.[23] By October 2017, Conrad Vernon had been hired to direct the film, which he will also produce along with Berman and Alex Schwartz, based on a screenplay written by Pettler, with revisions by Matt Lieberman.[24] The film was released on October 11, 2019.[25] On October 8, 2020, MGM announced that a sequel is in the works with an announcement trailer.[26] The original cast set to return. Bill Hader and Javon "Wanna" Walton have also been cast to voice. Bill Hader played a new character named Dr. Cyrus Strange, while Javon replaced Finn Wolfhard as the voice of Pugsley Addams. Directors Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon returned as directors. The film was released on October 1, 2021.[27]

Homages and adaptations

  • An animated television homage was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. Mr. & Mrs. J. Evil Scientist, a family of fictional characters inspired by The Addams Family appeared on the Snagglepuss and Snooper and Blabber animated television series beginning in 1959 and it also starred in its own comic book.
  • Comedian Melissa Hunter wrote the web series Adult Wednesday Addams, which is a comedic adaptation of the franchise.[28] Hunter was forced to remove the series due to legal action.
  • In an episode of Horrible Histories a song titled "The Borgia Family" was created in reference to the Addams Family Theme.
  • In 1964, the year The Addams Family debuted, Hanna-Barbera introduced Weirdly and Creepella Gruesome and family, based in part on Mr. & Mrs. J. Evil Scientist and in part on the Addamses, as recurrent characters on The Flintstones.[29]

Video games

Main article: The Addams Family (video game series)

Ten video games released from 1989 to 2021 were based on The Addams Family.

Pinball

Further information: The Addams Family (pinball)

A pinball game by Midway (under the Bally label) was released in 1992 shortly after the movie. It is the best-selling pinball game of all time.[31]

Books

The Addams Family

This first novelisation of the television series, written by Jack Sharkey, was released near the end of the show's second season. The book details the family's arrival in their new home and explains how it got its bizarre décor. The arrival and origins of Thing are explained. Each chapter reads as a self-contained story, like episodes of the television show. The novel concludes with the Addams family discovering that their lives will be the basis for a new television series. It was published in paperback by Pyramid Books in 1965.[32]

The Addams Family Strikes Back

The Addams Family Strikes Back by W.F. Miksch tells how Gomez plans to rehabilitate the image of Benedict Arnold by running for the local school board. The tone and characterizations in this book resemble the TV characters much more closely than in the first novel. Cousin Itt appears as a minor character in this story, but as a tiny, three-legged creature rather than the hairy, derby-hatted character seen on television and in the movies. The novel was published in paperback form by Pyramid Books in 1965.[32]

The Addams Family: An Evilution

Further information: The Addams Family: An Evilution

The Addams Family: An Evilution is a book about the "evilution" of The Addams Family characters, with more than 200 published and previously unpublished cartoons, and includes text by Charles Addams and H. Kevin Miserocchi, Director of the Tee and Charles Addams Foundation. Pomegranate Press published the book in 2010.

Advertising

In 1994, the actors cast as the Addamses in the first two films (sans the recently deceased Raul Julia) were in several Japanese television spots for the Honda Odyssey.[33] The Addamses are seen speaking Japanese—most prominently Gomez (for whom a voice actor was used to impersonate Julia while footage from Addams Family Values was seen) and Morticia.[34]

In 2007 and 2008, the Addams Family appeared as M&M's in an advertising campaign for M&M's Dark Chocolate.[35]

Soundtrack

A theme song for the 1964 TV series as well as a soundtrack album the next year were released, both composed by Vic Mizzy and the latter containing all of his compositions for the series entitled Original Music From The Addams Family.[36]

Musical

The Addams Family

Main article: The Addams Family (musical)

In May 2007, it was announced that a musical inspired by The Addams Family drawings by Charles Addams was being developed for the Broadway stage. Broadway veterans Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice wrote the book, and Andrew Lippa wrote the score. Julian Crouch and Phelim McDermott (Improbable theatre founders) directed and designed the production, with choreography by Sergio Trujillo.[37] A workshop and private industry presentation was held August 4–8, 2008. Featured in the cast were Bebe Neuwirth as Morticia, Krysta Rodriguez as Wednesday, and Nathan Lane as Gomez. In addition, Kevin Chamberlin played Uncle Fester and Zachary James played Lurch.

The musical opened in previews at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway on March 8, 2010, with an official opening on April 8,[38] after an out-of-town tryout in Chicago at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts from November 13, 2009, to January 10, 2010.[39][40] The cast includes Lane as Gomez, Neuwirth as Morticia, Terrence Mann as Mal Beineke, Carolee Carmello as Alice Beineke, Chamberlin as Uncle Fester, Jackie Hoffman as Grandma, Zachary James as Lurch, Krysta Rodriguez as Wednesday, and Wesley Taylor as Wednesday's love interest, Lucas Beineke.[41] The Broadway production ran for 22 months, closing on December 31, 2011, after 35 previews and 722 performances.[42]

On September 5, 2016, it was announced that the musical would premiere in the UK, on a major UK and Ireland tour produced by James Yeoburn and Stuart Matthew Price for United Theatrical.[43] The production was directed by Matthew White and it opened at Edinburgh Festival Theatre on April 20, 2017, starring Samantha Womack, Les Dennis and Carrie Hope Fletcher.[44]

Cast and characters

Show Gomez Addams Morticia Addams Pugsley Addams Wednesday Addams Uncle Fester Grandmama Lurch Thing Cousin Itt
The Addams Family (1964–66) John Astin Carolyn Jones Ken Weatherwax Lisa Loring Jackie Coogan Blossom Rock Ted Cassidy Ted Cassidy / Jack Voglin Felix Silla
The New Scooby-Doo Movies (1972) John Astin Carolyn Jones Jodie Foster Cindy Henderson Jackie Coogan Janet Waldo Ted Cassidy John Stephenson
The Addams Family Fun-House (1973) Jack Riley Liz Torres Butch Patrick Noelle Von Sonn Stubby Kaye Pat McCormick Felix Silla
The Addams Family (1973–74) Lennie Weinrib Janet Waldo Jodie Foster Cindy Henderson Jackie Coogan Janet Waldo Ted Cassidy John Stephenson
Halloween with the New Addams Family (1977) John Astin Carolyn Jones Ken Weatherwax Lisa Loring Jackie Coogan Jane Rose Ted Cassidy Ted Cassidy Felix Silla
The Addams Family (1991) Raul Julia Anjelica Huston Jimmy Workman Christina Ricci Christopher Lloyd Judith Malina Carel Struycken Christopher Hart John Franklin
The Addams Family (1992–1993) John Astin Nancy Linari Jeannie Elias Debi Derryberry Rip Taylor Carol Channing Jim Cummings Pat Fraley
Addams Family Values (1993) Raul Julia Anjelica Huston Jimmy Workman Christina Ricci Christopher Lloyd Carol Kane Carel Struycken Christopher Hart John Franklin
Addams Family Reunion (1998) Tim Curry Daryl Hannah Jerry Messing Nicole Fugere Patrick Thomas Alice Ghostley Carel Struycken Christopher Hart Phil Fondacaro
The New Addams Family (1998–99) Glenn Taranto Ellie Harvie Brody Smith Nicole Fugere Michael Roberds Betty Phillips John DeSantis Steven Fox David Mylrea / Paul Dobson
The Addams Family (musical) (2010) Nathan Lane Bebe Neuwirth Adam Riegler Krysta Rodriguez Kevin Chamberlin Jackie Hoffman Zachary James Fred Inkley Fred Inkley
The Addams Family (2019) Oscar Isaac Charlize Theron Finn Wolfhard Chloë Grace Moretz Nick Kroll Bette Midler Conrad Vernon Snoop Dogg
The Addams Family 2 (2021) Oscar Isaac Charlize Theron Javon "Wanna" Walton Chloë Grace Moretz Nick Kroll Bette Midler Conrad Vernon Snoop Dogg
Wednesday (2022–) Luis Guzmán Catherine Zeta-Jones Isaac Ordonez Jenna Ortega Fred Armisen George Burcea Victor Dorobantu

Legacy

The family has had a profound influence on American comics, cinema and television,[45][46][47] and it has also been seen as an inspiration for the goth subculture and its fashion.[48][49] According to The Telegraph, the Addamses "are one of the most iconic families in American history, up there with the Kennedys".[50] Similarly, Time has compared "the relevance and the cultural reach" of the family with those of the Kennedys and the Roosevelts, "so much a part of the American landscape that it's difficult to discuss the country's history without mentioning them".[51] For TV Guide, which listed the characters in the top ten of The 60 Greatest TV Families of All Time, the Addamses "provid[ed] the design for cartoonish clans to come, like the Flintstones and the Simpsons".[52] Owing to their popularity, the first feature-length adaptation has been identified as a "cult film",[53] while Addams Family Values was listed as one of The 50 Best family films by The Guardian[54] and nominated for the American Film Institute's 100 Years...100 Laughs at the turn of the century.[55] Ricci's portrayal of Wednesday in the film series was ranked one of The 100 Greatest Movie Characters by Empire,[56] and in 2011 AOL named Morticia one of The 100 Most Memorable Female TV Characters.[57]

See also

  • The Munsters – A franchise based on a sitcom with a similar premise.

Notes

  1. ^ There are canonical differences between the various incarnations of Fester Addams. In the two live-action feature films, both animated series, the 1998 television film, and the 2019 animated film, he is portrayed as Gomez's brother. In the 1964 television series, however, he is portrayed as Morticia's maternal uncle (via her mother, Hester Frump).
  2. ^ Just like Fester, there are canonical differences between the various incarnations of Grandmamma Addams. In the two live-action feature films, both animated series, and the 1998 television film, she is portrayed as Morticia's mother. In his notes for the original cartoons, Charles Addams even refers to her as Grandma Frump, rendering her Wednesday's and Pugsley's maternal grandmother.[1]: 2  In the 1964 television series and the 2019 animated film, however, she is portrayed as Gomez's mother.
  3. ^ In Halloween with the New Addams Family, Gomez and Morticia have a second son, Pugsley Jr., and a second daughter, Wednesday Jr. Meanwhile, in Addams Family Values, Gomez and Morticia welcome a third son, Pubert Addams. To this day, no released media has featured Pugsley Jr., Wednesday Jr., and Pubert together.

References

  1. ^ a b Miserocchi, H. Kevin; Charles Addams (March 31, 2010). The Addams Family: An Evilution. Pomegranate Books. ISBN 978-0-7649-5388-0. Archived from the original on May 28, 2014. Retrieved December 15, 2010.
  2. ^ Maslin, Janet (October 26, 2006), "In Search of the Dark Muse of a Master of the Macabre", The New York Times, p. E9, archived from the original on March 1, 2013, retrieved October 26, 2006
  3. ^ a b c d e Sauer, Patrick. "The Cultural History of 'The Addams Family'". Smithsonianmag.com. Archived from the original on November 2, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  4. ^ Grant, Gavin J. (2000). "Ray Bradbury Interview Part 1". IndieBound. Archived from the original on September 28, 2008. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
  5. ^ Potter Kass, Christy (October 13, 2010). "Westfield Native Charles Addams Still Very Much a Part of his Hometown; Addams Family Online Drawing Contest Ends October 20th". TheAlternativePress.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2010.
  6. ^ Jones, Chris (December 10, 2009). "'The Addams Family' at Oriental Theatre: In need of more 'Family' time". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on January 19, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  7. ^ Austro-Bavarian/Yiddish: Lit. "little boy"
  8. ^ MemorableTV.com. "The Addams Family Fun-House". MemorableTV.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2011. Retrieved December 4, 2010.
  9. ^ Bill Ziegler (p), Bill Ziegler (i), Bill Ziegler (let). Hanna-Barbera The Addams Family, no. In Search of the Boola-Boola (1974). Gold Key Comics.
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  22. ^ Debruge, Peter (July 17, 2013). "Illumination Chief Chris Meledandri Lines Up Originals for Universal". Variety. Archived from the original on March 5, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2013. At the same time, Illumination has scrapped a number of planned movie ideas. "Waldo" and a Tim Burton-helmed, stop-motion "The Addams Family" are dead. The company abandoned a Woody Woodpecker pic, and couldn't crack "Clifford the Big Red Dog."
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  41. ^ Jones, Kenneth. "Addams Family Musical to Star Lane, Neuwirth, Carmello, Hoffman, Chamberlin and More", playbill.com, May 11, 2009
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  46. ^ Mankoff, Bob (March 11, 2010). "Charles Addams". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on May 16, 2017. Retrieved May 9, 2017. I think [Charles Addams]'s influence is, like the man, largish. In cartooning, you can see the direct influence of his work in someone like Gahan Wilson, and his influence extends beyond the horror genre, to humor
  47. ^ Healy, Patrick (January 5, 2010). "That Old Black Magic, So Hard to Recapture". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 1, 2017. Retrieved May 11, 2017. Addams's influence is reflected not only in the work of generations of cartoonists but also in movies like "A Nightmare on Elm Street," and those by Wes Craven, and television shows like The Simpsons.
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