# Question about The Addams Family TV Series **URL:** \ **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:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2026, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-addams-family-tv-series/1033957/41 "2026-10-23T23:30:40Z")
Definitely heard and sang it. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2026, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-addams-family-tv-series/1033957/42 "2026-10-23T23:48:58Z")
> [@robby](#): > > Me either (although he is apparently not his biological father). True, but John raised Sean, and adopted him. If you ever hear Sean Astin refer to “my father,” he’s talking about John. ---
**Author:** ![De\_La\_Rue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@De\_La\_Rue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/De_La_Rue)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2026, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-addams-family-tv-series/1033957/43 "2026-10-24T03:10:40Z")
OK, I have now seen “The Addams Family in Court” and Gomez does indeed bring Thing to the courtroom in a briefcase. So, yes, in the 1960s show Thing is a hand. That being said… > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > It was a ‘Thing’ that lived within the house presumably in the walls, floors, etc., and the hand we see is just one part of a much larger creature. The original Charles Addams cartoons with the family sometimes have a person peeking behind or out from somewhere, like the railing [here](https://webcomicoverlook.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/4129778273_d6115cedbf_b.jpeg). This may or may not be the Thing (which, to my knowledge, was only ever directly mentioned in the sign seen in [this cartoon](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/addamsfamily/images/5/55/Addams_mansion.png/revision/latest?cb=20221230190938)). Other possibilities include the hands seen [here](https://mediaproxy.tvtropes.org/width/1200/https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/addamscartoon.png) (more like the show) or whatever is in [the carrier](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/b6/8d/de/b68ddeb24aff8a1a812628511f7960f9.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2026, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-addams-family-tv-series/1033957/44 "2026-10-24T04:27:19Z")
> [@De\_La\_Rue](#): > > This may or may not be the Thing (which, to my knowledge, was only ever directly mentioned in the sign seen in [this cartoon](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/addamsfamily/images/5/55/Addams_mansion.png/revision/latest?cb=20221230190938)). Unfortunately, ‘this cartoon’ is not displayed. ☹ ---
**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 24, 2026, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-addams-family-tv-series/1033957/45 "2026-10-24T06:01:28Z")
> [@De\_La\_Rue](#): > > The original Charles Addams cartoons with the family sometimes have a person peeking behind or out from somewhere, like the railing [here](https://webcomicoverlook.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/4129778273_d6115cedbf_b.jpeg). It looks like Kilroy. [Kilroy Was Here! - Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service)](https://www.nps.gov/rori/learn/historyculture/kilroy-was-here.htm) In the one with the carrier, are they standing in line to buy airline tickets? 🤔 ---
**Author:** ![De\_La\_Rue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@De\_La\_Rue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/De_La_Rue)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2026, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-addams-family-tv-series/1033957/46 "2026-10-24T12:45:52Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Unfortunately, ‘this cartoon’ is not displayed. It works for me. [Here](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8-I2PL_wvOQWm9qU42Fw0H6p7a07ob_Gs6iDsAxxMn-pdayHHJuuuVilxf0ilJBQ3LhNZBqpCz8e_BNe9o9LhBbN7OG-l6PJRi_YNoAtf8Kob4983z-usNimkxvd9ul15oQNxPHQNeM1Lk1EAE0OMQZw7AkQgw9yYc5lWJYjanLzVdpEg-NYHx6y/s16000/311686800_1101659014567252_1565694684351214681_n.jpeg) it is from another source. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2026, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-addams-family-tv-series/1033957/47 "2026-10-24T13:06:57Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > It looks like Kilroy. > > [Kilroy Was Here! - Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service)](https://www.nps.gov/rori/learn/historyculture/kilroy-was-here.htm) From a British perspective, that’s not Kilroy, it’s Mr Chad – a graffiti format that predated the US entry into the war as a commentary on wartime shortages. The slogan that accompanied the character was variations on “Wot? No bacon?” (Or whatever commodity was currently in short supply). “Kilroy was here” was originally just that text: it seems that at some point GIs merged the two formats, but in the UK they remained separate. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2026, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-addams-family-tv-series/1033957/48 "2026-10-24T14:22:30Z")
> [@De\_La\_Rue](#): > > It works for me. [Here](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8-I2PL_wvOQWm9qU42Fw0H6p7a07ob_Gs6iDsAxxMn-pdayHHJuuuVilxf0ilJBQ3LhNZBqpCz8e_BNe9o9LhBbN7OG-l6PJRi_YNoAtf8Kob4983z-usNimkxvd9ul15oQNxPHQNeM1Lk1EAE0OMQZw7AkQgw9yYc5lWJYjanLzVdpEg-NYHx6y/s16000/311686800_1101659014567252_1565694684351214681_n.jpeg) it is from another source. Aha! Yes, I remember that one. (I need to pull out my books more often.) > [@WotNot](#): > > The slogan that accompanied the character was variations on “Wot? No bacon?” (Or whatever commodity was currently in short supply). > > “Kilroy was here” was originally just that text: it seems that at some point GIs merged the two formats, but in the UK they remained separate. That’s how I remember it, when I ‘researched’ it a couple of decades ago. Thank you for spreading the word. 🙂 ---
**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 24, 2026, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-addams-family-tv-series/1033957/49 "2026-10-24T16:44:26Z")
> [@WotNot](#): > > Mr Chad – a graffiti format that predated the US entry into the war as a commentary on wartime shortages. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Mr_Chad_%28cropped%29.png?utm_source=en.wikipedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Mr_Chad_%28cropped%29.png?utm_source=en.wikipedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2026, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-addams-family-tv-series/1033957/50 "2026-10-25T15:54:24Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > > [@robby](#): > > > > Me either (although he is apparently not his biological father). > > True, but John raised Sean, and adopted him. If you ever hear Sean Astin refer to “my father,” he’s talking about John. Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply otherwise. But from what I have read, Sean maintained a good relationship with all of his “dads.” Anyway, I was mostly referring to the lack of a family resemblance between him and John Astin. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2026, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-addams-family-tv-series/1033957/51 "2026-10-25T23:12:22Z")
For my part, I was not intending to correct or contradict you; merely trying to add some information that might be interesting. Sean Astin’s true parentage was a matter of confusion for some time. But like you, I understand that he is on good terms with all three of his various father figures. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-addams-family-tv-series/1033957.md?page=2)