Yay! 'Munsters' reboot 'Mockingbird Lane' will air as a Halloween special.

NBC will air 'Munsters' reboot 'Mockingbird Lane' as a Halloween special By Rick Porter, October 11, 2012 1:31 PM ET "Mockingbird Lane," the hour-long, updated version of 1960s sitcom "The Munsters," will see the light of day on NBC after all. Don't get too excited, though: The network is planning to air the pilot episode as a Halloween special later this month, largely as a way to make back some of the reported $10 million it cost to make the pilot. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it's slated for 8 p.m. ET Friday, Oct. 26. The project from "Pushing Daisies" creator Bryan Fuller and director Bryan Singer has been in development for a couple of years, but NBC opted not to pick up the pilot to series last spring. The show remained in play into the summer, when Portia de Rossi was cast as Lily Munster (replacing Mariana Klaveno, who was committed to "Devious Maids" at Lifetime). Reports earlier this month, however, said NBC wasn't thrilled with the finished pilot and was unlikely to pick it up. Fuller is also working on another NBC series, "Hannibal," for midseason, so even if "Mockingbird Lane" somehow pulls fabulous ratings and NBC changes its mind on a pickup, he may not be available to serve as showrunner. "Mockingbird Lane" also stars Jerry O'Connell as Herman Munster, Eddie Izzard as Grandpa, Mason Cook as Eddie and Charity Wakefield as Marilyn.

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• Can't wait.

• Given Paul Ryan's wolfish look and his blind allegiance to dad-like buffoons, I think he's perfect to play me.

• It's on right now.

• What the fuck is the purpose of The Munsters looking normal, give or take a scar or two. Worthless, deserved to be shit canned.

• I'm enjoying it, but I can't picture how this could have been a 22-episode network series. 12-episode cable at best. Jerry O'Connell is appealing but playing too much of the "straight man". Cheyenne Jackson actually might have made a better Herman than Jerry. Portia di Rossi not working in the role. Eddie Izzard, Marilyn and Eddie Munster are all excellent.

• I love Eddie Izzard.

• And Jerry's atrocious hairpiece.........

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• I found it surprisingly dull. There were a lot of good ideas, but it didn't quite come together for me.

• Did this ACTUALLY air?!

• The Munsters was a one of a kind, once in a lifetime phenomenon and cannot be repeated. They tried in 1988 with The Munsters Today

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• Agree 100% with r8 -- some good ideas but overall dull. Can't imagine it being a full series.

• Bryan Singer directed and all three male leads were suggested to be nude even the kid who played Eddie.

• Well, at least Singer had some fun. That was just embarrassing. And they had to pad the hour with all those stupid teasers. Why bother even pretending it was set in San Francisco, with all those geographically impossible views of the Golden Gate Bridge?

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• It's what I'd call a turdblossom.

• The Addamms Family was always much better than the Munsters.

• The scene where the middle school coach hosts an orgy in the boys locker room was disturbing, but also classic Bryan.

• I actually liked it. Would have been interesting to see what it could have become.My only problem with it was they relied a little too much on our knowedge of the original show. Most people under 30 have probably never seen it and would have no clue as to the archetypes these people were playing.

• Am I the only one who felt a sexual undercurrent between Cheyenne Jackson and Jerry O'Connell?

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• Was this a one time only TV special or has Singer committed himself to an actual TV series?

• R19 the pilot was shot but not ordered.

• Next, a reboot of "Li'l Abner."

• This was truly craptastic.

• Bump

• Too much killing. The orginal Munsters was very sweet-natured...

• Here's the original Munsters pilot. Joan Marshall played "Phoebe Munster." She comes off as a harried Jewish housewife.

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• [quote]Most people under 30 have probably never seen it and would have no clue as to the archetypes these people were playing. Just to put this out there...The Munsters is currently airing daily on Boomerang, a kids network.

• The Munsters actually "killed," people in this??? I hate when they try to take something goofy and sweet and "update," it to make it "edgy" Will the Bewitched remake have Sam and Endora be part of a demonic cult?

• The tone was completely off and the actors, save for Izzard, floundered. I see why NBC pulled the plug. Speaking of Izzard, was he wearing old-age makeup or does he really look that bad?

• [quote]Here's the original Munsters pilot. Joan Marshall played "Phoebe Munster." She comes off as a harried Jewish housewife. More like a Morticia Addams knockoff to me. Yvonne DeCarlo as Lily was the anti-Morticia -- June Cleaver in goth makeup.

• I thought the Munsters adorable but that pilot was dreadful.

• it was ok

• No Igor the bat. Fail!

• Maybe they'll do a sequel next Halloween.

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• I actually really liked it. I can see where the network was put of by all the murder when they expected a sweet family show. But the candy-colors Bryan Fuller kind of show needs that darkness to work.

• I once gave Al Lewis a blumpkin in grand central station

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• [quote]Speaking of Izzard, was he wearing old-age makeup or does he really look that bad? It was makeup. During a scene at the end, during the too graphic for television disembowelment of Cheyenne Jackson, he drank Cheyenne's blood and became youthful. But he wasn't really seen again after that scene.

• In general I loved it, but boy, did I jump at the campfire opening scene. And I am sorry, but given this is directed by Singer I couldn't help but be even more creeped out by the image of Eddie waking up naked in a bush (when is too young too young?). To me Lily was terribly miscast. A great deal of the special effects were bad and over the top bad without being camp, funny, or scary. I liked Jerry O'Connell as doofus Herman (also the hint of giving his dark outline bolts in his introduction scene) who just loves too much. Nice guest appearance of Cheyenne Jackson. To me the best was the female neighbor in her scooter. I see why NBC bailed on it (given that the similar dark Tim Burton production of Dark Shadows failed), but it had some great potential to be a dark comedy drama.

• I liked it, certainly better than Nashville, Revolution, and the other shit that debuted as hour long dramas. It's better than Grimm, easily. I think the tone and acting would firm up. Portia de Rossi and O'Connell weren't quite getting it, but I liked the kid and Eddie. The girl was okay. It had very good numbers and it's possible it will have more scripts ordered.

• It had a lot of great elements however I couldn't get over the fact they all looked human instead of monsters.

• [quote] Speaking of Izzard, was he wearing old-age makeup or does he really look that bad? Izzard is a health fanatic now. So yes, it's makeup.

• this was the worst tv show I have ever seen.

• "The Munsters was a one of a kind, once in a lifetime phenomenon and cannot be repeated" Oh, please. It was lame, mildly funny tv sitcom that was a rip-off of the Adams Family. "A one of a kind, once in a lifetime phenomenon?" Either you're kidding or incredibly stupid.

• Okay, Grandpa disemboweled someone, and we saw it, and it was cute clean cut CJ? And this was supposed to be good goofy fun?

• I don't believe so r43. Fuller has said before that this was not a straight out remake (aka goofy fun), this was going to be more along the lines of what he usually does; drama-comedy.

• I basically enjoyed the show. Loved seeing how the Munsters was reimagined for the 21st Century. And the special effects were fantastic. That said, all throughout that hour, I kept wondering how they could sustain this as a series. What kind of plots could they come up with regularly? Would Herman get a new heart every episode? Would Grandpa have to drink blood each episode? Also, the hour did drag on. Not a good sign for a pilot. Eddie Izzard seemed to be the only one totally into his character. Loved his Grandpa. Portia seemed miscast. And Jerry O'Connell, well, he just didn't feel like Herman Munster to me. Part of that was because he was shorter than Eddie Izzard. Part of the Frankenstein mythos is that the monster is taller than anyone else.

• Only one death took place and it was an accident. They made sure to feature the entire scout troop huddled together alive in the SUV the next morning. Jerry O'Connell as Herman ruins half the potential gags. In the original, his Humongous size and odd shape play against his cheerful demeanor. Also, the original Herman is a gullible simpleton while this Herman seems to be in on the joke. If it were to go forward, I'd want to see Herman change heads and feet to throw other actors into the mix. Think Grace Slick or Sinbad.

• Thanks r46. I watched part of it on the NBC site, and at first was a little surprised they showed a bunch of kids being attacked but then saw that they were all huddled in the van. Will have to watch the rest of it, but, and this is really weird, I thought Jerry O'Connell was kind of sexy in it, and I have never thought that he was anything but goofy. I know its not the scars but it must be that he finally played kind of a normal DILF next door who loves his wife and family so that was it. I guess an odd choice for Herman but since Herman was kind of semi retarded in the original I guess that was all they could do. Kind of nice to see a happily married couple on TV who still have great sex, even if one is vampire and one is made up of dead people!

• [quote]If it were to go forward, I'd want to see Herman change heads and feet to throw other actors into the mix. Think Grace Slick or Sinbad. How about changing parts with a sassy black woman?

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