"The Munsters" - America's First Family of Fright.
Since this show first aired 55 years ago, "The Munsters" has enjoyed a considerable following. It's humour was never very subtle but that was the whole idea of the show. The characters, theme music and writing were of a high quality. Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis (Herman and Grandpa Munster respectively) made their on-screen chemistry look about as natural as could be. It was a wise move by the writers to have those particular characters producing the actual comedy. Yvonne DeCarlo was a great choice for housewife Lily Munster, as she projected much warmth and strength in her role. As individuals as well as a family, the Munsters always lived by a code of decency and honesty with regards toward those who crossed their path. Unfortunately, these same people rarely reciprocated in the same manner.
For my money, the first season is by far the best. 38 episodes of comedy gold and some of the funniest dialogue of any American 1960s sitcom. The second season saw a dip in overall quality, where the characters became too cartoonish and the storylines weaker. Nevertheless, the season still contains some brilliant episodes.
There is only one "Munsters" show and that's the original.
For my money, the first season is by far the best. 38 episodes of comedy gold and some of the funniest dialogue of any American 1960s sitcom. The second season saw a dip in overall quality, where the characters became too cartoonish and the storylines weaker. Nevertheless, the season still contains some brilliant episodes.
There is only one "Munsters" show and that's the original.
List activity
190 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
80 titles
- CreatorEd HaasNorm LiebmannStarsFred GwynneAl LewisYvonne De CarloA family of friendly monsters have misadventures, never quite understanding why people react to them so strangely.
- DirectorLawrence DobkinStarsYvonne De CarloAl LewisBeverley OwenThe Munsters are invited to a masquerade dance party.
- DirectorDavid AlexanderStarsYvonne De CarloAl LewisBeverley OwenHerman and Lily accidentally take a love potion, becoming seductive and irresistible.Part of the episode used for the colour pilot.
- DirectorNorman AbbottStarsYvonne De CarloAl LewisBeverley OwenHerman is taking short walks at the park during the night, as a remedy to his stress and insomnia. When other walkers see him, they are scared, telling the police that a monster is free at the park, along with a dangerous thief.
- DirectorNorman AbbottStarsYvonne De CarloAl LewisBeverley OwenHerman believes that Lily's expecting a child.
- DirectorSeymour BernsStarsYvonne De CarloAl LewisBeverley OwenA new pipeline must be installed underneath the Munsters' house, but Herman and Grandpa are having their doubts about it.
- DirectorNorman AbbottStarsYvonne De CarloAl LewisBeverley OwenHerman is invited to a reunion of his old army outfit but finds himself unable to fit into his old uniform. Lily will only allow him to go if he goes on a diet. When Dr. Dudley tells him to loose a hundred pounds in a week, Herman resolves to only consume water and vitamins. Unfortunately, the last day of his diet coincides with Thanksgiving.
- DirectorEarl BellamyStarsYvonne De CarloAl LewisBeverley OwenThe school supervisor wants to expel Eddie from school. So, Eddie and Grandpa make a robot for the school science fair.
- DirectorEarl BellamyStarsYvonne De CarloAl LewisBeverley OwenHerman becomes a wrestler, in order to gain some extra money for Eddie's future education.
- 1964–196630mNot Rated7.1 (248)TV EpisodeDirectorLawrence DobkinStarsYvonne De CarloAl LewisBeverley OwenHerman's twin brother, Charlie, is visiting the family with a silly machine. Charlie claims that the machine can get uranium from seawater. But Herman is very upset and uncomfortable with Charlie's visit.
- DirectorLawrence DobkinStarsYvonne De CarloAl LewisBeverley OwenGrandpa wants to marry again, because he's feeling lonely. He looks for a fiancée in a matrimonial agency. Herman is against it, but Grandpa gets fascinated with a woman who is a fraudulent lady from the agency; she is plotting to kill him and get his money.
- 1964–196630mNot Rated7.5 (246)TV EpisodeDirectorEzra StoneStarsYvonne De CarloAl LewisBeverley OwenAfter a midnight visit to the drive-in, Herman falls asleep in the family's Cadillac (not the Munster's Koach). The car is promptly stolen to be used as a getaway car on a bank job. When Herman awakens, the thieves mistake him for their getaway driver, Big Louie.
- DirectorNorman AbbottStarsYvonne De CarloAl LewisBeverley OwenGrandpa has invented a new instant gasoline pill, but difficulties come when Marilyn drinks by accident the Sleeping Beauty potion.
- DirectorLawrence DobkinStarsYvonne De CarloAl LewisBeverley OwenThe Munsters are the winners of a contest organized by a magazine, as the American Average Family of the year. Two reporters are sent to the house in order to take a family portrait.
- DirectorNorman AbbottStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisGrandpa leaves home after having a fight with Herman.
- DirectorJoseph PevneyStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisLily gets a job because she thinks that Herman is bankrupt.
- DirectorEarl BellamyStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisThe Munsters are camping in the woods. Everything goes well until Grandpa starts to feel homesick after hearing a coyote howling.
- DirectorEarl BellamyStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisMarilyn is sent home from college because her tuition has not been fully paid. Herman goes to talk to the dean, but is mistaken for college basketball recruit Moose Mallory and is tricked into signing up. When the real Moose and his hick father are sent home by the coach, they decide to take out their grievance on Herman Munster.
- 1964–196630mNot Rated7.6 (235)TV EpisodeDirectorNorman AbbottStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisHerman has a new Ham radio and picks up two friends of Eddie playing Spacemen on their walkie talkies. Thinking Martians have landed, he and Grandpa go out searching for spaceships using the latter's radio direction finder.
- DirectorJoseph PevneyStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisEddie comes home upset because of his new nickname: 'Shorty', so Grandpa gives him a 'magic milkshake' that will make him grow 6 inches overnight. It grows him a six inch beard instead.
- DirectorJerry ParisStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisWhen Eddie brings the family pet bat Igor to school for the Pet Fair Playground, he does not realize it's really Grandpa in disguise, and trades him for the weekend with a classmate.
- DirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisAfter they have been mistaken for bank robbers, Herman and Grandpa want to return the money given to them by mistake.
- DirectorJoseph PevneyStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisHerman decides to take dance classes, in order to attend a dance party at Marilyn's school.
- DirectorJoseph PevneyStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisHerman wants to become a detective, in order to earn some extra money for his family.
- DirectorCharles BartonStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisLilly won't feed, speak to or let Herman into their bedroom after he comes home from an office party past midnight. After four days and nights of this, Marilyn and Grandpa separately encourage Lilly and Herman to see (the same) marriage councilor.
- DirectorJoseph PevneyStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisA little friend of Eddie visits the Munsters' house, with the surprise that he's a very rude and mischievous child.
- DirectorJoseph PevneyStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisThe Munsters rent their house to a rock group.
- DirectorJoseph PevneyStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisHerman gets a promotion in the parlor, but he and the family will have to move to Buffalo and sell the house.
- DirectorJerry ParisStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisHerman's opportunity to become a film star is knocking on the door.
- DirectorJerry ParisStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisHerman's powerful arm could take him to the Baseball Big Leagues.
- DirectorJoseph PevneyStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisThe Munsters win a membership for the fancy Country Club.
- 1964–196630mNot Rated7.6 (206)TV EpisodeDirectorJoseph PevneyStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisMarilyn falls in love with a young bank clerk.
- DirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisAfter Herman takes one sleeping pill, he accidentally falls asleep inside of an Egyptian sarcophagus.
- DirectorEarl BellamyStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisLily wants to do something with her spare time and she finds a job as a model. Herman gets angry and jealous, because he believes that all the men will admire her. Using his magic potions, Grandpa turns into a woman, in order to help Herman in a plan to make Lily jealous.
- DirectorNorman AbbottStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisHerman becomes a magician to participate in a talent show of Eddie's school.
- DirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisWhen Herman buys ten acres of land in Happy Holliday Valley from a crooked magazine ad, the family is delighted to find it a complete wasteland. But the con artists want to get the land back when they can strike a deal to sell the area for use as a missile site. So, they decide to scare the Munsters off.
- DirectorNorman AbbottStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisEddie tells his friend Sandy Baylor that his father can beat Mr. Baylor at the Mockingbird Heights drag strip. Instead, Herman ends up losing the Munsters Koach on a bet. Determined to win it back, Grandpa constructs his own roadster, the Drag-u-la, to beat 'Leadfoot' Baylor at his own game and win back the family's beloved Koach.
- DirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisHerman's fired because he asks for a raise.
- 1964–196630mNot Rated7.7 (201)TV EpisodeDirectorNorman AbbottStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisHerman befriends a young boy named Galen Livingston Stewart. At first he has a hard time convincing his family that the boy is real. For Galen it proves even more difficult to prove to his parents he did not imagine 'Uncle Herman' and his family. The Stewarts even hire a German psychiatrist, Dr. Siegfried Leinbach, to examine their boy.
- DirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisEddie's friend Charlie Pike convinces him to run away from home. Herman encourages the boy, using child psychology as seen on 'Leave it to Beaver'. Lily is outraged and sends Herman out to look for Eddie, but Herman finds a bear cub that escaped from the local circus instead.
- DirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisThe Munsters are off for a picnic at Paradise Cove. While out scuba diving, Herman is caught in the net of Russian Trawler #47. The Russians very excitedly think they've caught a missing link between man and fish. Moscow, however, is convinced Herman is a new kind of American spy.
- DirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisEddie has entered his dad in a local rodeo bronco-riding contest. The organizers, impressed by Eddie's bragging, decide to let Herman ride their wildest horse, Volcano. Scared and nervous, Herman asks Grandpa for help, who decides to turn himself into a horse so Herman at least knows whom he'll be riding.
- DirectorEarl BellamyStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisHerman has taken up photography as a new hobby and inadvertently snaps a picture of two bank robbers leaving the scene of the crime. The robbers in question soon locate the Munster's house (by searching for the Munster's Koach) in order to get their hands on the incriminating evidence.
- DirectorNorman AbbottStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisEddie is distressed after his classmates nickname him 'Leadfoot'. Herman decides to coach his boy to enter the big spring track meet, but the rest of the family is not very impressed with Herman's training methods. So, Grandpa cooks up some special 'a-go-go' pills for Eddie.
- DirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisHerman and Lily's 100th wedding anniversary is fast approaching. Thinking the other has completely forgotten about it, both of them withdraw $1,000 from their bank account, and both checks bounce. Still wanting to surprise the other with an amazing gift, Herman and Lily individually acquire part time jobs at the Cleaver Employment Agency. Working as welders at the Crosby Shipyards, but not recognizing each other on account of the heavy welder's masks, Herman and Lily start flirting with each other. Tensions rise as the couple simultaneously discover each others 'secret' identity.
- DirectorNorman AbbottStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisHerman sneaks into the hospital to visit Eddie, who's having his tonsils removed.
- DirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisAgainst Herman's wishes, Lily has decided to rent the spare room. Out of 27 applicants, only one man is willing to cross the front door: Chester Skinner, only he refuses to explain his profession. Herman immediately gets jealous and, after finding a gun in Chester's room, is convinced their guest is on the wrong side of the law and must be stopped.
- DirectorEarl BellamyStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisHerman develops amnesia after a three hundred pound safe falls on his head (and bounces off). The police take him into protective custody and rename him 'John Doe'. The only way for Lily to bring her husband home is to legally adopt him. When 'John' still doesn't show any sign of recognition after ten days, Lily and Grandpa comes up with a plan to shock John back into Herman by having Grandpa disguise himself as Rock Hudson and pretend to woo Lily. He ends up looking more like Rudolph Valentino instead.
- DirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisSince none of Marylin's suitors ever get past the front door, Grandpa decides to turn a frog into her own personal prince. A nearsighted one at that, to compensate for her 'plain looks'. When the rest of the family is out to the drive-in, Marylin accidentally locks herself in her room. A young man passing by mistakingly thinks she is being held prisoner. The rest of the family assume the young man is the frog, turned into a prince, and promptly tie him up in the basement while getting Marylin's black wedding gown ready.
- DirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisIn order to get a promotion at work, Herman must have a commercial driver's license.
- 1964–196630mNot Rated7.8 (177)TV EpisodeDirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisHerman records his own version of 'Dry Bones' as a lark on a tape recorder belonging to one of Eddie's friends. Before he knows it, the song, now known as 'That's how Herman was born' is number three in the top forty for two consecutive weeks. Lily starts to worry that Herman's ego is expanding uncontrollably.
- DirectorDon RichardsonStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisMunster pet Spot runs away from home after Herman scolds it for leaving mud prints all over the kitchen. When Spot is sighted in the sewer system Herman goes down to fetch him, but gets lost himself. Soon local newspaper men have branded Spot a giant lizard monster, and Herman its 'mate'. The mayor, who is facing reelection, decides to bomb the sewers in order to get rid of the creatures once and for all.
- 1964–196630mNot Rated7.5 (165)TV EpisodeDirectorCharles R. RondeauStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisHerman and Grandpa stumble upon a secret compartment through the dungeon and find a clue that leads them to Henry Morgan's pirate treasure. Lily and Marilyn are touched to see the two men working together, but as soon as the treasure is found, their companionship turns to suspicion and rivalry.
- DirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisEddie is being bullied at school by Jack McGinty, and Herman is continuously being tricked by practical joker Clyde Thornton at work. Herman advises his son to turn the other cheek, but when both come home with a blackened eye, they decide it's time to retaliate when provoked.
- DirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisHerman tries to teach Eddie about the evils of gambling by betting all of Eddie's money. Unfortunately, he wins big.
- DirectorGene ReynoldsStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisGrandpa claims to be working on a machine that will bring about world peace. When Herman sneaks into the laboratory at night and starts to play with it, he gets hit in the head with a bolt of lighting, resulting in a terrible disfigurement: he now looks like a regular human being. Lily takes Herman to Dr. Dudley to ask if anything is to be done with plastic surgery. Grandpa, who seems completely to have forgotten about world peace, gets out Herman's original blue prints (a gift from Dr. Frankenstein) to see if he can put his son-in-law back together the way he was meant to be.
- DirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisWhile on a family vacation, Herman gets lost in the desert and wanders into an Indian village, where he is mistaken for a legendary ancient spirit.
- 1964–196630mNot Rated7.8 (194)TV EpisodeDirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisThe Munsters inherit $10,000. Herman and Grandpa spend half on an invention, and Lily and Marilyn open a beauty shop.
- DirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisA rich woman claims to be Grandpa's long-lost wife.
- DirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisGrandpa discovers that the emerald ring Marilyn is wearing is the cursed Fregosi Emerald. He also discovers the curse can only be removed by a living member of the Fregosi family, the last of which lives in Detroit and runs Fregosi Motors.
- DirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisHerman is jealous when Eddie's new hero is Zombo, the host of a TV horror show.
- DirectorJoseph PevneyStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisHerman starts writing poems for Clyde, a colleague, so Clyde can impress a girl he's met on the bus.
- DirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisGrandpa creates a potion to give Eddie musical talent.
- DirectorJoseph PevneyStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisAfter seeing a photograph of Marilyn's sculpture of him, Herman is summoned by anthropologists at the University.
- DirectorGene ReynoldsStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisDr Victor Frankenstein IV visits the United States and brings along Johann, one of his great-grandfather's earlier, less civilized creations. Herman reluctantly agrees to take Johann home to teach him some manners with the help of Grandpa. Unfortunately, Lily mistakes Johann for her husband and takes him to the Happy Valley Lodge for the weekend.
- DirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisWhen Eddie asks his parents for a baby brother, Grandpa decides to build a mechanical one, 'Boris' in the basement. Eddie soon begins to think that his new playmate is better loved by the family than he is, and runs away in his pajamas.
- DirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisWhen Herman insists he be the one to pick out a used car for Marilyn, he ends up being taken advantage of by a smooth-talking salesman named Fair Deal Dan.
- DirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisWhen Herman and Grandpa begin to feud after the birthday present they built for Eddie is destroyed, they split the house down the middle with a white line and agree to stay on opposite sides of it. It's up to Lily and Marilyn to get them to work out their differences so they can build a new present for Eddie before it's too late.
- DirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisHerman comes home with a violent case of the hiccups after a scary movie at the drive-in. Grandpa attempts to cure his son-in-law by putting him under a hypnotic spell. That night, two freshmen (one is Ken Osmond best known as Eddie Haskell on Leave it to Beaver) enter the Munsters' home on a fraternity pledge dare, thinking it to be abandoned. Mistaking the frozen Herman for an elaborate dummy, they sneak him out of the house to leave him at the Alpha Kappa Sorority as a prank. Herman awakes from his trance in a girl's closet at the sorority house, but escapes by jumping out the window after Grandpa rescues him.
- DirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisOn his way back from the store, Herman is struck by an automobile. The driver of the vehicle thinks she has scarred Herman for life and offers him a cash settlement by mail in the hopes he won't sue her for everything she has got. Herman and the family get confused when they get the offer and think that they owe the woman 10,000 dollars. When the woman offers to double her cash settlement offer, Herman thinks he owes even more and abandons the family and starts to take part-time jobs all over to support himself. When Lily learns the true nature of the cash settlement after a talk with the woman who hit Herman, she teams up with Grandpa to get Herman back home.
- DirectorEzra StoneStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisEddie writes a school paper about his parents and life around the Munster home. His teacher and principal think what he has written is the product of an overactive imagination, until they head over to the Munster house and see for themselves. Grandpa invents a machine that harbors electricity from lighting bolts.
- DirectorEarl BellamyStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisThe Munsters travel to England after Herman discovers he's the new Lord of the Munster Hall.
- DirectorDon WeisStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisWhen the owner of a wax museum attempts to frame Herman and Grandpa Munster for pulling a jewelry heist, they must both prove their innocence and find out who the true thieves are.Rather tired and uninspired. We get to see the three leads play their respective characters one last time.
- CreatorAgnes NixonStarsJack PerkinsPeter GravesHarry SmithThe life stories of various historical figures and celebrities are told.
- StarsJohn SchuckLee MeriwetherHoward MortonAmerica's First Family of Fright awaken after an accidental 22-year nap and must adjust to life in the 1980s.
- DirectorIan EmesStarsSam McMurrayAnn MagnusonBug HallGet ready for some holiday spirits as the first family of fright rallies to show melancholy Eddie Munster (Bug Hall) some of the holly, jolly magic that only Santa can bring.
- DirectorRobert GintyStarsEdward HerrmannVeronica HamelRobert MorseThe Munsters come to America to search for Herman's brother-in-law Norman Hyde, and they discover that he has turned himself into Brent Jekyll, who is running for Congress, and Grandpa must make a formula to change him back into Norman.
- DirectorBryan SingerStarsJerry O'ConnellPortia de RossiCharity WakefieldGrandpa Sam Dracula is essentially Dracula who assembled Herman because no man was good enough for his daughter Lily, a sexy vampiress. Lily's niece Marilyn the freak is actually normal and Lily and Herman's only child, Eddie, has his werewolf tendencies surface in puberty, forcing the family to relocate to their famous 1313 Mockingbird Lane address.
- DirectorBob LehmanStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisThe Munsters take in the sights at Marineland.
- DirectorDavid AlexanderStarsFred GwynneYvonne De CarloAl LewisThe second unaired pilot.