This is one of the few times where my fandom has kind of come back to bite me in the ass. I am a fan of “The Munsters” and from day one was opposed to this radical reworking of the series. The darkly comic tone with a violent dramatic atmosphere made me irritated beyond belief. “Mockingbird Lane” surprising enough ends up being a wonderful re-imagining of the series that doesn’t quite alter the comic tone of the original series so much as it adds a lot of menace to it. Instead of a sitcom it’s a dark comedy drama, and instead of the eccentric tone there’s a more menacing and brooding color palette. What makes this special even better is that it completely changes the dynamic of the Munster family.
No longer are they hapless monsters looking to be normal. They’re now the snake in the grass who are capable of striking anyone at any time if provoked. I really was enamored at the change in characters and how they worked within the family. Where once Marilyn was a running gag as a normal girl trying to live in an odd family, she’s now the Renfield of the family. She is the normal girl with a hint of a psychotic tick who infiltrates neighborhoods and oversees the arrival of her family. When we first see the Munsters, Marilyn is heading the charge of the purchase of their new mansion and supervising their moving. Changing Marilyn’s purpose gives her character a lot more to do than simply become a one note joke that could easily get stale.
Marilyn is the underhanded messenger doing the dirty work for Grandpa Munster, allowing her family to seep in and corrupt the social structure of their new neighborhood, and it’s a very clever twist. She has no remorse and is a dutiful messenger who wants a normal life, but understands her loyalty toward her family. Charity Wakefield gives the stand out as the blond adorable assistant to her family, and really steals the scenes. Even from Eddie Izzard. Grandpa Munster is changed from an eccentric ghoul to a very stern and overbearing head of the family who instills a sense of terror in his family and insists on living live as supernatural beings, no matter what.
Eddie Izzard gives a very magnetic performance as the commanding and charming Grandpa Munster who spends his days looking for ways to please his daughter, and keep Herman alive, since his heart is always on the verge of failing. Lily is the same old enchantress and vampiric sex bomb who enters in to her fray with a slick smile, and bemoans the birth of Eddie, recalling on how tempted she was to eat him when he was born. As for Herman, he’s still a Frankenstein monster, and still a freak trying to live as a yuppy among working class individuals, but his twisted machinations inside his body keep him from fitting in. And he’s also kept as a hostage by Grandpa who forces him in to actions by threatening to destroy his body quite often.
The once annoying Eddie is now turned in to the center of the show who is dealing with his life as a werewolf and is soon coming to the point in his life where his parents will have to admit he’s a monster. Though the series is strictly for adults, there is a great sense of humor injected in the special as Jerry O’Connell as Herman tries his damndest to be normal, while Lily enchants literally everyone she comes across, allowing her easy access to feed whenever she wants, in spite of her family’s objections. While Yvonne DeCarlo is the one and only Lily Munster with an enormous figure and incomparable sexual appeal, Porta DeRossi is a wonderful successor looking absolutely stunning in the series, and having fun as this sexually charged matron of the Munsters. “The Munsters” gave us a look at an innocent family trying to live life like regular humans keeping to themselves, “Mockingbird Lane” gives us a look at a well meaning family who are beasts waiting to strike at any moment.
Hell, they spend a portion of the episode luring a dinner guest in to their house so they can use him for parts and food. Surely, the show has no laugh track nor does it feature someone running from the house in horror in a sped up pace as the show was fond of staging, but “Mockingbird Lane” is one of the very few reworkings of a classic show that has a chance to be admired and revered as its own entity and can potentially walk out of the shadow of its legendary predecessor. I simply wanted to see so much more from this, and it’s a shame this may never be allowed a chance to shine thanks to television fans who want their old family back.
Unfortunately there have been repeated attempts to reboot the “Munsters” with close adaptations to the series, and all have failed. “Mockingbird Lane” has a chance to really adapt the show and provide its own flavor for modern horror fans, and I would watch if NBC decided to give the series a whole season. The cards have been stacked against “Mockingbird Lane” since the beginning and NBC in America have not enjoyed the bold new vision of a classic fifties sitcom. Sadly, “Mockingbird Lane” has potential to be a cult hit with a massive following of fantasy and horror fans. I for one loved it and I hope someday NBC gives it a second shot and turns it in to a series. One can only hope at this point.