I always liked the Munsters better, but when I was watching them, I was 7 or 8, watching them in reruns. Watching Gomez and Morticia flirt? Ick!
But what about their theme music? When I was taking guitar lessons, our instructor gave us the “Peter Gunn” sheet music for practice. I asked him if he knew the Munsters’s base line, and he said he liked the Addam’s Family music better. :eek:
There’s just no middle ground, is there?
I have to give this one to the Addamses. Even as a hulking, nightmarish figure, Lurch way outclassed Herman. And Lurch was concise. He only said what he needed to say. He didn’t babble and blubber like Herman constantly did. And besides, he played one mean harpsichord!
Used to be a tie, now it’s Addams Family, esp. after I discovered the comics. Nicely creepy any time of the year 
And that quiet, long-suffering groan… For such a huge guy, Ted Cassidy showed a real knack for understated delivery in that role.
And that nerdy Jewish kid grew up to play Mr. Universe in Serenity. I guess you coulda seen that one coming a mile away.
In 1963, Cassidy was a radio reporter in Dallas during the time of JFK’s assassination (true). I often imagine his reports sounding like this:
Studio anchor: President Kennedy was shot today in Dallas. We go live now to Ted Cassidy at Parkland Memorial Hospital. Ted, what is the President’s conditon?
Cassidy: GROAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!
I dunno, I always thought the Munsters’ theme music was far and away the best feature of the show (along with the cars). Lively yet vaguely spooky, with an incongruous dash of surf rock-- this is a tune that says, “Hi. It’s the 1960’s; and whatever chemical is responsible for your mood right now, we’re prepared to offer you a half-hour of diverting television entertainment, at least until Batman comes in. Please enjoy!” The cheerful little head-shake Fred Gwynne does in the opening credits nicely complements the mood. It’s wacky.
The Addams Family theme works well too–it’s got a very suitable off-kilter quality to it, and the cheerfully slapdash lyrics underscore the rather impulsive character of the Addamses themselves. Of course it also gives my man Lurch a chance to shine on his mean harpsichord. But my favorite bit is probably the finger-snapping, which ties in nicely with the opening credits-- the family posing in an exaggeratedly formal Victorian portrait, and then they all simultaneously give the Beatnik salute.
Your judgments should be based only on the first few episodes of “The Munsters”. The original writers were fired, and possibly the (Rocky and Bullwinkle’s) producers who sold the series to the network.
That is the worst thing I’ve laughed at all day. 
Addams Family all the way. The first movie was one of my favorites as a kid.
Addams Family, most certainly. They were different, and happy about it (or at least, cheerfully oblivious). Also, I always felt that the writing was a lot more fun, in general.
Tangent: Back when the DFW Dopers got together pretty often, we generally made reservations as “The Adams Family”. On at least one occasion, we did the finger-snap.
I recently caught some episodes of the Addams Family and was surprised how little use they made of the premise. One completely wasted a guest appearance by, um, what’s her name, the Wicked Witch of the West, as Morticia’s mother, by having her play a generic dotty old lady who thought she overheard plans to put her in a rest home against her will.
Nonetheless, I give them the honors just for style. Gomez and Morticia were unlike anyone on TV in that decade, and not just because of wacky makeup or clothes. And they had a gnarly bong.
I see what you did there.
I actually felt guilty for seeing Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston and thinking “Damn! they’re better than John Astin and Carolyn Jones!”, but, props where they’re due.
Trivia about Ted Cassidy: One of his cars was a VW Bug that he drove by removing the front seats and sitting on the back seat.
Does anybody remember the Nick’at’Night commercial for the Munsters in which actual college genetics professors (I looked them up at the time as a matter of curiosity) “explained” (tongue-in-cheek, of course) the recessive and dominant genes necessary for a male vampire to produce a vampiress who marries a reanimated corpse and produce a wolfboy, while the same vampire has another child whose daughter is normal? It was one of their better commercial moments.
Addams Family also had the best dialogue:
Judge: Mr. Addams I am holding you in contempt!
Gomez: Good! That means we’re even!
Morticia: Think of Romeo and Juliet.
Gomez: They died!
Morticia: Oh, but what fun they had those last three days.
Morticia: It’s just like great-grandpa-pa Addams observed when cousin Squint was born- “Two heads are better than one”.
Addams family by a mile, for all of the reasons stated. As a kid I thought it would be cool to live next door to them.
Actually, I still think it’d be cool.
Oh, thank heaven. I was beginning to think I’d lost my touch.
Addams Family, no contest. Their show was actually funny. The Munsters never was, other than “Oh! He looks like Frankenstein’s monster!”
I always thought The Musters were just a poor man’s Addam’s Family.
You should get a mod to correct your title. 
Jamais.
Amen.
I had a crush on her when I was 10.
Also, have any of you ever sat down & reflected on the way they behaved?
Unlike other TV families, Daddy was not a schnook, Gomez was cool & smart; Mom didn’t lie to Dad, Morticia & Gomez treated each other with respect; the Kids were never sassy, Wednesday & Pugsley honored their parents & respected their values.
Let’s face it: the Addams’ had more in common with the Waltons than with the Munsters. The Addams were the Goth Waltons. 
Merci.