Return To 1313 Mockingbird Lane (VIDEO)
The record for revivals of classic TV shows is pretty hit and miss, with the emphasis on miss.For every Hawaii Five-O [only a minor success, at that], there's the new Charlie's Angels [already on the slag heap of TV history]. And don't get me started on movie revisions; McHale's Navy or The Beverly Hillbillies, anyone? Yet TV frequently returns to its past in hopes of mining ratings gold.
Consider The Munsters. It had a respectable two-season run in the mid-60's [airing about as long, and for the same two seasons, as The Addams Family]. Ironically, it was knocked off the air by another campy comedy, Batman, which, unlike The Munsters, was broadcast in color. Anyway, this is what The Munsters looked like in its second season (oddly enough, we can't get the rights to show you the first season open):
[TheMunstersOfficial, via YouTube]
An ok show, based on the reruns I've seen. But I'm shocked when I think about the number of revivals it's gotten! Five different movies [if you count made-for-TV projects. And there was almost a sixth, promoted by the Wayans brothers. It looks like it won't come out, though]! A syndicated update that aired from 1988 to 1991 [nothing to write home about, if I remember correctly]. And now, yet another new version, comissioned by NBC.
To be fair, this one has an interesting head man; Bryan Fuller, who created the short-lived cult-TV series Pushing Daisies. Fuller's take also is different from the original, looking at how the Munster family came together, and reportedly having a "darker" feel than either previous version. Still, even NBC isn't investing any more in the idea than funding a pilot episode.
Are you interested in a "dramedy" about Herman, Lily, Grampa, and the kids? Or should they remain "buried" in TV history? While we're at it, are there any shows that you'd like to see revived {If I get a vote, how 'bout Alf?}? Let us know, either here or on our Facebook page. You never know which producers or writers may visit the web site.
More From The New 96.1 WTSS
