Released in 1989, the dark comedy The ‘Burbs, directed by Joe Dante, tapped into the hidden fears of suburban life in the made-up town of Hinkley Hills. Tom Hanks starred as Ray Peterson, a man whose relaxing staycation turns into a full-blown obsession with his new neighbors, the Klopeks, whom he suspects are hiding something sinister. While the film initially received mixed reviews and didn’t perform well in theaters, it gradually gained a dedicated cult following over the years thanks to its clever mix of humor, social commentary, and suspense. This lasting popularity led NBCUniversal to create a television series adaptation for Peacock, updating the story for today’s audiences while keeping the original idea of neighborhood suspicion alive.
Viewership numbers from Nielsen and the streaming platform itself show that The ‘Burbs was watched for 712 million minutes between February 9th and 16th, 2026. Including views from its premiere on February 8th and the days following the 16th, the show is quickly approaching a total of one billion minutes watched. Considering each of the eight episodes in the first season averages 40 minutes long, approximately 2.22 million viewers watched the entire season during its first week. While these numbers are impressive, The Best Man: The Final Chapters still holds the record for the most-watched Peacock original premiere week, with 762 million minutes viewed in December 2022.
The ‘Burbs‘ Success Should Lead to Another Season
The new The ‘Burbs series works so well because it expertly mixes the suspense of a mystery with the humor of overly suspicious neighbors. The show follows Samira (Keke Palmer) and Rob (Jack Whitehall) as they deal with the quirky residents of Hinkley Hills. Unlike the original movie, this version looks at the whole community and how everyone interacts, building a richer and more detailed world. Because it’s a TV series instead of a movie, it has more time to develop all the characters, including Naveen (Kapil Talwalkar) and Dana (Paula Pell). This makes the neighborhood feel like a real, lively place, not just a setting for the story.
Okay, so if you loved The ‘Burbs and checked out the show, you’re in luck! The way Season One ended definitely feels like they’re building something bigger. They left a lot of questions unanswered – especially about who some of those neighbors really are and what’s up with the town of Hinkley Hills. And honestly, since the show is doing so well on Peacock, I’m pretty confident they’re going to renew it. It’s a solid hit, and streaming services love keeping shows that people actually watch!
The ‘Burbs is currently available to stream on Peacock.
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2026-02-23 18:10