# Question about The Addams Family TV Series

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-addams-family-tv-series/1033957>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Tags:** tv-shows-scripted, comic-strips\
**Created:** [October 18, 2026, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-addams-family-tv-series/1033957 "2026-10-18T22:48:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2026, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-addams-family-tv-series/1033957/1 "2026-10-18T22:48:06Z")

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I know the yet-to-be named characters first appeared in Charles Addams’ wonderfully weird cartoons in _ **The New Yorker** _. But how did they go from there to television? Did Addams pitch the idea for the series to ABC himself? Did a suit at the network hit upon the idea one day while reading the magazine? Or were Charles and/or ABC approached by a third party who realized the comedic potential of such a project?

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**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2026, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-addams-family-tv-series/1033957/2 "2026-10-18T22:56:34Z")

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David Levy was a programming exec at NBC when he approached Addams in 1962 about adapting the strip for TV. I’m not sure whose idea it was to have Addams work as closely as he did in development (like coming up with the character names). That wasn’t generally how it worked back then; all the network usually wanted from a creator was the license. But Addams’ name was literally in the title.

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**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2026, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-addams-family-tv-series/1033957/3 "2026-10-19T02:22:38Z")

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Interesting that Levy worked at NBC, since I’m certain the series was eventually aired on ABC. I watched it religiously through all of fourth and fifth grade, and was very disappointed when it wasn’t renewed for a third season.

As an aside, I’ve seen Carolyn Jones as a cute little blonde in a couple of episodes of _ **Alfred Hitchcock Presents** _, filmed years before she put on a black wig and became Morticia Addams.