Last we checked on the Munsters reboot Mockingbird Lane, NBC had cast Jerry O'Connell as the Frankenstein-like Herman Munster, Eddie Izzard as the vampire Grandpa, Mason Cook as Herman's werewolf son, and Charity Wakefield as "plain" cousin Marilyn. The only remaining piece was Lily Munster, Herman's vampire wife. Mariana Klaveno was in talks for the role, but had to pull out due to her commitment as a regular as the hopeful series Devious Maids. I don't know much about Klaveno, but according to The Live Feed, NBC found a very capable replacement in Portia de Rossi. De Rossi held her own (but sometimes got lost in the shuffle) on Arrested Development, and became the secret weapon on the brilliant (but sadly low-rated) Better Off Ted. If everything comes together for the remake from Pushing Daisies creator Bryan Fuller as I hope it will, this could be a great showcase for de Rossi. Hit the jump for more on Fuller's vision for the show.
The original 1960s series was a family sitcom that happened to center on a few of the iconic Universal monsters. The new iteration, however, is billed as a “visually spectacular one-hour drama†that will focus on the Munster origin story and how they arrived at 1313 Mockingbird Lane. Here is Fuller’s overall pitch for the show:
“We want this show to be an American Harry Potter. To have that sense of a magical world that you get to go to with your family and find stories told in a fantastical way that are instantly relatable. It’s an American Horror Story that the whole family can watch.â€
You'll check out at least the first episode of this, right? I have no great love for Izzard, and O'Connell is an odd choice at first glance. As much as I am excited by a new "visually spectacular" series from Fuller, it is a relief to see at least one cast member I have no reservations about with the addition of de Rossi. Mockingbird Lane is now ready to shoot the pilot this summer, perhaps to be ready in time for midseason.