This was a great video to show to our kids who were only familiar to the show's opening song...classic!

I grew up watching these shows. Own every season and now my children watch them too. Good classic tv without all the sex and violence. Perfect.

The Addams Family DVDs were a major hit at this household. The show captured Chas. Addams' quirky style of cartooning and the actors portrayed the various family members to a "T" (A?). For those too young to remember the show, this is a great series to get. Clever, funny, and droll at the same time. One of the best 60s shows.

I've ordered the set (both 1 and 2) in a spur of nostalgia and am very glad I did... The show is funny, witty, and at the same time sweet in the innocent lack of true malice--something that is very missing in today's TV shows that are so chok-ful-of terror, horror, and human evil cunning. I still enjoy seeing current TV, but the nicely done set of these older TV shows, with the hilarious and endearing (yes, even with all the stuffed ickies in their house...) cast of characters. I HIGHLY recommend it.

"The Addams Family" Series 1 is a treat. Here's my "Top 5".

Firstly, this black and white series doesn't date. Monochrome suits the mock macabre world of the Addams. And they are "ooky and kooky" enough to be outside of everyone's fashion universe. Where other shows from 1964 seem better in memory than in rerun, the Addams are better. My prediction? The recently produced Addams Family movies will be well and truly out-of-date before the sixties TV series.

Secondly the Addams Family was ahead of it's time. Today many series pay lip service to tolerance and diversity. As John Astin mentions in the extras to this disk set, the Addams Family had poked gentle fun at the dividing line between conventional and unconventional. The Addams' have a foot in both camps. Outwardly unconventional they believe themselves to be middle of the road normals. Today we're used to people being "non-confromists just like everyone else", our self-styled non-confromists wouldn't last too long around Uncle Fester!

Gomez's on screen passion for his wife was, as the extras note, unique in it's time. Another area where the Addams were ahead of the trend. One area they aren't is in simple good manners. Wednesday always (always!) says "thank you Thing". How many modern series exhibit children with good manners? Maybe modern series and audiences could learn something here.

Thirdly, the video and audio reproduction in this series is very good. With the DVDs you realise just how central Vic Mizzi's excellent music is to the series. Again harpsichord doesn't date. If it's not 'in' it can't go 'out'.

Fourth, the extras here are valuable, informative and entertaining. They are not an after thought. It's great to see the surviving cast and how Pugsley and Wednesday have grown up. The extras background the work of Charles Addams, the cartoonist creator of "The Addams Family", detail the origin and casting of the series, and showcase the music. Hit it Lurch!

Last but not least, the Addams Family is simply fun. And don't we all need a laugh?