Remembering the many lives (and deaths) of The Addams Family

They’re creepy and they’re kooky
Mysterious and spooky
They’re altogether ooky
The Addams Family

Be honest: do you get the Addams Family theme song in your head the instant you saw the photo above? Did you unconsciously start clicking your fingers?

Baby boomers will remember the Addams Family best for the 1960s TV sitcom. However, many modern audiences are unaware the characters originated all the way back 1938, then unnamed, in a series of single-panel New Yorker cartoons by Charles Addams.

The family members remained anonymous until the 1960s, with most only named for the development of the TV series.

Their nine-decade legacy has since spawned an endless list of inspired celebrities, artworks, films and more. From multimedia figures like Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, to the latest Wednesday TV series on Netflix, the Addams Family has persevered where so many other properties have faded into obscurity.

Have a look at some of their most iconic moments throughout history as we crest upon the hill of 100 years for the macabre Addams Family!

1964: A debut on the TVs of families across the world

Up until the 60s, the Addams Family remained confined to the boundaries of ink and paper. However, it wasn’t until 1964 that they made their mark on mainstream culture with the debut of their live action TV series, The Addams Family. Starring John Astin as the lovestruck Gomez Addams and Carolyn Jones as the matriarchal Morticia Addams, this black-and-white TV show lasted for two seasons, but it was more than enough to cement the Addams Family in the minds of viewers.

Despite the bleak colours and alternative stylings of the family, their bond was stronger than almost any other “normal” family — thanks to Astin’s and Jones’ on-screen chemistry, we got to see the family thrive in love and affection that not many figures in media portray nowadays. Scattered amidst the unique brand of humour that the Addams Family owns were moments of genuine wisdom and insight, such as Morticia’s profound quote, “Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.”

You can find a few full episodes of the Addams Family here.

1991: “I’m just like any modern woman trying to have it all…”

Perhaps the most iconic and memorable iteration of our favourite goths was the 1991 adaptation, The Addams Family. Starring Hollywood powerhouses like Angelica Houston and Christina Ricci, this film was a massive hit, making seven times its budget when it first aired and securing a sequel.

Despite its dark and mysterious brand, the Addams Family was a classic film about family and reconnection. It’s filled with witty one-liners but also featured moments of earnest connection that pulled at our heartstrings. And no one can forget one of the most hilarious dance moments in film history — Gomez (Raúl Juliá) performing the “Mamushka” dance with his long-lost brother, Fester.

1993: “Be afraid. Be very afraid.”

Considered by many to be even better than the first, the 1993 sequel Addams Family Values remained a hit among audiences both old and young. The sequel saw the return of Angelica Houston, Christina Ricci and Raúl Juliá (in one of his last film roles before he sadly passed away in 1994).

The film splits its focus across the adults — including Gomez, Morticia, Fester and Debbie — and the children of the family, including Wednesday and Pugsley. When Morticia wasn’t delivering scalding monologues (“All that I could forgive. But Debbie… pastels?”), Wednesday and Pugsley were spreading terror at a summer camp and waging their own war against outsiders.

This movie has everything: arson, attempted murder, actual murder and romance — all vital components of a classic Addams Family film.

2019: A venture into the world of animation

One of the latest adaptations of the Addams Family and the end to their 26-year spell of silence, The Addams Family was a 2019 reboot of the franchise starring incredibly famous voices like Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Snoop Dogg, Bette Midler and Allison Janney. Unlike its previous media releases, this animated movie focussed primarily on Wednesday and her foray into junior high school, and Pugsley’s coming-of-age rites.

In stark contrast against its predecessors, the film explored the integration of the Addams Family’s macabre brand with the “normal” visual styles of the rest of the world, particularly through Wednesday. It was the first time that the family had shown any form of detraction from their darkness, embracing the possibility of what was different and abnormal for them. Just as Carolyn Jones eloquently put 55 years prior, “What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.”

2022: Wednesday inspires the TikTok generation

Today the Addams Family remain firmly embedded in popular culture, thanks in large part to Netflix’s 2022 series Wednesday, produced and 50% directed by Tim Burton.

Jenna Ortega starred as a new version of the sarcastic and “slightly dead inside” teen Wednesday Addams, this time largely separated from her family at Nevermore Academy, where she finds herself investigating a supernatural murder mystery.

The show became an overnight cultural phenomenon among younger audiences with the “Wednesday Dance” clip above, which inspired countless social media reenactments.

Ortega, who choreographed the off-kilter dance number herself, drew inspiration from Siouxsie Sioux, Bob Fosse, and even — charmingly — Lisa Loring, the original TV Wednesday Addams, with one move drawn directly from the classic scene below:

Looking for more 1960s nostalgia? Browse more of our flashback stories here.