The Addams Family (1992 animated series)

"The Addams Family" is an American animated series based on the eponymous comic strip characters. It ran from 1992 to 1995 on ABC and was produced by Hanna-Barbera. The series' development began in the wake of the successful 1991 "Addams Family" feature film. Two seasons were produced; the third season contained reruns. It was the second-to-last Hanna-Barbera-produced show to premiere on ABC.

Format

Geared towards children, much of the family's macabre nature was toned down; although, Fester retained his love of explosives and light bulbs. In order for the series to fit with other Saturday morning cartoons, plot lines were geared around the family facing some kind of threat from a series of recurring villains-- individuals who either wanted to force the Addams' from their home or capture one of them (usually Fester) for nefarious purposes.

The first episode to air involved a plot against Fester by his "arch nemesis," a faceless gangster; the episode was aired out of production order, however, and relied on the viewer's having seen previous episodes for context, thus leaving the audience in the dark as to why Fester had an arch nemesis. Later episodes would introduce the series' most common recurring villains, a yuppie family named the Normanmeyers that lived next door to the Addams and despised them for their lifestyle being an affront to typical suburban living. Episodes dealing with the Normanmeyers usually involved the father, Norman, trying to either convince Gomez to move away or force him to sell the home; the family's adolescent son, NJ, was friends with Puggsley and Wednesday, inevitably leading to interfamilial conflict.

Cast

John Astin returned to the role of Gomez, and celebrities Rip Taylor and Carol Channing took over the roles of Fester and Grandmama, respectively, while veteran voice actors Jim Cummings, Debi Derryberry, Jeannie Elias, Pat Fraley, and Nancy Linari did the voices of Lurch, Wednesday, Pugsley, Cousin Itt, and Morticia, respectively. A new cast of characters debuted in the series in the form of a family called the Normanmeyers. They are composed of Norman (Rob Paulsen), his wife Normina (Edie McClurg) and their son Norman "NJ" Normanmeyer Junior (Dick Beals).

New artistic models of the characters were used for this series, though still having a passing resemblance to the original comics. Lurch, for instance, has blue skin in the animated series.

Action figures and other merchandise

Playmates produced a series of nine action figures based on the "Addams Family" animated series. This includes Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Lurch, Pugsley, and Granny among others. Each figure includes multiple points of articulation, accessories, and a biography card on their cardback. Halloween costumes were also produced.

External links

* [http://retroland.com/pages/retropedia/tv/item/436/ Retroland]
*imdb title|0222517

ee also

*"The Addams Family (1972 animated series)"