Entertainment
Every Reference The 'Burbs Remake Makes To The Original Tom Hanks Movie
By Brian Myers
| Published
When Peacock released all eight episodes of its new series The ‘Burbs in early February, some speculated the endeavor would serve as a true remake of the 1989 film of the same name. Viewers were instead greeted with a stand-alone set of episodes that, while sharing some similarities with its source material, forged its own way into the annals of modern creepy comedies. Though fans will see both as separate entities, showrunners for the series packed it full of nods and references to the movie that inspired it.
Connection To The Source Material
The ‘Burbs is a 1989 comedy that follows residents of the fictional suburb Hinkley Hills as they begin to believe that their newest neighbors are killers. When elderly neighbor Walter Seznick mysteriously vanishes, the men from the cul-de-sac develop a scheme to expose the reclusive Klopek family as mass murderers. Of course, nothing goes to plan, and wacky antics and memorable one-liners ensue. Despite having an all-star cast that included Tom Hanks, Carrie Fisher, Gale Gordon, and Bruce Dern, the movie showed mediocre box office receipts and was the subject of mixed reviews by the critics of its day.
Like the movie, the streaming series centers around the new owner of the creepy house on the block. In the reboot, the mystery is explored by neighborhood residents Samira (Keke Palmer), Dana (Paula Pell), Tod (Mark Proksch), and Lynn (Julia Duffy). The quartet works to expose the truth behind a mysterious disappearance, focusing their suspicions on the reclusive Gary Wilson (Justin Kirk). Both the show and the film use copious amounts of dark humor and witty dialogue, interspersed with the very horrific idea of what it might be like to live on the same block as an elusive murderer.
Callbacks And Cameos Aplenty
On the surface, that’s where the similarities between the 1989 comedy and the modern show seem to end. The film goes off the rails quickly, with its main characters beginning to believe that their new neighbors are ghouls who engage in human sacrifice, while the show focuses on an old missing-persons case from Samira’s husband’s childhood. As the most die-hard fans of Tom Hanks’ most underrated project have pointed out, however, is that each episode of the series pays homage to its cinematic predecessor. Cameo appearances, character references, and word-for-word one-liners have all worked together to neatly tie together a modern hit with a cinematic classic.
Sharp-eyed fans have noticed that the show’s recurring guest star Wendy Schaal (Family Guy, Innerspace) plays the role of Judy, the community’s sharp-nosed librarian. Years earlier, Schaal played Bonnie, the young wife of grizzled Vietnam veteran Mark Rumsfield (Bruce Dern) and neighbor to the film’s main protagonist Ray Peterson (Tom Hanks). While Schaal’s part in the 2026 series is minimal, her casting was a nice touch and a great nod to the movie.
But Schaal wasn’t the only cast member from the 1989 project that movie fans will recognize. In the season finale, viewers are treated to a cameo appearance by 80s/90s movie icon Corey Feldman (The Lost Boys, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter). Feldman’s unnamed character leaves a scene with a line that directly references one uttered multiple times by his 1989 character, Ricky Butler. When the pool hustler he portrays wins his game, he grabs the money from the table, looks into the camera, and declares, “God, I love this place.” That line is a near word-for-word quote from Ricky’s “God, I love this street,” which broke the fourth wall at the end of the movie.
The Ultimate Fan Service
Watching the show isn’t even necessary to get all of the references to the movie. One look at the episode titles will make any fan of the film laugh, as each one is a direct quote of its witty dialogue. “Sardine?,” “Mind Your Own Business,” “The Goddamned Brownies,” and “Do Not Mess with Suburbanites,” lines from 1989 that The ‘Burbs fans all know by heart, and are but some of the episode titles listed for the series. Pay careful attention to the dialogue spoken in the show, and you’ll also pick up on other quotes from the film that have been carefully inserted for modern audiences.
If the neighborhood in the new show seems familiar, that’s no coincidence. The series was filmed on Universal Studios Colonial Street, the location of countless films and television shows that stretch back decades. The houses that Kiki, Lynn, Dana, and Tod creep around also appeared in everything from Desperate Housewives to House of 1000 Corpses to Deep Impact. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the 1989 movie was also filmed in the same backlot, with several of the homes in the series serving as landmarks that are fairly easy to identify. The Hinkley House of the series is the same as the house that the movie’s Ricky Butler resided in.
Perhaps the greatest nod to the film was a glimpse of an old photograph of the founder of Hinkley Hills, H. Horace Hinkley. With a town named in his honor and a home that still bears his surname, Hinkley’s black-and-white image is seen by Kiki in the first episode as she visits the town library. The photo is none other than the star of the 1989 movie, Hanks.
You can catch The ‘Burbs series streaming on Peacock. The comedy classic film The ‘Burbs is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
Entertainment
Clean, restock, refresh — all with one $15 Sam’s Club membership
TL;DR: A $15 Sam’s Club membership can help streamline your spring refresh with bulk essentials and lifestyle finds.
Spring tends to bring a long list of to-dos — organizing closets, kitchens, outdoor spaces, and even office setups. It’s also a time when shopping trips can start to add up.
A one-year Sam’s Club membership for $15 (reg. $50) through March 29 offers a way to streamline that process by bringing a wide range of essentials into one place.
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Rather than bouncing between multiple stores, members can access groceries, household goods, seasonal outdoor items, clothing, and more in a single trip. For anyone tackling a spring refresh, that convenience alone may help save time and simplify planning.
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Bulk purchasing is another key advantage. Buying larger quantities of frequently used items — like pantry staples, cleaning supplies, or paper goods — can help reduce the cost per unit over time. For families, that can translate into fewer midweek store runs.
For small business owners or home-based entrepreneurs, it can also support more predictable inventory and supply management. Beyond products, membership includes additional perks that add value. These include discounts on travel, which is a fan favorite. There’s also a practical side to having fewer errands on your list. Consolidating shopping into fewer trips can free up time for other priorities, whether that’s work, family, or simply enjoying the season.
Don’t miss getting a one-year Sam’s Club Membership for just $15 (reg. $50) through March 29 with code MARCH15.
Want to see more deals? Visit the shop and use code MARCH15 to save an extra 15% sitewide through March 29. Exclusions apply.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 24, 2026
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you’re planning to get married.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that’s captured the public’s attention. The game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today’s Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
What is Connections?
The NYT‘s latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
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Here’s a hint for today’s Connections categories
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Here are today’s Connections categories
Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:
Looking for Wordle today? Here’s the answer to today’s Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today’s Connections #1017 is…
What is the answer to Connections today
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Despicable: BASE, LOW, MEAN, VILE
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Features of a wedding: CAKE, KISS, RING, VOW
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Kinds of trucks: DUMP, FIRE, FOOD, TOW
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Heteronyms: BOW, ROW, SOW, WIND
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today’s puzzle.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Connections.
Entertainment
NYT Strands hints, answers for March 24, 2026
Today’s NYT Strands hints are easy if something’s always in your way.
Strands, the New York Times‘ elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There’s always a theme linking every solution, along with the “spangram,” a special, word or phrase that sums up that day’s theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you’re feeling stuck or just don’t have 10 or more minutes to figure out today’s puzzle, we’ve got all the NYT Strands hints for today’s puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Get over it … or get through it
The words are related to barriers.
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Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained
These words describe things that get in the way.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?
Today’s NYT Strands spangram is diagonal.
NYT Strands spangram answer today
Today’s spangram is Obstacle Course.
NYT Strands word list for March 24
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Wall
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Hoop
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Barricade
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Obstacle Course
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Hurdle
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Fence
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Tunnel
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable’s Games page has more hints, and if you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now!
Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Strands.
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