The New Addams Family
The New Addams Family
| 19 October 1998 (USA)
SEASON & EPISODES
  • 2
  • 1
  • Reviews
    TheLittleSongbird

    At first I intensely disliked this series. On re-watch it is not bad as such, and certainly not as bad as I remembered, but I still don't like it very much. And just for the record, this is coming from a fan of the original series and from someone who very much liked the two Raul Julia/Anjelica Huston movies. Addams Family Reunion was however a mess, despite me being a big fan of Tim Curry.I will get what I liked about The New Addams Family out of the way first. First and foremost, Glenn Taranto as Gomez. He is note perfect in the role and you can tell he was studying the original series as he was preparing for the role. And for fans of the original series, will love the original Gomez John Astin as Grandpa. The costume and set design are far from cheap either, the settings are meticulous with a convincing looking house, the effects are not slapdash(Thing is excellent) and the costumes are more than just fancy dress. The music is still iconic and fitting too.However, I didn't like how the series presented the Addams Family themselves. Instead of a loving, genuinely caring family, they are more like criminals in this one. I know the Barry Sonnenfeld movies had a somewhat different representation of the family, but how they're presented here and their actions makes the Sonnenfeld movies tame in comparison. The series just wasn't funny here, the writing wasn't surreal or subtle enough, and the slapstick is rather tired and predictable.The stories were rather uneven for me. There are some decent ones, like the first episode and the one with Fester as Santa at the mall, but others feel as though they're increasingly run out of ideas. The acting apart from Tarranto and Astin didn't impress me, Morticia tries too hard and is too expressive, Michael Roberds overdoes it embarrassingly as Fester and Pugsley is forgettable. Nicole Fugere fares better, she is much more comfortable than she is in Addams Family Reunion and she has some great deadpan delivery, however while it was more the fault of the writers, her Wednesday seemed more a pale imitation of Christina Ricci's.Overall, I know judging from what I've said I'm going against the tide, but while it is not a complete disgrace I didn't care for it. 4/10 Bethany Cox

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    DeerRaven

    Actually, I sorta enjoyed this show, especially the actor who played Gomez. You could tell he'd spent hours watching John Astin in the original and was doing a more than passing fair homage to him. He was pretty good, all told. I don't remember much about the rest of the cast, I guess I was too busy laughing myself sick over Gomez.Still and all, the original is the best. I saw an interview with the four remaining actors the other day on accounta the series was just released on DVD. They were John Astin, the two kids and - believe it or not - the little person who played Cousin It. Felix (I didn't get his last name) was supposed to be the better Cousin It. Apparently, you can tell the difference when another actor played him...I sort of remember a more subdued Cousin It, now that I think about it.

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    thud-5

    I remember the original The Addams Family. It came to the air when I was 8. The humor of those shows stands up even today. The New Addams Family makes a great attempt at returning to those "original" values and humor. Certainly it isn't the first movie (but it is sure a heck of a lot better than the 3rd one!!!) which strove to bring a more modern feel to the franchise. But this new incarnation is actually rather clever. Instead of having a bunch of "names" with new faces to associate with the characters, the producers found relative unknowns that have some amazing resemblances (take a look at Michael Roberds as Uncle Fester) and some very similar vocal characteristics. Close you eyes when Gomez and Fester are talking and you can almost hear John Astin and Jackie Coogan. And Ellie Hervie is a great Morticia. I like this series. It is, of course, only in reruns now. Watch a few of them with an open mind. I think you will enjoy them as well.

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    daksdaks

    This show has gotten a bad rap...even though it is a remake and does steal a lot of plot from the original, the acting is incredible and the show's fresh enough to be a lot of fun. I'd say it's better than a lot of the new shows that are coming out these days...once you get used to the new actors, you might learn to love it!

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