General Information

Director: Norman Abbott

Writers: James Allardice and Tom Adair

Cast: Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo, Al Lewis, Pat Priest, Butch Patrick, and Henry Beckman

Composer: Jack Marshall

Air Date: 10/14/1965

Overview

Having earned the nickname “Leadfoot” for his poor athletic abilities, Eddie allows himself to be coached by Herman. Unimpressed by Herman’s rigorous but ineffective training methods, Grandpa cooks up a batch of “a-go-go” pills to improve Eddie’s track performance.

An extremely silly installment of The Munsters, “Herman, Coach of the Year” will likely appeal to only the youngest of viewers. That being said, in this episode is a worthwhile lesson from which all audiences may benefit.

Pros

Immediately prior to a track race, Herman prepares to give a pep talk to one of Eddie’s teammates. At the very sight of Herman, however, the young lad proceeds to win the race in record time—a clever twist ending to an otherwise mediocre episode.

Also amusing are the antics of an ignorant wife and her incredulous husband, the former of whom offers extraordinary rationalizations to explain any damage inflicted by Herman during his training sessions with Eddie (e.g. Herman flings a Frisbee through the car windshield of said wife, prompting a story about flying saucers crashing from the sky).

Cons

By relying heavily upon comedic devices of a slapstick variety, “Herman, Coach of the Year” employs a cheap and lazy approach to humor.

Analysis

In a touching post-celebration scene, Eddie attributes his victory solely to the pride of Herman and not a bogus magic pill as Lily and Grandpa initially assume—a testament to the important role that parental motivation plays in raising a healthy and successful child.

Concluding Comments

“Herman, Coach of the Year” contains enough stale, groan-worthy gags to offend even the corniest of fans. Classic sitcom buffs may nevertheless enjoy this episode for its positive, albeit kooky, depiction of a functional father-son relationship.

Overall Quality: 6/10

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