I suppose they sort of "forgot" this later in the run of the show but early on they did mention that "Grandpa" was actually the original Count Dracula.
Even if he wasn't the actual Count Dracula he was still supposed to be a vampire though wasn't he? Yet we see him out and about in the middle of the day all the time as if the sun didn't have any effect on him.
He actually was supposed to be the Count Dracula (first name "Sam"). And yes, for whatever reason, both he and his daughter Lily (also a vampire) were able to go out in the sun with no apparent ill effects (the whole family even went to the beach in one episode). At least they didn't glitter in the sun.
It goes with the gag of them trying to fit into ordinary society and be good American citizens. Grandpa makes a few cracks throughout the series that he wants to bite someone on the neck and Lily reprimands him. He goes for her wrist in the opening credits and she waves him off. There wouldn't be much of a show if they couldn't associate with people in daylight. I wouldn't take the vampire thing as gospel since they don't exist.
Exactly. They're monsters, but the show is really a spoof on the notion. I don't recall ever hearing the word "vampire" even uttered in the show - there was much implication of course, but I don't remember the word being used. They were making a conscious effort to assimilate into American society, which meant giving up the ways of the "old country".
<<<And yes, for whatever reason, both he and his daughter Lily (also a vampire) were able to go out in the sun with no apparent ill effects (the whole family even went to the beach in one episode). At least they didn't glitter in the sun.
Maybe I can shed some light on this also. ;) (pun intended)
I recently read on the Dark Shadows (2012) board here on imdb that in the original Dracula novel, he was also able to go out in the daytime with the sun shining.
Supposedly, the thing about them not being able to be out in the daytime or sun was first mentioned in a later novel written by someone else.
I'm not sure about the reflection or non-reflection in mirrors and other reflective surfaces.
Iirc, in The Munsters, he also had a reflection in the mirrors.
I just always assumed that since they panned the range of all monsters (including the invisible man and whatever Spot was supposed to be) that Lily was supposed to be the bride of Frankenstein's monster, and no a vampire (no fangs.) Just like Eddie is a werewolf and nothing similar to his parents..
you forget one thing grandpa was a vampire but he was also a mad scientist/magic user i just thought he came up with either a spell that the sun did them no harm or ultrasuper sun screen 1000!
repeat to yourself it's just a show you should really just relax.
I always got the impression that the character was given to embellishment of his own tales, so as a kid I figured that while he probably is a Count Dracula, he probably never was the Count Dracula, but maybe a bumbling relative with a high opinion of himself.
It never bothered me about the daylight / sunshine. I just thought as they became nicer and less inwardly monstrous, they somehow got back some stuff which traditonal monsters lost, like reflections in mirrors, and the ability to enjoy the beach.
It never bothered me about the daylight / sunshine. I just thought as they became nicer and less inwardly monstrous, they somehow got back some stuff which traditonal monsters lost, like reflections in mirrors, and the ability to enjoy the beach.
Not all monsters lost that ability.
For instance, their relative "Uncle Gilbert" also known as "The Creature From the Black Lagoon" always had the ability to enjoy the beach. ;)
Sunlight destroying vampires was made up by F.W. Murnau for Nosferatu in 1922. From then, it pretty much carried on, combined with the conventions established by Bram Stoker to make what is known as the classic movie vampire.
oh, really? If Grandpa is a so-called Vampire, why doesn't he go to bed at night? I saw an episode on my DVD player where Herman and Grandpa stay up @ 4:00 AM, i can't even do that! Wow!
>>>oh, really? If Grandpa is a so-called Vampire, why doesn't he go to bed at night? I saw an episode on my DVD player where Herman and Grandpa stay up @ 4:00 AM, i can't even do that! Wow!
vaampires sleep in the daytime.
so it makes perfect sense he would be up at night.
I always took Grandpa as a cross between Dracula and Victor Frankenstein, with his crazy experiments and "Igor" as his assistant. How on earth Frankenstein's monster mated with a vampire and birthed a wolfman though is anyone's guess!