Credit where credit is due: Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo and Al Lewis are what keep you coming back to the Munsters. Yes, the look of the show (Universal Horror all the way) is great, the writing often clever, the numerous sight gags usually entertaining. But if you didn't have good (very good) acting from the leads this show would have tanked.Boiled down, the Munsters is a typical family sitcom in a bizarre setting. And while most of the episodes are fun, if feather-light, it didn't take long until the first clunker (#14: Grandpa Leaves Home). And that wasn't the last one but, thankfully, it's in the minority. The reason, again, is that Herman, Lily and Grandpa (along with the kids and numerous guest star appearances) are, frankly, endearing. You become so fond of them that some episodes actually become touching (Happy 100th Anniversary).Only 70 episodes but that was about the limit of what you could crank out without it becoming painful. Too many sitcoms run on past their welcome. This one managed not to.

When I was a kid The Munsters was a big favourite, and at 19 it still is. The costumes, sets and photography still look great after all these years, and the music is more than memorable. The humour is perhaps broader than a 60s series like The Addams Family(also a classic) but goodness isn't the humour hilarious too? The lines are sharp and the slapstick uproarious. And it really helps that (at least to me that is) the laughter track is never inappropriate or annoying. The stories are always well-paced and entertaining, Grandpa's experiments are worth the viewing alone and the characters are so lovable and genuinely for each other as a family, my personal favourite is Eddie. The acting is spot on, Al Lewis, Fred Gwynne, Yvonne DeCarlo and Butch Patrick are just perfect. Overall, another TV classic of the 60s. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I don't think any spoilers can ruin a perfect show like this one.Fred Gwynne plays Herman Munster, part machine, part human who looks a little like Frankenstein's monster. I think that's who he's supposed to be, but I'm no expert.This is a good show. I'm shocked it only lated two Seasons; I think the creators were very smart casting Al Lewis as the Grandfather. AHe was very funny, and played his part very well. And I can't seem to say enough about Marilyn. Beverley Owen played her for a while, then she left the show to get married, and Pat Priest took over.Not having seen any of the second season, I can't say it was 100% perfect, but from what I saw, it was rally good.

"The Munsters" was filmed at the Universal-Hollywood lot, where the original monster movies of the 30's and 40's featuring Frankenstein's monster, Dracula, Wolfman etc,were made. By the 1960's it was felt these creations(makeup copyright still owned by the studio)were ripe for spoofing(well they had actually already been in comedy films with Abbott and Costello a few years earlier)."The Munsters" could have been terrible-its easy to get this sort of thing all wrong, witness the appalling 80's remake "The Munster's today"; but this series works beautifully.It's not the scripts-though there are some great lines,they are often not especially outstanding. What makes the show so good is the cast, particularly Fred Gwynne as scary, hopeless, lovable Herman-what a performance he gave! Despite all the makeup he can do wonderful things with his face,and that gentle cultured voice coming out of the monstrous Herman-taking any line-often a very ordinary one, and making it totally hilarious. Herman, with his easily punctured vanity, childish tantrums and booming laugh, is one of the great comic creations. A word of appreciation too for Al Lewis, the vampire Grandpa, whose mad scientist Count comes over like a third rate vaudeville magician from New York (he even works as a stage magician in one episode!),and who enjoys nothing more than insulting his clueless son in law, Herman. The rest of the cast are fine, though Yvonne DeCarlo as Lily was given little else to do but be shrewish with Herman as the series went on. Another fortunate thing was that in the mid 60's,when the show was made, there were many marvelous character actor/comedians in Hollywood, and lots appear on the show, such as Frank Gorshin, Neil Hamilton, Jessie White, John Hoyt, Louis Nye(his TV horror host character, "Zombo", is actually scarier than any of the Munsters)and best of all Paul Lynde, who shows up twice as the Munster family doctor,and has some classic comedy moments with Herman. One of many highlights is Herman doing a cod "Ginsberg" style poem in front of an admiring beatnik audience in "Far out Munster". A treat, a show which should live forever.