Amazing Stories (1985 TV series)
Amazing Stories is an American anthology television series created by Steven Spielberg, that originally ran on NBC in the United States from September 29, 1985 to April 10, 1987.
| Amazing Stories | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Created by | Steven Spielberg |
| Developed by |
|
| Theme music composer | John Williams |
| Composers |
|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 45 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | David E. Vogel |
| Running time | 24–46 minutes |
| Production companies | |
| Distributor | NBCUniversal Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC[1] |
| Original release | September 29, 1985[2] – April 10, 1987 |
| Chronology | |
| Related | Family Dog |
The series was nominated for 12 Emmy Awards and won five. The first season episode "The Amazing Falsworth" earned writer Mick Garris an Edgar Award for Best Episode in a TV Series. It was not a ratings hit (ranking 40th in Season 1[3] and 52nd in Season 2[4]), however, and the network did not renew it after the two-year contract expired. The 1987 science fiction film Batteries Not Included was originally intended as a story for Amazing Stories, but Spielberg liked the idea so much that he decided to make it a theatrical release.[5]
The series title licensed the name of Amazing Stories, the first dedicated science fiction magazine created by Hugo Gernsback in April 1926.[6]
The title sequence was made by computer-generated imagery (CGI) firm, Robert Abel and Associates.[7]
On March 6, 2020, a revival of Amazing Stories premiered on Apple TV+.[8]
Episodes
All episodes have a running time of around 24 minutes, with the exceptions of "The Mission" and "Go to the Head of the Class" (both running 46 minutes).
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 24 | September 29, 1985 | May 25, 1986 | |
| 2 | 21 | September 22, 1986 | April 10, 1987 | |
Season 1 (1985–86)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Ghost Train" | Steven Spielberg | Story by : Steven Spielberg Teleplay by : Frank Deese | September 29, 1985 | |
| A grandfather (Roberts Blossom) disapproves of his son (Scott Paulin) building a country home on the site of a train accident from 75 years ago. Also starring Gail Edwards, Lukas Haas, and Renny Roker. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "The Main Attraction" | Matthew Robbins | Story by : Steven Spielberg Teleplay by : Brad Bird and Mick Garris | October 6, 1985 | |
| A high school jock (Scott Clough) up for Prom King and feeling too cool for a girl (Lisa Jane Persky) develops a "magnetic" personality following a meteor shower. Also starring Richard Bull, Barbara Sharma, and Brad Bird. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Alamo Jobe" | Michael D. Moore | Story by : Steven Spielberg Teleplay by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey | October 20, 1985 | |
| During the Battle of the Alamo, a young man (Kelly Reno) carrying a message from Colonel William Travis (William Boyett) to John Lefferts (Michael Cavanaugh) travels through time to 20th-century San Antonio. Also starring Lurene Tuttle, Richard Young, Robert V. Barron, Rob Paulsen and Benji Gregory. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Mummy Daddy" | William Dear | Story by : Steven Spielberg Teleplay by : Earl Pomerantz | October 27, 1985 | |
| An actor (Tom Harrison) cast as a mummy in a horror movie rushes, still in costume, to be with his wife when she goes into labor. As he makes his way to the hospital, some locals mistake him for the legend of Ra Amin Ka and form a posse to pursue him. Also starring Bronson Pinchot, Brion James, Tracey Walter, William Frankfather, Larry Hankin, Len Lesser, Billy Beck, and Elden Henson. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "The Mission" | Steven Spielberg | Story by : Steven Spielberg Teleplay by : Menno Meyjes | November 3, 1985 | |
| A ball turret gunner and aspiring cartoonist (Casey Siemaszko) is trapped in the compartment of a WWII bomber (a Boeing B-17 named "Friendly Persuasion").[9] With the landing gear damaged, he must rely on his imagination to get out of this predicament. Also starring Kevin Costner, Kiefer Sutherland, J.J. Cohen, and Peter Jason with Anthony LaPaglia and Gary Riley in a minor role. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "The Amazing Falsworth" | Peter Hyams | Story by : Steven Spielberg Teleplay by : Mick Garris | November 5, 1985 | |
| A magician with psychic powers (Gregory Hines) sees visions of two murders when he detects a serial killer somewhere in the audience. Also starring Richard Masur and Don Calfa. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "Fine Tuning" | Bob Balaban | Story by : Steven Spielberg Teleplay by : Earl Pomerantz | November 10, 1985 | |
| A science-project receiver built by three kids (Matthew Laborteaux, Gary Riley, and Jim Gatherum) picks up transmissions of aliens (Debbie Lee Carrington, Daniel Frishman, Patty Maloney, and Kevin Thompson) imitating classic TV characters from the 1950s. They are now en route to meet them. Also starring Milton Berle, Vance Colvig, Paul Garner, Happy Hall, and Angelo Rossitto. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Mr. Magic" | Donald Petrie | Joshua Brand & John Falsey | November 17, 1985 | |
| An old-timer illusionist (Sid Caesar) uses an old deck of cards to stay in the spotlight. Also starring Leo Rossi, Larry Gelman, and Julius Harris. | ||||||
| 9 | 9 | "Guilt Trip" | Burt Reynolds | Gail Parent & Kevin Parent | December 1, 1985 | |
| The personification of Guilt (Dom DeLuise) takes a cruise where he meets the personification of Love (Loni Anderson). Also starring Charles Durning, Charles Nelson Reilly, John Fiedler, Beverly Sanders, and John D'Aquino. | ||||||
| 10 | 10 | "Remote Control Man" | Bob Clark | Story by : Steven Spielberg Teleplay by : Douglas Lloyd McIntosh | December 8, 1985 | |
| A henpecked, unhappy, and frustrated husband (Sydney Lassick) with a nagging wife (Nancy Parsons) and incorrigible sons (Jeff Cohen and David Stone) buys a remote control that brings characters out of the TV. Also starring Phil Bruns, Lyle Alzado, Dirk Benedict, Barbara Billingsley, Gary Coleman, Jim Lange, Ed McMahon, LaWanda Page, Richard Simmons, Jake Steinfeld, and Sid Haig. | ||||||
| 11 | 11 | "Santa '85" | Phil Joanou | Story by : Steven Spielberg Teleplay by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey | December 15, 1985 | |
| When Santa Claus (Douglas Seale) is sent to prison on Christmas Eve where he is put in with a group of men dressed as Santa Claus, it falls to a boy (Gabriel Damon) to restore the Christmas spirit in a sheriff (Pat Hingle). Also starring Frances Bay. | ||||||
| 12 | 12 | "Vanessa in the Garden" | Clint Eastwood | Steven Spielberg | December 29, 1985 | |
| An artist (Harvey Keitel) finds a way for his deceased wife (Sondra Locke) to live on in his work after she dies in a carriage accident. Also starring Beau Bridges. | ||||||
| 13 | 13 | "The Sitter" | Joan Darling | Story by : Joshua Brand & John Falsey Teleplay by : Mick Garris | January 5, 1986 | |
| A babysitter (Mabel King) uses voodoo to get two overactive boys (Seth Green and Joshua Rudoy) under control. Also starring Wendy Phillips, Fran Ryan, and Michael Horse. | ||||||
| 14 | 14 | "No Day at the Beach" | Lesli Linka Glatter | Story by : Steven Spielberg Teleplay by : Mick Garris | January 12, 1986 | |
| A GI (Larry Spinak) tries to be a hero during a World War II assault on Italy. He manages to do that by saving his fellow soldiers during the charge on Port Nuovo. Also starring Charlie Sheen, Ralph Seymour, and Philip McKeon. | ||||||
| 15 | 15 | "One for the Road" | Thomas Carter | James D. Bissell | January 19, 1986 | |
| During the Great Depression and based on a true story, Michael Malloy (Douglas Seale) is tricked into signing an insurance policy so Tony Maroni (Al Ruscio) and his fellow barflies can collect the money once he drinks himself to death. Also starring James Cromwell, Geoffrey Lewis, Joe Pantoliano, and Royal Dano. | ||||||
| 16 | 16 | "Gather Ye Acorns" | Norman Reynolds | Story by : Steven Spielberg Teleplay by : Stu Krieger | February 2, 1986 | |
| In the 1930s, an ancient tree troll (David Rappaport) encourages an 18-year-old (David Freedman) to pack up his comic book collection and follow his dreams when his practical parents (Lois de Banzie and Royal Dano) disapprove. While things have not gone well for the older boy (Mark Hamill) when the 1950s arrive, an opportunity seems to approach him as he approaches the 1980s that would enable him to get a possible break. Also starring William Dear and Forest Whitaker. | ||||||
| 17 | 17 | "Boo!" | Joe Dante | Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel | February 16, 1986 | |
| A porn star (Wendy Schaal) and her husband (Robert Picardo) move into a house haunted by the ghosts of its previous owners (Eddie Bracken and Evelyn Keyes). Also starring Bruce Davison and Taliesin Jaffe. | ||||||
| 18 | 18 | "Dorothy and Ben" | Thomas Carter | Story by : Steven Spielberg Teleplay by : Michael De Guzman | March 2, 1986 | |
| A man (Joe Seneca) wakes up from a 40-year coma and communicates with another comatose patient (Natalie Gregory). | ||||||
| 19 | 19 | "Mirror, Mirror" | Martin Scorsese | Story by : Steven Spielberg Teleplay by : Joseph Minion | March 9, 1986 | |
| A horror novelist (Sam Waterston) is haunted by a figure (Tim Robbins) in his mirror. Also starring Helen Shaver and Dick Cavett. | ||||||
| 20 | 20 | "Secret Cinema" | Paul Bartel | Paul Bartel | April 6, 1986 | |
| A woman (Penny Peyser) believes that life is secretly being filmed. Also starring Paul Bartel, Griffin Dunne, and Barry Dennen. Note: This episode is a remake of Bartel's 1968 short of the same name. | ||||||
| 21 | 21 | "Hell Toupée" | Irvin Kershner | Gail Parent & Kevin Parent | April 13, 1986 | |
| A bald man (E. Hampton Beagle) gets a hairpiece that drives him to murder a lawyer (Tony Kientz). Also starring Cindy Morgan and James Avery. | ||||||
| 22 | 22 | "The Doll" | Phil Joanou | Richard Matheson | May 4, 1986 | |
| A lonely man (John Lithgow) buys a special handmade doll for his niece (Rain Phoenix). When the girl is less than thrilled by it, the doll leads him to an equally lonely teacher (Anne Helm). | ||||||
| 23 | 23 | "One for the Books" | Lesli Linka Glatter | Richard Matheson | May 11, 1986 | |
| An elderly janitor (Leo Penn) at a college can suddenly master any subject of the classroom he cleans. When this becomes public, he becomes subject to a heated debate among the professors (John Alvin, Gary Berghen, and Ben Kronen) about the ability of human intellect, proving to be more than he can handle. Also starring Joyce Van Patten. | ||||||
| 24 | 24 | "Grandpa's Ghost" | Timothy Hutton | Story by : Timothy Hutton Teleplay by : Michael De Guzman | May 25, 1986 | |
| A man (Andrew McCarthy) isn't around to see the ghost of his grandfather (Ian Wolfe). Also starring Herta Ware. | ||||||
Season 2 (1986–87)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 1 | "The Wedding Ring" | Danny DeVito | Story by : Steven Spielberg Teleplay by : Stu Krieger | September 22, 1986 | |
| A wax-museum dresser (Danny DeVito) takes a ring from a statue that turns his wife (Rhea Perlman) into a femme fatale. Also starring Louis Giambalvo, David Byrd, and Tracey Walter. | ||||||
| 26 | 2 | "Miscalculation" | Tom Holland | Michael McDowell | September 29, 1986 | |
| While fooling around in chemistry class, a college student (Jon Cryer) spills a chemical element on a picture of a puppy and brings it to life. He tries doing the same thing to his pornographic magazines, with surprising results. Also starring JoAnn Willette, J.J. Cohen, Lana Clarkson, Galyn Görg, and Rebecca Schaffer. | ||||||
| 27 | 3 | "Magic Saturday" | Robert Markowitz | Richard Christian Matheson | October 6, 1986 | |
| A 10-year-old boy (Taliesin Jaffe) uses a spell to swap bodies with his grandfather (M. Emmet Walsh). Also starring Jeff Cohen. | ||||||
| 28 | 4 | "Welcome to My Nightmare" | Todd Holland | Todd Holland | October 13, 1986 | |
| A film buff (David Hollander) has become the subject of concern from his family (Sharon Spelman, Robert L. Gibson, Christina Applegate, and Parker Jacobs) that he is out of touch with reality and declines a date from a new girl in town (Robyn Lively). Angry that the real world is so dull, he wishes he was in the movies and gets his wish: being on the set of Psycho. | ||||||
| 29 | 5 | "You Gotta Believe Me" | Kevin Reynolds | Story by : Steven Spielberg Teleplay by : Stu Krieger | October 20, 1986 | |
| A man (Charles Durning) tries to prevent a plane crash he saw in a dream. Also starring Wil Shriner, Richard Burns, and Tim Russ. | ||||||
| 30 | 6 | "The Greibble" | Joe Dante | Story by : Steven Spielberg Teleplay by : Mick Garris | November 3, 1986 | |
| A housewife (Hayley Mills) encounters a large floppy furry creature (performed by Don McLeod, vocal effects provided by Frank Welker) during a storm. This creature has a taste for inanimate objects and causes havoc in her home. Also starring Dick Miller. | ||||||
| 31 | 7 | "Life on Death Row" | Mick Garris | Story by : Mick Garris Teleplay by : Rockne S. O'Bannon | November 10, 1986 | |
| An inmate on death row (Patrick Swayze) is struck by lightning and given miraculous healing powers. Also starring James T. Callahan, Kevin Hagen, and Héctor Elizondo. | ||||||
| 32 | 8 | "Go to the Head of the Class" | Robert Zemeckis | Story by : Mick Garris Teleplay by : Mick Garris & Tom McLoughlin and Bob Gale | November 21, 1986 | |
| Two students (Scott Coffey and Mary Stuart Masterson) cast a spell on their tyrannical English teacher (Christopher Lloyd). Also starring Tom Bresnahan and Billy Beck. | ||||||
| 33 | 9 | "Thanksgiving" | Todd Holland | Story by : Harold Rolseth Teleplay by : Pierre R. Debs & Robert C. Fox | November 24, 1986 | |
| On Thanksgiving, a man (David Carradine) and his stepdaughter (Kyra Sedgwick) find treasure in a dry well which is also inhabited by "hole people." | ||||||
| 34 | 10 | "The Pumpkin Competition" | Norman Reynolds | Peter Z. Orton | December 1, 1986 | |
| A miser (Polly Holliday) gains a secret from a botanist (J. A. Preston) to win a pumpkin contest against her rival (June Lockhart). Also starring Ritch Brinkley and Joshua Rudoy. | ||||||
| 35 | 11 | "What If...?" | Joan Darling | Anne Spielberg | December 8, 1986 | |
| A boy (Jake Hart) who sees things randomly disappearing worries why his status-seeking parents (Clare Kirkconnell and Tom McConnell) are more concerned with their social outings than they are with his problems. Also starring Dennis Haskins and Michael Horse. | ||||||
| 36 | 12 | "The Eternal Mind" | J. Michael Riva | Julie Moskowitz & Gary Stephens | December 29, 1986 | |
| A dying scientist (Jeffrey Jones) becomes the first subject of a test merging man and machine. Also starring Katherine Borowitz and Robert Axelrod. | ||||||
| 37 | 13 | "Lane Change" | Ken Kwapis | Ali Marie Matheson | January 12, 1987 | |
| A divorced woman (Kathy Baker) gets a glimpse of her past when she picks up a stranded driver (Priscilla Pointer). | ||||||
| 38 | 14 | "Blue Man Down" | Paul Michael Glaser | Story by : Steven Spielberg Teleplay by : Jacob Epstein & Daniel Lindley | January 19, 1987 | |
| A police officer (Max Gail) who lost his partner (Chris Nash) taking on a criminal in the midst of a supermarket robbery regains his confidence with the help of his new partner (Kate McNeil). Also starring Sal Viscuso and Richard Epcar. | ||||||
| 39 | 15 | "The 21-Inch Sun" | Nick Castle | Bruce Kirschbaum | February 2, 1987 | |
| A sitcom writer (Robert Townsend) writes a script thanks to a spider plant that absorbs TV rays. Also starring Michael Lerner and Craig Richard Nelson. | ||||||
| 40 | 16 | "Family Dog" | Brad Bird | Brad Bird | February 16, 1987 | |
| In this show's only animated episode that led to the cartoon series of the same name, a dog (voiced by Brad Bird) goes through life with his family (voiced by Stan Freberg, Annie Potts, Scott Menville, and Brooke Ashley). Also starring the voices of Jack Angel, Marshall Efron, Mercedes McCambridge, and Stanley Ralph Ross. | ||||||
| 41 | 17 | "Gershwin's Trunk" | Paul Bartel | Paul Bartel & John Meyer | March 13, 1987 | |
| A lyricist (Bob Balaban) seeks inspiration from the spirit of George Gershwin (Dana Gladstone) with the assistance of a psychic (Lainie Kazan). Also starring John McCook and Paul Bartel. | ||||||
| 42 | 18 | "Such Interesting Neighbors" | Graham Baker | Story by : Jack Finney Teleplay by : Mick Garris & Tom McLoughlin | March 20, 1987 | |
| The Lewise family (Frederick Coffin, Marcia Strassman and Ian Fried) suspects their new neighbors the Hellenbacks (Victoria Caitlin, Adam Ant, and Ryan McWhorter) of causing time to repeat. | ||||||
| 43 | 19 | "Without Diana" | Lesli Linka Glatter | Mick Garris | March 27, 1987 | |
| A man (Billy "Green" Bush) and his dying wife (Dianne Hull) are comforted by the daughter (Gennie James) they lost 40 years ago. | ||||||
| 44 | 20 | "Moving Day" | Robert Stevens | Frank Kerr | April 3, 1987 | |
| A teenager (Stephen Geoffreys) learns that he and his family (Mary Ellen Trainor and Dennis Lipscomb) are moving to the planet Alturus. | ||||||
| 45 | 21 | "Miss Stardust" | Tobe Hooper | Story by : Richard Matheson Teleplay by : Thomas E. Szollosi & Richard Christian Matheson | April 10, 1987 | |
| An alien ("Weird Al" Yankovic) threatens to destroy Earth if the Miss Stardust beauty pageant doesn't allow contestants from other worlds. This causes a public relations worker (Dick Shawn) to give in to his demands and allow aliens to compete in the Miss Stardust pageant. Also starring Laraine Newman, Rick Overton, Jack Carter, James Karen, Jim Siedow, and Angel Tompkins. | ||||||
Soundtrack
In 1999, Varèse Sarabande released a CD containing a rerecording of the scores for the episodes "The Mission" and "Dorothy and Ben" (John Williams and Georges Delerue respectively) plus Williams' opening and closing themes, performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and conducted by Joel McNeely.
In 2006–2007, Intrada released three volumes of original music from the series, covering the impressive lineup of composers who worked on it and featuring all of the most noteworthy scores (with the exception of Danny Elfman and Steve Bartek's "The Family Dog," because the masters could not be found – a brief suite is on Music for a Darkened Theatre: Vol. 2, however), as well as two alternate versions of Williams' main title theme, one used just once (Alternate #1, on "Alamo Jobe")[10] and the other never used.[11] The album is also notable for the premiere release of the music Williams composed for the Amblin Entertainment logo (although the logo music is not heard on the show itself).
Other than Williams, Bruce Broughton and Billy Goldenberg are the only composers to be represented on all three volumes. The running times below indicate the cumulative time for each score rather than the time of each track. (The series theme is not quoted in any of the episode scores, with the exception of "Ghost Train.")
Volume 1 (2006)
CD1:
- Amazing Stories Main Title – John Williams (1:02)
- Ghost Train – John Williams (15:45)
- Alamo Jobe – James Horner (10:01)
- Gather Ye Acorns – Bruce Broughton (18:37)
- The Doll – Georges Delerue (10:09)
- The Amazing Falsworth – Billy Goldenberg (8:47)
CD2:
- Amazing Stories Bumper #1 – John Williams (:04)
- Moving Day – David Shire (13:41)
- Without Diana – Georges Delerue (12:39)
- Mummy, Daddy – Danny Elfman & Steve Bartek (13:26)
- Vanessa in the Garden – Lennie Niehaus (13:23)
- Welcome to My Nightmare – Bruce Broughton (16:04)
- Amazing Stories End Credits – John Williams (:29)
- Amblin Logo – John Williams (:15)
Volume Two (2006)
CD 1:
- Amazing Stories Main Title Alternate #1 – John Williams (1:03)
- Boo! – Jerry Goldsmith (12:13)
- What If...? – Billy Goldenberg (12:32)
- Dorothy and Ben – Georges Delerue (10:10)
- The Main Attraction – Craig Safan (12:09)
- Such Interesting Neighbors – David Newman (17:13)
- Thanksgiving – Bruce Broughton (12:14)
CD 2:
- Amazing Stories Bumper #2 – John Williams (:04)
- Hell Toupee – David Shire (13:41)
- One for the Road – Johnny Mandel (8:40)
- The Remote Control Man – Arthur B. Rubinstein (12:53)
- The Greibble – John Addison (15:43)
- No Day at the Beach – Leonard Rosenman (11:04)
- Santa '85 – Thomas Newman (13:05)
- Amazing Stories End Credits – John Williams (:29)
- Amblin Logo (Christmas Version) – John Williams (:15)
Volume Three (2007)
CD 1:
- Amazing Stories Main Title Alternate #2 – John Williams (1:03)
- Go to the Head of the Class – Alan Silvestri (26:58)
- The Wedding Ring – Craig Safan (12:51)
- Mirror, Mirror – Michael Kamen (24:56)
- Mr. Magic – Bruce Broughton (12:50)
CD 2:
- Amazing Stories Bumper #1 – John Williams (:04)
- Secret Cinema – Billy Goldenberg (7:56)
- Life on Death Row – Fred Steiner (13:57)
- The Pumpkin Competition – John Addison (14:29)
- Grandpa's Ghost – Pat Metheny (11:06)
- The Mission – John Williams (29:55)
- Amazing Stories End Credits – John Williams (:29)
- Amblin Logo (Alternate) – John Williams (:15)
Reception
The series gained a number of positive reviews.[12][13][14] However, some reviewers were unimpressed with the show, with Jeff Jarvis of People saying "Amazing Stories is one of the worst disappointments I've ever had watching TV."[15]
Primetime Emmy Awards
| Year | Category | Nominee(s) | Episode | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series | Steven Spielberg | "The Mission" | Nominated |
| Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | John Lithgow | "The Doll" | Won | |
| Outstanding Cinematography for a Series | John McPherson | "The Mission" | Won | |
| Outstanding Achievement in Costuming for a Series | Sanford Slepak, Carol Hybi, Daniel Grant North, Deahdra Scarano | "Ghost Train" | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Achievement in Makeup for a Series | Joseph Roveto, Jane Ruhm, James Cullen, Fran Vega-Buck | "Gather Ye Acorns" | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series | Richard L. Anderson, Wayne Allwine, James Christopher, George Fredrick, John Stacy, Burton Weinstein, Lettie Odney, Denise Whiting, Kenneth Wannberg | "The Mission" | Won | |
| Outstanding Achievement in Costuming for a Series | Joseph Roveto, Jane Ruhm, James Cullen, Fran Vega-Buck | "Gather Ye Acorns" | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Editing for a Series – Single Camera Production | Joe Ann Fogle | "Mummy, Daddy" | Nominated | |
| Steven Kemper | "The Mission" | Nominated | ||
| 1987 | Outstanding Makeup for a Series | Michael Westmore, Mark Bussan, Chuck House, Fred C. Blau Jr. | "Without Diana" | Won |
| Outstanding Cinematography for a Series | John McPherson | "Go to the Head of the Class" | Nominated |
Spin-offs
One episode of the show, "Family Dog", was spun off into its own series. Six years after Amazing Stories finished its run, Family Dog ran on CBS for ten episodes before being pulled off the schedule.
The video game The Dig originated as an idea Spielberg had for Amazing Stories, but decided it would be too expensive to film.[16]
In 1986, Steven Bauer wrote two novelizations of the series which were both published by Charter Books in the US and Futura Books in the UK. The first book, Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories (October 1986, ISBN 0-441-01906-4), adapted episodes 5, 12, 9, 2, 7 and 12, while the second book, Volume II of Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories (December 1986, ISBN 0-441-01912-9), adapted episodes 7, 20, 8, 11, 18, 25, 4, 3, 21, 17 and 19.
In 1985–86, TSR published six tie-in novels under the Amazing Stories banner. They were branching (Choose Your Own Adventure style) books where the reader chose where to jump at key points.[17]
- The 4-D Funhouse by Clayton Emery and Earl Wajenberg. Cover by Jeff Easley. ISBN 0-394-74176-5
- Jaguar! by Morris Simon. Cover by Jeff Easley. ISBN 0-88038-256-2
- Portrait in Blood by Mary L. Kirchoff (credited as Mary Kirchoff). Cover by Jeff Easley. ISBN 0-88038-258-9
- Nightmare Universe by Gene DeWeese and Robert Coulson. Cover by Jeff Easley. ISBN 0-88038-259-7
- Starskimmer by John Betancourt. Cover by Doug Chaffee.
- Day of the Mayfly by Lee Enderlin. Cover by Doug Chaffee.
The 1987 film Batteries Not Included was originally planned to be a segment for the series[citation needed], but Spielberg thought the story would work better on the big screen instead of television.
Reboot
On October 23, 2015, it was announced that NBC was developing a reboot of the series with Bryan Fuller writing the pilot episode and executive producing alongside Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank. Production companies involved with the series were set to include Universal Television. Steven Spielberg was not expected to be involved with the new series.[18] On May 5, 2017, NBC and Universal Television were formally notified that their option rights to the Amazing Stories properties had been withdrawn. Rights for the development of a genre television series under the name Amazing Stories were subsequently sold to Experimenter Media LLC.[19]
On October 10, 2017, it was announced that Apple Inc. made a deal with Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television and NBC Universal to develop a new, ten-episode series on Apple's streaming service, Apple TV+.[20] On February 7, 2018, it was announced that Fuller had stepped down as showrunner of the series over creative differences. It was further reported that it was unclear whether he would have a different role on the project going forward. He had not delivered a script to Apple before his amicable departure.[21] Later that day, it was also announced that executive producer Hart Hanson was exiting the series as well.[22] On May 22, 2018, it was announced that Once Upon a Time creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz had joined the production as executive producers and showrunners.[23]
Home media
VHS
A selection of the original series episodes were released in the VHS format in 1993; these were titled "Book One" through "Book Five" in the US. In Japan and Europe episodes were cut together as movies and released in 8 volumes during the late 1980s, early 1990s. A three-tape VHS (PAL) set was released in the UK in 2001.
Europe/Japan VHS series
- Amazing Stories: The Movie (1987) - contains "The Mission", "Mummy Daddy" and "Go To The Head Of The Class"
- Amazing Stories II (1987) - contains "The Amazing Falsworth", "Ghost Train" and "The Wedding Ring"
- Amazing Stories III (1988) - contains "The Griebble", "Moving Day" and "Miscalculation"
- Amazing Stories IV (1988) - contains "Dorothy And Ben", "Family Dog" and "The Main Attraction"
- Amazing Stories V (1989) - contains "The Doll", "Thanksgiving" and "Life On Death Row"
- Amazing Stories VI (1989) - contains "Mirror, Mirror", "Blue Man Down" and "Mr Magic"
- Amazing Stories VII (1990) - contains "The 21-Inch Sun", "Magic Saturday", "You Gotta Believe Me" and "One Amazing Night (Santa '85)"
- Amazing Stories VIII (1990) - contains "The Pumpkin Competition", "Without Diana" and "Fine Tuning"
US VHS series
- Amazing Stories: Book One (1993) - contains "The Mission" and "The Wedding Ring"
- Amazing Stories: Book Two (1993) - contains "Go To The Head Of The Class" and "Family Dog"
- Amazing Stories: Book Three (1993) - contains "Life On Death Row", "The Amazing Falsworth" and "No Day At The Beach"
- Amazing Stories: Book Four (1993) - contains "Mirror Mirror", "Mr Magic" and "Blue Man Down"
- Amazing Stories: Book Five (1993) - contains "The Pumpkin Competition", "Without Diana" and "Fine Tuning"
DVD
Between 2006 and 2009, The Complete First Season was released on DVD in the US, UK, France, Holland, Italy, Scandinavia, Spain and Australia. In 2009, both seasons were released in Germany and Japan only. In Germany both seasons were released as 12 separate DVDs or a complete box set, which was also reissued in 2011. All countries' DVDs contain the original English soundtrack, while Italy, Germany, France, Spain and Japan have a second soundtrack, dubbed in their respective languages. The second season was never released in any video format in America despite much demand by collectors.
Apple iTunes
On January 8, 2018, Seasons 1 and 2 were released on Apple iTunes in standard definition.
Foreign broadcasts
In 1992, the series was somewhat erratically screened in Britain by BBC1 and BBC2 – billed in the Radio Times as "Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories" – with episodes airing at any time from early on Sunday morning (such as "The Family Dog") to weekday evenings (like "Such Interesting Neighbors") to very late at night (for instance "Mirror, Mirror"); it later received a more coherent run on Sci-Fi. Three of the episodes ("The Mission", "Mummy Daddy" and "Go to the Head of the Class") were packaged together as an anthology film and released theatrically in several European countries such as Spain, France (July 10, 1986) or Finland (June 26, 1987), and also in Australia on September 17, 1987. It later appeared on LaserDisc in Japan as Amazing Stories: The Movie shortly afterwards.
Until 2006, the Sci Fi Channel in the United States showed episodes on an irregular schedule. The MoviePlex channel also showed the series as a collection of "movies," which are blocks of three episodes.
US TV movies
- Amazing Stories: The Movie (1992) - contains "The Mission" and "Go to the Head of the Class"
- Amazing Stories: The Movie II (1992) - contains "Santa ('85)", "The Wedding Ring", "Ghost Train" and "The Doll"
- Amazing Stories: The Movie III (1992) - contains "Mummy Daddy", "Family Dog", "Remote Control Man" and "Guilt Trip"
- Amazing Stories: The Movie IV (1992) - contains "Life on Death Row", "Mirror Mirror", "The Amazing Falsworth" and "Vanessa In The Garden"
- Amazing Stories: The Movie V (1992) - contains "The Sitter", "Grandpa's Ghost", "Dorothy and Ben" and "Gershwin's Trunk"
- Amazing Stories: The Movie VI (1992) - contains "The Main Attraction", "Gather Ye Acorns", "You Gotta Believe Me" and "Lane Change"
References
- ^ Harmetz, Aljean (June 2, 1986). "'Amazing Stories' Tries New Tactics". The New York Times. from the original on February 3, 2018. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- ^ Gendel, Morgan (September 11, 1985). "Spielberg's Amazing Pr Tour By Satellite". Los Angeles Times. from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- ^ "1985-86 Ratings History". thetvratingsguide.com.
- ^ "1986-87 Ratings History". thetvratingsguide.com.
- ^ Gordon, Larry (December 5, 1985). "Leap to Spielberg Show Is Director's 'Amazing Story'". Los Angeles Times. from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- ^ Bennetts, Leslie (July 31, 1984). "Spielberg to Produce Adventure Series for NBC". The New York Times. from the original on April 7, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- ^ Carlson, Wayne E. (2017-06-20), "6.5 Robert Abel and Associates", Computer Graphics and Computer Animation: A Retrospective Overview, The Ohio State University, retrieved 2021-07-06
- ^ Lowry, Brian (March 6, 2020). "'Amazing Stories' feels a little less amazing in a 'Black Mirror' world". CNN. from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ "Amazing Stories: The Mission (1985 episode in the series)". aerovintage.com. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
- ^ Burlingame, Jon, liner notes, Amazing Stories: Anthology Two, Intrada, 2006
- ^ Burlingame, Jon, liner notes, Amazing Stories: Anthology Three, Intrada, 2007
- ^ Tartikoff, Brandon (June 6, 1986). "'Amazing Stories' Failed In Ratings, But Will Return". Sun Sentinel. from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- ^ Kelley, Bill (November 1, 1985). "Sunday's 'Amazing' Story One Of The Best So Far". Sun Sentinel. from the original on October 16, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- ^ Kelley, Bill (September 22, 1985). "Speilberg's Tales For Television Filmmaker Steven Spielberg Says Brevity Is The Soul - And The Challenge - Of Amazing Stories". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- ^ Jarvis, Jeff (November 11, 1985). "Picks and Pans Review: Amazing Stories Nbc". People. from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- ^ Plunkett, Luke (November 2, 2011). "So, a Giant Asteroid is Heading for Earth...Again..." Kotaku. from the original on November 4, 2011. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- ^ "Amazing Stories". gamebooks.org. from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- ^ Hibberd, James (October 23, 2015). "'Amazing Stories' being revived at NBC with 'Hannibal' boss". Entertainment Weekly. from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
- ^ Davidson, Steve. "Experimenter Publishing Company Forms Experimenter Media LLC to Develop Amazing Stories Name". Amazing Stories. Experimenter Publishing Company. from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
- ^ Koblin, John (10 October 2017). "Apple Joins Forces With Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television". The New York Times. from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 7, 2018). "'Amazing Stories': Bryan Fuller Steps Down As Showrunner Of Apple Series". Deadline. from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
- ^ Patten, Dominic; Andreeva, Nellie (February 8, 2018). "'Amazing Stories': Executive Producer Hart Hanson Exits Apple Series Reboot". Deadline. from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 22, 2018). "'Amazing Stories': Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz Set As Showrunners For Apple Series, Re-Up ABC Studios Overall Deal". Deadline. from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
External links
- Amazing Stories at IMDb
- Amazing Stories at The Interviews: An Oral History of Television
- . scifi.com. Syfy. Archived from the original on April 16, 2004.