From the “just when you think you’ve heard it all” department comes word that NBC and Brian Fuller (Pushing Daisies) are considering remaking the creepy family from 1313 Mockingbird Lane — The Munsters.
EW reports that the project is still in the early development stages but the peacock network has ordered a pilot. No further details are available other than the fact that the remake is being described as “Modern Family meets True Blood.” (Wasn’t that sort of the concept for ABC’s The Gates?) Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy) is supposedly eyeing a behind-the-scenes role. However you look at it, this doesn’t sound much like the original series.
The Munsters first appeared on CBS in 1964 and revolves around a family of monsters who consider themselves an ordinary suburban family. It stars Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo, Al Lewis, Butch Patrick, Beverley Owen, and later, Pat Priest. Contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t a hit show and lasted just two seasons and 70 episodes.
The show’s already been revived a number of times over the years, sometimes with the original castmembers’ involvement. There’s been a feature film as well as three made-for-TV movies. In the early 1970s, ABC made a pilot for an animated adaptation, The Mini-Munsters, but it didn’t go any further.
In the late 1980s, The Munsters Today series tried to pick up the original sitcom some 22 years later. The characters were revived after being accidentally put to sleep by one of Grandpa’s experiments. The family is portrayed by John Schuck, Lee Meriwether, Howard Morton, Jason Marsden, and Hilary Van Dyke. It lasted for 72 episodes.
What do you think? Does a new version of The Munsters sound interesting to you? What would they have to do to make it work?
yes
If a remake is in the mix, then actor/comedian Brad Garrett must be Herman Munster since he has the voice and talent for it.
Shoot it in black and white…
It’s being created by Bryan Fuller. I’ll watch it just for that alone. I’ve loved all his shows, they were pure genius, but were apparently misunderstood by many people because they never got good ratings. Wonderfalls, Pushing Daisies and Dead Like Me were all great.
I loved the original Munsters, but with Bryan Fuller on board, I’ll be watching for this one, too. The Munsters seems like just the right project for his quirky style and sense of humor.
I think that although the original series only lasted two seasons, it worked and also did well in reruns throughout the years due primarily to a great cast. Fred Gwinn was amazing as Herman and the rest of the cast stood right there with him. It was a different time and people had different issues to deal with and so I don’t think it would work in our complex and more sexually liberated times. Besides, as the old adage goes, you can’t improve on perfection, and that series was pretty close to perfect…for it’s day.
As long as it’s better than MUNSTERS TODAY, I’m all for it.
Brad Garrett would make a great Herman Munster 🙂
wow just wow
Black & white….definitely!
No, no, no! Hey NBC, I have an idea…talk to Fuller about a little show called Pushing Daisies. Can we have THAT back instead?
I didn’t really like The Munsters the first time around,
so I don’t need to see it again.
The Addams Family and Bewitched were much better shows.
I think that if this is true, that it is very funny to see that the best idea that NBC can come up with is a remake of The Munsters! I know that it has gotten bad for NBC, but really, that bad??? To funny!
Oh my I love that idea of making it black and white. I hope they read that comment and try it. Seriously if they make it black and white and it is remotely funny I will never miss an episode.
It would only work if it was in black and white. Color will ruin it. And if they make it gory, too adult, or sophisticated it will ruin the original concept and boomers will hate it.
NO! DO not mess around with The Munsters, it won’t work
I LIKE TO SEE THE ADDAMS FAMILY INSTEAD OF THE MUNSTERS