A new series based on the classic 1950’s comic books is ready to roll and being pitched to more than one possible network. Tales From the Crypt producer from the days of the horror series’ original HBO run Gil Adler is behind the new project, working alongside Eureka co-creator and comic book publisher Andrew Cosby. All the legal ducks are in a row and the pitch is ready; the new series will be presented to both network and cable channels soon, and Cinemax is already said to be showing interest in picking it up.
For those of us who are still cringing at the Crypt Keeper’s awful puns but remember the HBO series fondly despite them, the new series format may be a bit disappointing. The plan, according to Deadline, is to create a series based on characters from the comic books rather than the anthology style of the original, and place them in an updated framework. The original comic books have been plundered thoroughly; the Tales From the Crypt franchise has gone from comic books to television to movies and back again, and seems to still create plenty of interest.
The original HBO series had the cable freedom to be violent, gory and utterly inappropriate for network viewing; later runs of the show were edited carefully for content. The question of whether this new series will live up to the uncensored glory of the original will depend on where it finds a home. Certainly Cinemax is a good bet for keeping things from getting boring. As for whether the Crypt Keeper himself will be welcoming us back, there is no word just yet.
