HOLLYWOOD

By Tony Rizzo
HOLLYWOOD — Remember “The Addams Family,” the creepy, kooky sitcom that ran for 64 episodes in the mid-1960s, starring John Astin and Carolyn Jones as Gomez and Morticia Addams? It was revived for two films with Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston in the starring roles in ’91 and ’93. With Raul Julia’s death, a ’98 film reboot starred Tim Curry as Gomez and Daryl Hannah as Morticia. That year, ABC Family revived the series, again with John Astin as Gomez, which ran 65 episodes. This summer I saw “The Addams Family” (the musical) on Broadway with Brooke Shields and Roger Rees (of “Cheers”) as Morticia and Gomez. Now Tim Burton plans to write, produce and possibly direct a stop-action animated film of “The Addams Family” along the lines of his “Nightmare Before Xmas” film.

Another spooky sitcom, “The Munsters,” also debuted 1966 and ran for 70 episodes, with Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster and Yvonne De Carlo as his wife, Lily. In l981, NBC made “The Munster’s Revenge” with the same cast. In ’88, “The Munsters Today” brought back the series for 72 shows. In ’95 Edward Hermann and Veronica Hamel took over in “Here Come the Munsters.” The following year, Fox TV gave us “The Munster’s Scary Little Christmas.” Now that “Once Upon a Time” and “Grimm” are grabbing viewer attention, NBC has given “Pushing Daisies” creator Bryan Fuller the green light to develop a one-hour drama series about the Munsters. So, if you’re too young to have seen “The Addams Family,” “The Munsters” or even “Mr. Ed” — it looks like you’ll be seeing them again … and again … and again!
* * *
While the three leads of “Twilight Saga” — Robert Pattinson, Kristin Stewart and Taylor Lautner — haven’t been able to equal their success in anything else, fellow castmember Jackson Rathbone seems to be forging ahead with several impressive projects. His band 100 Monkeys had three CDs in 2009, and a new CD, “Liquid 200,” came out in June. He’s got two films now shooting — “Truckstop” and “Live at the Foxes Den” — and two films in the can — “Cowgirls ‘n’ Angels” and “Zombie Hamlet” with Shelley Long and John Amos. And, of course, “Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2.” We’ll be seeing a lot of Rathbone in the coming year.
* * *
David Yates, director of five Harry Potter films, including the final two, plans to direct a big-screen version of the BBC series “Dr. Who.” Yates says it will not be related to the current “Dr. Who” starring Matt Smith. He doesn’t have a story or script yet, but is definitely set to make it. Sounds kind of like the old Abbott and Costello routine: Dr. Who’s on first, What’s on second, I Don’t Know Who’s on third!

Send letters to Tony Rizzo’s Hollywood, 8306 Wilshire Blvd., No. 362, Beverly Hills, CA 90211.