Writer Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisy’s, Hannibal) wrote the script for the pilot show with Bryan Singer (Superman Returns, X-men) as director and executive producer of the project. The critics have voiced concern over what the series might be with Singer at the helm. As an hour-long format billed as a drama with comedy sprinkled in, will it work?
Talk about odd casting. "Mockingbird Lane" stars Jerry O’Connell (Jerry McGuire, Sliders) as Herman Munster, Portia de Rossi (Alley McBeal, Arrested Development) as his wife Lily, Eddie Izzard (The Good Wife, Riches) as Grandpa, Mason Cook (The Lone Ranger, The Middle) as Eddie and Charity Wakefield (the Raven, Sense & Sensibility) as Marilyn.
As you can see from the photo, they decided to go with both contemporary make-up with a few tweaks and state-of-the-art special effects thanks to Singer. Robert Blackman (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Voyager) designed the unique, quirky costumes.
What’s the show actually about? If you understand the current housing market, NBC says, “Buying a house these days is a nightmare, so Herman and Lily are shocked that no one has scooped up the rambling Victorian mansion at 1313 Mockingbird Lane. Some show highlights: Herman and Lily easing Eddie into the reality of his werewolf adolescence and Herman worrying that his heart is going to give out. No worries about Herman, Grandpa is pretty good at procuring body parts. All Herman cares about is finding a new heart with the same capacity to love Lily as much as he has for so many decades.”
As you may have heard, this pilot cost $10 million. I hope it will pull in the numbers for NBC to make it a series. Usually, this means 13 more episodes for a next January airing. We’ll see if Herman, Lilly, Eddie, Marilyn and Grandpa will be permanent residents of Mocking Bird Lane and not just for this Halloween! I hope it’s fun!
