The Munsters: 9 Artistic Performance Episodes

FlashbackTVComedyUniversal MonstersMusic

May 4

Over and over the family from Mockingbird Lane sang and danced their way into viewers’ hearts.

Classic comedy series The Munsters (1964-1966), featured a regular, suburban family that just happened to also be related to the Universal Monsters. Herman Munster (a patchwork Frankenstein’s Monster) and Lily Munster (the daughter of Count Dracula) were joined by Eddie Munster (who was part werewolf and part vampire), Grandpa Munster (who was Dracula), and their “homely” niece, Marilyn, who passed for human.

Although the characters have been revived a number of times, we’re focusing right now on the original 1960s series. It only ran for two seasons, but there were more than a few examples of the characters singing, dancing, and sharing other types of performances.

01 Will Success Spoil Herman Munster?

Eddie borrows a tape recorder from a friend and challenges his dad to record something into it. Herman records his own version of “Dry Bones” and, after the recorder is returned to its owner, Herman’s personalized performance becomes a hit on the local radio station. Herman’s ego explodes—especially after he’s invited to perform the song on TV. At first, Lily is excited about the prospect of Herman becoming a star. But then she starts having bad dreams about what his stardom could do to their marriage…

Herman Munster Sings "Dem Bones" | COZI Condensed Bold

The Munsters Will Success Spoil Herman Munster | needlesthrower

02 Far Out Munsters

The Munsters rent their house to real-life rock group The Standells, promising they’ll stay that weekend in a hotel. But after the family is horrified by the hotel’s glamor, they return and join the band’s party at the house. During the party, the band performs some Beatle-infused rock, Herman shares some poetry, and Lily sings a song.

The FAR OUT MUNSTERS welcome the rock group THE STANDELLS! | GoldenRAGEofTV

He's Gone Away - Yvonne De Carlo - LYRICS - (As Lily Munster from "The Munsters") | Sugarburn Dregs

03 Herman, the Master Spy

While on a family picnic at the beach, Herman goes out scuba diving and gets is caught in the net of a Russian trawler. The ship’s crew at first is excited because they mistakenly think they caught a missing link. But when they report it to Moscow, they’re told that Herman is an American spy. By the time the Munsters come to rescue him, Herman and the crew have been partying it up with singing and dancing.

Herman Parties With the Russians | The Munsters (TV Series) | Fear

04 Tin Can Man

The supervisor’s at Eddie’s school wants to expel him—but Eddie has a chance to redeem himself by crating a robot for the school’s science fair. However, when the robot is sabotaged, Herman must fill the time onstage with his own jokes and performance art.

Science Fair | The Munsters

05 Munster the Magnificent

Eddie promises that his dad will perform at his school’s parental talent show. Herman tries a few different talents, until he discovers that Eddie promised that his dad was a magician! (It does not go well.)

Herman The Magnificent | The Munsters

06 Grandpa Leaves Home

After a fight with Herman, Grandpa leaves home and takes up a job as a stage magician at a nightclub. By the way, this episode premieres the second actress to pay Marilyn. (The fact that she doesn’t appear until the episode’s tag—which is the series’ only mention of Christmas—indicates that they didn’t expect the replacement to appear in time for this episode.)

Grandpa Shows Off His Magic | The Munsters

07 Dance with Me, Herman

To prepare for a dance party at Marilyn’s school, Herman needs to take dance classes. Unfortunately, he a picks a school that plans to take advantage of him.

Don Rickles Teaches Herman to Dance | The Munsters (TV Series) | Fear: The Home Of Horror

08 The Musician

When Eddie joins the school orchestra as a trumpeter, Grandpa gives Eddie a potion to help him play. Unfortunately, when Eddie gives a private concert for Herman’s boss, the spell makes Eddie play something jazzy that upsets him.

09 Cyrano De Munster

Herman begins writing love poems for one of his co-workers, Clyde, who wants to impress a girl he met on the bus. As the plan continues to expand, Lily is under the mistaken impression that Herman is having an affair—which, oddly, Clyde also believes.

Herman is a Man of Poetry! | The Munsters

More of The Munsters on Monster Complex

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Chris Well

Chris Well been a writer pretty much his entire life. (Well, since his childhood.) Over the years, he has worked in newspapers, magazines, radio, and books. He now is the chief of the website Monster Complex, celebrating monster stories in lit and pop culture. He also writes horror comedy fiction that embraces Universal Monsters, 1960s sitcoms, 1980s action movies, and the X-Files.

https://chriswell.substack.com/