The teaser trailer for the upcoming Rob Zombie movie adaptation of The Munsters came out recently, stirring up nostalgia and excitement for fans old and new. Yet this is only the newest iteration of The Munsters, having had many different projects since the original 1960s television series.
Some of these projects have featured the original cast members from the beloved show while others have had entirely different casts. All of these projects have their own identity, ranging anywhere from Christmas specials to animation to an interpretation that was far more focused on horror.
The Munsters’ Scary Little Christmas (1996) – 4.9
Streaming on Amazon Prime
Most TV fictional families star in at least one holiday special and this includes the Munsters. In this TV movie, Eddie misses Transylvania and Herman tries to give him a traditional Transylvanian Christmas to cheer him up. However, Grandpa Munster accidentally kidnaps Santa and some of his elves, and with no way for them to get back, the Munsters must save Christmas.
While Ann Magnuson does a good job as Lily, the rest of the cast is not as convincing. The cast does their best, however, sometimes their line delivery falls flat. Another issue is that the makeup the cast wears often seems off and distracting, particularly Grandpa Munster. There is also an unintentionally disturbing scene where Herman tries to donate blood and the needle won’t go in his arm.
The Munsters Today (1987-1991) – 5.0
Streaming on NBC.com
The Munsters Today serves as a sequel to the original series. In something of a time-travel twist from this horror TV series from the 1980s, the Munsters wake up in the late 1980s after being asleep for 22 years and have to learn how to adapt to the era.
The series does occasionally have storylines with poignant themes such as when Herman admits he never made it past the fourth grade. However, the series often recreates plotlines from the original series despite being a sequel. The makeup and costumes are also of questionable quality. The Munsters also don’t react much at all to how the world has changed around them.
Here Come the Munsters (1995) – 5.0
Streaming on Tubi
Here Come the Munsters is a TV movie prequel to the original series, where the Munsters move to the U.S. to search for Marilyn’s father Norman Hyde (who has become Brent Jekyll and is running for Congress) to change him back.
While this TV movie tries to recapture the feel of the original series, it often fails. The makeup can also be somewhat distracting, particularly with how Herman’s actor’s makeup shows his real skin. Despite being a prequel the movie often has contradictions to the original series such as Marilyn being on Herman’s side of the family instead of Lily’s. Although the movie does have many flaws it does contain the rare instance of Eddie turning into a full-fledged werewolf.
The Mini-Munsters (1973) – 5.5
Streaming on Tubi
The only animated outing of the spooky family sees a now-teenage Eddie getting a car powered by music. He decides to start a band along with his cousins to power the car, however, the car is threatened by gangsters that own an oil refinery.
The Mini-Munsters was a failed pilot for The Munsters animated series and became a stand-alone TV movie. The only returning cast member from the original series is Al Lewis from the original series, and Marilyn is missing. While not perfect, it does have the unusual feature of having a teenage Eddie. Also, it does have a campy appeal with Eddie starting a seventies rock band.
The Munsters’ Revenge (1981) – 5.9
Streaming on Tubi
The Munsters’ Revenge is a TV movie from the 80s, where an evil owner of a wax museum frames Herman and Grandpa Munster for a jewel robbery, forcing them to clear their names.
Although the original actors for Eddie and Marilyn did not reprise their roles, the original Herman, Grandpa, and Lily all made appearances. The film also had a memorably hammy sitcom-style villain performance from Sid Caesar, which makes the film stand out more than it would otherwise. While not perfect, Gwynn and Lewis do still have good chemistry together.
Munster, Go Home! (1966) – 6.3
Streaming on Amazon Prime
The Munsters’ first-ever movie sees the whole family traveling to England after Herman finds out he’s the new lord of Munster Hall. However, things take a turn for the worse when their cousins try and claim the manor for themselves.
This is not only the first movie featuring the Munsters but the first time they appeared in color. The film features most of the original cast except for Marilyn, who was portrayed by Debbie Watson, as well as memorable performances by Terry-Thomas, Hermione Gingold, and John Carradine. There is also a stand-out car race scene where Herman races in a coffin car called “DRAG-U-LA”, which is what Munsters director Rob Zombie named one of his most famous songs after.
Mockingbird Lane (2012) – 7.3
Streaming on Amazon Prime
This Halloween special was originally intended as a pilot for a reboot of the series. The Munster family must relocate after their son Eddie becomes a werewolf and attacks his boy scout troop.
This special took The Munsters TV series in a far darker direction than any version had previously. There is far more on-screen blood and gore as well as an evil interpretation of Grandpa (played by Eddie Izzard). Marilyn gets more personality in this version as a seemingly normal pretty 1950-styled young woman who has a love of murder and macabre. The special also contains impressive special effects such as Lily’s entrance. While it can sometimes be slightly unpleasant, it takes an original direction for The Munsters.
The Munsters (1964-1966) – 7.8
Streaming on Peacock
The original series that first covered the Munster family will perhaps always be considered the best for many. Although it surprisingly only ran for two seasons, The Munsters still holds up today.
The family, although made of monsters, is lovable and often realistic, and meant to parallel the struggles of a working-class immigrant family. The family truly loves each other, often showing outward affection for one another. It’s impressive that the first iteration of The Munsters is still considered the best version after all these years.
