The Addams Family (1973 TV series)

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

The Addams Family (1973) was an American animated comedy-horror series by Hanna-Barbera. It was based on Charles Addams’ New Yorker cartoons and aired on NBC for one season with 16 episodes, from September 8 to December 22, 1973.

The show follows the Addams family—Gomez and Morticia; their children Wednesday and Pugsley; Grandmama, Uncle Fester, Thing, Cousin Itt, and their butler Lurch—as they travel across the United States in a spooky Victorian-style RV that looks like their mansion. They visit many places, often causing humorous trouble with their strange hobbies and abilities, and sometimes helping people or getting caught up in odd situations.

Voice cast and music: Some actors from the 1960s live-action series returned as voices, including Ted Cassidy as Lurch and Jackie Coogan as Uncle Fester. Jodie Foster, aged 10, voiced Pugsley, while Gomez and Morticia were voiced by Lennie Weinrib and Janet Waldo. The theme music was new but still echoed a familiar four-note motif from the original show.

Origins and related media: The Addams Family first appeared in animation in 1972 on The New Scooby-Doo Movies in “Scooby-Doo Meets the Addams Family.” The 1973–75 NBC series continued their spooky, family-centered adventures. The characters also appeared in public service announcements for the Boy Scouts, nutrition education, and forest fire prevention.

Home media and comics: In 1991, two VHS tapes with four episodes each were released. The Complete Series was released on DVD in 2010 (region 1) as a manufacture-on-demand title. A short Gold Key Comics run (three issues) appeared from 1974 to 1975, starting with “In Search of the Boola-Boola.”