The stories in the early episodes are more modern and the leading characters have much in common with the Andersons, the Clevers and the Nelsons. However each episode hinted that "a disturbed relative" might be living in the closet.
As the series progressed, one sees the Gothic influence of having Boris Karloff as your host. The series also features a Whose Who of movie stars of the 1930s like Mary Astor and future television stars like Richard Chamberlain.