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A MundaneFantastic DomCom that originally ran from 1964 to 1966 about a working class family of would-be monsters. Experienced surprising high ratings during the period before the ''{{Series/Batman}}'' TV series came on, revolutionizing color TV.

The humor of the series came from the odd juxtaposition of many [[AnimationTropes "cartoon"]] antics in a live action series, namely "Fast Motion", as well as the fact that despite their gothic appearance, the family doesn't seem to think they're different from anyone else, with the exception of cousin Marilyn who didn't inherit "The Family Look". Though sometimes compared to the Addams family, there are considerable differences. Series/TheAddamsFamily are in essence landed gentry (their history in the US goes back to the Pilgrim era), very refined and elegant, and independently wealthy; the Munsters are working-class recent immigrants (Grandpa having immigrated from Transylvania), and Herman has a quite coarse sense of humour. The Addamses are borderline supernatural in some undefined way; the Munsters are explicit monsters. The most important difference, however, is in the families' views of themselves and the people around them. The Addamses consider themselves perfectly normal, and cannot understand why the people they meet are so very strange; the Munsters believe themselves to be just like the people around them, and cannot understand why said people seem to think the family is so strange.

NBC had optioned a reboot of the series created by BryanSinger and BryanFuller entitled ''MockingbirdLane'', featuring Jerry O'Connell as Herman, Portia de Rossi as Lily, EddieIzzard as Grandpa, Mason Cook as Eddie, and Charity Wakefield as Marilyn. Oh, and it was to be a drama. The pilot episode aired as a TV special on October 26, 2012.

The character list is as follows:

* '''Herman''', the [[GentleGiant 7-foot-tall]] [[FrankensteinsMonster Frankenstinian]] patriarch of the family. Though he believed himself to be a StandardFiftiesFather, he was really more of a BumblingDad and [[IdiotHero loveable idiot]]. AfraidOfBlood. It is worth noting that Herman is considered to be the most successful of Doctor Frankenstein's many efforts - presumably since he didn't tear apart the countryside. Later, it was established that a British family named Munster had adopted Herman.
* '''Lily''', the doting {{housewife}}. The child of immigrant parents, Lily was more keenly aware of social standards than the rest of her family, but nevertheless cheerily went about her bizarre habits anyway. Usually became involved to bail Herman and Grandpa out of trouble. She and Herman have one of TV's most successful marriages - during the series they celebrated their 100th Anniversary!
* '''Eddie''', a boy with werewolf tendencies, Eddie had the typical problems of a pre-teen in 1950s America: too much homework, not enough television, can't stop chewing the teacher's leg, etc.
* '''Marilyn''', the [[GirlNextDoor pretty]] [[HairOfGoldHeartOfGold blonde]] UnfazedEveryman of the series, Marilyn was the shockingly normal {{muggle}} niece of the family. Rather than proud of being able to conform better, Marilyn was convinced that ''she'' was the freak, and her aunt and uncle regarded her "weirdness" as a tragic affliction. Despite being ripe for storylines, Marilyn was a background character at best. Her (second) actress even said years after the fact that anyone could have played her.
* '''Grandpa''', Herman's [[TheLancer Lancer]] and usually the instigator for the show's zany scheme of the week. A combination [[{{Dracula}} Count Dracula]] and MadScientist, Grandpa was an OmnidisciplinaryScientist with at least one degree in Occult Magic. He sometimes reported being discriminated against by his neighbors -- not because he was a blood-sucking demon of the night, but because he was ''[[DiscriminateAndSwitch European]]''.
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!!Tropes Include:

* AmusingAlien
* AnimatedAdaptation: ''The Mini-Munsters'', a 1973 animated TV movie.
* BlindWithoutEm: Dr. Dudley.
* BumblingDad: Herman.
* CoolCar: The Munster Koach and the Dragula race car. The Munster Koach was arguably the show's signature.
** Note: The car used in Music/RobZombie's ''Dragula'' music video is not the Dragula, but the Munster Koach.
* CoolHouse
* CuteMonsterGirl: Lily.
* DarkerAndEdgier: ''MockingbirdLane''.
* DarkIsNotEvil
* DeadpanSnarker: The Raven in the Clock. Also, Grandpa.
* DevelopmentHell: A prospective [[TheFilmOfTheSeries feature film adaptation]] was trapped in this for years in the mid-'00s, with the Wayans Brothers attached at one point, before the idea was ultimately scrapped.
* DuelingShows: ''Series/TheAddamsFamily''.
* DysfunctionalFamily
* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: Lily.
* ExtremelyDustyHome
* FantasyKitchenSink: Frankenstein monster, vampires, and a werewolf...all related!
* FastForwardGag: Whenever someone meets the Munsters and runs away.
* ForgottenThemeTuneLyrics
* FluffyTheTerrible: Spot The Dragon.
* FriendlyNeighborhoodVampires
* GentleGiant: Herman
* {{Halloweentown}}
* HappilyMarried: Herman and Lily.
** The first (live-action) couple to be shown sharing the same bed. The first couple was [[TheFlintstones Fred & Wilma Flintstone.]]
* {{Housewife}}: Lily
* IAmNotSpock: Averted. Al Lewis loved his Grandpa Munster character, and eagerly exploited it.
** Played more or less straight with Fred Gwynne, who spent some years distancing himself from Herman until he was given a sweetheart deal to be in the 1981 TV movie ''The Munsters' Revenge''.
* ImprobablyCoolCar: The Munsters Koach and Grandpa's coffin-mobile. It was the '60s, it was a high-concept sitcom, so of course they had to have George Barris showrods even though it's never explained how a [[StealthPun working stiff]] like Herman can afford a car like that.
* IWantYouToMeetAnOldFriendOfMine: Previously, Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis were featured in the series ''Series/Car54WhereAreYou''.
** In the movie ''Munster Go Home!'' Herman panics telling Grandpa to "Call the police! Call the FBI! Call Scotland Yard! Call Franchise/{{Batman}}!" And then shouts out, calling "''Series/Car54WhereAreYou''!!!!!"
* ItRunsInTheFamily
* LightningCanDoAnything: Like turn Herman into a normal human.
** Or put hair on a bowling ball! ''[[CrowningMomentOfFunny SERIOUSLY]]''
** Or change Herman back into a man. See Sexophone below.
* {{Mad Scientist}}[=/=]BunglingInventor: Grandpa
* ManChild: Herman. One of the {{Running Gag}}s was him throwing foundation-shaking temper tantrums.
* MirrorCrackingUgly: Herman.
* {{Monster Mash}}: Another difference from the Addams Family who were general gothic, while the Munsters were based on specific movie monsters.
** Even the Creature from the Black Lagoon shows up, he's from the old country, rich and used to be a politician as well. He's called Uncle Gilbert.
* {{The Movie}}: Several, but only two...the theatrical ''Munsters Go Home!'' and the tv movie ''Munsters' Revenge''... featuring the original actors.
* MythologyGag: In The Munsters Today episode "Designing Munsters", Herman and Lily exchange roles as provider and housewife. A montage is shown where the opening credits of the original show's first season is reinacted, but with Herman and Lily switching roles: Herman kisses Lily while giving her her suitcase, scolds Grandpa for trying to bite him, kisses Marilyn when she leaves for school, and gives Eddie his books and pats his cheeks.
* NightmareFetishist: Not as much as The Addams, but still...
* OnlySaneMan: Even though he was more or less Dracula incarnate, Grandpa wasn't really as naive as the rest of the clan.
* TheOtherDarrin: Beverly Owen played Marilyn in the first 13 episodes. After she left to marry ''SesameStreet'' writer-producer-director Jon Stone, Pat Priest took over for the rest of the series.
* OurWerewolvesAreDifferent
* QuirkyHousehold
* {{Revival}}: The 1980s series ''The Munsters Today'' and a revival movie from the 90s.
** Worth noting that ''The Munsters Today'', despite being a show whose premise was that the Munsters were cryogenically frozen and woke up in the '80s, lasted longer than the original show.
** ''MockingbirdLane'' was originally envisioned as this, before NBC later aired the pilot as a Halloween special (and later scrapped the idea altogether).
* SequelSeries: ''The Munsters Today''.
* {{Sexophone}}: Used when Grandpa's latest invention turns Herman [[GenderBender into a woman]]. ([[LightningCanDoAnything He got changed back]] [[StatusQuoIsGod by the end of the episode]]). Grandpa's spell once did the same to Eddie at the end of an episode, so the reset was automatic.
* ShoutOut: Butch Patrick's 1983 novelty single "Whatever Happened to Eddie?" is set to the tune of the theme song and details his life as Eddie Munster.
** Marilyn, of course, is a reference to MarilynMonroe.
* {{SitCom}}
* SkunkStripe: Lily
* SleepingSingle: Subverted. Then again these Munsters are strange folk.
* TeensAreMonsters: Averted ''literally''-- Marilyn Munster is the only normal person in the family.
** "Poor dear... it's not her fault she's so ugly."
*** Kind of a FridgeBrilliance Aesop to some kids about beauty being subjective.
** Lampshaded when a TV Land Channel Commercial was showing reruns of the show, their promotions added (less than masterful) lyrics to the theme song, including the line, "Marilyn, you're normal, where the heck did you come from?"
* {{Thirteen Is Unlucky}}: The Munsters live at 1313 Mockingbird Lane.
* ThisIsMySide: Grandpa and Herman had many childish antics like this.
* TheTonsillitisEpisode: Eddie in "Operation: Herman."
* UnderCrank: The Fast Motion Scenes
* UnfazedEveryman: Marilyn
* WhiteSheep
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