Addams Family Polar Bear on Night Gallery

Now that I finally have a DVR and access to METV I have been a happy Mad Doctor, grabbing a number of old TV series, including Rod Serling's Night Gallery. I was watching an episode the other night entitled "Hatred Unto Death" (with a second very short segment called "How to Cure the Common Vampire") when I spotted a familiar face. Not one of the actors, mind you, I'm talking a famous prop in the background.

The episode (from Season 3, aired May 27, 1973) involves a big game hunter (Steve Forrest) who brings a gorilla back from the jungle to civilization after realizing there is a link between them, a hatred carried on from a past life. At one point the gorilla gets loose in a warehouse, and that's where I spotted the fine fellow featured above - the bear from THE ADDAMS FAMILY TV show. No doubt the prop was sitting around the backlot where Serling and Company filmed and they thought why not throw it in the shot.

Here's a shot of Gomez with his bear - definitely the same one. Night Gallery is perhaps my favorite TV anthology series - although it's hard to pick just one. Karloff's Thriller, Twilight Zone, Tales from the Darkside, Monsters... all great stuff. Perhaps someone will revive the TV horror anthology format. Could be interesting to see some fresh terror tales for today's audiences...!