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The New Addams Family
New Addams Family.png
Genre Sitcom
Starring Glenn Taranto
Ellie Harvie
Brody Smith
Nicole Fugere
Betty Phillips
Michael Roberds
John DeSantis
Steven Fox
Composer(s) Barron Abramovitch
Jeremy Sweet
Michael Whittaker
Country of origin United States
Canada
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 65
Production
Executive producer(s) Lance H. Robbins
James Shavick
Producer(s) Victoria Woods
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time 22–24 minutes
Production company(s) Film Incentive B.C.
Fox Family Worldwide
Shavick Entertainment
Saban Entertainment
Distributor Saban International
Release
Original network YTV (Canada)
Fox Family Channel (United States)
Original release October 19, 1998 (1998-10-19) – August 28, 1999 (1999-08-28)
Chronology
Preceded by The Addams Family

The New Addams Family is an American-Canadian sitcom that aired from October 1998 to August 1999 on YTV in Canada and Fox Family in the United States and CITV in the United Kingdom on weekends. It was produced by Shavick Entertainment and Saban Entertainment as a revival of the 1960s series The Addams Family. To date, it remains the final Addams Family television series, with only a computer-animated feature succeeding it twenty years later.

The series was cancelled after one season.

Plot

The Addams Family consists of husband and wife, Gomez and Morticia Addams, their children, Wednesday and Pugsley, as well as Grandmama, Uncle Fester, and their butler, Lurch. The Addams' are a close-knit extended family with decidedly macabre interests and supernatural abilities. No explanation for their powers is explicitly given in the series. Some of the episodes in this series are remakes of the original TV series' episodes with some episodes being exclusive to this show.

Later episodes introduce a relative named Grandpapa Addams who had similar traits to Gomez. Grandpapa Addams was played by John Astin, who had played Gomez in the original series.

Cast

Main cast

  • Glenn Taranto as Gomez Addams
  • Ellie Harvie as Morticia Addams
  • Brody Smith as Pugsley Addams
  • Nicole Fugere as Wednesday Addams. Fugere was the only member of the Addams Family Reunion cast to return for the series.
  • Betty Phillips as Eudora "Grandmama" Addams
  • Michael Roberds as Uncle Fester
  • John DeSantis as Lurch
  • Steven Fox's Hand as Thing

Guest cast

  • John Astin as Grandpapa Addams
  • David Mylrea as Cousin Itt
  • Paul Dobson as Voice of Cousin Itt
  • Tabitha St. Germain as Melancholia
  • Demetri Goritsas as Simon
  • Meredith Bain Woodward as Granny Frump
  • Lisa Calder as Ophelia Frump
  • Shoshoni as Kitty Kat

Production

Writing

One of the notable differences between the original show and the new series was that Wednesday and Pugsley (Nicole Fugere and Brody Smith respectively – the former reprising her role from Addams Family Reunion) were given expanded roles that highlighted their violent personalities, made popular by the Addams Family film. Another element carried over from the films was Fester being Gomez's brother, whereas in the original show he had been Morticia's uncle.

Theme music

The new theme music, performed by the cast, was a departure from the familiar tune that had served most previous adaptations of the series. The familiar finger-snapping was present, albeit at a faster pace, accompanied by two different characters (first Lurch, then Gomez) saying the word "snap" twice in rapid succession to match the beat. It was written by Barron Abramovitch, Jeremy Sweet, and Michael Whittaker.

Syndication

The series currently airs on Canadian television channel OutTV.

Episodes

There were 65 episodes in the series; one more than the original series.

No. Title Directed By Written By Original air date
1 "Halloween with the Addams Family" Mark Jean Story by : Keith Fowler & Phil Leslie
Teleplay by : Robert Baird & Kelly Senecal
October 19, 1998 (1998-10-19)
Mistaking two robbers for trick-or-treaters, the Addams Family takes them in for a Halloween celebration. Meanwhile, Wednesday and Pugsley go trick-or-treating as Siskel and Ebert.
2 "Deadbeat Relatives" Ron Oliver Robert Baird & Kelly Senecal October 20, 1998 (1998-10-20)
At the time when the Addams Family are moonbathing, Wednesday recites an incantation that brings Cousin Vlad back to life. He wants to kill Gomez and marry Morticia.
3 "The Addams Family Goes to School" Ron Oliver Story by : Seaman Jacobs & Ed James
Teleplay by : Peggy Nicoll
October 21, 1998 (1998-10-21)

The school board finds out that Wednesday and Pugsley have never been to school due to Grandmama being the one who educated them and sends a written order to Gomez and Morticia to enroll them at once. Gomez later gets a reaction when he hears that Grimm's Fairy Tales has a dragon getting killed.

Family mentioned: Cousin Imar (who has three arms. Morticia knits a sweater for him where the purple brings out the color in his eye)
4 "Fester's Punctured Romance" Harvey Frost Story by : Jameson Brewer
Teleplay by : Peggy Nicoll
October 22, 1998 (1998-10-22)

Uncle Fester's prison girlfriend Cruella breaks up with him upon making parole. Uncle Fester uses a dating service catalogue to hook up with a hateful woman named Lucretia. Uncle Fester mistakes a woman named Melinda Carver for her. Wednesday secretly administers a prick that contains a love potion that Grandmama brewed which works too well. When Gomez and Morticia find out, they instruct her to make an antidote at once.

Family mentioned: Grandpa Squid and Aunt Vendetta (who are in the attic as Gomez goes to check if they are still alive), Great-Uncle Zee (who was affected by Love Potion 666 and kept digging up Cassandra)
5 "New Neighbors Meet the Addams Family" Randy Bradshaw Story by : Hannibal Coons & Harry Winkler
Teleplay by : Peggy Nicoll
October 23, 1998 (1998-10-23)

Newleyweds Hubert and Amanda Patterson move into the neighborhood and learn that the Addams Family are their next door neighbors and landlords. Gomez is more than willing to let the Pattersons out of their contract if they change their minds, but the realtor he hired to manage the house lies to both parties out of greed (as Gomez pays well); he claims the Petersons like the house, while lying Gomez will not let them out of the contract. After days of putting up with the Addams' unwanted visits, the Petersons head into WITSEC to get away; turns out this was the fourth time it's happened.

Family mentioned: Aunt Blemish, Cousin Farouk (whose leg is sticking out of the shark on the Addams Family's wall)
6 "Grandpapa Addams Comes to Visit" George Eschbaumer Story by : Byron Twiggs
Teleplay by : Peggy Nicoll
October 26, 1998 (1998-10-26)

While his neighborhood is being rebuilt, Gomez' grandfather Grandpapa Addams comes to visit the family and live with them for awhile. While Grandpapa Addams still misses his late wife Delilah, Gomez and Morticia arrange for him to be sent to Club Dead. Grandpapa fears that they are going to send him to a retirement home. His attempts to convince them of his sanity backfire, so they send him anyway. Grandpapa falls for woman at the home, who burned the place down; she oddly resembles Moritica.

Family mentioned: Cousin Winkle (who often gets out of his coffin and sleepwalks) A parody of Rip van Winkle; with R.I.P. as an unspoken joke.
7 "Gomez, the Reluctant Lover" Peter Rowe Story by : Charles Marrion
Teleplay by : Peggy Niccol
October 27, 1998 (1998-10-27)
Puglsey has developed a crush on his teacher and copies one of Gomez' love letters to Morticia. This causes her to think that Gomez wrote the letter.
8 "Morticia the Matchmaker" Gary Harvey Story by : Maury Geraghty & Hannibal Coons & Harry Winkler
Teleplay by : Peggy Niccol
October 28, 1998 (1998-10-28)

Cousin Melancholia's fiancé ran off and she shows up at the Addams Family Mansion in a despondent state. Morticia hooks her up with a law firm owner named Ralph Harvey when nobody else wanted the job.

Family mentioned: Cousin Tracheal (who can smoke through her neck)
9 "The Addams Family Tree" Harvey Frost Story by : Lou Huston & Hannibal Coons & Harry Winkler
Teleplay by : Peggy Nicoll
October 29, 1998 (1998-10-29)

After Wednesday gives Harold Pomeroy a black eye, his smug father Cecil shows up at the Addams Family mansion demanding an apology. Both Harold and Cecil have their different ooky experiences with the Addams Family members. Meanwhile, Professor Simms is hired to help research the Addams Family tree when they get interested in their genealogy.

Family mentioned: Uncle Slackjaw (who is buried in the cemetery, though even Gomez is unsure if he is dead or not), Great-Grandpa Sludge (who had eight toes), Cousin Odd (whose photograph is next to Cousin Itt's photograph), Aunt Blemish (who Morticia mistook as a barn in an old photograph), Grandpa Slurp (who had a bucktooth in one head and a receding chin on another), Great-Uncle Matthews (who was the white sheep of the family for working as an accountant), the Nesbitt branch of the Addams Family who started a revolution and were beheaded.
10 "Cousin Itt Visits the Addams Family" Don Shebib Story by : Tony Bilson
Teleplay by : Peggy Nicoll
October 30, 1998 (1998-10-30)
Cousin Itt stays at the Addams Family after his girlfriend Contessa found out about his other girlfriends Eudora, Simone, and Lucinda and that he is now broke. After attempts at different jobs, he gets one at the zoo...as an exhibit.
11 "Art and the Addams Family" Harvey Frost Story by : Harry Winkler & Hannibal Coons
Teleplay by : Peggy Nicoll
October 30, 1998 (1998-10-30)
Wednesday comes back from school after getting an F for painting a black rainbow. Her teacher, Miss Crank, says she may fail art if she doesn't use color. Gomez tries to hire the world famous artist Leopold DaMinci as an art tutor, but gets Leo DaMinci, an Italian Pizza delivery man instead. Meanwhile, Mama falls in love with the postman, and Fester helps her try to trap him.
12 "Thing is Missing" Don Shebib Story by : Lorraine Edwards
Teleplay by : Peggy Nicoll
November 2, 1998 (1998-11-02)

It's Thing's birthday. Thing opens Fester's mail and Fester and the family yell at him and none of them remember his birthday, so Thing runs away. The stress of fighting with Thing causes Fester to start growing hair on his head.

Note: The episode is based on a teleplay of the same name by Bill Lutz, which was written by Lorraine Edwards to The Addams Family.
13 "Fester Goes on a Diet" Unknown Unknown November 3, 1998 (1998-11-03)
14 "Morticia's Romance: Part 1" Unknown Unknown November 4, 1998 (1998-11-04)
15 "Morticia's Romance: Part 2" Unknown Unknown November 5, 1998 (1998-11-05)
16 "Wednesday Leaves Home" Unknown Unknown November 6, 1998 (1998-11-06)
17 "My Fair Cousin Itt" Unknown Unknown November 9, 1998 (1998-11-09)
18 "The Winning of Morticia Addams" Unknown Unknown November 10, 1998 (1998-11-10)
19 "Uncle Fester's Toupee" Unknown Unknown November 11, 1998 (1998-11-11)
20 "Lurch Learns to Dance" Unknown Unknown November 12, 1998 (1998-11-12)
21 "Morticia and the Psychiatrist" Unknown Unknown November 13, 1998 (1998-11-13)
22 "Melancholia Finds Romance" Unknown Unknown November 16, 1998 (1998-11-16)
23 "Morticia's Favorite Charity" Unknown Unknown November 17, 1998 (1998-11-17)
24 "Morticia Joins the Ladies League" Unknown Unknown November 18, 1998 (1998-11-18)
25 "Morticia the Breadwinner" Unknown Unknown November 23, 1998 (1998-11-23)
26 "Morticia's Dilemma" Unknown Unknown November 30, 1998 (1998-11-30)
27 "Christmas with the Addams Family" Unknown Unknown December 7, 1998 (1998-12-07)
Contrary to what would be believed, the Addams do celebrate Christmas, with slightly normal decor.
28 "Crisis in the Addams Family" Unknown Unknown January 4, 1999 (1999-01-04)
29 "Gomez, the Cat Burglar" Unknown Unknown January 8, 1999 (1999-01-08)
30 "Uncle Fester's Illness" Unknown Unknown January 11, 1999 (1999-01-11)
31 "Green-Eyed Gomez" Unknown Unknown January 15, 1999 (1999-01-15)
32 "Thing's Romance" Unknown Unknown January 18, 1999 (1999-01-18)
33 "Morticia, the Decorator" Unknown Unknown January 22, 1999 (1999-01-22)
34 "Close Encounters of the Addams Kind" Unknown Unknown January 25, 1999 (1999-01-25)
35 "Amnesia in the Addams Family" Unknown Unknown February 1, 1999 (1999-02-01)
36 "Wednesday's Crush" Unknown Unknown February 8, 1999 (1999-02-08)
37 "Morticia, the Sculptress" Unknown Unknown February 15, 1999 (1999-02-15)
38 "Gomez, the People's Choice" Unknown Unknown February 22, 1999 (1999-02-22)
39 "Lurch, the Teen-Age Idol" Unknown Unknown March 1, 1999 (1999-03-01)
40 "Fester and Granny vs. Grandpapa Addams" Unknown Unknown March 8, 1999 (1999-03-08)
41 "Saving Private Addams" Unknown Unknown March 15, 1999 (1999-03-15)
42 "My Son, the Chimp" Unknown Unknown March 22, 1999 (1999-03-22)
43 "Horseplay" Unknown Unknown March 29, 1999 (1999-03-29)
44 "Lurch's Grand Romance" Unknown Unknown April 5, 1999 (1999-04-05)
45 "Fester Joins the Global Mercenaries" Unknown Unknown April 9, 1999 (1999-04-09)
46 "Catastrophia's Career" Unknown Unknown April 12, 1999 (1999-04-12)
The Addams are visited by their perpetually unlucky cousin, Catastrophia (whom they never realize caused misfortune with her mere presence) after she loses another job.
47 "Addams Family in Court" Unknown Unknown April 19, 1999 (1999-04-19)
48 "Cousin Itt's Problem" Unknown Unknown May 7, 1999 (1999-05-07)
Cousin Itt is going bald.
49 "Morticia, the Playwright" Unknown Unknown May 14, 1999 (1999-05-14)
50 "Lurch, Man of Leisure" Unknown Unknown May 21, 1999 (1999-05-21)
Lurch lied to his long-distance girlfriend that he was a millionaire. Impressed, Gomez and Moritica agree to play the part of hia sevants along with Uncle Fester and Grandmama. However, the woman turns out to be a golddigger, whom leaves once the ruse falls apart.
51 "Progress in the Addams Family" Unknown Unknown May 28, 1999 (1999-05-28)
52 "The Undercover Man" Unknown Unknown May 29, 1999 (1999-05-29)
53 "Lurch and His Piano" Unknown Unknown May 31, 1999 (1999-05-31)
54 "Fester the Marriage Counselor" Unknown Unknown June 4, 1999 (1999-06-04)
55 "Cleopatra, Green of the Nile" Unknown Unknown June 11, 1999 (1999-06-11)
56 "Granny, the Happy Medium" Unknown Unknown June 18, 1999 (1999-06-18)
57 "Lurch's Little Helper" Unknown Unknown June 25, 1999 (1999-06-25)
58 "Addams Family Feud" Unknown Unknown July 10, 1999 (1999-07-10)
The Addams Family's hillbilly cousins called the McAddams (consisting of Pa McAddams, Ma McAddams, Peewee McAddams, and Geezer McAddams) show up to settle the score of an old feud. Things go well until Uncle Fester takes Pa McAddams hunting and a gold nugget is discovered. The Addams are more than willing to give the nugget to their cousins, but have trouble doing so thanks to the McAddams being stubborn and poorly educated
59 "Fester, the Tycoon" Unknown Unknown July 17, 1999 (1999-07-17)
60 "Lights, Camera, Addams!" Unknown Unknown July 24, 1999 (1999-07-24)
61 "The Addams Policy" Unknown Unknown July 31, 1999 (1999-07-31)
62 "Fester, World Leader" Unknown Unknown August 7, 1999 (1999-08-07)
63 "The Tale of Long John Addams" Unknown Unknown August 14, 1999 (1999-08-14)
64 "Keeping Up with the Joneses" Unknown Unknown August 21, 1999 (1999-08-21)
65 "Death Visits the Addams Family" Unknown Unknown August 28, 1999 (1999-08-28)
Death comes to collect Gomez, despite his good health. The Addams have to outwit Death to keep the family together.
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