In the past, it was very common for production companies to commission animated or live-action television series (primarily animated) that were sequels, prequels, spin-offs, or direct adaptations of films to capitalize on the growing television audience. However, after the rise of streaming platforms, that demand increased even further. While Evil Dead continues to be released in film format, we had a successful sequel series called Ash vs. Evil Dead.
Alien belonged to the big screen, but then came Noah Hawley's Alien: Earth, which became one of the most acclaimed television series of 2025. Speaking of Hawley, he also gave us an anthology series based on the Coen brothers' Fargo. IT, by Andy Muschietti, had a prequel series called Welcome to Derry. And the list goes on, but the truth is that these television series are simply new installments of already popular franchises.
Creator: Celeste Hughey
Stars: Keke Palmer, Chad Lindberg, Jack Whitehall
The ‘Burbs, by Celeste Hughey, follows Samira, Rob, and their son, Miles, as they move to Rob's hometown, Ashfield Place, located in Hinkley Hills. The couple's neighbors are Lynn, Dana, Tod, Naveen, and Agnes. While everyone welcomes Samira, Rob, and Miles with open arms, Agnes, as president of the neighborhood association, is a bit antagonistic because she wants to make sure that the newcomers, like the couple, don't ruin Ashfield Place's chances of winning the "Best Town in America" award.
But Samira and her new friends don't worry too much about Agnes's rules and regulations, because they become obsessed with a house in the neighborhood called The Victorian. Why? Well, firstly, it's rumored that its former owner, Alison, was supposedly murdered for some mysterious reason, and secondly, after being abandoned for several years, it has recently been bought by a very secretive individual named Gary. Samira's curiosity is piqued when several of her attempts to befriend Gary are rebuffed, and she begins an investigation into his daily life, with the help of her neighbors, because she's quite certain he's the one who murdered Alison. However, the more she investigates Gary, the more it becomes clear that Rob and Naveen are the ones harboring significant secrets related to Alison.
I suppose the main reason for The ‘Burbs’ existence is the success of mystery series like Only Murders in the Building, A Man on the Inside, Poker Face, and The Afterparty. I'm not sure if the showrunners are banking on the cult film status of the original 1989 Joe Dante film, starring Tom Hanks and Carrie Fisher, because, and forgive my ignorance on this, it's the first I've ever heard of it. That being said, credit must be given to the writers for diversifying the suburbs, which have historically been synonymous with the white population. Well, they still are, but now there are nuances to that whiteness. And the fact that, despite the supposed progressive update of the source material, there's so little representation in Ashfield Place demonstrates how far society still has to go to be truly equitable in every sense. However, the way the series handles its own political issues regarding race, class, policing, and other topics is irrelevant. They touch on all the sensitive subjects, but never delve deep enough for the commentary to be truly impactful. Every time they get close to making an important point, they introduce an absurd plot twist, which is obviously a red herring, to distract the viewer and prevent them from taking it too seriously. It's not annoying the first few times, but when it happens in every episode, it becomes clear that the writers are a little afraid of being labeled "too progressive."
The series "The 'Burbs" definitely doesn't have enough material to be an episodic series. It's clear they've "updated" the original story in some places and added random elements just to stretch out the running time. The likely reason is that they wanted the series to fit into the comedic murder mystery category, instead of making a truly modern adaptation of the 1989 cult classic. The distinctive aspects of the original material have been so watered down that it almost doesn't make sense to call it an adaptation of that film. Yes, you could say the characters have become boring, which makes the overall atmosphere of the series somewhat apathetic (the only thing that made me pay attention was a supposed split-diopter shot in the sixth episode). But an artist's job is to make the mundane interesting. If they can't do that, what's the point? Perhaps the series creators don't intend to give fans of the original film a good dose of nostalgia—they only give them small doses with the cameos by Tom Hanks and Corey Feldman—and simply want to attract new audiences with a light and fun narrative. If that's the case, the series is a somewhat entertaining viewing experience. However, and at the risk of sounding repetitive, if you're looking for an improved version of Dante's madness, this won't be to your liking.
The cast of "The 'Burbs" is quite talented, but Keke Palmer is on another level. Every now and then I watch movies from the 1940s and 50s, and I'm completely mesmerized by how fast the actors of that era spoke. And I always wish modern actors would do the same, because I'm tired of the "mumbling" acting style. Palmer is the answer to my prayers. I could watch her talk all day without getting tired. Her energy is infectious and her screen presence is truly magnetic, which makes me wish she were surrounded by actors of her caliber. Yes, Jack Whitehall, Julia Duffy, Paula Dell, Mark Proksch, Kapil Talwalkar, Erica Dasher, and the rest of the supporting cast are good and do their job. However, it always seems like Palmer is trying to amp up the intensity of every scene, while everyone else is trying to tone it down. I don't know if this is a deliberate creative choice or a reflection of the vast difference between Palmer's charisma and the acting abilities of her co-stars, but the truth is, the viewing experience is quite uneven. In any case, if you're a fan of the original film, cozy murder mysteries, social commentary with a touch of satire, and Keke Palmer, you should definitely give it a try. Otherwise, I recommend watching Hot Fuzz.
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