They’re creepy, they’re kooky, and they’ve been on television and movie screens for nearly 60 years and there is nothing spooky about that.The Addams Familyhave been a part of the pop culture landscape for over half a century, delighting audiences with their macabre mannerisms and freaky familial fondness for each other.The Addams Familystarted off as a string of comic panels for the New Yorker back in 1938 created byCharles Addams, but most people know them from their 1960s television series. Since the series, there have been a slew of animated adaptations, big-budgeted blockbusters, countless merchandise, and even a Broadway musical back in 2010. The latest Netflix adaptation directed byTim Burton, calledWednesday, has officially dropped as of November 23 (fittingly enough, a Wednesday). The question is, whyThe Addams Family? Why and how has this property stood the test of time, while many of their other 1960s sitcom counterparts do not receive the same treatment?
While there can be many reasons why audiences keep coming back toThe Addams Family, their appeal can be boiled down to two reasons, and it’s not very mysterious or spooky to see why. One, and this is the more obvious reason, is that no matter the adaption, the core theme of them being a loving family unit is always there. Sure, they may try to decapitate each other with the guillotine or put rat poison in their food, but it is always out of love.The Addams Familydoes not only embrace all the misery, headache, and embarrassment that family can bring, they welcome it. And the other reason is that even in the 1960s,The Addams Familycharacters and aesthetics were already timeless, and that has translated to many decades with new and exciting reboots and reimaginings that continue to fascinate audiences to this day.
Where Did ‘The Addams Family’ Start?
As mentioned,The Addams Familystarted off as a series of comic strips created by Charles Addams in the late 1930s. And while those comics are great and are the reason whyThe Addams Familyexist, most people know the frightening and friendly family from their 1960s sitcom of the same name.The Addams Familysitcom premiered on ABC on September 18th, 1964, and ran until April 8th, 1966. It is responsible for introducing many elements to the Addams lore that are mainstays in the franchise even to this day. The show introduced elements like Wednesday’s love for bizarre and disturbing historical facts, Gomez and Morticia’s endless lust for each other, Uncle Fester’s light bulb gag, and Grandmama’s peculiar cooking. The show is also a big part as to why characters like Thing and Cousin Itt are popular members ofThe Addams Family. They existed in the comics, but the showrunners were such big fans of their designs that they made it mandatory for them to appear in the series.
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The premise of almost every episode is that someone comes and visits the Addams family, and they are either terrified by the literal jungle that is their home or confused as to how a group of people can be so weird and not see anything wrong with it. The Addams' love each other and delight in all the strange and unusual things that go on; they honestly think that “normal” people are the ones who are truly strange. They are never malicious or rude to their guests; instead, the Addams' welcome them with open arms, and it’s the visitors who are usually mean or misunderstand them. The series starredJohn Astinas Gomez,Carolyn Jonesas Morticia, andJackie Cooganas Uncle Fester and ran for 64 episodes in total. Though the show lasted a short while, the popularity of it kept the show alive through decades of reruns that aired up until the early 1990s. This show also gave fans the iconic, Grammy Award-nominated theme song that has been a staple ofThe Addams Familyever since.
The Addams Family Gets Animated
Though they eventually got their own animated show in 1973, the first timeThe Addams Familyappeared in animation on the small screen was with none other thanScooby-Doo. In 1972The New Scooby-Doo Movies: “Scooby-Doo meets The Addams Family"premiered and saw Scooby and the gang crossing paths with the mysterious and spooky Addams Family. They even got the original cast to voice their animated counterparts and the special was a huge success, though it was never released on VHS or DVD due to copyright issues.
This led Hannah-Barbera to produce a cartoon series in 1973 aptly titledThe Addams Family. The show follows the Addams on a cross-country road trip in their creepy camper that’s meant to look like their Victorian home. Though the show is a little more lighthearted than the sitcom that came before it, the Addams family was able to come off as even weirder, having their characters and aesthetic only strengthened by the medium of animation. The only two actors from the original sitcom to return to reprise their roles were Coogan as Fester andTed Cassidyas Lurch. Interestingly enough, a 10-year-oldJodie Fostervoiced Pugsly in this show. The show takes place in a different world than the sitcom, but the core of the Addams' was still present throughout the series.
In 1977 a new live-action special was produced entitledHalloween with the New Addams Family.This was the last time the entire original cast was together as The Addams Family. It was also the first and only time the original Addams Family cast appeared in color.
The 1990s and the Return of ‘The Addams Family’
Then the ’90s happened and changed the way people would viewThe Addams Familyforever. In 1991, directorBarry Sonnenfeld, known forThe Men in Blacktrilogy andGet Shorty, directed a live-action film adaptation calledThe Addams Family, bringing the strange family to the big screen for the first time. Through the success of the first film, a sequel, also directed by Sonnenfeld, came out in 1993 entitledAddams Family Values. These films are considered to be the definitive version ofThe Addams Familyby die-hard fans and are usually the version ofThe Addams Familypeople know of the best. The film’s cast does not even feel like a cast, but more like the real Addams Family come to life. The film starsRaul Juliaas Gomez,Angelica Hustonas Morticia,Christopher Lloydas Uncle Fester,Christina Riccias Wednesday,Jimmy Workmanas Pugsley, andJudith MalinaandCarol Kaneas Grandmama in the first and second film, respectfully. Christina Ricci in particular usually gets major props for playingWednesday Addams, a role she was definitely born to play, and Angelica Huston got nominated for two Golden Globes for her portrayal of Morticia in both films.
The 1990sAddams Familyfilms showcase one of the biggest reasonsThe Addams Familyhas stood the test of time: they’re timeless. There is nothing distinctively 1960s aboutThe Addams Family. They do not wear ’60s clothes, the kids never talked in ’60s lingo, and they never really had jobs in the first place, so nothing aboutThe Addams Familywas dated. Their whole shtick is that they are a family of weirdos that have a taste for the dark and dismal, yet have a cheery disposition and a healthy family life. That concept is so strong that any writer or filmmaker can placeThe Addams Familyin any decade and the jokes and characters still work. The first film was a massive success, making $113 million against a $30 million budget, and received an Oscar nomination for Best Costume Design.Addams Family Valueswas not as big a financial success as the first film, however, it did receive better critic reviews and an Oscar nomination for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration. Many fans consider the sequel to be better than the first film, reaching cult classic status.
The ’90s films were so popular thatThe Addams Familyreturned to the small screen, once again in animation. In 1992, Hannah-Barbera again produced an animated series based on the family shockingly titledThe Addams Family. The show only lasted one season before ending, but most notably it is the last time John Astin would play Gomez, who returned to voice him in this show. FamedPower RangersproducerHiam Sabangot the TV film right toThe Addams Familyand producedAddams Family Reunion. Critics and audiences responded to the film negatively and there are not many great things to say about it, but it did give audiencesTim Curryas Gomez and everyone can always use more Tim Curry in their lives.Addams Familyfever was so hot in the 1990s that they even got a new sitcom, their first one in over 30 years. In 1998, Hiam Saban once again produced a newAddams Familysitcom appropriately titledThe New Addams Family. The show had a much lighter and goofier tone than previous live-action adaptations and it only lasted one season.
By the time the 1990s ended,The Addams Familyhad shown themselves to be an intellectual property that can change and adapt to the ever-changing pop culture landscape. Though audiences didn’t hear or see much new material fromThe Addams Familyduring most of the 2000s and 2010s, they were still itching to see newAddams Familymedia once again. In 2019, MGM released a new animated filmThe Addams Family, andit was widely successful. The film made over $200 million at the box office against a $24 million budget and that led them to green light a sequelThe Addams Family 2that came out in 2021. The cast for this film wasOscar Isaacas Gomez,Charlize Theronas Morticia,Chloe Grace Moretzas Wednesday,Nick Krollas Uncle Fester,Finn Wolfhardas Pugsley in the first film andJavon “Wanna” Waltonin the second, andBette Midleras Grandmama. The films made it very clear that audiences were still in the mood to be enchanted byThe Addams Familyonce again and reinvigorated the franchise for a new generation.
Tim Burton and ‘The Addams Family’
Tim Burton and Netflix have releasedWednesday, a new series that explores the daughter of the Addams family trying to fit in with the rest of the world at her new school, Nevermore Academy. Tim Burton himself has had a history withThe Addams Family. When the ’90s film was produced, he was the first director asked to direct, but had to decline due to his involvement withBatman Returns. Many years later in 2010, Tim Burton was set to direct and producea stop-motion animated film adaptation ofThe Addams Family, but was eventually passed on. So now, over 30 years later, Tim Burton finally gets to do his own version of the creepy and kooky family and the trailers already have audiences excited to see what the sick, twisted, and loving family has in store.The Addams Familyhas a long, varied, and successful career on screen and only time will tell when audiences are craving more from the oddball family. Their never ending love for each other warms audiences' hearts and their timeless aesthetic allows any and every generation to get into them with just a quick snap snap of their fingers.
