Movies - TV
John Astin Claims The Original Addams Family Ended Thanks To Adam West's Batman
By MIYAKO PLEINES
The Addams family has seen a resurgence in popularity with Tim Burton’s “Wednesday,” but the macabre family has existed in one form or another for the better part of a century. In fact, the first television installment of the family, 1964’s “The Addams Family” was a hugely popular show that unexpectedly got the axe after the premiere of Adam West’s “Batman.”
In the early ‘60s, television was dominated by whimsically spooky shows like “The Addams Family,” “The Munsters,” “I Dream of Jeannie,” and “Bewitched,” so when Adam West’s “Batman” arrived on the scene it took audiences by surprise. As John Astin, who played Gomez, explained, the tonal novelty of “Batman” drew audiences away from “The Addams Family.”
As Astin recalled, “'Batman' came on with a big rush. It was a storm, and [it was] tough to go up against." Things got even more difficult when “The Munsters” was canceled after direct competition with “Batman,” and Astin said, "There was some thinking that "The Addams Family" would go away, [as well]" especially since the two shows fell into the same spooky category.