The Munsters Today
Encyclopedia
The Munsters Today is an American sitcom
that aired in syndication from 1988 to 1991. The series served as a sequel to the 1960s sitcom The Munsters
.
explained the 22-year gap following the original series by showing the family as they were in 1966 when an accident took place; the family then proceeds to wake up in 1988. The color revival of The Munsters
starred John Schuck
(as Herman), Lee Meriwether
(Lily), Howard Morton
(Grandpa), Hilary Van Dyke
(Marilyn) and Jason Marsden
(Eddie).
The series lasted three seasons on syndicated television, and proved popular with international audiences. 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
. Gwynne turned down the chance to reprise his role as Herman, while Lewis expressed unhappiness at not being asked to return as Grandpa, a role he had kept close to his heart for years since the original show ceased production.
was filmed featuring a different Marilyn than the one who appeared in the series to follow (Hilary Van Dyke
). The Marilyn in the pilot was Mary Ellen Dunbar, who bore resemblance to the Marilyn portrayed in the old series. The pilot began in black and white with the family as they were in 1966 and later changed to color.
. Mr. Preston and his assistant are exploring the house. Mr. Preston forces his employee to search Grandpa's lab; after getting tangled in spider webs he knocks the dial to off. The Munster family awakens to the world of 1988. They all struggle to find their way in the strange new era.
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
that aired in syndication from 1988 to 1991. The series served as a sequel to the 1960s sitcom The Munsters
The Munsters
The Munsters is a 1960s American family television sitcom depicting the home life of a family of monsters. It starred Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster and Yvonne De Carlo as his wife, Lily Munster. The series was a satire of both traditional monster movies and popular family entertainment of the era,...
.
Production
The Munsters Today broadcast 72 episodes from October 8, 1988 to May 25, 1991 (it had more first run episodes than the original series). The pilotTelevision pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
explained the 22-year gap following the original series by showing the family as they were in 1966 when an accident took place; the family then proceeds to wake up in 1988. The color revival of The Munsters
The Munsters
The Munsters is a 1960s American family television sitcom depicting the home life of a family of monsters. It starred Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster and Yvonne De Carlo as his wife, Lily Munster. The series was a satire of both traditional monster movies and popular family entertainment of the era,...
starred John Schuck
John Schuck
Conrad John Schuck Jr. is an American actor, primarily in stage, movies and television. He is best-known for his roles as police commissioner Rock Hudson's mildly slow-witted assistant, Sgt. Charles Enright in the 1970s crime drama McMillan & Wife, and as Lee Meriwether's husband, Herman Munster...
(as Herman), Lee Meriwether
Lee Meriwether
Lee Ann Meriwether is an American actress, former model, and the winner of the 1955 Miss America pageant. She is perhaps best known for her role as Betty Jones, the crime-solving partner in the long-running 1970s crime drama, Barnaby Jones. The role earned her two Golden Globe Award nominations in...
(Lily), Howard Morton
Howard Morton
Howard Morton was an American actor.A tall man with comedic talent, Morton appeared as Dolph Sweet's doltish police subordinate on Gimme a Break! for five seasons and appeared in many other TV shows and films...
(Grandpa), Hilary Van Dyke
Hilary Van Dyke
Hilary Van Dyke is an American actress and singer who began her career in TV advertisements before landing the role of Marilyn Munster in The Munsters Today, replacing the actress in the original pilot episodes, Mary Ellen Dunbar.-Acting:...
(Marilyn) and Jason Marsden
Jason Marsden
Jason Christopher Marsden is an American screen and voice actor who has done numerous voice roles in animated films, as well as various television series.-Early life:...
(Eddie).
The series lasted three seasons on syndicated television, and proved popular with international audiences. It was created following a failed attempt to revive the show with most of the original cast (Fred Gwynne
Fred Gwynne
Frederick Hubbard "Fred" Gwynne was an American actor. Gwynne was best known for his roles in the 1960s sitcoms Car 54, Where Are You? and The Munsters, as well as his later roles: Pet Sematary and My Cousin Vinny...
, Al Lewis and Yvonne De Carlo
Yvonne De Carlo
Yvonne De Carlo was a Canadian-born American actress of film and television. During her six-decade career, her most frequent appearances in film came in the 1940s and 1950s and included her best-known film roles, such as of Anna Marie in Salome Where She Danced ; Anna in Criss Cross ; Sephora the...
) in the 1981 NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
telefilm The Munsters' Revenge
The Munsters' Revenge
The Munsters' Revenge is a 1981 telefilm produced by Universal Studios. It reunited Munsters cast members Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo and Al Lewis. Marilyn Munster was portrayed by newcomer Jo McDonnell and Eddie Munster by child actor K. C. Martel rather than Butch Patrick. The film was produced...
. Gwynne turned down the chance to reprise his role as Herman, while Lewis expressed unhappiness at not being asked to return as Grandpa, a role he had kept close to his heart for years since the original show ceased production.
Unaired pilot
An unaired pilot written by Lloyd J. SchwartzLloyd J. Schwartz
Lloyd J. Schwartz is an American television producer and writer.-Career:Schwartz is the son of TV mogul Sherwood Schwartz and has worked alongside him since the late 1960s. He has teamed with his father on many Brady Bunch projects, often as writer or producer.He also has written for TV series...
was filmed featuring a different Marilyn than the one who appeared in the series to follow (Hilary Van Dyke
Hilary Van Dyke
Hilary Van Dyke is an American actress and singer who began her career in TV advertisements before landing the role of Marilyn Munster in The Munsters Today, replacing the actress in the original pilot episodes, Mary Ellen Dunbar.-Acting:...
). The Marilyn in the pilot was Mary Ellen Dunbar, who bore resemblance to the Marilyn portrayed in the old series. The pilot began in black and white with the family as they were in 1966 and later changed to color.
Storyline
Grandpa creates a "Sleeping Machine" which makes the user fall asleep for a selected amount of time. While the victim is asleep, his/her age does not change. The machine was tested on the entire family. When 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 developer named Mr. Preston and his assistant want to buy the Munsters' home and turn it into a parking lotParking lot
A parking lot , also known as car lot, is a cleared area that is intended for parking vehicles. Usually, the term refers to a dedicated area that has been provided with a durable or semi-durable surface....
. Mr. Preston and his assistant are exploring the house. Mr. Preston forces his employee to search Grandpa's lab; after getting tangled in spider webs he knocks the dial to off. The Munster family awakens to the world of 1988. They all struggle to find their way in the strange new era.
Season 1 (1988-89)
- "Still the Munsters After All These Years" (Pilot)
- "Vampire Pie"
- "A Little Russian Dressing"
- "Flyweight Champion of the World"
- "Magna Cum Munsters"
- "Designing Munsters"
- "Farewell, Grandpa"
- "Corporate Munsters"
- "Herman The Astronaut"
- "Rock Fever"
- "Professor Grandpa"
- "Say Ahh"
- "A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Cereal"
- "Computer Mathing"
- "McMunsters"
- "One Flu Over The Munster's Nest"
- "Green Eyed Munsters"
- "The Not So Great Escape"
- "Two Left Feet"
- "Lights, Camera, Munsters"
- "Neighborly Munsters"
- "Munster Hoopster"
- "Don't Cry Wolfman"
- "The Howling"
- "Eau De Munster"
Season 2 (1989-90)
- "Three Hundred Something"
- "No Place Like Home"
- "Raging Hormones"
- "Murder in Munster Land"
- "Trail"
- "It's A Wonderful Afterlife"
- "The Eyes Have It"
- "It's a Sad, Sad World"
- "Melting Pot"
- "Once in a Blue Moon"
- "Drac The Ripper"
- "Gateman and Son"
- "Reunion"
- "Pants on Fire"
- "Munstergeist"
- "Never Say Die"
- "It's a Baby"
- "Tell'em Herman Sent You"
- "Thicker Than Water"
- "Misadventures in Time"
- "Will The Real Herman Munster Please Stand Up?"
- "Deadlock"
- "Take This Job and Shovel It"
- "That's Gratitude"
Season 3 (1990-91)
- "The Silver Bullet"
- "The Reel Munsters"
- "Wishing You Were Here"
- "Three Munsters and a Baby"
- "It's My Party and I'll Die If I Want To"
- "Makin' Waves"
- "Just Another Pretty Face"
- "Kiss, Kiss"
- "Mind Reader"
- "No More Mr. Nice Guy"
- "A House Divided"
- "A Matter of Trust"
- "Large"
- "Genie from Hell"
- "Lotsa Luck"
- "If I Only Knew Now"
- "Beating of Your Heart"
- "Parenthood vs. Childhood"
- "Das Trunk"
- "A Camping We Will Go"
- "Breaking the Chain"
- "Diary of a Mad Munster Wife"
- "The Bet"
- "Family Night"
Cast
- John SchuckJohn SchuckConrad John Schuck Jr. is an American actor, primarily in stage, movies and television. He is best-known for his roles as police commissioner Rock Hudson's mildly slow-witted assistant, Sgt. Charles Enright in the 1970s crime drama McMillan & Wife, and as Lee Meriwether's husband, Herman Munster...
- Herman MunsterHerman MunsterHerman Munster, 5th Earl of Shroudshire, is a fictional character in the CBS sitcom The Munsters, originally played by Fred Gwynne. The patriarch of the Munster household, Herman is an entity much like Frankenstein's monster along with Lurch on the show's competitor The Addams Family.Due to the... - Lee MeriwetherLee MeriwetherLee Ann Meriwether is an American actress, former model, and the winner of the 1955 Miss America pageant. She is perhaps best known for her role as Betty Jones, the crime-solving partner in the long-running 1970s crime drama, Barnaby Jones. The role earned her two Golden Globe Award nominations in...
- Lily MunsterLily MunsterLily Munster, Countess of Shroudshire , is a fictional character in the CBS sitcom The Munsters, originally played by Yvonne De Carlo. The matriarch of the Munster household, Lily is an undead vampire. Her character resembles Vampira... - Jason MarsdenJason MarsdenJason Christopher Marsden is an American screen and voice actor who has done numerous voice roles in animated films, as well as various television series.-Early life:...
- Edward "Eddie" Wolfgang MunsterEddie MunsterEdward Wolfgang "Eddie" Munster is a fictional character on the CBS sitcom The Munsters, originally played by Butch Patrick. The only child of Herman and Lily Munster, Eddie is a werewolf... - Hilary Van DykeHilary Van DykeHilary Van Dyke is an American actress and singer who began her career in TV advertisements before landing the role of Marilyn Munster in The Munsters Today, replacing the actress in the original pilot episodes, Mary Ellen Dunbar.-Acting:...
- Marilyn MunsterMarilyn MunsterMarilyn Munster is a fictional character in the CBS sitcom The Munsters, originally played by Beverley Owen with actress Pat Priest later assuming the role. In the original series she is the daughter of Lily Munster's sister, with Herman alluding to her "plain" looks coming from Lily's side of the... - Howard MortonHoward MortonHoward Morton was an American actor.A tall man with comedic talent, Morton appeared as Dolph Sweet's doltish police subordinate on Gimme a Break! for five seasons and appeared in many other TV shows and films...
- 'Grandpa' Vladimir Dracula
Special guest stars
- Kaye BallardKaye BallardKaye Ballard is an American musical theatre and television actress, comedienne, and singer.-Life and career:Ballard was born as Catherine Gloria Balotta in Cleveland, Ohio, to an Italian American family, the daughter of Lena and Vincent James Balotta.Ballard established herself as a musical...
- Mother NatureMother NatureMother Nature is a common personification of nature that focuses on the life-giving and nurturing aspects of nature by embodying it in the form of the mother. Images of women representing mother earth, and mother nature, are timeless... - Billy BartyBilly BartyBilly Barty was an American film actor.-Biography:Barty, an Italian American, was born William John Bertanzetti in Millsboro, Pennsylvania...
- - Shelley BermanShelley BermanSheldon "Shelley" Berman is an American comedian, actor, writer, teacher, lecturer, and poet.- Early life :Berman was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Irene and Nathan Berman.- Career :...
- - Joyce BrothersJoyce BrothersJoyce Brothers is an American psychologist, television personality and advice columnist, publishing a daily syndicated newspaper column since 1960.-Personal life:...
- Mrs. Cousins - Ruth BuzziRuth BuzziRuth Ann Buzzi is an American comedienne and actress of theatre, film, and television. She is especially known for her performances on the comedy-variety show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In from 1968 to 1973.-Early life:...
- - Gordon CooperGordon CooperLeroy Gordon Cooper, Jr. , also known as Gordon Cooper, was an American aeronautical engineer, test pilot and NASA astronaut. Cooper was one of the seven original astronauts in Project Mercury, the first manned space effort by the United States...
- Himself - Dustin DiamondDustin DiamondDustin Neil Diamond is an American actor, musician, director, and stand-up comedian best known for his role as Samuel "Screech" Powers in the television shows Saved by the Bell, Good Morning, Miss Bliss, Saved by the Bell: The College Years and Saved by the Bell: The New Class.-Career:Diamond's...
- - George FurthGeorge FurthGeorge Furth was an American librettist, playwright, and actor.-Biography:Furth was born George Schweinfurth in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Evelyn and George Schweinfurth...
- - Zsa Zsa GaborZsa Zsa GaborZsa Zsa Gabor is a Hungarian-born American stage, film and television actress.She acted on stage in Vienna, Austria, in 1932, and was crowned Miss Hungary in 1936. She emigrated to the United States in 1941 and became a sought-after actress with "European flair and style", with a personality that...
- Herself - Kip KingKip KingKip King was an American film, television and voice actor. He was the father of American television sketch comedian Chris Kattan.-Life and career:...
- - Pat MoritaPat MoritaNoriyuki "Pat" Morita was an American actor of Japanese descent who was well-known for playing the roles of Matsuo "Arnold" Takahashi on Happy Days and Mr. Miyagi in the The Karate Kid movie series, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1984.-Early life:Pat...
- - Don MostDon MostDon Most is an American actor best known for his role as Ralph Malph on the television series Happy Days.-Acting credits:...
- - Marcia WallaceMarcia WallaceMarcia Karen Wallace is an American character actress, comedienne and game show panelist, primarily known for her roles in television situation comedies...
-
Recurring cast
- Richard Steven HorvitzRichard Steven HorvitzRichard Steven Horvitz, sometimes credited as Richard S. Horvitz, Richard Horvitz, or Richard Wood, is an American actor and voice actor best known for his work as the voice of the original Alpha 5 in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo, and Power Rangers Turbo, as Raz in Psychonauts,...
- Howie Buchanan - Greg Mullavey - Roger Nelson
- Scott ReevesScott ReevesGregory Scott Reeves is an American actor and country music singer. He is known for his role as Ryan McNeil on The Young and the Restless and for his role as Dr...
- Dustin Nelson
Awards and nominations
| 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 | |