Pushing Daisies creator Bryan Fuller’s Munsters reboot Mockingbird Lane has been sitting on the chopping block, even before NBC aired the pilot as a special this past Halloween. But, as the saying goes, hope springs eternal and a number of die-hard fans (searching for more Daisies-esque dark whimsy) have kept their fingers crossed that Fuller’s re-imagining will get additional episodes.
The pilot earning generally decent, though not always ecstatic, reviews (read our critique) – and attracting 5.4 million viewers during its initial airing – was enough to keep the fire burning… until now.
NBC has formally passed on bringing The Munsters clan back to the small screen, after taking several weeks (officially, that is) to weigh such pros against the cons. The latter includes the $10 million price tag of director Bryan Singer’s pilot; not to mention, the network’s announced plans to stop developing
Fuller dropped the truth-bomb via Twitter, saying:
I tweet with a heavy heart. NBC not moving forward with
#MockingbirdLane. From producers and cast, thank you all for enthusiasm and support.
Mockingbird Lane was up against it from the get-go, between Fuller’s track record of having TV shows prematurely cancelled (see: Wonderfalls, Pushing Daisies) and resentment towards remaking the original 1960s sitcom (which, in certain circles, is beloved). The pilot’s story didn’t help, seeing how the use of werewolves as a literal metaphor for adolescence is somewhat played out in the current generation of supernatural fantasy entertainment – even for drama-comical effect, going back to the early 2000s with Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Jerry O’Connell and Eddie Izzard in ‘Mockingbird Lane’
On the opposing hand, the Mockingbird Lane pilot has enough in the way of zany humor and arresting visuals/set pieces to keep your attention, with Eddie Izzard as the Munsters Grandpa/patriarch either enhancing the proceedings or calling excess attention to himself (depending on who you ask). Similarly, players Jerry O’Connell and Charity Wakefield were settling comfortably into their roles as ‘the normal ones’ on the show.
The pilot also set the stage for more interesting stories and developments down the line, which would explore and satirize the modern American society through the ongoing trials of a family with serious day-to-day problems and issues to deal with; unfortunately, we won’t ever get to see those realized. C’est la vie.
Were you hoping to see more of Mockingbird Lane? Or are you glad to hear The Munsters aren’t being resurrected? Let us know in the comments section.
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Source: Bryan Fuller
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“formerly”?
Formally or officially.
My apologies, I wasn’t thinking and used formerly rather than formally (and failed to catch it before publishing).
It’s been corrected now.
Didn’t know that Mockingbird Lane was the Munsters reboot. Should have kept the original name and maybe more people would have realized it an tuned in.
The pilot was just not that spectacular, and for the price tag it would have had to get huge ratings to have been picked up.
I have to say. When I watched Mockingbird Lane, I still missed it.
Didn’t see that one coming.
I actually enjoyed the changes. Grandpa needed to be a little more, dark, and that change was good. I liked that Marilyn didn’t apologize for the family quirks. I liked the pilot a lot. NBC, your mistake! I for one would definatley have followed this show. What are the chances of another network picking this up?
So sad, we loved the show!!maybe abc can take it?!!?
I had a hard time getting into it. I didn’t like it.
Thank God. That show was a stinker. That’s 60 minutes of my life that I will never get back.
I quite enjoyed the pilot and was looking forward to seeing where the show would have gone. Alas.
I LOVED the pilot. I really hope another network picks it up. I’d even be willing to watch it online.
that show really sucked. I am glad they are ditching it in fact i prefer the original Munsters .sorry folks but some classics just need to be left alone.
looks like this may be one of the good ones. love to see it.
seems to be very interesting, but who knows. can not wait to see it.
I didn’t care for it either and erased it after watching about 40 minutes. It had some good cast members and could have been good, but first they should have invested in better writers that could carry comedy so they wouldn’t need to invest so much on poor looking CG.
Also they never should have tried to bill it as an updated version of the 60′s Munsters, but should have made it something new on its own. The original was a pure corn sitcom. There wasn’t anything dark and serious about the original. This was in some limbo between being something really dark or something funny, and pretty much missed the mark in either account
Yeah, it really seemed like they were trying too hard to do too many different things. Pretty much none of it was funny and the one point they seemed to miss about the original is that despite what they looked like, the original Munsters were actually likable.
Problem one is NBC. This is a type a show for cable. USA, SyFy, etc. I hope they can find a place somewhere else.
I’m glad! To base this on the much funnier and classic Munsters was a slap in the face of the fans of the original series. NBC had a great show in The Event and dropped the ball on it. The list could go on (canceling Law and Order, and Law and Order:CSI to be just a few of their major blunders). The only NBC show I watch anymore is GRIMM and if they were to go that will bring to an end anything I ever watch on NBC. I’m glad to see Mockingbird Lane bite the dust.
Indeed tom same here .Grim is all i watch on NBC now.
i hadn’t realized, Grimm is the only NBC sho we watch.
It’s amazing how many shows NBC has passed up on or cancelled in its recent past….I watch absolutely nothing on that network… They have no vision… Southland big hit on another network thank you NBC
I was so enthusiastic about the new show. The pilot was good, nothing like the original, but good. I’m disappointed that it was canceled.
Fyi: I was also very disappointed when “pushing daisies” was canceled
maybe NBC is still pissed with Fuller about leaving “Heroes” and now they’re just f**king with him.
I liked it very much and was disappointed it was not picked up. I thought Eddie Izzard was a bit to over the top and sounded to much like James Mason fir my taste. I also thought the put downs about Marilyn uncalled for. I liked the “reboot” and found the writing and atmosphere full of the dark humor I LOVE. Please keep it going!
I liked it very much and was disappointed it was not picked up. I thought Eddie Izzard was a bit to over the top and sounded to much like James Mason for my taste. I also thought the put downs about Marilyn uncalled for. I liked the “reboot” and found the writing and atmosphere full of the dark humor I LOVE. Please keep it going!
You know, it wasn’t bad. I think I actually would have watched it. There was a lot of interesting stuff going on in the show and I liked the take they were doing on Merilyn. Probably pretty expensive, though. I wish they would have at least tried a couple
The failure of this to get on a network like NBC is exactly the reason they are fading out as a source of entertainment. I’m sure the real problem was the lack of imagination of the executives. The show’s quality was far beyond the original, not really a remake but a real reboot. It was fun, eerie as the situation really should be, and had some really fun humor throughout. I’m hoping that they can make someone else pick it up.
yes i would love to see them bring this show to life