‘The ’Burbs’ Review: Keke Palmer Brightens Peacock’s Mixed Bag of a Dark Comedy Reboot

It’s a clever twist of The ’Burbs, Peacock’s new series-length spin on the 1989 cult classic, to set its story around not one but two new households on the cul-de-sac. Where Tom Hanks’ Ray was an established local casting a suspicious eye on his eccentric new neighbors, Samira (Keke Palmer) and Rob Fisher (Jack Whitehall) are the new neighbors — at least for a little while, until even fresher meat arrives in the form of Gary (Justin Kirk), a sour-faced recluse.

The shift allows the show to take on a more expansive view of American suburbia: its allure and its hidden dangers, the push-pull it represents between individuality and conformity. But if its ambitions are admirable, the execution is unwieldy. A lumpy, though not unpleasant, mélange of uneven tones, thin characters and less-than-airtight reveals, The ’Burbs may not send anyone running for the hills — but it’s unlikely to inspire…