Farnsworth spotted on Addams Family

Just the other day I was watching an episode of the Addams Family and what should I see but an early Farnsworth set! Uncle Fester and Grand mama were watching a political convention and the first shot of the set was a close up with only the CRT and mask visible, and the Farnsworth script was clearly shown in the lower center!

Then a little later they showed the entire set when Thing popped out of a nearby box to fiddle with one of the many many knobs on the front. Jeez, there must've been at least 8 knobs!!! For a split second I thought because of this quantity that it may be just a prop set, but the overall detail and correct period look I don't believe this to be true.....that's to say, I think this was an actual Farnsworth set.

Man oh man, the set decorator or art director must really be a nut to have dug up this set, it just fits the mood and decor so perfectly! Remember, even in the mid 60's, Farnsworths were few and far between, so this was pretty esoteric even then!

Anthony

[spkrman57]

now it will keep you from following the plot looking for vintage stuff on the older shows.
Ron

Just found a pic of the set in question. There was mention made that the Addams' bought it from the junk man, and at one point they gave it back to him.......then they ended up getting it back but this time the junk man paid THEM to be rid of it!!

Anthony

[David Roper]

That's a great image, thanks for posting it. I must confess I'm probably the ultimate TV geek for this: just from watching Addams Family reruns during the summers back in the mid 70s, I had the image of that Farnsworth's safety glass (I can't recall ever seeing the full front like in the shot above) burned into my brain sufficiently to recognize that set immediately as the Addams' set the first time I saw one in any other context--about 25 years later on Pete Deksnis' site. They're hardly junk; properly restored sets display a stunningly sharp, bright picture.

There are numerous shots of the back of the set throughout the series too. You can see the glow of the tubes! Or whatever they stuck in there to simulate same. A local UHF station has been airing the show since shortly before Halloween and am enjoying the hell out of it. Always felt far more of a connection with the Addams family than the Munsters (although they had their moments too).

Gomez and Morticia were probably the only 60's TV married couple that showed any passion, and were actually pretty risqué in their overt sexuality......only because they were depicted as kooks could they get away with such behavior.

Anthony

[Sandy G]

I always loved the episodes w/Cousin Itt- remember the one where baldy '60s character actor Richard Deacon somehow gets involved w/the Addamses & ends up talking gibberish back to Cousin Itt? -Sandy G.

Cousin Itt was usually voiced by the show's producer Nat Perrin (good friend of Groucho) but sometimes Carolyn Jones would do so too. Thing was usually Ted Cassidy but not always. The cast of guest stars reads like a Who's Who of character actors, really impressive. Hell, even disgraced game show host/producer Jack Barry began his comeback on an episode.

Also, that giant polar bear was (at that time) the largest ever shot and stuffed. In early episodes (or perhaps just the pilot) it was brown, they later dyed it white so that it would photograph better. Jackie Coogan's career had been in the crapper until this show, and he initially was turned down for the role......he went home, shaved his head and came up with the future signature Uncle Fester costume and got the job. He also suffered from narcolepsy and would fall asleep on the set between his shots.

Not that I'm a fan of the show or anything.....

Anthony

[kbmuri]

I bumped this one up from a couple years ago because it was mentioned in a recent "TV on TV" post. It was from way before I joined, so I never saw the picture. Does anyone have a shot of the Farnsworth?