Eerie, Indiana (1991–1992)

Marshall Teller's family moves to the small country town of Eerie, Indiana (Pop. 16,661). There, Marshall discovers that Eerie, as he puts it, "is the center of weirdness for the universe".... See full summary »

Creators:

Jose Rivera, Karl Schaefer

Stars:

Omri Katz, Justin Shenkarow, Mary-Margaret Humes

5 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Omri Katz	...	Marshall Teller (19 episodes, 1991-1992)
Justin Shenkarow	...	Simon Holmes (19 episodes, 1991-1992)
Mary-Margaret Humes	...	Marilyn Teller (19 episodes, 1991-1992)
Francis Guinan	...	Edgar Teller (19 episodes, 1991-1992)
Julie Condra	...	Syndi Teller (19 episodes, 1991-1992)

Storyline

Marshall Teller's family moves to the small country town of Eerie, Indiana (Pop. 16,661). There, Marshall discovers that Eerie, as he puts it, "is the center of weirdness for the universe". Elvis lives there, so do a pair of twins who stay young by sleeping in Tupperware, and many other strange things. Each episode, Marshall and his friend Simon collect evidence about the creepy things that happen there.

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Plot Keywords:

children | small town | family relationships

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Genres:

Drama | Family | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-Y7

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 September 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gli acchiappamostri

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cosgrove/Meurer Productions, Hearst Entertainment Productions, Unreality

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 30 min (19 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Crazy Credits

The episode "Tornado Days" about a giant tornado called "Old Bob" credits "Old Bob as himself."

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Connections

Featured in Brilliant But Cancelled (2002)

User Reviews

Beats all competition

I fondly remember watching reruns of this show on MoviePlex two or three years ago, when I was twelve or thirteen. Even back then, I knew how much better this was than the more popular shows of the time--"Are You Afraid of the Dark" and "Goosebumps." There are so many reasons, I don't even know where to begin.

I'd say the principal reasons this show was so good was mostly because A) it didn't take itself too seriously and B) it didn't talk down to kids. Too many shows underestimate a child's resilience, and so they throw tired plots and cheesy "scares" at them, thinking (and unfortunately, they are usually correct) that these children will be satisfied. I only believe this works because most kids don't know until later what they are missing. But the thing that irks me most about Goosebumps (and, sometimes, Are You Afraid of the Dark) is that they take these cheesy scares so seriously that it quickly becomes not just silly, but in fact plain ridiculous. Not so with Eerie. Here, the plots are outlandish, unbelievable, and perhaps outright absurd, but the makers realize this, and so they are never _silly_. For example, one episode I remember concerned a group of ladies who are obsessed with a brand of Tupperware called "Foreverware," or some such thing, which keeps all food products fresh forever (one lady comments that she packaged some peas "when Jimmy Carter was president, and they're still as fresh as the day I opened them"). But, Marshall and Simon discover the ladies use Foreverware for more than just food storage--like remaining eternally young! Sounds about as frightening as a killer sponge under the sink (*cough R.L. Stine cough*), but not only do they make it work, they make it fun! I don't believe the intention of the show was ever to frighten (although it does get suspenseful at times). I think it was made to cause wonder, explore some of life's little mysteries, and perhaps even spoof the world we live in. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a satire, of life or of other horror shows, but it definitely has a tongue-in-cheek approach to things, and a dry sense of humor is usually present.

To conclude, I can only say I really hope this is out on video somewhere. It's better than Goosebumps in every way imaginable, and more consistent than Are You Afraid of the Dark. And best of all, it won't induce an urge to puke, groan, or even roll your eyes.