Why Munsters Still Matter, Especially To Horror Fans, According To Jeff Daniel Phillips [Exclusive]

When Colangelo asked him how "The Munsters" had endured among a new generation, Phillips replied that it was because of the strength of this family. Even when the world around them has no interest in seeing them as anything other than oddities, they stay true to who they are. "Even though we don't think we're the oddballs, they are the oddballs, and we can all relate to that, especially horror fans," Phillips says.

As for the appeal of "The Munsters" for horror fans, Phillips thinks it comes from another side of the same coin:

"As far as I'm concerned, horror fans are so passionate, so they may have been strangers in high school or whatever, but they come together. I meet so many at these conventions. And yes, I think... I don't know. They're a nice family. They're not elitist. They're not above everyone else. They're just another family in the neighborhood, unlike maybe the Addams Family, but I won't get into that. [laughs]"

The running gag in most of the original "Munsters" series involves the family, primarily Herman, interacting with the outside world, where they either terrify or confuse them. Where the Addams go out of their way to show off their gruesome sensibilities, the Munsters try to live their lives, never quite understanding why everyone looks at them funny.

For example, there's an episode where Fred Gwynne's Herman has a car accident, and when he gets out, the police think his monstrous appearance is the result of the accident. No one has the imagination to think they live next to real monsters who are vastly nicer than their judgmental neighbors.

"The Munsters" is currently streaming on Netflix.