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 June 8, 1991.
Plot 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". Twenty-two 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 Main cast
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 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
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 and, in another episode, Miss Finster 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 Development 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.
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.
Episodes Pilot
Season 1 (1988–89)
Season 2 (1989–90)
Season 3 (1990–91)
Reception The series lasted three seasons in syndication, and proved popular with international audiences. The show premiered in the United Kingdom on Saturday, January 6, 1990, on selected regions of ITV, continuing on the channel until June 1996.
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 YearAwardResultCategoryRecipient 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 Marsden1990 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 City StationBostonWSBK 38CharlestonWCSC 5ChicagoWPWR 50ClevelandWOIO 19Fort WayneWFFT 55Green BayWGBA 26GreensboroWGGT 48HartfordWTIC 61MinneapolisKITN 29OaklandKTVU 2Oklahoma CityKAUT 43PhiladelphiaWTXF 29SalemWBKI 58Salt Lake CityKSTU 13SeattleKTZZ 22SecaucusWWOR 9SpokaneKAYU 28TacomaKCPQ 13YakimaKCYU 41
See also The New Addams Family Vampire film List of vampire television series
References
External links
The Munsters Today Information Archives