Throughout the 1980s, high-concept dark comedies gained cult status. Few fit the description better than 1989’s The ‘Burbs, which became a fun collaboration between Tom Hanks and Joe Dante before either reached their highest popularity. In 2026, a series based on a murder in a small neighborhood makes a ton of sense to remake, and the all-star cast of The ‘Burbs TV series helps justify the remake. Led by a brilliant Keke Palmer, it’s an enjoyable, twisty ride that adds enough modern tweaks to differentiate it from the cult favorite.
What is The ‘Burbs about?
Samira (Palmer) and her husband, Rob (Jack Whitehall), move with their baby into Rob’s childhood home. Rob still hangs out with his childhood friend Naveen (Kapil Talwalkar), but otherwise, he has not been back in years. Samira slowly meets the neighbors (Julia Duffy, Paula Pell, and Mark Proksch) and could see herself happily living out of the city.
The neighborhood has become an idyllic view of suburbia, with the exception of the house across the street. After a few confrontations with the owner (Justin Kirk), Samira discovers that a young girl went missing from the house years ago. Worse yet, Rob has ties to the missing girl. With her new friends, she begins to investigate a world that feels too good to be true and discovers some shocking truths.
Keke Palmer shines bright with a fun ensemble.
Keke Palmer has long been considered one of the most talented actresses of her generation. After the boost from Nope, she had a few projects that went sideways, but The ‘Burbs builds on her excellent performance in One of Them Days. She’s brilliant as a comedian, using her charm to keep the series upbeat despite the potential murder. However, she also brings the gravitas to the more serious aspects of the story, making her “paranoia” feel justified in the context of the show.
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Additionally, making Palmer the lead allows The ‘Burbs to explore the idea of white flight from the city and do so in a comedic light. The actress certainly runs into her fair share of racial microaggressions (including a neighbor asking if listening to “Back That Ass Up” is good for a baby). Palmer can communicate her frustration with a look, and pairing her with the young Kyrie McAlpin allows them a scene partner with whom to share the frustrations. It’s an element missing from the original film that makes this version of The ‘Burbs slightly more resonant.
The cast around Palmer is also excellent. Jack Whitehall is genuinely funny as her husband, but also creates enough of an outsider vibe that we grow suspicious. Meanwhile, Pell and Proksch make for a great comedic duo. When paired together, their comedic styling blends extremely well, and each makes for excellent scene partners for anyone in the cast. It’s also incredible to see Duffy in a starring role again. The actress was an Emmy nominee for her work on Newhart, and while she’s seen a recent career revival, The ‘Burbs is the best performance we’ve seen from her in decades.
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The series also gives us plenty of guest stars and side characters, each of whom becomes more important as The ‘Burbs goes on. There are breadcrumbs laid, not only for the rest of this season, but for future ones as well. Not only does this show the series is well cast, but that it could continue to be a force in the years ahead. It frankly might be Peacock’s best chance for Emmys in years.
Shifting perspectives opens the door for updated commentary.
Creator and showrunner Celeste Hughey finds a perfect blend of themes and ideas from her previous work. She wrote on Dead to Me, which very much handled a fine line between crime and suburbia. Hughey reunites with Duffy after Palm Royale observed the complex relationships in micro-communities. Hughey clearly had a vision when taking on the project, and her past gave her the perfect testing ground. However, she still gives The ‘Burbs a unique feel, proving that she’s not only recreating what’s worked, but is taking big chances for the future.
Where The ‘Burbs excels most is the misdirect. More than once, I thought I knew where the story was going, only to have a completely different narrative emerge. Even more impressive, the twists and turns of the mystery are actually well executed.
At the same time, the comedy is based on some great observations about what we’ve come to expect from life in modern-day suburbia. Ring cameras can be used to help call the cops at a moment’s notice. Even if your wife leaves you, can you actually escape their presence in an increasingly online world? In a world full of true crime podcasts and nosy neighbors, it’s easy to believe that your neighbor is hiding a murder. However, we’re not all Jimmy Stewarts, and the result of our “investigations” may have some real-world consequences.
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While there are plenty of moments that poke fun at those of us who move to small towns, there still needs to be some further development on that front. The end of The ‘Burbs is enjoyable, but in future years, we need to see more exploration of how paranoia, corruption, danger, and crime cover-ups. While some of this is introduced late in the season, they will need more development moving forward. Hopefully, the series can land these elements as it grows and provide more than just a comedic lens for this kind of story.
Is The ‘Burbs worth watching?
Yes, the new Peacock comedy is an enjoyable series that’s well worth checking out. There’s too much talent for the series to ignore, and the short episode count and runtime make it even easier to binge. Ultimately, it is a great vehicle for Keke Palmer and Jack Whitehall, while using a very basic premise tied to the name of the old movie. The “remake” element might be light, but if it can help sneak in a show as intriguing as The ‘Burbs then its a good move by Peacock.
The ‘Burbs releases all eight episodes on February 8, 2026. All episodes were provided to FandomWire for this review.
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