Mockingbird Lane: The Munsters Reboot That Almost Was

Oct 17, 2017 | Reviews

For those unfamiliar, NBC attempted to reboot The Munsters with the show Mockingbird Lane in 2012. It boasted a stellar cast that included Portia de Rossi, Eddie Izzard, & Jerry O’Connell, and talented showrunner Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies, Hannibal, and American Gods). The Bryan Singer (X-Men) Directed pilot aired on October 26th in 2012 as a “special”, and got a very respectable 5.4 million viewers. So, why didn’t NBC move forward with the rebooted series?

MOCKINGBIRD LANE — Pilot — Pictured: (l-r) Charity Wakefield as Marilyn, Eddie Izzard as Grandpa, Mason Cook as Eddie Munster, Portia De Rossi as Lily Munster, Jerry O’Connell as Herman Munster — (Photo by: Gavin Bond/NBC)

The official response gives us an idea. NBC Chief Bob Greenblat told the Television Critics Association:

“We just decided that it didn’t hold together well enough to yield a series,” he said. “It looked beautiful and original and creative, but it just all ultimately didn’t come together…, it just didn’t ultimately creatively all work. We felt great about that cast [Jerry O’Connell, Portia de Rossi, Eddie Izzard and Charity Wakefield]. But we tried to make it not just a sitcom. We tried to make it an hour, which ultimately has more dramatic weight than a half-hour. It’s hard to calibrate how much weirdness vs. supernatural vs. family story. I just think we didn’t get the mix right.”

What Greenblat meant by “getting the mix right” becomes clearer when looking over reviews of Mockingbird Lane.  According to The Hollywood Reporter:

“This has one-and-done written all over it. And the one never fully states what it wants to be; it only teases us with what could have been.”

Upon watching the pilot, I’d tend to agree. Mockingbird Lane is a well directed, and well acted show. Ultimately, however, it fails the difficult task of serving two masters. Attempting to appease a loyal fan base of the original, and attract a new and younger audience is a tall order for any showrunner. Fuller didn’t attempt to recapture the overt silliness and camp of the original, and that’s a good thing. The tone of The Munsters (1964) was very much a product of its time, and would have come off as awkward and contrived in 2012. The reboot takes a subtler approach to the humor, and attempts to inject the story with more range. The problem comes from attempting to marry a simple and intentionally goofy premise with modern and varying tones. That marriage is possible, but very difficult to pull off. Tim Burton is known for his ability to ride that line, and even he has made missteps along the way. The tone, however, isn’t this pilot’s biggest problem. That burden lies squarely on the show’s approach to a family of monsters living in the real world.

I’ve heard of a broken heart, but this is ridiculous! *rimshot*

The original series used our beloved Munster family to convey the importance of embracing our differences. Herman, Lily, Eddie, & Grandpa saw themselves and their lifestyle as normal, and never tried to fit in. Any change in their behavior was simply out of politeness for uncomfortable neighbors. To the Munsters, their lives were completely normal. They were a kindhearted family who embraced a strange and judgmental world with respect, tolerance, and curiosity. So much so, their niece Marilyn was never left out due to her blonde-icitude. The Munsters was indeed a silly comedy, but taught us a lot about acceptance too. In 2012’s Mockingbird Lane, the Munster family is very concerned with fitting in. They dress and look normal (for the most part), see themselves as the weirdos, and try to hide their true selves from the world whenever possible. The only family member not trying to blend in, is Grandpa. Eddie Izzard’s portrayal of self-realized vampire Grandpa is what makes him easily the most lovable part of the show. Everyone else acts like recently relocated participants in the witness protection program. Grandpa is unapologetic and proud of his differences, which makes for a sad contrast with the rest of the family.  Mockingbird Lane avoids making any real statements about acceptance, and sticks to the safe “family togetherness” trope instead. That is exactly why this reboot fails.

Grandpa, put on pants! We have company!

The Munsters is a cult classic because weirdos, freaks, and outsiders found strength in a family of monsters that lived without apology. What’s so weird about having a dragon under your stairs? You take confidence away from the Munsters, and you take away what made it work in the first place. All in all, Mockingbird Lane was a very well put together show that COMPLETELY missed the point from the original. It’s certainly worth a watch if only to bask in this television curiosity, or for Eddie Izzard’s wonderfully demented portrayal of Grandpa Dracula.

Mockingbird Lane (2012) gets a 5.0 on the ABV (Awesomeness By Volume) scale.

See Mockingbird Lane for yourself!