{television} the addams family; season one; vol. 1 and vol. 2 (1964/1965)

Vol. 1: Join Gomez (John Astin), Morticia (Carolyn Jones), Uncle Fester (Jackie Coogan), Pugsley (Ken Weatherwax) and Wednesday (Lisa Loring) for some twisted fun in this classic series. Whether they're picnicking at a cemetery or raising carnivorous plants, the macabre family celebrates life -- and never understands why visitors are terrified. Towering butler Lurch (Ted Cassidy), hair-ball Cousin Itt and helping hand "Thing" round out the ghoulish clan.

Vol. 2: The Addams family is back with another volume of spooky, kooky episodes from the end of the show's first season and the beginning of the second season. In this collection, Lurch (Ted Cassidy) becomes an unlikely pop star; Gomez (John Astin) shocks the town by running for mayor; Uncle Fester (Jackie Coogan) turns Pugsley (Ken Weatherwax) into a chimpanzee; and Cousin Itt (Felix Silla) loses, well, its hair.

ireviewnetflix.com rating: *** Much like "The Munsters," the gag runs out of humor quickly. It starts out great, but there's only so many times you can tell the same joke and there are only so many stories to be told. While I enjoyed the initial episodes very much, the show starts to get a little old as the series goes on. However, I did enjoy the Addams Family more than I remember as a kid. I've always been more of a Munsters guy myself, but I really enjoyed the Addams Family even if the same jokes did start to run out of gas after awhile. John Astin as Gomez Addams is wonderful and, in my opinion, the star of the show. Carolyn Jones is also enjoyable as Morticia Addams, but not nearly as stellar as Astin. I think the rest of the cast, aside from Ted Cassidy as Lurch who was always enjoyable, kind of take up space as I was never a fan of Wednesday or Pugsley, the Addams Family children, or Grandmama or Fester.