NBC's Mockingbird Lane (Munsters remake)

[gbagok]

Did anyone see it last night? I enjoyed it but I also wasn't a big fan of the original. It was written by Brian Fuller (Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls, Pushing Daisies), although he's involved with the new Hannibal show so he may not be involved if it gets picked up. Actually, given how his shows seem to be cursed to die young, that may help it.

[Zargon]

We watched it and found it painful, but we loved the original. We really like Portia de Rossi and Jerry O'Connell (even named our son after his character Quinn from Sliders) but it just didn't feel like the Munsters.... They are supposed to be Monsterous looking, that was the whole point... but we do realize it is a new take on the show and it may grow on us.... We don't predict that it will last long, maybe 2 weeks or as many as 4, but that's pushing it.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

My wife and I watched it and liked it.

A few months ago my aunt posted an article on Facebook about the remake, which at the time I hadn't previously heard of, and stating how bad it sounded. When I first started reading the article, I was inclined to agree.... A Munsters remake in the form of an hour long dramedy starring Jerry O'Connell as Herman?!

BUT then I read on and it said that Bryan Fuller was behind it. Suddenly I was cautiously optimistic. My wife and I are both big fans of Pushing Daisies and Dead Like Me, both of which were unfortunately cut down before their time (Dead Like Me did get a straight to DVD movie later on, but it wasn't that great). We haven't seen Wonderfalls yet. I did actually buy the DVD set of it probably a couple of years ago now, but we just haven't watched it (we have a VERY large collection of DVDs and Blu-Rays, so playing "catch up" is an ongoing challenge), but now I may be tempted to bust that out in the near future.

After reading that article, I posted a comment back on my aunt's page saying that it may actually be good for the above reasons. I then told my wife about it (purposely setting her up for the same reaction I initially had by leaving out the part about Bryan Fuller until the end), and she basically reacted the same way... at first she thought it sounded terrible, but then was optimistic. But then we laughed and said we will probably really like it, but then it will get canceled.

It sounds like this may be cutting to the chase on this one. To my knowledge there are no plans to air any further episodes, and I'm not sure if additional episodes were even filmed. The ads for this didn't build it up as a series premiere... more as a special. From what I've read, the ratings were decent, but probably not enough to save it, especially since it was apparently a rather expensive pilot to make (I guess $10 Million was spent on just that one episode... that's more than they spend on most Kevin Smith films ). So, unfortunately, there may not be more of this. I did like it. I wasn't as sucked in as I was with those other two shows, but this was only one episode. I would continue to watch if more episodes were made and put on the air.

[markatisu]

Yeah guys the show was already killed, they canceled it shortly after the pilot was made and this was then switched to a TV Event.

In theory if the ratings are good may bring it back but as of right now what you saw last night was it

[Dynamo of Eternia]

We watched it and found it painful, but we loved the original. We really like Portia de Rossi and Jerry O'Connell (even named our son after his character Quinn from Sliders) but it just didn't feel like the Munsters.... They are supposed to be Monsterous looking, that was the whole point... but we do realize it is a new take on the show and it may grow on us....

I can understand that reaction. That's something that I don't think will help the series.

I wouldn't say that I'm a "huge fan" of the Munsters, but I enjoyed the reruns well enough growing up. This is definitely a re-imagining, and I can see where this will likely divide any die-hard Munsters fans. I would image there would be a lot of similar reaction around here if a new He-Man series was made that was a complete re-imagining and only vaguely resembled the character that we all know. But I went into it more so as a fan of Bryan Fuller's previous work, and in that respect I think it was good. Of course all those series were short lived, so I wasn't expecting anything different here!

[wyldman11]

I have it recorded, I remember hearing about it way back when then saw something for so set up to record it. Will watch it this week.

[markatisu]

Well, well, well. Congrats NBC for having no faith

Maybe it might be time to reconsider cancellation and put at least 5 more episodes on order to give it a mini-series type run.

#MockingbirdLane's 1.5 is NBC's best non-sports in slot since 3/2/12 (Who Do You Think You Are?), scripted since 12/11/09 (Law & Order).

[gbagok]

Well it was a little FX heavy, so it probably cost more than NBC wants a show to cost, but I liked it a lot. I wasn't watching it to see people who look like monsters, I was watching it for that Addams Family culture-shock gags and dark humor wit that I know Fuller can bring to a show. That stinks that it was already canceled, but I hope the ratings (in the Friday death slot no less) turns something around. Sadly I doubt a show would have Fuller since he's busy with Hannibal, and without him I don't know if I'd like what's left. The dark humor was what worked for me though, and that's probably not in NBC's comfort zone.

[markatisu]

Well it was a little FX heavy, so it probably cost more than NBC wants a show to cost, but I liked it a lot. I wasn't watching it to see people who look like monsters, I was watching it for that Addams Family culture-shock gags and dark humor wit that I know Fuller can bring to a show. That stinks that it was already canceled, but I hope the ratings (in the Friday death slot no less) turns something around. Sadly I doubt a show would have Fuller since he's busy with Hannibal, and without him I don't know if I'd like what's left. The dark humor was what worked for me though, and that's probably not in NBC's comfort zone.

Who really knows, if its on Friday NBC most likely won't care. Plus if its paired with Grimm it would fit because Grimm is hardly an optimistic happy show (not to mention they would be anchored by Dateline NBC which is "who killed this person" every week lol)

[VZX]

I liked it. It had some dark humor in it, and it kept the werewolf and vampire rules/powers very traditional. My kids are big Munsters fans, and they sorta liked it, although they couldn't watch the "gross" parts like Herman getting a new heart.

But, we said we would watch it again if picked up as a series.

[Mer-Man's Minion]

I enjoyed it too, except, like VZX's kids, I didn't like the "icky" parts either (I'm not a fan of that kind of stuff, I like good old fashioned spookiness).

I didn't know anything about this until I saw Jerry and Portia on Ellen. Since they said on there that this was a "re-imaginging", I knew not to expect the old series (which I always enjoyed whenever I saw it), so I was able to enjoy it as a separate thing.

Right now I'd really love to see The Munsters Today, which I saw on late Saturday afternoons when I was a kid in the '80s

[wyldman11]

Just watched it, it was good but I can see why traditionalist type fans would out right hate it. I think it could have lasted if it wasn't a re imagining of the Munsters and there was a more a complete story to the whole show.

[wolfsfang]

just watched it and I thought it was AWESOME and I say that as a fan of the original series. I really hope the series does happen because I really want to see more plus it doesn't hurt that the werewolf effects seemed pretty okay (for what you could see of Eddie in his werewolf form)

[midor]

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/12/...o-rest-by-nbc/

[BCreviews4628]

Haha good.

[He-Dad]

That's too bad....I liked it. Not sure if I'm down with "Hannibal the Series" though......

[Dr Kain]

Never heard of it, but how is this a remake of the Munsters? I don't see any vampires, Frankensteins, or that sort running around.

[He-Dad]

Then you obviously didn't watch it....Eddie is a werewolf, (Transforms even) grandpa a shapeshifting vampire (I really liked the demon look..very evil) and Herman was Frankenstein monster like with the scars and the whole heart thing. They even got the pet dragon.

Never heard of it, but how is this a remake of the Munsters? I don't see any vampires, Frankensteins, or that sort running around.

[Falconhood]

I was disappointed by it. I guess I wanted something more fun...not creepy. I understand that this is "cool" but I guess I just have too much love for the original campy show.

[Lord Anubis]

At first I hated it, then I watched it a second time and warmed up to it. I guess it was a good enough blend for audiences of today who need that slick look rather than the fun old campy stuff. It wasnt terrible, but it wasnt great either.

[wolfsfang]

this is a shame

moving on...

[Dr Kain]

Then you obviously didn't watch it....Eddie is a werewolf, (Transforms even) grandpa a shapeshifting vampire (I really liked the demon look..very evil) and Herman was Frankenstein monster like with the scars and the whole heart thing. They even got the pet dragon.

Didn't watch it? I never even heard of it until this thread. However, the picture I looked at did not look anything like the Munsters.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

It was a different take on the characters and concept... a re-imagining. Rather than Herman actually looking like Frankenstein and having green skin (as depicted in past versions of the Munsters that were in color), he looks more or less like a regular man, but with stitched together parts, etc. They did do additional little nods, though. For instance, the first time they show Herman, we just see his silhouette, and because of something that happens to be behind his head in the background (I forget what it was off hand), the outline actually does have the Frankenstein look at first.