They’re creepy.  They’re kooky.  They’re mysterious.  They’re spooky.  But their Halloween special from 1977 is altogether ookey.  What is “ookey”, anyway?  And how do you spell it?  We don’t know, but we do know how we feel about Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Grandmama Addams, Wednesday, Pugsley, and their junior counterparts.  Junior counterparts?  Yep.  Just you wait for our discussion on Halloween with the New Addams Family.

In the NEWS…

If you recognize the names Tag and Bink, and you see Ron Howard tweeting them, you might think there will be some tongue-in-cheek humor in the next movie under the subtitle “A Star Wars Story”.  And the movie gets a name.  No surprises there.  The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy will celebrate its fortieth anniversary by returning to its roots with an all new chapter in the saga as a radio drama.

We Love Our Cereal…

…and the prizes inside, or on the box, or as part of mail-away premiums.  How long have cereals contained prizes for kids?  While it won’t surprise you that it precedes 1977, it’s been a lot longer than you may expect.   

TechnoRetro Arcade

This week we bring another “analog” game into the Hallowe’en room of the TechnoRetro Arcade.  Haunted House is a shooting gallery styled arcade game from 1972 that uses levers, belts, and 8-Track tapes to entertain gamers in the early ‘70s.  Whether it’s a scary cat, a wailing witch, or a grave-digging monster from the underworld, you get to shoot them with the electronically wired rifle attached to the upright machine.  So bring your reading glasses and prepare to fight the fiends of the Haunted House.

Halloween with the New Addams Family

What could possibly reduce the confident, charming Gomez Addams to a shadow of his former self?  His little brother Poncho.  This is just the beginning of the two-hour special that aired on NBC on Hallowe’en Eve 1977.  Halloween with the New Addams Family is a heist with a poltergeist as the family reunites to celebrate the arrival of the spirit of Cousin Shy in a very, very merry oddity of ‘70s comedy with a familiar family from ‘60s television.  Is it funny or sad?  You decide.

TechnoRetro Feedback

We finally get to more feedback this week with a Goonies poster from New York Comic Con, thanks to Jovial Jay.  Chris in Arvada finds monster cereals and it sends him into a rageless rant.  Artist Wes puts Puff N Stuff on a Huffy and it looks great!  Swamp Angel thinks the show is good…so far.  Chris Hamilton spotted Teen Wolf at a convention.  Hasan expresses his adoration for Altered Beasts on Sega.  And Darth Hound and @skymauler tweet about the Grinch’s Halloween special.

Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes, share us and with us on social media, or lend your voice to our discussion about toys, cereal, games, or movies and shows from the ‘70s and ‘80s by giving the ‘Dads your feedback on voice mail at (209) 878-7323 or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to podcast@TechnoRetroDads.com.  Be sure to tune in to Geek Out Loud at GOLiverse on Mixlr for live rewatches of Stranger Things as we get ready for Stranger Things 2.  PLUS: Steve is blogging about the #TeamSteve experience at geekoutonline.com.

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