For Celeste Hughey, suburbia has always been complicated. It\u2019s familiar, unsettling and full of contradictions, all of which make it the perfect setting for her latest project.<\/p>\n
Hughey is the Emmy-nominated creator, writer and executive producer behind\u00a0The \u2019Burbs<\/em>, Peacock\u2019s 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\u2013Super Bowl slot, signaling major confidence from NBC and Peacock\u2014and marking a career milestone for Hughey, whose r\u00e9sum\u00e9 already includes\u00a0Dead to Me<\/em>,\u00a0Palm Royale<\/em>,\u00a0High Fidelity<\/em> and\u00a0No Good Deed<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I first saw the movie, I was much younger, and it was more of a terrifying movie to me,\u201d Hughey says. \u201cAs an adult revisiting it, it\u2019s just such a genius<\/em> movie. It\u2019s a brilliant, humorous commentary.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI wish I could take initial credit,\u201d she laughs. \u201cBut once it was brought to me, I immediately had a vision for it.\u201d<\/p>\n That vision centered on perspective\u2014specifically, the outsider\u2019s point of view.<\/p>\n \u201cI immediately knew I wanted to take the fish-out-of-water angle,\u201d she says. \u201cI 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\u2014just trying to find her way and find a new community while also digging into the secrets of the town.\u201d<\/p>\n That character, Samira, is played by Keke Palmer, whom Hughey says was her first choice from the very beginning.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew I wanted Keke from the get-go,\u201d Hughey says. \u201cShe can do comedy, she can do drama. And she\u2019s Keke Palmer! She\u2019s the best. I\u2019ve always been a huge fan.\u201d<\/p>\n In the series, Samira and her husband, Rob, played by Jack Whitehall, move back into Rob\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, it\u2019s his childhood home,\u201d Hughey confirms. \u201cIn the same vein of outsiders moving in, Rob\u2019s family had moved from the UK to the suburbs when he was younger and had their own \u2018what is this place?\u2019 experience. They\u2019re moving back after something happens in the city that makes them really think about where they want to be\u2014and where safety is for them.\u201d<\/p>\n While\u00a0The \u2019Burbs<\/em>\u00a0includes 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\u2019t quite right beneath the surface. And it\u2019s a feeling that is deeply personal for her.<\/p>\n \u201cI grew up in Boston,\u201d Hughey says. \u201cI\u2019m mixed\u2014I\u2019m Black and white\u2014and 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\u2019s universal. We all have nosy neighbors. We\u00a0are<\/em>\u00a0nosy neighbors. That element is all tied into it, too.\u201d<\/p>\n 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\u2019s a lighthearted thriller that still makes room for conversations around race, class, motherhood and the cost of trying to belong.<\/p>\n When Hughey learned that\u00a0The \u2019Burbs<\/em>\u00a0would premiere immediately following Super Bowl coverage, the moment felt surreal.<\/p>\n \u201cI was so overwhelmed and grateful,\u201d she says. \u201cIt 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\u2019m so thrilled and so excited for people to be able to watch it.\u201d<\/p>\n Between writing, producing and traveling for press, Hughey is intentional about finding moments of self-care\u2014especially as she approaches a new chapter personally.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a TV writer, I have to watch TV to be inspired,\u201d she says. \u201cI always make sure I find time to slip in a show.\u201d<\/p>\n And then there\u2019s skin care.<\/p>\n \u201cSkin care is really important to me,\u201d she says. \u201cEveryone always raves about my skin, and it\u2019s actually because I spend so much time trying to take care of it.\u201d<\/p>\n Travel and winter weather have made hydration a priority. \u201cEspecially coming to New York [for press] right now, where it\u2019s so cold right now\u2014my skin is so dry,\u201d she says. \u201cI do my skin-care routine religiously every night. It\u2019s layered for moisture, and I use really great products with clean ingredients.\u201d<\/p>\n She laughs before adding, \u201cI\u2019m turning 40 in a week, so I\u2019m making sure I\u2019m taking care of my skin. I have a big month!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Celeste](\"https:\/\/cdn-cjhgk.nitrocdn.com\/CXxGixRVyChwAxySbAyltuCiQXRKaWDN\/assets\/images\/optimized\/rev-9dad235\/www.newbeauty.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/CH-Preferred-Head-Shot-PC_-Taylor-James-copy-731x1024.jpg\")