The Munsters Today is an American sitcom and a revival of the original 1964–66 sitcom The Munsters that aired in syndication from October 8, 1988, to May 25, 1991.[2][3]
| The Munsters Today | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Directed by | Norman Abbott Bob Claver Bonnie Franklin[1] Peter Isacksen Marlene Laird Lee Lochhead Russ Petranto Scott Redman Doug Rogers |
| Starring | John Schuck Lee Meriwether Howard Morton Hilary Van Dyke Jason Marsden |
| Theme music composer | Jack Marshall |
| Composers | Bill Fulton Larry Groupé |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 72 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Arthur L. Annecharico Bryan Joseph Lloyd J. Schwartz |
| Producer | Bryan Joseph |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 22–24 minutes |
| Production companies | The Arthur Company MCA TV |
| Original release | |
| Network | Syndication |
| Release | October 8, 1988 – May 25, 1991 |
| Related | |
| The Munsters | |
Plot edit
The series concerns the day-to-day life of a family of benign monsters, with married couple Herman Munster and vampire Lily Munster. Lily's Father Grandpa, who is also a vampire, lives with the family. Herman and Lily have a son named Eddie, who is a werewolf, and their niece, Marilyn, whom the family deems as strange, but is the only “normal” member of the family, also lives with them.
This sequel series starts with Grandpa creating "Sleeping Chambers," coffins which make the user fall asleep for a selected amount of time, and insisting the entire family try them out. After Grandpa sets the dial for 30 minutes and shuts the door, a flash of light and a falling beam change the dial to "Forever." 22 years later, a man named Mr. Prescott and his assistant explore the Munsters' house with plans to turn it into a parking lot when they unknowingly awaken the Munsters from their Sleeping Chambers. Finding themselves in the 1980s, the Munsters work to adjust themselves to the current time period.
Cast edit
Main cast edit
- John Schuck as Herman Munster
- Lee Meriwether as Lily Munster
- Jason Marsden as Edward "Eddie" Wolfgang Munster
- Hilary Van Dyke as Marilyn Munster
- Howard Morton as "Grandpa" Vladimir Dracula
Recurring cast edit
- Mary Cadorette as Dee Dee Nelson
- Richard Steven Horvitz as Howie Buchanan
- Greg Mullavey as Roger Nelson
- Scott Reeves as Dustin Nelson
Special guest stars edit
- Kaye Ballard as Mother Earth
- Billy Barty as Genie
- Shelley Berman as Sam Hawkins
- Jonathan Brandis as Matt Glover
- Dr. Joyce Brothers as Mrs. Cousins
- Ruth Buzzi as Dracula's Mother
- Gordon Cooper as Himself
- Bill Daily as Count Strimpkin
- Dustin Diamond as Rob
- Moosie Drier as Andy Graves
- Nancy Dussault as Dr. Sandra Brown
- Nanette Fabray as Dottie
- Norman Fell as Mr. Maurice
- Christopher Fielder as Damien
- Lucy Lee Flippin as Natasha Jones
- Kathleen Freeman as Grandma
- George Furth as Dr. Carver
- Zsa Zsa Gabor as Herself
- Kip King as Burt Fearman
- Dave Madden as Mr. Preston
- Eddie Mekka as Mr. Sweetzer
- Richard Moll as Genghis Khan
- Pat Morita as Mr. Watanabe
- Don Most as Barney Morley
- Lois Nettleton as Jessica Brown
- Daniel Riordan as Headlock Henderson
- Marcia Wallace as Dr. Susan Evans
- Jo De Winter as Katja Dracula
- Yetta as Shirley
Production edit
Development edit
This color revival of The Munsters starred John Schuck (Herman), Lee Meriwether (Lily), Howard Morton (Grandpa), Hilary Van Dyke (Marilyn) and Jason Marsden (Eddie), and broadcast 72 episodes from October 8, 1988, to May 25, 1991, giving it more first-run episodes than the original series. The pilot explained the 22-year gap following the original series by showing the family as they were in 1966. They were testing out a machine that Grandpa had created. The machine allows someone to sleep for ages without aging. But then an accident took place; the family then proceeds to sleep for years, only to wake up in 1988.[4]
It was created following a failed attempt to revive the show with most of the original cast (Fred Gwynne, Al Lewis and Yvonne De Carlo) in the 1981 NBC telefilm The Munsters' Revenge.[citation needed]
Episodes edit
Pilot edit
| Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Still the Munsters After All These Years" | John Robins | Lloyd J. Schwartz | Unaired | |
| Series pilot: Grandpa creates "Sleeping Chambers," coffins which make the user fall asleep for a selected amount of time, and insists the entire family try them out. After Grandpa sets the dial for 30 minutes and shuts the door, a flash of light and a falling beam change the dial to "Forever." Twenty-two years later, a developer named Mr. Preston (Dave Madden) and his assistant want to buy the Munsters' home and turn it into a parking lot. While Mr. Preston and his assistant are exploring the house, down in Grandpa's lab, the assistant gets tangled in spider webs and knocks the dial to "off." The Munster family awakens to the world of 1988 and have to figure out a way to buy back their own house which is being foreclosed upon due to 22 years of missed taxed payments and fines. | ||||
Season 1 (1988–89) edit
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Vampire Pie" | Norman Abbott | Barbara Berkowitz | October 8, 1988 | |
| Herman decides to enter a baking contest, using an old family recipe. Too bad there was an ingredient Grandpa forgot... | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "A Little Russian Dressing" | Dick Harwood | Hope Juber & Lloyd J. Schwartz | October 15, 1988 | |
| Grandpa won three wishes from the Transylvania Idiots Clearing Sweepstakes, but what he really wanted was a Bacon Lettuce Tarantula sandwich . | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Flyweight Champion of the World" | Bob Claver | Bryan Joseph | October 22, 1988 | |
| After being bullied, Grandpa mixes Eddie a strong-man formula that inflates Eddie's ego as well as his muscles. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Magna Cum Munsters" | Bob Claver | Ann Gibbs & Joel Kimmel | October 29, 1988 | |
| After feeling useless for not being asked questions in his home, Herman takes night school for Eddie to ask him questions, which leads him to the fourth grade: in Eddie's class. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Designing Munsters" | Peter Isacksen | Bill Rosenthal & Noah Taft | November 5, 1988 | |
| Lily becomes interested in the world of fashion, and she leaves all the housework and the cooking to Herman and Grandpa. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Farewell, Grandpa" | Peter Isacksen | Elroy Schwartz | November 12, 1988 | |
| Grandpa is in big trouble when the family finds out he forgot to get a green-card when he came to the country. After Herman breaks him out, only an invisibility potion can save them. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "Corporate Munsters" | Bonnie Franklin | Bill Rosenthal & Noah Taft | November 19, 1988 | |
| Stock that Herman bought many years ago has accumulated so much that he holds a position in the business. However, he debates keeping the job when it conflicts with Eddie and Father/Son Day. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Herman the Astronaut" | Doug Rogers | Danny Morris | November 26, 1988 | |
| Herman likes the idea that he’s the first astronaut to go to the planet Venus. The bad news is Lily and Grandpa aren’t as thrilled as he is. | ||||||
| 9 | 9 | "Rock Fever" | Peter Isacksen | Ted Bergman & Kathy Joseph | December 3, 1988 | |
| One of Marilyn’s favorite bands, The Lizards turned into real lizards on the day before their live Tv debut . Meanwhile,Lily thinks Herman must’ve forgot their anniversary. | ||||||
| 10 | 10 | "Professor Grandpa" | Lee Lochhead | William Cyr | December 10, 1988 | |
| After Grandpa’s hair tonic destroyed the Munster Manor, he takes a job as a chemistry professor. | ||||||
| 11 | 11 | "Say Ah!" | Doug Rogers | Bryan Joseph | December 17, 1988 | |
| The doctor was more concerned about Herman’s weight than Eddie’s sore throat. | ||||||
| 12 | 12 | "A Hero Ain't Nothin' But a Cereal" | Peter Isacksen | Steven Baum & Neil Alan Levy | December 28, 1988 | |
| After saving a kid, Herman becomes a hero. When a cereal company offers him a deal, he accepts. But once he finds out the cereal is a flop, will he keep on endorsing it? | ||||||
| 13 | 13 | "Computer Mating" | Lee Lochhead | Hope Juber & Kim Mortensen | February 4, 1989 | |
| Grandpa gets a new girlfriend after feeling lonely. But after finding out his girlfriend has buried a large amount of husbands, Herman and Lily fear for Grandpa's life. | ||||||
| 14 | 14 | "McMunsters" | Doug Rogers | Patty Gordon & Joy Grdnic | February 11, 1989 | |
| The Munsters open their house as a bed and breakfast to bring in some extra cash. | ||||||
| 15 | 15 | "One Flu Over the Munsters' Nest" | Lee Lochhead | Ann Gibbs | February 18, 1989 | |
| Marilyn has to choose between her friends or her family. | ||||||
| 16 | 16 | "Green Eyed Munsters" | Peter Isacksen | Bill Rosenthal & Noah Taft | February 25, 1989 | |
| Herman gets jealous when Lily's teacher takes up too much of her time. Will he win her back? | ||||||
| 17 | 17 | "The Not So Great Escape" | Bob Claver | Michael Davidoff | March 4, 1989 | |
| Grandpa decided to enter the Houdini Classic Open, and he has two realistic problems: No one likes his magic tricks, and Lily and Herman want him to find a new hobby. | ||||||
| 18 | 18 | "Two Left Feet" | Peter Isacksen | Ann Gibbs & Joel Kimmel | March 11, 1989 | |
| Marilyn’s dream date with her crush was cancelled right after his family became petrified of the Munsters. | ||||||
| 19 | 19 | "Lights, Camera, Munsters" | Peter Isacksen | Adele Styler & Burt Styler | April 29, 1989 | |
| Marilyn gets to make a movie for a project, while the family debates what type of film she should do. Meanwhile, Eddie is doing poor in school, causing panic for the teacher when it turns out that a parent-teacher conference is in order. | ||||||
| 20 | 20 | "Neighborly Munsters" | Norman Abbott | Bill Rosenthal & Noah Taft | May 6, 1989 | |
| With new neighbors next door, everyone tries to make a good impression, while the wife tries to do everything to get a fancy pool in her yard (which would dig into the Munsters') except talk with them. | ||||||
| 21 | 21 | "Munster Hoopsters" | Lee Lochhead | Marc Brown | May 13, 1989 | |
| Eddie wants to take up basketball, so that Herman can brag about him. There's only one problem: he cannot sink a shot! | ||||||
| 22 | 22 | "Don't Cry Wolfman" | Peter Isacksen | Lloyd J. Schwartz | May 20, 1989 | |
| When two burglars hid the fortune in the Munster house, they were asleep. Now that they are awake, they devise a plan: one would pretend to be one of them. Unfortunately, he comes to like the Munsters' ways and even saves them. In the end, the "wolfman" burglar and the Munsters all vote to return the money. | ||||||
| 23 | 23 | "The Howling" | Peter Isacksen | Bob Hilgenberg & Billy Riback | May 27, 1989 | |
| When Eddie's howling voice keeps him out of the glee club, Grandpa devises a wacky solution. | ||||||
| 24 | 24 | "Eau de Munster" | Peter Isacksen | Bryan Joseph | June 3, 1989 | |
| When the town wants to demolish Munster Moore for a museum, Herman tries to put a stop to it. There's only one problem: Grandpa accidentally got him with a love potion, which takes effect on the woman running the idea. | ||||||
Season 2 (1989–90) edit
Season 3 (1990–91) edit
The Silver Bullet
Reception edit
The series lasted three seasons in syndication, and proved popular with international audiences.
In the United States, reruns aired on digital subchannel Retro Television Network from August 2008 until their distribution agreement with NBCUniversal expired in June 2011.
Awards and nominations edit
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Daytime Emmy Awards | Won | Outstanding Achievement in Makeup | Gilbert A. Mosko and Carlos Yeaggy |
| 1991 | Won | Outstanding Achievement in Makeup | David Abbott, Gilbert A. Mosko and Carlos Yeaggy | |
| Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling | Jody Lawrence | |||
| 1989 | Young Artist Awards | Nominated | Best Syndicated Family Drama or Comedy Series | –
|
| Best Young Actress in a Family Syndicated Show | Hilary Van Dyke | |||
| Best Young Actor in a Family Syndicated Show | Jason Marsden | |||
| 1990 | Nominated | Best Young Actress in an Off-Primetime Family Series | Hilary Van Dyke | |
| Best Young Actor in an Off-Primetime Family Series | Jason Marsden | |||
| Best Off-Primetime Family Series | –
| |||
| 1991 | Nominated | Outstanding Young Comedian in a Television Series | Jason Marsden | |
| Best Young Actress Starring in an Off-Primetime Series | Hilary Van Dyke | |||
| Best Young Actor Starring in an Off-Primetime Series | Jason Marsden | |||
| Best Off-Primetime Family Series | –
|
Stations edit
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Buck, Jerry (1989-07-19). "Bonnie Franklin Directing 'Munsters Today'". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-10-10.
- ^ "BBC – Comedy Guide – The Munsters Today". Archived from the original on 2005-03-01. Retrieved 2016-04-15.
- ^ Dretzka, Gary (1988-10-08). "Bright Mood Makes New 'Munsters' A Bore". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2010-10-10.
- ^ Clark, Kenneth R (1988-09-20). "Munsters Awaken From 22-year Nap". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2010-10-10.
- ^ "CONNECTICUT TV- Sunday December 3, 1989". Radio Discussions. February 15, 2006.
- ^ "Retro: Charleston, SC, Sat. Nov 10, 1990, 7am-8pm". Radio Discussions. March 13, 2012.
- ^ Clark, Kenneth R. (September 20, 1988). "MUNSTERS AWAKEN FROM 22-YEAR NAP". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ "Retro: Chicago, Friday, May 31, 1991". Radio Discussions. May 26, 2019.
- ^ "Retro Cleveland/Akron: Saturday, February 17, 1990". Radio Discussions. January 12, 2011.
- ^ "Northern Indiana - Sunday, February 26, 1989". Radio Discussions. October 13, 2006.
- ^ "Retro: Northern Wisconsin/Western U.P. Michigan Fri, Mar 15, 1991". Radio Discussions. March 12, 2010.
- ^ "Retro: North Carolina, 9/14/91". Radio Discussions. August 25, 2005.
- ^ "HARTFORD/NEW HAVEN RETRO - March 23-29, 1991 - Independents/Fox Affiliate". Radio Discussions. February 26, 2006.
- ^ "Retro: Minnesota Thurs 6/24/93". Radio Discussions. October 19, 2005.
- ^ KTVU 2 The Munsters Today Promo (1988) on YouTube
- ^ 80's Commercials Vol. 434 on YouTube
- ^ "Retro: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - Week of August 11th, 1991". Radio Discussions. October 20, 2018.
- ^ "Who aired what where: Lesser-known syndicated shows". Radio Discussions. June 16, 2017.
- ^ "Retro: Louisville/Cincinnati, Wednesday, November 8, 1995". Radio Discussions. February 10, 2018.
- ^ "Retro: Salt Lake City, Sunday, November 5, 1989". Radio Discussions. November 13, 2017.
- ^ "The Munsters Today" US TV promo (1990) on YouTube
- ^ KTZZ The Munsters Today promo, 1990 on YouTube
- ^ 1989 - The Munsters Today on YouTube
- ^ "Munsters Today" Promo on YouTube
- ^ "Retro: Spokane, Washington — Sunday, February 19, 1989". Radio Discussions. January 24, 2019.
- ^ "Retro: Yakima, WA; Sat. July 15th, 1989". Radio Discussions. August 2, 2015.
- ^ "Who aired what where: Lesser-known syndicated shows". Radio Discussions. May 2, 2016.
