The Addams Family

The Addams Family from MGM in 1973 is an animated version of the popular original live-action television series which in itself, is based on the darkly humorous comics by Charles Addams that ran in The New Yorker magazine starting in the 1930s. This animated series aired on NBC and is a blend of comedy, macabre, and family values, all aptly combined to form an impressively entertaining show.

Giving life to Charles Addams' creation, the 1973 animated series follows the adventures of a far from ordinary family, dubbed "The Addams Family". This eccentric, bizarre, yet affable family is composed of Gomez Addams, the wealthy patriarch who has a fascination for anything that brings about jeopardy and risk; Morticia Addams, the vampire-like matriarch whose elegant and gothic appearance is as distinct as her calm and soothing personality; their children Wednesday and Pugsley; Uncle Fester, and Grandmama.

The series also features the family's towering butler Lurch, the disembodied hand known as Thing, and the hairy Cousin Itt. The Addams family's home itself is a character – a spooky mansion filled with odd artifacts, monstrous pets, and a carnivorous plant named Cleopatra.

In the 1973 animated version, the family is on the road, travelling across the country in their Victorian-style RV mansion, exploring America and encountering various townspeople and settings along the way, who are often more frightened by the family than the Addams are of the unfamiliar surroundings. Despite this, the family maintains their unique view on life, embracing the peculiarities that come their way and delighting in the macabre while remaining aloof to how different they are from traditional societal norms.

Each episode comes with its own unique story or adventure, showcasing the family's contrasting view of what's considered scary or abnormal and delivering it with an innocent charm that's appealing to both children and adults.

The animated format of The Addams Family from 1973 allows for more offbeat and fantastical scenarios than the live-action series, with situations including, but not limited to, creatures unseen and locations unexplored in the original series. The series maintained the lighthearted approach, featuring the voices of Jackie Coogan and Ted Cassidy – reprising their roles as Uncle Fester and Lurch – from the 1960s live-action series.

Moreover, the artistic style of the series remains faithful to the original print cartoons with grotesque and exaggerated visuals, which enhance the family's weirdness without detracting from their quintessential charm. From Morticia's unblinking round eyes to Uncle Fester's bald head, the animation has meticulously reproduced each character, conforming to Charles Addams' original vision.

The humor in the show derives from the irony of the Addams family's delight in the dreadful that is in stark contrast to "normal" people's reactions. The Addams family's interactions with outsiders often revolve around this concept, generating laughter by juxtaposing their macabre but harmless obsessions with the more standard or conventional individuals they encounter.

In essence, the show is a parody of conventional family life, although the Addams are welcoming and tight-knit in their own unique way. They genuinely love and care for each other, cherishing their peculiar family dynamics and values.

Despite the family's unconventional way of life, there are undercurrents of positive themes such as the importance of family, being true to yourself, and accepting others for who they are. The Addams Family from MGM in 1973, like its predecessors and successors, remains a timeless staple in pop culture that transcends age, providing a fun, peculiar viewing experience deeply rooted in humor, eccentricity, and above all, family.