Looks like NBC’s modern day reboot of The Munsters may not make it to the air after all. According to Deadline, Mockingbird Lane, starring Jerry O’Connell as Herman, Portia de Rossi as Lily, and Eddie Izzard as Grandpa, is not looking like a shoe-in to go to series as planned, or hoped.
The pilot episode was directed by Bryan Signer (X-Men, X2, Superman Returns), and written/ produced by Pushing Daisies mastermind Bryna Fuller. Deadline reports that while the first look at the new take on the ’60s monster comedy scored points for its visual style, but its high concept approach ultimately ended up being considered too risky for the NBC network brass.
Last year NBC also passed on another high profile reboot, and didn’t move beyond the pilot of the re-imagining of DC Comics’ Wonder Woman written and produced David Kelley, which starred Adrianne Palicki. Mockingbird Lane maintained a lower profile on the internet than Wonder Woman did, which received much negative buzz once a promotional still of its heroine in full costume was released and promptly met with a big thumbs down.
I was definitely interested to see what the team of Fuller and Singer could bring to the table with the property, and its unfortunate to hear that a high concept approach may have been its undoing, which is precisely what you would have expected from that creative team. While there was some obvious skepticism of the darker edgier reboot, a welcome curiosity factor grew the more we learned and saw about the show.
You can check out an earlier post on Mockingbird Lane here, which has concept art and pictures of the cast in full costume. The image to the right shows original Eddie Munster Butch Patrick posing with the new cast on the new 666 Mockingbird Lane set. Its a shame to hear we will not see what the new Spot looks like, who is likely lurking under that staircase.
SOURCE: Deadline
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