Eddie Izzard and Jerry O'Connell are getting to the heart of the matter in the insert, left, from the $10-million pilot episode of NBC's MOCKINGBIRD LANE, starring Izzard, O'Connell and a brunette Portia de Rossi. Directed by X-Men-infamous, Bryan Singer, the pilot had quite a lot of what Izzard's character is holding in his vampy-grampy hands...heart. But did it have viewers?

Almost six-million people tuned in to the "Halloween" special that aired before NBC's GRIMM at 8pm EST on Friday, October 26th. Unfortunately, prior to airing, NBC decided not to back the brain-child of Bryan Fuller, owner of The Living Dead Guy Productions, and writer/creator of fan-favorites like PUSHING DAISIES. Fuller signed a seven-figure deal with Universal in 2009; this guy makes the rest of us over-acheivers seem down-right lazy. Fuller wanted to add MOCKINGBIRD LANE to his expanding Fuller-verse in an effort to revive the 1960's classic, THE MUNSTERS. But NBC had other plans....

When the pilot was in pre-production, there was a lot of grumbling amongst die-hard classic Munster fans. I, for one, think those sad sacks living in the past are a rather unimaginative group--and I include the execs at NBC who put the red light on the Fuller-Singer collaboration. Nothing can ever be like the original. That's what adaptation means. Adaptation is a way of honoring the greatness of a truly great original; it can help reignite a new generation's interest in something that has lost cultural relevance outside of its own existence. And with a team like Fuller and Singer at the helm, audiences, and NBC, can't go wrong.

Guillermo Navarro was responsible for the amazing MOCKINGBIRD LANE cinematography; Navarro earned his well-deserved acclaim for his intensely engaging, sweeping visuals for PAN'S LABYRINTH, which got Navarro an Oscar in 2006, but you also recognize his work in mediums like the HELLBOY franchise.

All of this goodness in one show, not to mention the solid performances from de Rossi and O'Connell, as well as the always-glib Eddie Izzard and show-stealer, Mason Cook (Eddie Munster), should have spelled INSTANT HIT for NBC. Six-million viewers is double the number of CW's VAMPIRE DIARIES, whose first season premiered to less than five-million viewers, a number that has steadily dropped in the last three years--hovering at just over three-million for the 2012 fall premiere. Yet somehow, that show is in its fourth season. Curiouser, and curiouser....

So I ask you, NBC, why did you pull the proverbial plug on this latest addition to the Fuller-verse??? It defies pop culture logic. You realize that your latest relative to the NBC family, 666 PARK AVENUE, is barely holding on to four-million viewers after a REVENGE-spiked premiere at under seven-million, which dropped by two-million viewers by the second epiosode...and counting. The audience wants--no, NEEDS--supernatural fare to feed on when so much else in the world has left us wanting. Please bring back MOCKINGBIRD LANE; it's inherent irony was fresh, fun, and, fanged. You can't get much better than that in the 21st century.

Despite NBC's surprising lack of confidence, MOCKINGBIRD LANE gets a well-deserved 9/10 on the Housel-scale. 

MOCKINGBIRD LANE, it's cast, crew, writer, Bryan Fuller, director, Bryan Singer, and cinematographer, Guillermo Navarro, are ALL #PopCultureProfessor APPROVED! Wish I could say the same for the people at NBC who heartlessly stopped the beating heart of this winning, new show....

Eliza Dushku and I are having a moment; we discovered we're fellow Bostonians who both found our way from there to Hollywood. Granted, by very different roads but still, pop culture is our shared calling...some might even call it a TRU calling. ;)

Speaking of callings, the handsome (and wicked tall!), Rick Fox, accompanied Eliza to Austin donning a baseball cap, sweats and a red Montcler puffer vest. Eliza wore an adorable sweater and cunning heels, but her couture was overshadowed by her unreal beauty. She is perhaps one of THE MOST beautiful women I've ever met--inside and out.

Amidst answering the inevitable questions about Buffy and Eliza's other work with her favorite friend, Joss Whedon, she is taking classes to learn how to raise money, building funds to help the world with efforts like The Trauma Healing and Reflection Center in Gulu for wounded soldiers, including child-soldiers, in Uganda. Like me, Eliza is a vegetarian, now a vegan, because she doesn't want to sustain her life on the death of other creatures. But she's not just a compassionate, ethical eater--the talented brunette is also a business-phenom as CEO of her own production company, Boston Diva Productions. And that's not all.

The daughter of a Suffolk University Poli-Sci Professor and Dean, Eliza grew up "in the political know," which might explain her own passion for politics and global affairs, like her Ambassadorship for Albania's capitol, Tirana, where she is also an honorary citizen. Eliza even has a tattoo on the back of her neck representing the Albanian Eagle.
 
The audience absolutely LOVED Eliza, and I did, too. She was wonderful with all kinds of crazy questions from fans, gracious and kind, especially to a little girl named Faith, who asked Eliza how she could grow up to be just like her. Adorable!!! Even when asked about the upcoming election, Dushku didn't take advantage but instead recommended people follow her on Twitter. Of course, once again, she and I are on the same page in that regard as well. 

I found Eliza to be completely and utterly charming; she was amazingly generous with her fans and gave terrific answers to every question--even keeping her cool when an audience member called out something on the rather rude-side. Bostonians don't back down; we're straightforward people. And I'm happy (and PROUD!) to say Eliza's no exception.  

At the end of the session, Eliza and I had a chance to chat a bit; she gave me a hug and kiss before departing to meet more fans. We'll be in New Orleans together for the next Wizard World Comic Con Friday, November 30th to Sunday, December 2nd. In the meantime, TRU fans should check out my Boston home-girl in Torchwood: Miracle Day and in summer 2013, Eliza has lent her unique voice to the character, Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk in the animated series, HULK AND THE AGENTS OF S.M.A.S.H., as well as the thriller, now in post-production, THE SCRIBBLER, based on the graphic novel. 

Keep up the GREAT work, Eliza! See you in about a month!!! 

And we'll both see YOU there...laissez les bons temps rouler!