The Munsters Today

The Munsters Today is an American sitcom that aired in syndication from 1988 to 1991. The series served as a sequel to the 1964-66 sitcom, The Munsters.^[2]

Production

This color revival of The Munsters starred John Schuck (as 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 when an accident took place; the family then proceeds to wake up in 1988.^[3]

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.

Some episodes have Herman singing words to the theme song, which include "We're the Munsters, we went to sleep 20 years ago" (this can be viewed at YouTube under the "Computer Dating" episode).

Unaired pilot

An unaired pilot written by Lloyd J. Schwartz 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.

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." 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. 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.

Episodes

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

The cast of "The Munsters Today."

• John Schuck - Herman Munster
• Lee Meriwether - Lily Munster
• Jason Marsden - Edward "Eddie" Wolfgang Munster
• Hilary Van Dyke - Marilyn Munster
• Howard Morton - "Grandpa" Vladimir Dracula

Special guest stars

• Kaye Ballard - Mother Nature
• Billy Barty - Genie
• Shelley Berman - Sam Hawkins
• Jonathan Brandis - Matt Glover
• Dr. Joyce Brothers - Mrs. Cousins
• Ruth Buzzi - Dracula's Mother
• Gordon Cooper - Himself
• Bill Daily - Count Strimpkin
• Dustin Diamond - Rob
• Moosie Drier - Andy Graves
• Nancy Dussault - Dr. Sandra Brown
• Nanette Fabray - Dottie
• Norman Fell - Mr. Maurice
• Kathleen Freeman - Grandma
• George Furth - Dr. Carver
• Zsa Zsa Gabor - Herself
• Kip King - Burt Fearman
• Dave Madden - Mr. Preston
• Eddie Mekka - Mr. Sweetzer
• Richard Moll - Genghis Khan
• Pat Morita - Neighbor
• Don Most - Barney Morley
• Lois Nettleton - Jessica Brown
• Marcia Wallace - Dr. Susan Evans
• Jo De Winter - Katja Dracula
• Yetta - Shirley

Recurring cast

• Richard Steven Horvitz - Howie Buchanan
• Greg Mullavey - Roger Nelson
• Scott Reeves - Dustin Nelson

Awards and nominations

See also

• Vampire film

References

External links

• The Munsters Today at the Internet Movie Database
• The Munsters Today at TV.com
• The Munsters Today Information Archives