Mockingbird Lane

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This article is about the television series. For the Texas road, see Mockingbird Lane (Texas).
Mockingbird Lane
Title card, showing a house sign reading 1313 Mockingbird Lane
Genre <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Based on The Munsters
by Allan Burns
Chris Hayward
Developed by Bryan Fuller
Written by Bryan Fuller
Directed by Bryan Singer
Starring <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Composer(s) Jim Dooley
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
Production
Executive producer(s) <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
  • Jack Clements
  • Sara Colleton
  • Bryan Singer
  • Bryan Fuller
  • Livia Hanich
  • Loretta Ramos
Producer(s) Jason Taylor
Cinematography Guillermo Navarro
Editor(s) Stuart Bass
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time 39 minutes
Production company(s) <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Release
Original network NBC
Picture format HDTV
Audio format Surround
Original release October 26, 2012 (2012-10-26)
Chronology
Related shows <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
External links
Website

Mockingbird Lane is a 2012 television special developed as a re-imagining of the 1960s CBS sitcom The Munsters. It was developed for NBC by Bryan Fuller. The pilot episode aired on October 26, 2012, as a Halloween special, with the option for a series order.[1] The special was viewed by 5.47 million American viewers and gained a 1.5/5 ratings share for adults aged 18–49.[2]

On December 27, 2012, NBC announced that it would not be taking Mockingbird Lane to series.[3]

Description

A reboot of The Munsters, it was written and executive produced by Fuller as a one-hour drama with "spectacular visuals." It explored the origins of the Munster family and was darker and edgier, while retaining plenty of humor.[4][5][6] The costumes and make-up for the characters were heavily toned down to have them more closely resemble humans.[7]

Cast

Starring

  • Jerry O'Connell as Herman Munster, a man made from parts of other people. Unlike Herman in the original series, Herman looks human except for some very obvious scars. He is very intelligent but has a sensitive heart. He loves his family, and to a lesser extent his father-in-law. His heart, the last remaining part from his original body, is dying because he "loves too hard".
  • Portia de Rossi as Lily Munster, the elegant matriarch of the Munster family and a vampire. Unlike her father, Lily tries not to attack or manipulate humans. She loves her family very much and only wants them safe.
  • Charity Wakefield as Marilyn Munster, Lily's niece, who is a normal human with a dark secret. She is considered the oddball of the family because she looks and acts normal. Her mother tried to eat her, but Grandpa talked her out of it.
  • Mason Cook as Eddie Munster, an apparently normal adolescent boy who does not initially know that he is a werewolf. When Herman and Lily are forced to break this news to him, they obtain for him a pet dragon to watch over him during his transformations.
  • Eddie Izzard as Grandpa (Sam Dracula), Lily's father, also a vampire. He likes to act like he is the head of the family. He enjoys making wisecracks at Herman's expense. This version of Grandpa is much darker than the character in the original series, exhibiting predatory behavior and a fondness for murder and mind control.

Guest stars

  • Cheyenne Jackson as Scoutmaster Steve, a widower and leader of Eddie's scout troop who becomes smitten with Lily. Grandpa plots to kill him so he can feed off his blood and replace Herman's heart; despite Herman's clear protests. Grandpa gets his way when Steve dies in an accident.
  • Beth Grant as Marie, the paraplegic busybody neighbor who takes a very keen interest in the strange new family next door.
  • Guy Perry, as Werewolf
  • John Kassir as Tim, Marie's husband.

Production

NBC confirmed ordering the pilot episode in November 2011[8] and announced in January 2012 that it would be called Mockingbird Lane, a reference to the Munster family address at 1313 Mockingbird Lane.[9] It was also reported the costumes and make-up for the characters would be heavily toned down to resemble humans.

On March 20, 2012, former The Riches star Eddie Izzard was announced by NBC as "Grandpa", the first of the prospective series' main roles to be cast.[10][11] British actress Charity Wakefield joined the cast, playing Marilyn Munster, Lily's niece, and Spy Kids: All the Time in the World actor Mason Cook joined as Eddie Munster.[12] On June 4, 2012, it was announced that Jerry O'Connell had been cast as family patriarch Herman Munster who series writer-producer Bryan Fuller describes as "essentially a zombie in a constant state of decay."[13] On June 5, it was announced that Mariana Klaveno had been cast to play his wife Lily, contingent on her being released from her contract on Devious Maids.[14] However, on June 12, 2012, it was announced that Portia de Rossi would play the role.[15]

On October 11, 2012, it was announced that the Mockingbird Lane pilot would air on October 26 as a special lead-in to a Halloween-themed episode of Grimm, with the option of a series order should it do well in the ratings.[1][16] Two months after the premiere, NBC officially passed on the series.[3]

NBC chief Robert Greenblatt said of their decision to pass on the series: "We just decided that it didn't hold together well enough to yield a series. 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, 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".[17]

See also

  • Here Come the Munsters, a TV movie based on the characters from the original "The Munsters" show, broadcast in 1995.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ NBC, Bryan Fuller Remaking The Munsters
  5. ↑ Exclusive: The Munsters Back in Development at NBC
  6. ↑ NBC Picks Up Munsters Reboot Pilot From Pushing Daisies Creator
  7. ↑ NBC Pushes Back Munsters Reboot Pilot – TVGuide.com
  8. ↑ NBC Orders ‘The Munsters’ Reboot to Pilot | The Set – Yahoo! TV
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ ‘Mockingbird Lane’: NBC’s ‘Munsters’ update casts Mason Cook as Eddie – Zap2it
  13. ↑ Jerry O'Connell cast as Herman Munster in NBC's 'Mockingbird Lane' | Inside TV | EW.com
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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