Mockingbird Lane | The Forgotten 'Munsters' Reboot

[@TheDarkNateReturns]

Wow, that shot of Herman's silhouette walking through the front door (2:30) is somehow genius and stupid all at the same time

[@KairuHakubi]

One of those classic "if you were expecting the correct way to do this, screw you" moments.

[@artanisknarf]

Would have been better if it didn’t look so green screen.

[@jonothanthrace1530]

It's a great way to say "we're either too cool or scared of our original media"

[@marksmorphs]

@@TheDarkNateReturns I think it's an awesome visual, but yeah, it's also stupid because it insults your intelligence by just setting up the fact that you're expecting to see a Herman Munster, but it just ends up being a human

[@amitypredator9385]

​@@marksmorphs Well, Jerry O'Connell at least

[@Dnico78]

Every versions of The Munsters has failed because they never feel like a family. The original cast nailed it and felt like a cohesive unit.

[@moonmannd7501]

The original works because of just how casually everyone plays it despite the setting and designs, but that's a novelty that in theory only works the first time.

[@raijinslider6837]

That was kind of the appeal of the munsters, the addams family knew they were creepy and enjoyed it, the munsters were all monsters but they all acted like a stereotypical dorky suburban family and thats where a lot of the charm came from

[@TetsuDeinonychus]

Yeah, in a way they were kind of opposites.

[@KnucklesxReala911]

​@@TetsuDeinonychus they really were, both shows came out around the same date I think only months apart, some people wondered even if it was on purpose but seemly just a coincidence But yeah, the joke of the Munsters is that of monsters trying to adapt to a normal family dynamic, seeing monster do that was not normal back then So the concept of secret monsters pretending being a normal family might be fresh for a muster reboot, but is the most whatever done and redone concept for a show today

[@TheAccountification]

Right. If anything, a Munsters reboot that went this route of grounding them should’ve been more like Modern Family. Playing up the monster aspect was the wrong move, and made them more like a watered down version of the Addams.

[@TetsuDeinonychus]

@@TheAccountification Yeah, I think one of the the things that makes the Munsters hard to reboot is that it's basically "Leave it to Beaver" in a Halloween costume. It's a monster-themed parody of a type of happy-go-lucky wholesome family sitcom that was popular in the 50s and 60s, but really isn't much of a thing anymore. You'd either almost have to set it in the 60s and risk making another bad imitation of the 60s show, or figure out what the modern equivalent of that kind of sitcom is and try to "munsterize" that.

[@mollietenpenny4093]

​@@TheAccountification Basically the Munsters but as a mockumentary? I love that idea!😃😁😆👍🏻

[@nerdybird999]

Having Herman be the creation of Grandpa as the perfect man for Lilly is honestly a good fit for the show. I'd love to see this concept attempted again now that we have a more established audiences for these sort of horror comedy type shows and more talent that I think could stick the landing with the script/plot.

[@nicolegilbert7011]

I had a crush on Jerry O'Connor since his "you never guess my secret idenity" so watching alot of things he was in.

[@danielmcelhatton1724]

Now I didn't watch a tonne of the Munsters but I always thought that Grandpa had created Herman for Lily anyway. Don't know why though.

[@EnigmaticPenguin]

The real monster was sitting next to him in that interview.

[@mtgamateurnight]

I hear he likes young blood!

[@vitorafmonteiro]

A real s*x pest, as RedLetter Media would put it. - Slide whistle. -

[@berserk4souls]

Read this comment as soon as the ad was done playing and he popped up on screen 😂

[@beniverson3777]

The real monsters where the people we met along the way

[@Ashtona-w8k]

@@beniverson3777you don’t get it Bryan singers a pedophile

[@comixproviderftw_02]

Man, The Adam’s Family gets so many different adaptations and different versions with movies and shows but The Munsters never seem to catch a break.

[@bonesjackson81]

We get a horrible Rob Zombie Munsters movie. Gimmie Munsters over Addams anytime.

[@andywinslow9638]

​@@bonesjackson81give it another chance. It's good

[@beautifulmidnight]

@@andywinslow9638It’s really not. I went into it completely blind, no expectations, and lasted about twenty minutes. It’s fucking awful. I’ve seen better acting in a junior high school play.

[@nehemiahpouncey3607]

Even Fox and Rob zombie did it.

[@nehemiahpouncey3607]

Don't forget the Fox version

[@vinnym5607]

The shocked face of Herman when Bryan Singer was mentioned along with follow up of pre"X-Men" comic book movies was perfect.

[@kamdan2011]

And extremely fucking frustrating at the same time with that ignorant statement.

[@Belgand]

Meh. When someone says "comic book movie" they mean traditional superhero adaptations. Not something that just happened to be based on a comic. The stigma was against superheros, not comics as a medium (or something to mine for adaptations). Nobody was thinking of The Crow or even Blade as "comic book movies" because they didn't fit that mold. Often they were based on non-Big Two titles that weren't as well known. As far as most people were concerned TMNT was a cartoon, not the indie comic they'd never heard of. So there were really two: Superman and Batman. Even though both were hugely successful, it was seen as something very difficult to make work in live-action. Hence the other really unsuccessful ones that tend to be forgotten or remembered only for their infamy like the Dolph Lundgren version of The Punisher. Almost nobody was attempting them, or they'd been stuck in development hell for a long time. Spider-Man and X-Men were the first major, mainstream films based on well-known, Big Two superheroes since Batman a decade earlier.

[@maxwellcorben3261]

With all due respect to hats off, I don’t think he really understands the statement being made and the reputation of comic book movies at the time the first X-Men was released. Yes, other comic movies had been made but the first X-Men movie and the Blade franchise were really the first step in making comic book movies as popular as they are today. Also half of the movies he put on screen the general audience didn’t even know were based on comics.

[@kamdan2011]

@ It’s still an ignorant statement to act like Bryan Singer was the originator of this genre. X-Men wasn’t at all spearheaded by him. It had been in development for many years before it finally got made. Even back then it seemed to be more inspired by The Matrix than the comics it was based on.

[@raffaelm6558]

I'm still sad this didn't go to series. It was exactly what I loved at the time and I was still sad that Pushing Daisies had been taken from me. I'm sure I would have had a blast with this show.

[@peaxoop]

But we got Hannibal instead

[@Clay3613]

@@peaxoop Movies are better.

[@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep]

​@@Clay3613Cap. Capppp. Silence of the Lambs sure. But you cannot tell me Hannibal 2001 and Red Dragon are better than NBC Hannibal.

[@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep]

​@@peaxoopYeah, Hannibal took a completely different direction and somehow went WAY DARKER than the previous four Hannibal Lecter films.

[@eljoeshowsupershowshow4642]

OMG!, I literally waited a year for this video to come out

[@Larry]

I honestly feel Mockingbird Lane didn't work, simply as they confused the personalities of The Munsters, with The Addams Family. The Munsters are Monsters being Humans. The Addams Family are Humans being Monsters.

[@Digital_Ninja279]

This pilot is one of my favorites. Grandpa stole the show in this. This has been a part of my annual halloween viewing party.

[@wildermidnight]

I've limited viewing this very sparingly so it doesn't lose its new car smell.

[@azn1011]

Bryan Singer nodding his head at the beginning like "yeah, monsters" was funny as hell to me

[@creed8712]

“You know, I’m something of a monster myself” - Bryan Singer, probably

[@aphoticphoton]

"Respecting the source material? Nah we good"

[@JonShepard-x3d]

What made the original Munsters great was that they thought they were the average (leave it to beaver) American family, they did not realize they were monsters and were oblivious to people's reactions to them chalking it up to people having rude manners and without sophistication. The original cast was lightening in a bottle it only comes around once in a lifetime if you are lucky, and you search long enough you may come close again but will never achieve the greatness of the first iteration of that magical cast. Lots of love to Herman, Lily, Granpa, Eddie, and Marilyn you will always be the best.

[@scottgerrard12]

I haven't seen it since it aired, I genuinely liked this quite a bit, especially Eddie Izzard as Grandpa.

[@bluechalk6275]

Bryan Singer is, ironically, the inverse of The Munsters. A monster that people mistook for a normal person.

[@franohmsford7548]

So a member of The Addams Family then

[@maffieduran]

​@@franohmsford7548hell no!

[@Kevmaster2000]

No. We’re done with that. Where’s your proof. That’s right, there is none. Just accusations. You take one’s word but not the other. Stop canceling people who are innocent until proven guilty.

[@bigduke5902]

Cool it with the homophobic remarks.

[@rdfarley89]

@@Kevmaster2000 We're done with that wahh wahh these rich fucks who will never give a fuck about me have feelings! Nah, fuck them, and while we are at it fuck you too.

[@DannyKnightblade45]

I appreciate that this show was merely inspired by the Munsters concept instead of a direct remake. The overall idea for this newer version is interesting.

[@Nonexistanthuman]

This is one of my favorite youtube channels, very grateful that youtube still shares the notifications with me

[@SAPProd]

YES! YES YES YES! I LOVED this when it premiered. We recorded it on our satellite recorder and kept it until we cut the cord. It’s a shame there wasn’t more done with this. Also a shame all the hurdles to even get that far with it. I wish more people know about this!

[@MetFan37]

I bought the "Mockingbird Lane" pilot from iTunes for $2.99. True it's stuck on my computer and I can't make a DVD of it, but I can watch it anytime I want.

[@SAPProd]

@ sadly, it’s no longer in the iTunes Store.

[@SamK_]

4:43 I’m cracking up, those little edits in these videos are always good

[@FlyinMunky]

I remember kinda liking the pilot, at least enough to want to see more episodes and let them develop. Im glad someone's talking about this.

[@RaoulDuke77]

I thought I was the only one who remembered this, lol, I was excited for it and everything

[@aphoticphoton]

I rewatched it and i feel like if they would have slightly looked more like the og characters it could have worked

[@mrsbeegfish3679]

Man it was a bummer when it wasn't good

[@yoongiyuu3086]

i watched this was i was little and thought i’d dreamt it after a while😭

[@JaimeTanner-b2i]

I missed this one. Pity, it looks fun.

[@nicolegilbert7011]

Yeah I remember it and was upset it didn't continue Also loved Dead Like Me and Pushing Up Dasies series too. Both should have had more shows.

[@RyanMercer]

I actually liked what we saw of it.

[@meagtaylor3392]

Given how much I adore Hannibal and think it's genius, they should have let Bryan Fuller cook on this one. It's a shame we never got to see what he could have done with the show.

[@d.christophertatum2936]

Certainly imperfect, but this is still one of my “coulda been a contender” series. The idea of reimagining the Munsters as a dark dramedy was cool.

[@anactualmotherbear]

Man, I really wanted this to work out. I'm in the same boat with you, having seen so many terrible modern takes on The Munsters before this came out that it actually seemed... kinda interesting! I don't think we're ever going to get that perfect mix of goofy, dark, and sweet unless someone really cares enough. Sadly, it's an IP in the hands of people who would rather not take any risks. I think James Wan is a guy who understands how to mix comedy and horror well, but I'm skeptical that project will even come out with how the IP is treated, and if it does there's still the very likely chance it will not hit the sweet spot.

[@Makoto03]

Great video. I didn't know about this Eddie Izzard Munsters reboot. Also its hilarious to think the Wayans brothers almost made a Munsters film. It sounds so ridiculous that i almost would have liked to see it.

[@From_Here_To_Here]

I would’ve loved to see a Damon Wayans led Munsters film.

[@KairuHakubi]

If it felt anything like In Living Color's style of humor, I would definitely have enjoyed that. Not so much today, harder to enjoy it now, but back then.

[@ThreadBomb]

It probably would have been truer to the spirit of the original.

[@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep]

Hats Off once said concerning the Cedric the Entertainer and Mike Epps version of The Honeymooners that recontextualizing a classic sitcom premise with African-American comedian actors in an updated setting is a pretty inspired idea, it's just that that movie was not well-written. Now that the Wayans Brothers are back for Scary Movie, i think you could probably give them it for a fresh take.

[@KairuHakubi]

@@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep Yeah, the honeymooners can work with any color of people. The husband-wife dynamic is what makes it.

[@crush41gb]

I never saw this but when on the Univsal Backlot tour in 2012 they mentioned they were filming this. I never knew when it came put lol.

[@HomestarKiller]

I remember watching this when it first came out. I grew up loving old reruns of The Munsters. I was excited to see a new take on old characters and to see Eddie Izzard as Grandpa. I enjoyed this for what it was and that they were not trying to replicate the original show exactly.

[@DarMar106]

I’ve been waiting in suspense the last few years! I personally loved Mockingbird Lane and was sad nothing went anywhere. Also I love your continuing your tradition of the original show making fun of the reboot lol. Also the Wayans remake intrigues me. I think the whole family has made very underrated contribution to the comedy world. Now if they did what they did in Scary Movie then sure that would’ve been bad

[@From_Here_To_Here]

Damon Wayans as Herman Munster

[@SkylerMillerTheBronxProject]

You've no idea how much anticipation I've build for this.

[@tonyaanjean]

As Herman would say, this editing really sends me! Fantastic job, I enjoyed seeing these Munsters episodes pop up in my feed at this time of year.

[@davidscottheath]

Glad to see you follow through with this video, I've been waiting since the last Halloween you teased it.

[@PrettyTigerlilly]

I sorta feel like Hemlock Grove was a spiritual successor of the Munsters in a way.

[@TheWinstonSlip]

Always good to see another video from you.

[@wayneoneill5265]

I don't think the characters from the Munsters can work in the same way as the Addams family in an updated setting. Especially since they will probably default to 'dark and gritty' without thinking about how the characters can be menacing and still have humour like in What We Do In The Shadows. That show got the balance just right, I remember watching this show and liking it, but it wasn't the Munsters, just generic supernatural family in suburbia.

[@FrazFlub-n1p]

But The Munsters àrent menacing. They're friendly.

[@ThreadBomb]

@@FrazFlub-n1p I think he just means that they look scary.

[@davetheimpaler204]

The Rob Zombie movie got it right but that was also a straight-up prequel to the original series, not a reboot per se.

[@FrazFlub-n1p]

@@ThreadBomb oh

[@sliferjam]

I remember watching this when it aired. I loved Wonderfalls and Dead Like Me and it seemed like a great reimagining of the Munsters.

[@CannonKnight]

The problem with any new Munsters reboot is Fred Gwynne. His performance is so iconic, everything compares to him. It would be like remaking Columbo, which is why no one has tried.

[@eatatjoe]

BRAD GARRETT’S RIGHT THERE.

[@ThreadBomb]

The guy who played the Janitor in Scrubs would have been great casting for a modern version of Herman.

[@Scipio488]

@@eatatjoe His principal qualifications would be that he's Tall and Ugly. His comedic talent isn't close to Gwynne's. They already went that route with John B. Schuck, and we saw how THAT turned out.

[@SuprousOxide]

If you want a family of monsters who act like monsters, you make the Addams Family, not the Munsters

[@Scalesthelizardwizard]

Just goes to show they missed the point

[@themoviemutant]

Good call out for What We Do in the Shadows! It's definitely the closest we have to a modern version of The Munsters.

[@QualityCandor]

In the words of another Fred Gwynne character, "sometimes, dead is better." When a production's iconographic value is rooted not in an original text that can be reinterpreted, but a particular set of performances made for the original project, I think there comes a time when you have to let the brand go, and avoid mention of it entirely, or forgo adapting it in the first place. Anyone trying to revive The Munsters is basically being sent into a no-mans-land where there isn't really anyway to win, short of the lightning-in-a-bottle moment had with the "Here Come the Munsters" film.

[@grannyweatherwax8005]

Maybe it might work if, instead of recreating the Munsters specific family, what if they tried to recreate the original theme of the show with a different family set of monsters. The original show was a somewhat blue collar family just trying to live their lives, while also being a metaphor for judging people by how they look or their lifestyles. So do that with a Modern Family type group, or The Middle maybe, but they're all monsters. Skip recreating Herman and Lily and the gang.

[@Scipio488]

I'm glad you're not in charge of "Star Trek"...

[@blushslice]

I’ve always loved this pilot, it was 99 cents on iTunes years ago and I come back to it every Halloween ❤

[@mrcritical6751]

I honestly think there is something in that Herman concept art where he’s a horrible decayed looking monster. Having him look absolutely horrifying but retaining the obliviousness and personality would potentially work and I think having the actor’s eyes fully visible and untampered with a kind glint to them would make for a perfect modern Herman

[@tylertheguy3160]

Ngl I kinda dig what they were trying to do here. I think it could've found it's footing if it was given a chance.

[@dwingsworld2581]

like a ton of unique shows they need a season to prove themselves, but it never happens

[@cornjobb]

love bryan fuller's work....there's a pilot out there called "high moon" that didn't get picked up about various nations fighting over mineral rights on the moon. visually, it was stunning, but wonderfalls, and pushing up dasies were so damn well done. he hits it outof the park with whimsical stuff.

[@marksmorphs]

It's amazing how similar the Munsters and Addams Family TV shows were, yet the reboots were so different. The Munsters reboots felt like they were trying to imitate the actors and actresses that played the original characters while the Addams Family reboots just simply imitated the characters. But I guess it is the case as you said where Fred Gwynne WAS Herman Munster and there was no other source material to fall back on so the only choice people had, was to just imitate his mannerisms.

[@MicahMicahel]

monsters were popular in comics and movie s in 1964 as well. It was a really interesting year for movies and pop culture

[@marksmorphs]

@@MicahMicahel yeah, and it rolled over into the early 70's with things like Count Chocula/Frankenberry cereals and the cartoon show The Groovy Ghoulies.

[@ThreadBomb]

@@marksmorphs And Scooby-Doo of course.

[@MicahMicahel]

@@marksmorphs when I was growing up i sth 1970s the frankenstein monster was always in print in magazines for kids like Cracked or these other magazines that would just have him i the cover even. he was everywhere. I can't understand why they never made another flat had frankenstein movie.. it was such a good design. Even young frankenstein for some weird reason didn't have the flat head... t hat's the big flaw it it. I'd like to get an ai copy of the movie to flatten the head!

[@marksmorphs]

@@MicahMicahel yeah, Fred's portrayal of the character was so iconic that it feels like every reboot was just a bad Xerox copy of the original. It would have been interesting to see a reboot take more inspiration from the Frankenstein monster instead. But then you just wouldn't be capturing the essence of what made Herman so memorable. It's almost like rebooting Seinfeld. How do you recreate Kramer without it being just a lesser copy of the original? I guess some things aren't meant to be topped or even come close to

[@lamptown3748]

Nice! Waited all year for this !!

[@JesseSlater]

I've been waiting all year for this one! Always been so intrigued but had trouble finding much beyond promotional material.

[@stardogbillionaire]

Been waiting for years to see you review this. Thanks Joe!

[@ShinySephiroth1]

Been waiting for this!

[@JankyPuzzles]

I’ve been waiting for this all year

[@sethstrattan7380]

I would love a what we do in the shadows type show for the Munsters. A dark comedy vibe with the spirit of the original show

[@holdingpattern245]

The obvious problem here is that they wanted to turn The Munsters into The Addams Family.

[@mechajay3358]

And they must've been compared enough to the Addams Family already, this show would've increased the comparison.

[@keepthinking2666]

I was lucky enough to be able to watch that first test episode. And I personally as a person born in nineteen eighty and watched the originals at my grandmother's house and home loved this new rendition and canned for the life of me figure out why it was canceled.

[@Swampberry]

Looks like a cosy evening watch, I’m so sad to learn it’s only a pilot - certainly going on the list thank you.

[@WorldCupWillie]

At least they addressed how a vampire and Frankenstein's monster had a werewolf child.

[@scotchnichols]

Your cut-aways were perfectly on point. Bravo.

[@nickdorenkamp959]

0:30 did they just describe themselves

[@Oytruestoryofjim]

Omg. I was really, really excited when this was announced and then I finally saw it and realized why it never made it to series.

[@CaptainBadNews]

Nothing can be worse than Zombie’s take on the Musnters. Somehow you would figure the man whose life and career was majorly influenced by this show would have made the best new version of the Munsters right? Grandpa (with the mustache) was perfection but other than that, keep it.

[@davetheimpaler204]

Rob's Munsters was great. It was a prequel to the original series.

[@ExplorerDS6789]

2:24- Oh God, NO! Not another one. What is it about The Munsters that makes everyone want to throw their hat in the ring? I think it's now just a contest to see who can do a shittier take on the characters, like it's a sick bet.

[@erikdaniels0n]

I actually think that James Wan has the perfect blend of darkness and campiness where him doing the Munsters just might work

[@KairuHakubi]

between that and the hilarious attempt at a new universal monsters shared universe, I think Universal has a completely warped idea of the value of their properties.

[@DansTravels5823]

Perhaps the 50th time will be the charm.

[@eatatjoe]

Aw shit, here we go again.

[@ExplorerDS6789]

@@KairuHakubi To be fair, there have been Universal crossovers in the past. Wolfman and Frankenstein, for example. Abbott and Costello met Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolfman, so it's not a new concept.

[@pink-a-palouza7888]

Something that baffles me is that the casting choices was very well picked. I can see each actor playing a more darker and slight serious, but still comedic version of the monsters like we get the little site gag in the very beginning of Herman classic look and you know, since they kind of grandpa in this version off of Gary Oldman‘s version of Dracula it’s right there, but then again you get the guy who kinda made the odd choices in the X-Men that some people only now are coming around because they know that the MCU choices can be slightly worse

[@BugsyFoga]

This is the sort adaptation you’d think Rob Zombie would’ve made

[@WorldCupWillie]

Not unless his wife can star in it 😂

[@mickeyrube6623]

???? How?

[@BugsyFoga]

@@mickeyrube6623 the more dark and edgy tone compared to the og series.

[@ThreadBomb]

@@BugsyFoga It was a bit too witty to be a Rob Zombie joint.

[@Scipio488]

You... ARE aware that Rob Zombie did a more recent "Munsters" prequel? Clips of which were included in this video? And which was 1000 times worse than "Mockingbird Lane"?

[@popculturemanchildren376]

I feel like the way to do the Munster now is like What We Do In the Shadows

[@UndeadVideoProd]

Sadly though brilliant, it would then just become a constant comparison to what we do in the shadows and then people will just call it a cheap knockoff When taking inspiration is the best course of action and can also become the most damning part of the whole project

[@kamdan2011]

Why does The Munsters need to be like What We Do in the Shadows? Can’t we just accept that as a spiritual successor?

[@MetFan37]

@@kamdan2011 Sadly, I didn't think much of "What We Do in the Shadows" either.

[@colt5189]

I went into that show wanting to hate it. But I ended up really liking it and was sad it didn't get picked up.

[@markmorris6721]

Loved this show!!! Back in the day I even bought it on the psn for my ps3

[@OddOneOut665]

6:56 Eyyy, it’s The Crypt-Keeper!

[@SafetySpooon]

*I* haven't forgotten it - I LOVED it!!!

[@ottagol1985]

Herman's reaction to Bryan Singer is spot on!

[@bouncingsquirrel]

Loved this take and was heartbroken that it never took off. I try to watch it every year, if I can find it

[@RosenquistRocksOn]

Successful tv series need to connect with the majority of watchers and I think that wasn’t the case with the ending of this pilot. The monster image is symbolism for being perceived as an outsider by society, but at the heart of the character there is something very relatable and the same between "us" and "them". That’s the connection that has to be there and that’s where it becomes a hit. The original Munster series nailed that element very well. I think Hollywood needs to re-write this and try again, because it has all the potential of a great hit - a family from the old country… weave in some Eastern European (Transylvanian or Ukrainian) cultural elements, and then portray their journey of assimilating into modern day suburbia America… add a little relatable humor, maybe some family values and it would probably be a hit tv show. I would watch that and I think many other people would also.

[@bloodrunsclear]

‘I want to see The Invisible Man.’ -Bryan Singer

[@unclefranklin4575]

Well that was obviously a lie. Knowing him, He'd want the invisible boy, there would be no evidence.

[@KasumiKenshirou]

He wants to BE The Invisible Man and hang out at middle schools.

[@Juju-taylor]

Bryan Fuller-but yeah same sentiment

[@russellpoland6637]

Normally, I "AM NOT" a Fan of "re-boots" or "re-imaginings," look at what Rob Zombie did, need I say more?? Mockingbird Lane was a genuine attempt at a very fresh look at a well liked show! I was a fan of that show. I found it to be very original and complimentary of the original show. Each of the actors had a very good understanding of who they were doing, with their own twist. It was very fresh and I did like the show, well written and conceived. This is what happens when people with NO imagination are in charge. Thank You for sharing this.

[@BenWard29]

I remember watching the Munsters Today (and Hi Honey I’m Home- that was a wierd show I haven’t see anyone really talk about- basically Pleasantville) at my grandmother’s house on Friday nights. That was my first experience of the Munsters… even at 9 I wasn’t impressed. I’m very glad that I eventually watched the original show and got that bad taste washed out of my mouth. Also, is it just me or do all single camera shows from the 2000s era all have this clean, sharp kind of uncanny look to them. This show and Desperate Housewives look kind of surreal uncluttered look- mostly in the backgrounds. I guess since it’s all a soundstage it already has a kind of liminal look to it.

[@jeremyapache]

I had no idea this existed. I love this channel.

[@getuponthemike6341]

Would love to see more on Fuller's work before this. PUD, DLM and Wonderfalls are all so good

[@rockwellknuckles9425]

Joe, you never disappoint. Always a poignant essay. Bravo!!

[@diosoth]

It feels like it's missing a guy with a whip to be an antagonist to the family... Grandpa just does not work as a killer which is probably the first big flaw.

[@jamesa.romano8500]

I'm always pretty happy to see Jerry O'Connell in anything these days... seems like post-Stand By Me he's just kind of drifted around between projects without ever finding that "one role." Which makes me sorrier the pilot wasn't picked up (yes it had kinks to work out tonally but so don't most shows in their first seasons).

[@kamdan2011]

4:50 Singer was also very infamously trashing the source material of his “comic book movies.”

[@GhostofGomezDawkins]

Bryan Singer was there, so they at least got one monster right. I can only imagine the painstaking process of finding the right child to nail the Eddie role.

[@erix76]

I actually enjoyed this pilot!

[@claudiadarling9441]

Barry Sonnenfeld is a big fan of Charles Addams, and said that he used the original cartoons as his guide. He didn't want to make a movie version of the sitcom which he didn't really like. Addams' wry sensibility suits modern comedy very well. Maybe the biggest influence of the sitcom, though I don't know if it came from the sitcom, is emphasizing that the Addams are a really loving and supportive family.

[@captaincomedian6320]

I remember watching this when it aired. The only thing about it that stoked me is that we finally got a detailed look at Spot!

[@AzmiAb]

Could never remember the name of this show! Watched the episode around the time it came out

[@marsoelflaco5722]

12:45 The show may have done better if it was only "loosely inspired" by the Munsters and wasn't trying to be a reimagining or anything else related to the original.🤷🏽‍♀️

[@PastaSauce.]

Brian Singer jump scare

[@kereymckenna4611]

At some point I think od rhe Munsters as working class vs the Addams Family as the idle eccentric rich.

[@NightAtTheOpera3]

YESSSS I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE

[@krakelwok]

Bryan Fuller really had a knack for creating show concepts so creative they kind of couldn't sustain their imaginativeness for longer than one or two seasons. Or a pilot, as the case may be.

[@davidlow862]

"We don't want to draw attention to ourselves, so lets insist on moving into a serial killer's home." Great writing.

[@S1ayerLeeYT]

YESSSS NEW VIDEO WAY TO GO MR. HATS!

[@endor8witch]

i still keep the pilot episode and watch it now and then. i love it!

[@steveg5122]

I think this was at least an attempt at being respectful to the original, unlike the rob zombie ones. That felt like a paint by numbers one. I'd take creativity like this over that.

[@thedevilgoose2482]

A very, very weird attempt, but really I think it’s an admirable one! I wish we had more bizarre, risky remakes, no matter if it fails.

[@louis3141]

I’m surprised Singer didn’t want to be the Scout master himself.....

[@bonesjackson81]

Plutotv has been showing The Munsters a lot this month. But ive yet to see my favorite. The golf episode. Theyll never do The Munsters justice because you cannot match Gwynne.

[@MrGreylin]

Frankly, I quite enjoyed it. I appreciated that they viewed it as inspired by rather than a remake of the original.

[@Dr-Zoid-Berserk]

Wow, I think I’ve waited 2 or 3 years for this review. I remember seeing this pilot way back then.

[@adamsinclair1959]

I’m not a Munsters fan at all (I know about it mostly from these videos) but everything I’ve heard about this version just makes me wonder why it was a Munsters show to begin with. It feels like it takes way more from general horror rather than the show itself.

[@Metalheadcatdad]

"I wanna see the Invisible Man." Um...