The ‘Burbs TV Series Starring Keke Palmer Ordered at Peacock

Peacock is teaming with Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer and Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane to develop a new TV series based on the 1989 film The ‘Burbs. The series centers on a young couple who move into a new neighborhood — only to learn that the neighborhood isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The show has earned a straight-to-series order, which will star Celeste Hughey (Palm Royale, Dead to Me) will write and executive produce the series starring Emmy Award winner Keke Palmer (Nope, Password), who will also executive produce. The original The ‘Burbs, which was produced by Grazer, starred Tom Hanks and Carrie Fisher as the couple. The series will film in Los Angeles at the same location as the original film, the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood. 

The series is the latest reinvention of a beloved Universal property to head to Peacock, following on the heels of projects like Ted and Saved By the Bell. Per the official synopsis, “Set in present-day suburbia, The ‘Burbs follows a young couple returning to the husband’s childhood home. Their world is upended when new neighbors move in next door, bringing old secrets of the cul-de-sac to light, and new deadly threats shatter the illusion of their quiet little neighborhood.”

Grazer is no stranger to such reinventions, either, having served as a producer on a number of projects — like Curious George, 24, and Arrested Development — that keep coming back with new iterations.

The original movie was one of Tom Hanks’s early comedies, made around the same time he was making films like Splash and The Man With One Red Shoe. It came at the end of a very active decade for Fisher, who starred in two Star Wars films, The Blues Brothers, and Hannah and Her Sisters.

Seth MacFarlane (Ted), Erica Huggins and Aimee Carlson for Fuzzy Door will executive produce alongside Brian Grazer (Empire, Arrested Development), Kristen Zolner and Natalie Berkus for Imagine Entertainment. Dana Olsen, the writer of the 1989 film, will serve as co-executive producer on the series. UCP (Suits, Ted), a division of Universal Studio Group, is the studio behind the series.

The series adaptation is the latest project from Fuzzy Door under its overall television deal with UCP. 

Hughey serves as a writer and executive producer, with other EPs including Grazer (Empire, Arrested Development), Kristen Zolner and Natalie Berkus for Imagine Entertainment; MacFarlane (Ted), Erica Huggins and Aimee Carlson for Fuzzy Door; and Dana Olsen (The ‘Burbs).