FAR OUT MUNSTERS

The Munsters, season 1, episode 26: Far Out Munsters, original air date March 18, 1965.

Eddie (Bruce Patrick) brings home a new record and the whole family wants to hear it. They all think it's really bad, so bad that smoke comes out of Grandpa's (Al Lewis) ears. Eddie tells them it's The Standells and they're coming to town for a concert and he wishes he could see them live.

As a side note: Bruce Patrick in 1983 formed a band called Eddie and The Monsters and their single "Whatever Happened To Eddie" (third video at end of this post) became a hit on The Dr. Demento Show. He also worked with MTV on creating the show "The Basement Tapes".


Cut to an office and The Standells are telling their agent they're glad they're getting $8,000 for a one night gig, but not to book them into a hotel. They want to rent a mansion, but their agent tells them they trashed the last two they stayed in and it's hard getting anyone to rent to them. They ask him to get them something on the outskirts of town and he tells them he working on a place, it's at 1313 Mockingbird Lane.


The Munster family is resistant to the idea of renting their place out, but since they need the money ($1,500) and they are promised a hotel room, they agree. We see the family loading up in The Munster Koach (aka The Munstermobile) and arriving at the hotel. Once in the room, they're not happy with it (Lily remarks the room's not even dusty) and decide to go back home.

In the meantime, The Standells have arrived at Mockingbird Lane and decide to throw a party. They arrived at Mockingbird Lane in their street clothes, but when the guests (mostly Beatnik types) arrive, The Standells have dressed in their stage outfits (mod suits, reminiscent of The Beatles) and are the entertainment at the party. They do two songs: an original "Come On and Ringo" (aka Do The Ringo) and a cover of The Beatles "I Want To Hold Your Hand".


The Munster family return home and they see The Standells performing. The family decides that they actually do like The Standells. After one of the beatnik guests recites a poem, Herman (Fred Gwynne) recites one also. Unfortunately, the next part of the episode is bad and long, Lilly (Yvonne De Carlo) sings the old folk song "He's Gone Away" and this really drags the episode down. When the party is over, The Standells and their guests leave and the house has been trashed, which of course, makes The Munsters really happy.


I always liked both The Munsters and The Addams Family, they both had a different style of comedy and could be enjoyed on different levels. Humor in The Addams family always seemed to be a little more witty and on the macabre side. The Munsters humor tended to be broader and Far Out Munsters is no exception to that rule. Also, look for a young Zalman King (Red Shoe Diaries) who is credited as "The Man with the beard". That's him in the photo above this paragraph.

Not only do The Standells get to sing the two songs noted above, but they also get to do a bit of acting throughout the episode. The Standells had already appeared on TV previously this same year on another sitcom, "The Bing Crosby Show" performing several songs, including "Come On And Ringo". After appearing on The Munsters, the following year The Standells were in a nightclub scene doing an instrumental on "Ben Casey". However, The Standells were still a couple of years away from their classic breakout garage hit "Dirty Water". Below are youtube videos of both performances - these were both taken from a Mexican broadcast of the episode.