"Amazing Stories" (1985) TV series 1985-1987

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

29 September 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

In the extraordinary worlds of Amazing Stories!

Plot:

Television series created, produced, and twice directed by Steven Spielberg. Truly amazing, and sometimes odd stories are narrated...

Plot Keywords:

Anthology

Awards:

Won 5 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 10 nominations

Cast

Douglas Seale	...	Mike Malloy / ... (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Royal Dano	...	Elmer / ... (2 episodes, 1986)
Gary Riley	...	Jimmy / ... (2 episodes, 1985)
Larry Spinak	...	Arnold Skamp / ... (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Jonathan Luria	...	Cameraman / ... (2 episodes, 1986)
Ben Kronen	...	Bald Man / ... (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Pamela Guest	...	Assistant Director / ... (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Paul Bartel	...	Detective Watts / ... (2 episodes, 1986-1987)
Charles Durning	...	Assistant to the Boss / ... (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Louis Giambalvo	...	Dr. Templeton / ... (2 episodes, 1986)
Joshua Rudoy	...	Billy / ... (2 episodes, 1986)
Sharon Spelman	...	Mom / ... (2 episodes, 1986)
Jeff Cohen	...	Eddie / ... (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
J.J. Cohen	...	Bert / ... (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Tracey Walter	...	Blaze / ... (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Dana Gladstone	...	George Gershwin / ... (2 episodes, 1986-1987)
Rick Andosca	...	Haller / ... (2 episodes, 1986-1987)
Michael Horse	...	Indian / ... (2 episodes, 1986)
Taliesin Jaffe	...	Mark / ... (2 episodes, 1986)
Arnold Johnson	...	Johnny / ... (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Brad Bird	...	Scientist #2 (2 episodes, 1985-1987)
Fredric Cook	...	Dr. Wittenberg / ... (2 episodes, 1986-1987)
Jed Mills	...	Marshall / ... (2 episodes, 1986)
Lynn Kuratomi	...	Nurse #2 / ... (2 episodes, 1986-1987)
Billy Beck	...	Caretaker / ... (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Conrad Dunn	...	Gas Station Attendant / ... (2 episodes, 1986)
JoAnn Willette	...	Angela / ... (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
John McCook	...	Jerry Lane / ... (2 episodes, 1986-1987)
Eve Smith	...	Old Woman (2 episodes, 1985-1986)
Wade Mayer	...	Airline Representative #2 / ... (2 episodes, 1986-1987)
Gregory Wagrowski	...	Ben Oltman / ... (2 episodes, 1986)

Also Known As:

Steven Spielberg Presents Amazing Stories (Australia)
Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

30 min (45 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (1986-1987) | Stereo (1985-1986)

Certification:

Iceland:12 (tapes 1-3 and 5) | UK:12 (one episode) | UK:15 (some episodes) | UK:PG (some episodes) | UK:U (some episodes) | USA:PG-13 (video compilation) | Australia:PG (some episodes) | Argentina:13 | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:6 | South Korea:12 | Australia:M (some episodes) | Iceland:16 (tape 6) | Iceland:L (tapes 4, 7 and 8) | Finland:K-12 (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Pico House - 410 N. Main Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Amblin Entertainment

Trivia:

The title is taken from a bi-monthly, Sci-fi journal famous in the 1940s and '50s and edited by TV and film writer Howard Browne.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Monster House (2006)

Great series

Spielburg is truly one of our cinematic giants and were so lucky to have him. I remember that he said that he based Raiders Of The Lost Ark on all those cliffhanger movie serials that he saw as a kid. He is like a person with the mind of a genius and the heart of a child. Amazing Stories was his contribution to television and this series has been unfairly forgotten. It should have run longer and I am glad some of the episodes are out on video. It was imaginative and daring just like the movies Speilburg directed. It told different stories every week and used some of our finest actors in the roles. The one that touched my heart the most was one about a man who was a soldier in World War II and came home resented by his little girl. She wandered off in the woods during a picnic and was lost forever. Years later, when the old man's wife is on her deathbed, he hears a knock at the door and he opens it to see his little girl. She has come for her mother and takes her away. This was one of the most moving stories that I have ever seen and it almost brings tears to my eyes thinking of it even now. Some episodes were dramatic and some were funny but the point is that all were masterful and original. Fred Allen once said "No wonder they call tv a medium, nothing on it is ever well done". I think even Fred would have loved Amazing Stories.