Izzard in dapper mode

The interwebs was a buzz this week with the news that comedian and executive transvestite extraordinaire Eddie Izzard was going to be playing Grandpa Munster in a reboot of the Munsters on NBC.

For those of you who need a reminder on Mr. Izzard, who is one of the smartest, sharpest, and funniest stand up comedians out there,  I submit to you below one of my favorite of his bits from his Emmy-winning HBO comedy special Dress to Kill.

Herman Munster. Sexy and he knows it.

Much like many of the other reboots have been heaped upon us, I don’t recall anyone clamoring for a new version of the Munsters.  Not that I didn’t enjoy the original series. Fred Gwynne’s Herman Munster defined the idea of a comedic vampire and we all know someone who was just like Eddie Munster, werewolf or not.

There are a few things that make me slightly hopeful about this reboot. First and foremost the pilot will be written and directed by Bryan Fuller. Fuller was responsible for Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls (one of the most underrated one-season shows), and the magically twee Pushing Daisies.  He has a handle on the fantastic without making it outlandish and manages to sprinkle pixie dust on many of his projects.  Plus the fact that he is a big fan of Lee Pace doesn’t hurt, I must say.

Izzard in executive transvestite mode, impersonating a squirrel

Lewis as the debonair Grandpa Munster

So what about Izzard?  He’s a bit young to play “Grandpa” who was originated by Al Lewis, but he is also someone whose comic gut instincts I tend to trust.  I love seeing him play smarmy, he looks dapper in a suit, and already loves wearing makeup.  I think he could pull off the vampire look and his experience in Shadow of the Vampire means that Willem DeFoe’s super creepy Max Schreck might give him some pointers.  Plus if the show is a bit darker than the original Munsters  I think Izzard would elevate the material; his recent stint on The Good Wife reminded me of how great an actor he really is.

Of course only time will tell.  Til then let the speculation begin on the rest of the casting.