“The Munsters” ran for 70 episodes on CBS, from September 24, 1964 to May 12, 1966. It was created by Chris Hayward, Bob Mosher and Allan Burns.
The show is a sitcom about a family of benign monsters living at 1313 Mockingbird Lane in the fictional city of Mockingbird Heights. Herman Munster, played by Fred Gwynne, is Frankenstein’s monster. His wife Lily, played by Yvonne De Carlo, is a vampire. Al Lewis plays Grandpa, who is Count Dracula. Butch Patrick plays their werewolf-like son Eddie. Pat Priest plays their niece Marilyn, the one family member who looks like an ordinary person. The family pet, Spot, is a fire-breathing dragon.
The running gag is that the Munsters consider themselves an average American family. They never understand why everyone else reacts to them so strangely.
Herman Munster and the Universal Studios Designs
The costumes and appearances came from the classic Universal Studios monsters of the 1930s and 1940s. Herman’s look is based on the Frankenstein’s monster design Jack Pierce developed for the 1931 film “Frankenstein.”
Universal jointly produced “The Munsters,” so the show could use the copyrighted designs. Makeup was credited to Bud Westmore, who had pioneered many monster effects for the studio after Pierce.
Leave It to Beaver, Father Knows Best and Donna Reed
“The Munsters” was produced by the creators of “Leave It to Beaver.” The show is a satire of American suburban life, of the wholesome television family fare of the era, and of traditional monster movies all at once.
The show took the standard family sitcom pieces — the well-meaning father, the nurturing mother, the eccentric live-in relative, the naïve teenager, the precocious child — and cast them as monsters. Herman is the sole wage-earner. Lily also makes many decisions. Grandpa and Lily make short-lived attempts to earn money from time to time.
The show also references real sitcoms of the period. In episode 45, “Operation Herman,” Lily tells Herman to have a father-son talk with Eddie because “a thing like this is up to the father. Anyone who’s watched Father Knows Best for nine years ought to know that.” Herman replies, “All right. But Donna Reed always handles things on her show.”
In episode 47, “John Doe Munster,” Grandpa describes “My Three Sons” as being about a “crazy, mixed-up family that’s always having weird adventures.”
Al Lewis explained the approach: “We can do a lot of satirical pointed things on soc—”
Two Seasons, 70 Episodes, Thursdays at 7:30
Here is how the run breaks down.
| Detail | “The Munsters” | “The Addams Family” |
|---|---|---|
| Network | CBS | ABC |
| Format | 2 seasons, 70 episodes | Aired concurrently |
| Theme | Benign monsters as a suburban family | Macabre-themed family comedy |
| Ratings | Higher Nielsen ratings | Lower than “The Munsters” |
| Cancellation | Ratings dropped to a series low against ABC’s “Batman” | Not stated |
“The Munsters” achieved higher Nielsen ratings than “The Addams Family.” The two shows aired concurrently on CBS and ABC.
The show originally aired on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. It was canceled after ratings had dropped to a series low in the face of competition from ABC’s “Batman.”
Butch Patrick, who played Eddie, said: “I think Batman was to blame. Batman just came along and took our ratings away.”
The Golden Globe Nomination and the TV Land Nods
In 1965, “The Munsters” was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series. It lost to “The Rogues.”
In the 21st century, the show received several TV Land Award nominations. One was for Most Uninsurable Driver, for Herman Munster.
“The Munsters” found a large audience in syndication. A spinoff series followed, along with several films, including one with a theatrical release.
Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo and Al Lewis
Gwynne plays Herman, the head of the household and the family’s sole wage-earner. De Carlo plays Lily, who also makes many decisions. According to episode 44, “Happy 100th Anniversary,” Herman and Lily were married in 1865.
Lewis plays Grandpa, who is Count Dracula and the eccentric live-in relative. Patrick plays Eddie, the werewolf-like son. Priest plays Marilyn, the relative who looks ordinary. Beverley Owen played Marilyn first and was later replaced by Priest.
What 70 Episodes Add Up To
“The Munsters” holds a 7.9 out of 10 on TMDB, based on 485 votes. That is an audience score, not a critical one.
The show ran two seasons and 70 episodes. It lost its timeslot to “Batman,” then found a large audience in syndication, followed by a spinoff and several films.
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