NBC Likely to Pass on MUNSTERS Reboot MOCKINGBIRD LANE [Update: Bryan Fuller Says Not So Fast]

I have been looking forward to NBC’s Munsters remake Mockingbird Lane, mostly as an opportunity for Pushing Daisies creator Bryan Fuller to play with some dark tragicomedy.  (Fuller’s take on the lead: “When you come to The Munsters and have Herman—who’s essentially a zombie in a constant state of decay—and he’s married to a woman who doesn’t age, there’s something very poignant there.”)  Alas, it is probably not to be.  Deadline hears that NBC is leaning toward passing on the Mockingbird Lane pilot with the caveat that no final decision has been made yet.  Rather than cling to that small glimmer of hope, I will shift my Fuller love to the Hannibal Lecter prequel series Hannibal, which already has a 13-episode order for midseason on NBC.

Mockingbird Lane has been kicking around NBC since the 2010-11 development season.  Bryan Singer directed the pilot, led by Jerry O’Connell, Portia de Rossi, and Eddie Izzard.  Deadline suggests the hourlong pilot was “lauded for its visual style,” but never quite came together.  I hope we get to see a bit of footage somewhere down the line. [Update: Fuller has taken to Twitter to assuage some fears, saying "NBC just informed me that the Deadline article regarding #MockingbirdLane was Dead Wrong. Stay tuned for updates!"  So, it's still alive!  For now.]