It's funny how we all grew up with THE MUNSTERS but we never truly knew them.

I finally finished Stephen Cox's excellent book THE MUNSTERS - A TRIP DOWN MOCKINGBIRD LANE and I have to say that this is one of the best television books I have read in a long time. This is a very well written and very well researched book on the history of the series that does not so much present a stoic episode guide (a common problem with many television books) as much as it provides a clear insight into the relevance of the program to popular culture as well as a unique perspective on the actors and actresses who starred in the series. Most notable is Fred Gwynne's casual indifference to the role and his desire to get as far away from it as possible. It is sad to note how much he disliked the role and never truly came to accept his influence on popular culture. Yes, it was a role that type casted him miserably, but it was also a role that he created and what a role it was. Gwynne's talent spawned probably one of the most well known and endearing characters in television history and instead of relishing in his accomplishments he grew to despise the role due to the fact that it truly wrecked his acting career for many years.

The book is a well written account of the series accompanied by many rare and unique photographs. If you even have a passing interest in classic 1960's television this is an absolute must have.