In 1964, ABC introduced the first live-action Addams Family television series, which debuted a week before another spooky family sitcom, “The Munsters.” In the pilot episode, Wednesday ( Lisa Loring ) is the first member of the family to appear onscreen, and she welcomes a visitor to her family’s not-so-humble abode. While the show hints at the character having a darker edge, Wednesday, as played by the 6-year-old Loring, is mostly just adorable . Even when she talks about chopping off her doll’s head or feeding her pet spider, there’s an inherent sweetness to her. The television series primarily focused on the matters of Wednesday’s parents, Gomez and Morticia ( John Astin and Carolyn Jones ), so Loring’s screen time was rather limited throughout the two-season run. In one memorable highlight, Wednesday shows off some truly unexpected moves when she teaches the family’s butler, Lurch , to dance. The show was canceled in 1966, but Loring played the role once more in the 1977 reunion special, “ Halloween with the New Addams Family. ”

‘The Addams Family’ Animated Series (1973)