The ‘Burbs is one of the newest titles headed to the 2026 TV schedule, and it promises plenty of suburban shenanigans. Created by Celeste Hughey, the series is a reimagining of the Tom Hanks and Carrie Fisher-led 1989 movie of the same name. While the show signifies the beginning of a new continuity, Hughey recently revealed to CinemaBlend that it was initially her intention to have the series take place in the same universe as its predecessor. On that note, the EP also explained why she changed course.
When it comes to some TV revivals or revamps, it’s not uncommon for them to be set in the pre-established worlds of their precursors. A prime example would be how 2021’s The Wonder Years reboot took place within the timeline of the late ‘80s/early ‘90s show starring Fred Savage. So it was understandable that Hughey wanted The ‘Burbs and Joe Dante’s movie to be cut from the same canonical cloth. As Hughey (whose credits include Dead to Me and Palm Royale) explained to me, though, that plan was easier said than done:
Yeah, absolutely. It was definitely a thought that I had. I, you know, tried to do the math of Tom Hanks and Carrie Fisher’s son in the movie. I was like, ‘Maybe that could be the character.’ And it just didn't like line up time-wise.
On paper, the notion of Dave Peterson – the son of Ray (Hanks) and Carol (Fisher) – being the main protagonist of a follow-up to The ‘Burbs (an ‘80s movie that deserves more love) sounds like a solid idea. As Celeste Hughey mentioned, though, that doesn’t exactly work out from a math perspective. It’s clear that the producer and her team wanted to tell a story about a younger couple moving into Hinkley Hills and, at this point, Dave would likely be around his mid to late 40s.
Honestly, I would’ve been delighted by the idea of a Peterson being at the forefront of a ‘Burbs revamp. However, I applaud Hughey for recognizing how unfeasible that approach was and just scrapping it instead of skewering the continuity. With that, the producer and her cohorts were in a position to tell a brand new story featuring characters played by Keke Palmer and Jack Whitehall. Hughey spoke to the joy of being able to inject fresh elements into this IP while respecting what came before:
I ultimately decided, you know, what I think is best for reboots, is when you keep that essential DNA from [the] original IP, and then build your own story and characters off of it. Of course, we wanted to still see some Easter eggs, and we’re on the original culdesac of the movie, and it's called Hinkley Hills, but it's infused with entirely new characters and storylines. So I think, you know, it's important to have its own identity as a show but still have those winks and nods to the original.
The TV adaptation of The ‘Burbs centers on Samira (Palmer) and Rob (Whitehall), who move into the latter’s childhood home shortly after the birth of their first child. Samira soon becomes fixated on an abandoned house across the street from their house and, along with several of her new neighbors, she gradually becomes drawn into a decades-old mystery. Celeste Hughey and her team had a big challenge on their plate in regard to starting fresh but maintaining a similar tone and, so far, it seems to be paying off, considering critics are high on the Palmer-led show.
So, while the Petersons aren’t in the mix this time around, fans may want to give The ‘Burbs a look. All episodes of the show will premiere on Sunday, February 8 and will be streamable with a Peacock subscription. While on the platform, viewers can also watch the original film, which is easily one of Tom Hanks’ most underrated movies.
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