Mockingbird Lane (The Munsters - Remake)

[zombombie]

Hmm... I'm not sure about the look... that's certainly NOT Herman that's for sure!!

[ghostface]

I really don't see Jerry O' Connell a Herman. But, I will have to watch It and see if they did The Munsters good justice.

[keifferone]

Has anyone seen pix from this yet? It looks like dark shadows not The munsters.

[EarthGBilly]

There are back and forth reports about whether NBC is going to pass on this show right now. Despite attempts to reassure those involved in the show that it isn't dead in the water, I'm inclined to believe that NBC is probably not going buy it.

The more I hear about this show, the more I want to see it...

...but...

the more I hear about this show, the less likely it sounds to be picked up.

It sounded ridiculous at the outset, transforming a half-hour campy sit-com into an off-kilter hour long drama. As further details have surfaced about the concept of the show, I've thought, okay, this could at least be an interesting take. (I won't spoil any details I've read, but, suffice it to say, the emphasis on the "monster" aspect of the show is not exactly subtle.)

If NBC passes on it, that's a shame. I think it would make a pretty good pairing with Grimm.

[Zombie Pumpkins!]

I too heard that the show may not get picked up. Who knows if it would have been a success or not. I'd still like to watch a pilot episode to see what could have been.

[nosferatu]

EarthGBilly has got it nailed. Their immediate mistake was trying to modernise a classic. The Munsters worked well because of the premise that they thought they were normal and everyone else was odd. The pictures posted they all look fairly normal. Who knows, it could have a fantastic script and superb cast but there will always be that feeling that this isn't right. You wouldn't cast a Yorkshire Terrier to play Scooby Doo would you?

[Zombie Pumpkins!]

One of the most common plots of the old Munsters show involved the family thinking they looked normal, and not understanding why everyone else in the world seemed freaked out by them. That's gag is pretty much lost when you cast a bunch of pretty people as the "monsters."

The idea to make a drama about "monsters" trying to fit into society, despite their monstrous urges... well, we already have True Blood, Vampire Diaries, Being Human, Grimm, Supernatural... and those shows do just fine because they do their own thing. They're not based on a campy comedy show. I think the overall concept of Mockingbird Lane could do quite well on TV, just lose the "Munster" name and let the classics remain as they were.

[NikkiRae]

My mum and I were reading about this just a month ago or so and we are HUGE fans of the original series. We've been rewatcing it on Netflix recently too. When we saw that it was supposed to be a drama, we were pretty much instantly turned off. Part of the appeal of the Munsters was how lighthearted the family and the show was. They were nice people who were just trying to live a normal life with their family and neighbors. Taking that concept and turning them into people who are killing and taking over their neighbors seems to totally lose the Munsters theme. I agree that the concept would be great for a show, just not one that is based on a classic. I would like to see it done with original characters.

Although, I wouldn't mind a remake/continuation of the original Munsters. Like Eddy all grown up or something of that sort. But sticking with the typical Munsters characteristics. That may go over much better than what they are currently planning.

[Jack Carving]

Seems NBC was on the fence with what to do with this series 'reboot' after the final version of the pilot came in below the network's expectations. As it turns out they have announced that the series Mockingbird Lane will be scrapped but because the pilot was so pricy ($10 million) instead of simply burying it in a shallow grave, it will be aired on October 26th as a stand-alone Halloween Special.

-> Source <-

Can't say I am surprised or upset from this news.

[Zombie Pumpkins!]

Sounds like a mess. Well... I guess we can look at the bright side here. We'll get another "Halloween special" that we can watch during Halloween week. And if it's horrible, we can take comfort in the fact that it's being put out of its misery after this pilot/movie.

Have you seen these photos yet?

If it was classic Munsters, I might be excited. If it was an original monster show, I might be excited. But instead seeing the pics gives me this uneasy feeling... because I don't know what to make of it. It exists in this weird limbo space.

[nosferatu]

The pictures add to the doubt. Beautiful sunshine, lovely bright tones, a few scars? Is that it? I read the synopsis and was extremely disappointed. the only character that looks remotely morbid is that of Eddie IZzard.

If I was going to rework THe Munsters, I would go dark not glam. It needs to be based along the lines of Psychoville, more oddball. Like the original where worlds of the odd and normal collide. The odder, the more noir, the better.

The original worked for the era it was made when tv was simpler and viewers expectations lower. When they made MUnsters TOday, I thought it was awful. This seems even worse.

[Jack Carving]

It looks fun, I will admit. Still I can't get passed the fact that they tossed out every recognizable trait of The Munsters family for no other reason than to 'modernize' them. If they would have simply severed any link to The Munsters and instead created a whole new family of monsters, called I don't know... 'The Grimms' or something, this would of actually worked really well... instead we are stuck with a remake that has been reimagined for a generation that probably doesn't appreciate the source material.

[Zombie Pumpkins!]

Well that does look rather fun. Fitting to watch in the Halloween season. As you said, Jack... if this was called "The Grimms" and was about some new family, I'd probably be hyped for this.

The characters already look different from the original. So why not also change their names and make something more fresh. Maybe swap the grandfather for a grandmother. Toss in an uncle or aunt. Add another kid (maybe a sister who has gills and hangs out in the lagoon out back?)

I guess even doing those things could anger people who think it's just a rip off of the Addams Family or The Munsters. But both of those stand on their own, so why not another new horror family? I'd be willing to give a new brood a chance.

I could gripe about things like Jerry O'Connell not having a flat head, but all of that doesn't matter much I guess. Mainly, the question is... does the show entertain? Is the plot interesting or funny? We won't know until we watch it.

[zombombie]

Hmmm... interesting. I'd definitely give it a chance, especially around Halloween. Though chances are, if it's just a one off, we'll never see it here in the UK.

[Jack Carving]

I am not too proud to say I was wrong. I actually REALLY enjoyed Mockingbird Lane. I don't know if there is any chance this might get picked up as an actual series (maybe on a station that can afford an inflated budget) but if it did I would certainly tune in each week. My favorite parts involved Grampa 'D' Munster.

(spoiler, highlight to read): There are also a great deal of 'nods' to the original series, such as Marilyn Munster whistling the original them to a crow, or when we first see Herman Munster standing in front of the porch lighting fixture to silhouette a 'flattop' and of course who can forget the staircase that lifts up to reveal the 'dungeon'.

All in all it was a fun watch. If you have a chance I definitely recommend checking it out.