For Celeste Hughey, suburbia has always been complicated. It’s familiar, unsettling and full of contradictions, all of which make it the perfect setting for her latest project.
Hughey is the Emmy-nominated creator, writer and executive producer behind The ’Burbs, Peacock’s upcoming series adaptation of the 1989 cult-classic film starring Tom Hanks, Carrie Fisher and Bruce Dern. The show premieres in February in a prime post–Super Bowl slot, signaling major confidence from NBC and Peacock—and marking a career milestone for Hughey, whose résumé already includes Dead to Me, Palm Royale, High Fidelity and No Good Deed.
“When I first saw the movie, I was much younger, and it was more of a terrifying movie to me,” Hughey says. “As an adult revisiting it, it’s just such a genius movie. It’s a brilliant, humorous commentary.”
The idea for the series began with Brian Grazer of Imagine Entertainment, who produced the original film, and Seth MacFarlane of Fuzzy Door, both longtime fans of the movie. Initially, the project was discussed as a potential film during COVID, drawn to the contained nature of the cul-de-sac setting. Eventually, the idea evolved into a series and landed with Hughey.
“I wish I could take initial credit,” she laughs. “But once it was brought to me, I immediately had a vision for it.”
That vision centered on perspective—specifically, the outsider’s point of view.
“I immediately knew I wanted to take the fish-out-of-water angle,” she says. “I developed it around the idea of a Black woman moving to a predominantly white suburb as a new mom, a new wife and on maternity leave—just trying to find her way and find a new community while also digging into the secrets of the town.”
That character, Samira, is played by Keke Palmer, whom Hughey says was her first choice from the very beginning.
“I knew I wanted Keke from the get-go,” Hughey says. “She can do comedy, she can do drama. And she’s Keke Palmer! She’s the best. I’ve always been a huge fan.”
In the series, Samira and her husband, Rob, played by Jack Whitehall, move back into Rob’s childhood home after an incident in the city forces them to reevaluate what safety looks like as new parents. The house also serves as a connective thread to the original film.
“Yes, it’s his childhood home,” Hughey confirms. “In the same vein of outsiders moving in, Rob’s family had moved from the UK to the suburbs when he was younger and had their own ‘what is this place?’ experience. They’re moving back after something happens in the city that makes them really think about where they want to be—and where safety is for them.”
While The ’Burbs includes Easter eggs for fans of the original film, Hughey is clear that the series tells a completely new story with new characters. What remains is the unsettling feeling that something isn’t quite right beneath the surface. And it’s a feeling that is deeply personal for her.
“I grew up in Boston,” Hughey says. “I’m mixed—I’m Black and white—and I grew up in a predominantly white suburb. I just never really felt like I fully belonged in the neighborhood. It was using that feeling to infuse into Samira. And at the same time, it’s universal. We all have nosy neighbors. We are nosy neighbors. That element is all tied into it, too.”
The show balances that emotional tension with humor and escalating stakes, supported by a standout ensemble cast that includes Paula Pell, Mark Proksch and Julia Duffy. It’s a lighthearted thriller that still makes room for conversations around race, class, motherhood and the cost of trying to belong.
When Hughey learned that The ’Burbs would premiere immediately following Super Bowl coverage, the moment felt surreal.
“I was so overwhelmed and grateful,” she says. “It just meant the world that Peacock and the studio had confidence in it to put it on the biggest air date pretty much in the country. I’m so thrilled and so excited for people to be able to watch it.”
Between writing, producing and traveling for press, Hughey is intentional about finding moments of self-care—especially as she approaches a new chapter personally.
“As a TV writer, I have to watch TV to be inspired,” she says. “I always make sure I find time to slip in a show.”
And then there’s skin care.
“Skin care is really important to me,” she says. “Everyone always raves about my skin, and it’s actually because I spend so much time trying to take care of it.”
Travel and winter weather have made hydration a priority. “Especially coming to New York [for press] right now, where it’s so cold right now—my skin is so dry,” she says. “I do my skin-care routine religiously every night. It’s layered for moisture, and I use really great products with clean ingredients.”
She laughs before adding, “I’m turning 40 in a week, so I’m making sure I’m taking care of my skin. I have a big month!”
