Feb. 14, 1964 - A situation comedy about a family that looks like monsters but is unaware of it will make its television debut in the fall on CBS. The weekly series is called “The Munsters,” which is the name of the family of five. Fred Gwynne (right) and Al Lewis (left), formerly of “Car 54, Where Are You?” will be in its cast. Mr. Gwynne plays Herman, the husband and father, who resembles Frankenstein’s monster. Mr. Lewis will be grandpa, who looks a bit like Dracula. Herman will be married to Phoebe, a vampire type. The role of the wife has not yet been cast. “The Munsters” will be produced by Joseph Connolly and Bob Mosher, who created “Leave It to Beaver.”
“There will be a niece in the family who looks perfectly normal and receives sympathetic attention from all the others,” Mr. Connolly said today. “They think there is something wrong with her because she looks different. And there will be a boy who looks like a small pig. He’s like any 10-year-old, so that makes him a monster automatically. He will play with odd toys such as a noose.”
Mr. Connolly said the Munsters would have the customary activities of most families, such as attending parent-teacher meetings and working in community affairs. But they never quite understand the reaction of others to them. “They know they’re being stared at, but they think it’s because they’re too fat,” Mr. Connolly said.
CBS has tentatively scheduled “The Munsters” for 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays. The series will be filmed at Revue Studios in Hollywood. Mr. Connolly said “The Munsters” had been under development for nine months, although the existence of his plans did not become public until today.
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