More Universal Monsters in New Munsters?
We’ve talked about the hour-long drama reboot version of “The Munsters”- “1313 Mockingbird Lane”- that NBC is preparing in a pilot. Jerry O’Connell will be Herman- still not sure if I can picture that- and, according to TVWeek, the pilot will be told from Herman’s point of view.
TVWeek says that the chief of NBC Entertainment, Bob Greenblatt, suggested it (Hmmm- no wonder they’re jumping to do that- when the boss says “why don’t we do it this way?” –that’s what they tend to do!) Producer Brian Fuller says the whole thing is based on Herman’s realizing his son Eddie is taking after the “other” side of the family- meaning Grandpa’s(Eddie Izzard’s) vampire side, since in this version, Grandpa is a domineering type who holds Herman under his thumb. He says it’s all relationship based- Herman is constantly decaying, while his wife Lily (Portia De Rossi- that casting I can definitely see), as a vampire, never ages. They will play on all the insecurities Herman feels.
Perhaps the biggest news, though, is that Fuller really wants to incorporate lots of the other classic Universal monsters into the show- the Wolf Man, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, and even the Phantom of the Opera. (That’s not such a new concept-I’m sure you remember that, on the original sitcom, “Uncle Gilbert” showed up to visit- and he was the Gill Man from “Black Lagoon”!) Fuller is comparing it to ABC/Disney’s “Once Upon a Time” that utilizes all the fairy tale characters in the Disney stable to populate its show. He said that the Universal monsters were more or less HIS fairy tales when he was growing up, he loved not only the Munsters, but, Wolf man, Frankenstein, Dracula, the Mole People- and- (ahem)- I quote “the Metaluna Monster from “Silent Earth”! (Okay- did he get it wrong, or did the TVWeek reporter hear him say “This Island Earth” and think he was saying “The Silent Earth”?!) Regardless , he stated he wants to bring in all the characters from those stories (I hope he realizes- he has Dracula in Grandpa and the Frankenstein Monster in Herman himself…)- and even wants to pull in “The Cat People and those types of things…”
So- will the Mole People be living in the Munster basement- or in the subway system? Is the Metaluna mutant an escapee from his home planet, that blew up at the end of “This Island Earth”, and now is a castaway like Gilligan? Does the “Deadly Mantis” happen upon the Munsters’ backyard garden to pick off any harmful insects that might infest it?
They keep saying this is a drama, but, I hope it has the same tongue-in-cheek quality that the “Pushing Daisies” series did- I would think it almost has to. Meanwhile, the producers are trying to negotiate the use of another element that would tie this production in more with the original sitcom- they want to use the original theme song for the show , written by composer Jack Marshall, as the theme for this version. Undoubtedly, they would do a new arrangement, I’d bet- the twangy ‘60s guitar certainly might not be compatible with the new attitude of this show. The negotiations press on- we’ll let you know if we hear more about it.
Fuller says that he should know by sometime in August whether the show will go to series-so, to pass the time, he’s coming up with new stories that involve some of those Universal monsters. Hmmm- I wonder if there’ll be any call for a Svengoolie cameo?
11 Responses to More Universal Monsters in New Munsters?
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If you missed it…… There was a T.V. Movie of the Munsters that the Phantom of the Opera was a cousin. it came out in the 80′s (I think) Sid Caeser was in it, as a mad doctor/egyptian king. Very funny. As to the new Munsters: Time will tell.
Well if the show isn’t working, Jerry O’connell could always slide to a different Dimension, oh wait wrong show. Well hopefully people will stand by him……lol.
Well, if the producers are goping to bring back an old chestnut like The Munsters, they may as well make it for a new generation. The original fans might not like it, but it may appeal to t a new generation. I am very curiious to see the final product. Yes, Svengoolie should have a guest appearence. C’mon Sven fans. Let’s start a petition and send it in to the producers. For fans who love the 60ies era Munsters don’t like the new show they can always catch episodes of ME-TV. How’s that for a plug.
I say BOOOO!!!…and I’m boooing so loud it has a scream tone to it!
BBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! (cough cough)
I remember Letterman talking about a different NBC exec; said the guy couldn’t create gas after a bean dinner. Apparently not much has changed there. No wonder they shell out for the Olympics.
I always applaud dedication to the classics, especially where Monsters are concerned. But I personally find Hollywood’s penchant for remakes of old TV favorites a bit overwhelming and I think the powers that be don’t quite understand that Fred Gwynne and only Fred Gwynne is Herman Munster….The 3 Stooges Movie, The new Monkees (remember THAT?)…I think a better idea would be to go for enriched and enhanced (blu-ray,great commentaries, new-found footage, etc.) Presentation of the originals. Sven….this is why we love so much your inside info about cast and crew of the movies you and your colleague Rich present on Svengoolie and Stoogepalooza. I mean, with all due respect, why would one pay ten bucks to watch a Stooges remake movie when one can enjoy 2 hours of original Stooges classics on TV with Rich…plus get cool facts about Moe and co.. I will say this,though, sometimes they do get it right…I think those. “Brady Bunch” movies ARE funny and entertaining. The casting is impeccable, and the writing is clever… satirical yet loving tribute to the original show. Going off on a bit of a tangent….but in the cartoon classic “Yellow Submarine”, the voices for the Beatles are not the actual Fab Four….but superb choices to wonderfully capture the personalities of John, Paul, George, and Ringo. I wish the new Munsters project well…..But it’s impossible to top the original. If they can hit just the right chord, perhaps they can match the enjoyment level of the Brady Bunch on the big screen.
This new show just sounds stupid. If you are going to try and “recreate” something, it should somewhat resemble the original. Looking forward to the Ghost and Mr. Chicken tomorrow night!
I’m a huge monster/Munsters fan and I agree that this has a better chance of failing than succeeding. However, Since the Munsters only ran two seasons, it would be nice to see a continuation with the same elements that made it a rich television show. With creative writing and possibly a cast that would fit the icons that have been instilled, it could be considered a passing of the torch. Kinda like Jerry Bishop did for Rich. I think that using the Universal Monsters into the Munsters World makes for great cameos and breaks from everyday Munster moments. I loved Uncle Gilbert and the Phantom from the Munster movie. I know it’s a long shot, but I would rather see a television series effort, rather than trying to cram it into a movie, especially from the Wayan brothers.
Sven could get a re-occurring cameo as the hearse driver for Herman’s employer-Mr. Gateman!
We could use new shows without the violence and sex. Maniac Mansion, Joe Flaritys comedy out of Canada, is a good example of clean sitcom. Its old and was short lived, tho had its followers like myself. It was just put in the wrong time slot. The Munsters have a chance to prove themselves, we shell watch and see.
I agree that “The Munsters” without Fred Gwynne and company just isn’t “The Munsters”. It just continues to show that Hollywood can’t come up with anything original anymore, and so it resorts to reality TV shows and bad remakes of classic original shows. I’d probably watch it just out of curiosity, but I’m not expecting much.
Only time will tell,i recall saying ,Michael keaton as Batman? ya never know,But the fat kid from stand by me? Jus kidding,JERRY. Sven 4 president.AL from st. pete