I recall watching only the Halloween episodes as a kid. My parents preferred the original and didn't continue the New Addams Family. As a huge fan of the Addams Family, I watched Wednesday and wanted more. I remembered this then found it on YouTube.
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I fell in love with this incarnation. Though they remake several old episodes, it's never exactly the same story. The modern (for its time) setting, use of visual effects, and different character dynamics make for new takes on the old. Where The New Addams Family thrives is in their wholly new episodes, utilizing the family's twisted sensibilities to create entirely fresh stories.
Glenn Taranto and Ellie Harvie have perfect chemistry as Gomez and Morticia. While Glenn's portrayal is reminiscent of John Astin, he also manages to make it his own. Harvie's Morticia is mostly original, her speech patterns and unique beauty setting her apart from other portrayals.
Michael Roberds delivers a solid performance as Fester. While adopting the voice of original Jackie Coogan, this Fester is also Gomez's brother like in the movies. Here, Grandmama Addams, played by Betty Philips, is the mother of Gomez and Fester. This makes The New Addams Family the first time every member is really an Addams. (Fester in the OG was Morticia's uncle. Granny was Morticia's mom in the movies.)
Nicole Fugere made a great Wednesday, adopting the apathetic attitude she's become known for. She can actually be scary. Unfortunately, a weak point in the series is Pugsley, whose child actor was entirely unconvincing. Another strong point, Lurch feels a lot more like part of the family here, charmingly played by John DeSantis.
The New Addams Family is somewhat formulaic, but it was a 90's sitcom. One bright point for me was the lack of a laugh track, something that takes me out of the original. Most of the humor is actually very funny, and they sprinkle in a lot of jokes only parents would get. Fourth wall breaks are also common, but it works for the humor and tone.
I'm genuinely sad this series has been so forgotten. People saw either the movie version or the original show as the definitive Addams Family back then. This series was preemptively ruined by the disastrous direct-to-TV dud Addams Family Reunion. Though Reunion and New Addams Family are not in the same universe, one could see the confusion in the public. In 1998, it wasn't common for multiple versions of one IP to exist concurrently.
I can only hope more people will discover the wonder of this series.
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I fell in love with this incarnation. Though they remake several old episodes, it's never exactly the same story. The modern (for its time) setting, use of visual effects, and different character dynamics make for new takes on the old. Where The New Addams Family thrives is in their wholly new episodes, utilizing the family's twisted sensibilities to create entirely fresh stories.
Glenn Taranto and Ellie Harvie have perfect chemistry as Gomez and Morticia. While Glenn's portrayal is reminiscent of John Astin, he also manages to make it his own. Harvie's Morticia is mostly original, her speech patterns and unique beauty setting her apart from other portrayals.
Michael Roberds delivers a solid performance as Fester. While adopting the voice of original Jackie Coogan, this Fester is also Gomez's brother like in the movies. Here, Grandmama Addams, played by Betty Philips, is the mother of Gomez and Fester. This makes The New Addams Family the first time every member is really an Addams. (Fester in the OG was Morticia's uncle. Granny was Morticia's mom in the movies.)
Nicole Fugere made a great Wednesday, adopting the apathetic attitude she's become known for. She can actually be scary. Unfortunately, a weak point in the series is Pugsley, whose child actor was entirely unconvincing. Another strong point, Lurch feels a lot more like part of the family here, charmingly played by John DeSantis.
The New Addams Family is somewhat formulaic, but it was a 90's sitcom. One bright point for me was the lack of a laugh track, something that takes me out of the original. Most of the humor is actually very funny, and they sprinkle in a lot of jokes only parents would get. Fourth wall breaks are also common, but it works for the humor and tone.
I'm genuinely sad this series has been so forgotten. People saw either the movie version or the original show as the definitive Addams Family back then. This series was preemptively ruined by the disastrous direct-to-TV dud Addams Family Reunion. Though Reunion and New Addams Family are not in the same universe, one could see the confusion in the public. In 1998, it wasn't common for multiple versions of one IP to exist concurrently.
I can only hope more people will discover the wonder of this series.