Latasha M. Ford with Awards Buzz recently conducted an exclusive interview with Celeste Hughey, the writer, director, and executive producer responsible for bringing the modern-day reimagining of “The ‘Burbs” to the screen.
During our candid conversation, Celeste Hughey provided a deep dive into the brilliance of this celebrated production and discussed why the themes of the 1989 classic remain so relevant today, particularly in how they echo the isolation many experienced during the pandemic. She shared fascinating insights into how the cast and crew successfully blended elements of dramedy, thriller, and mystery to achieve the show’s unique and stand-out tone.
The interview offers a behind-the-scenes look at several Emmy-worthy moments. Celeste highlighted the genuine bonds formed on set, noting that the laughter and connection between the cast and crew are truly captured on camera. She also shared the touching story of how she learned about the official Season 2 renewal and provided an update on when production began.
Check out the full conversation below! Take a look at the creative process behind one of this year’s most talked-about shows incredibly engaging. Watch below:
Celeste Hughey on Keke Palmer “I wanted Keke Palmer. She is the best! I’ve been a huge fan forever. She hasn’t been a lead of a TV show since True Jackson, VP, which is a crime to me. I wanted to write a role that could really showcase her full range of humor, drama chops, and all of that.”
About “The Burbs”
Inspired by the 1989 horror-comedy film, the series follows a young couple whose relocation to a childhood home leads to the discovery of deadly secrets within their cul-de-sac. The show has achieved significant success, generating over 1.7 billion viewing minutes and becoming Peacock’s #1 scripted season of all time in overall reach during its first 50-days.
Peacock has renewed its hit comedy series “The ’Burbs” for a second season. “We’re so thrilled that audiences loved season one of ‘The ’Burbs,’ and are going to get to spend more time in Hinkley Hills with Keke and the rest of this incredible cast,” said Lisa Katz, President, Scripted Content, NBC & Peacock.
The series is executive produced by Celeste Hughey, Rachel Shukert, Seth MacFarlane, and Keke Palmer, who also stars alongside Jack Whitehall, Julia Duffy, Paula Pell, Mark Proksch, and Kapil Talwalkar. The series has been a significant success, generating more than 1.7 billion viewing minutes since its February 8 launch. It ranked as a top 10 streaming original for four consecutive weeks and has become Peacock’s #1 scripted season of all time in overall reach during its first 50 days.
Additionally, the show has been sold to over 100 territories globally. Lisa Katz, President of Scripted Content at NBC & Peacock, expressed her enthusiasm for the renewal, praising the writers, producers, and crew for creating a extremely contemporary and successful update to the original film. “A huge congratulations to all of the writers, producers and crew who updated the beloved original film and made something funny, warm and highly contemporary.”
The first season of “The Burbs” is indeed a Peacock TV original series. To check out the series, you will need to have a subscription to the streaming service.
Official Trailer:
Celeste Hughey on what makes the modern-day version of the 1989 original film unique “We do a lot of things at once, it was a hard thing to do… thread that needle. But we had such amazing writers who come from all different genres who really added to that. We’re blessed with such an incredible cast, who can do the full range of tone. We stand out because we’re not just a hard comedy, we’re not just a hard mystery, we’re not just a hard thriller. We’re all of those things.”
