Stay Tuned (1992) User Reviews

An old personal favourite!

[supertom-3 · 7/10 · 24 July 2004]

I have always liked this film, since I was younger. It's an expensive flop but at the same time I think it has plenty of laughs and is entertaining. The late great John Ritter is always good value and likeable as is Pam Dawber, the ultimate fanciable former sitcom star. She is differently attractive and I have always fancied her like many others, particularly from the Mork And Mindy days, you know that sitcom with Robin Williams that you used to find funny but when you look back now it kinda sucks!

This is good family entertainment. It's inconsistent and some of the references aren't that funny but on the most part the referencing of old movies and TV shows is where most of the humour lies. Good fun. ***

Silly, but ultimately satisfying TV spoof.

[pleiades10 · 6/10 · 1 April 2001]

"Stay Tuned" introduces us to the depressing world of Roy Knable, a man whom lives for television. When his wife Helen tosses a bowling trophy through the TV set in a desperate attempt to gain her husband's attention, he finds himself in the market for a replacement set... and thats where "Spike" comes in. Spike seems to be simply a pushy cable tv salesman, until we see that Spike works for the Devil himself!

Soon Roy and Helen find themselves sucked into the world of bad cable tv, filled with bizarre spoofs of Wayne's World, Driving Miss Daisy, MTV, 1940's black and white mystery movies, stereotypical westerns, and so on. The catch? They must stay alive for 24 hours, at which point they are allowed to come back to Earth. If they die in that time frame, their souls are doomed to hell forever.

As Roy and Helen, John Ritter and Paw Dawber are the perfect real-life sitcom graduates to play the suffering couple. Along the way, they deal with Spike (played by Jeffrey Jones - best known as Principal Rooney in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off") dogging their every move, and they make friends with Eugene Levy, as a demon executive cast off into the TV dimension by a threatened Spike.

Although the TV parodies skirt the line between wildly funny and clever, and dull and uninspired, the performances from the excellent cast make this better than it probably should be. The Underworld Wrestling Foundation sequence seems like it could have inspired MTV's current pop-culture parody, "Celebrity Deathmatch". And be sure to pay close attention to the animated "Robocat" sequence, directed by cartoon legend Chuck Jones, and featuring styles and motifs borrowed from Warner Bros classics, and Tom & Jerry shorts.

"Stay Tuned" is a funny film that although somewhat dated now, still manages to provide a wild ride.

Oh yeah, there IS a quick scene involving the sitcom that John Ritter is best known for, and it's one of the funniest moments in the film. Don't blink, or you may miss it! :^)

"You Wanted to Live in a TV Fantasy? Well, You Got Your Wish."

[mattstone137 · 5/10 · 16 March 2022]

There's so much potential in lampooning television. The medium, famously described by Newton Minow as a "vast wasteland" has always been known for being the cozy home of B-grade films, stale sitcoms, and endless advertisements. The landscape may look slightly different today, with the rise of both prestige television and reality trash pulling the medium in divergent avenues, but it was certainly ripe for ribbing in 1992, when Stay Tuned was released. The majority of this light comedy takes place in the tube but fundamentally ignores the opportunities inherent in its concept.

The film follows Roy and Helen Knable as they're sucked into their television set through a sinister dish offered by Spike, played by Jeffery Jones. Spike is the devil's minion, playing a betting game with God to see who can capture the most souls. If the Knables die while inside their television set, it's point Devil, but if they escape, they're free to continue living just as before. Helping them through their journey is outcast Crowley, played by Eugene Levy, and their kids, played by Heather McComb and David Tom.

The film is an action comedy, with slight action and little comedy. The funniest bits by far have nothing to do with the central plot. These are satirical asides, self-contained skits about popular television and film properties (The Exorcisist, which is a demonic fitness channel; Driving OVER Miss Daisy, which is exactly what it sounds like) that are quick and snappy. They're infrequent but usually provide some focused humor, a counter to the blandness surrounding them. Instead of deeply layered parody or satire about television or film, Stay Tuned offers up endless Hell-based puns; see "The Exorcisist," above.

The film's comedy is broad enough to please very few people, though the situations and channels The Knables find themselves trapped in are sometimes clever. The two best "channels" are a gameshow entitled "You Can't Win," which the Knables escape by trusting their own fidelity, and a Tom and Jerry rip off that's at least somewhat in the spirit of that classic show.

The writing is uninspired, but the set pieces are not. Each location The Knables are warped to seems plausible as both a real place in the world and a set for television filming. A combination of the Knable's random locations, Spike's attempts to cheat the game in his favor, the goofy one-off ads, and Eugene Levy popping up every so often is, in totality, enough to keep interest piqued throughout. The element of danger and death are needed, and deliver enough suspense when tasked to.

The performances are pleasant all around. As always, it's impossible not to like Ritter and Levy. They play off each other well and Levy is especially funny and charismatic as one of the devil's slimeball ex-minions. Jones plays a corrupted, smug executive well and Pam Dawber gives a sweet, restrained performance in the midst of the madness. Even McComb and Tom, their children, are charming, lively, and convincing. The material mostly fails the cast, but they trudge through it with heads held high.

Stay Tuned is a small film which has been forgotten to time, which is not really a shame. It makes little use of its evergreen premise, but works well enough as a vehicle for Ritten's charm. It's never easy to live up to the promise of a great premise and, like clockwork, the longer Stay Tuned plays, the greater it sags, until patience wanes entirely and the ending becomes a sweet release.

A surprising piece of entertainment.

[esotericstyle · 22 November 2004]

I stumbled upon this movie while channel flipping, ironically enough. I thought that the film was very well done, with just enough cheesy humor to keep me groaning and laughing. The jewels of the film were found in it's references and TV jokes. Some humor at actor Ritter's expense gives the impression that movie is making fun of itself. Jeffery Jones plays an excellent role, further showing off the actor's versatility. What the film lacked in plot, it made up for in originality. The highlight of the film is a cartoon segment done by the legendary Chuck Jones, parodying the Tom and Jerry clichés we all grew up with. All in all, a funny if not cheesy film, definitely worth watching.

Could Have Been So Much Better

[bing-57 · 7/10 · 30 June 2020]

The idea behind this movie was great. But, the writers missed so many opportunities for jokes. The characters in the movie jumped into probably 25 different movie or TV types. Each one was a ripe setup for several hilarious jokes. But, most of the time, the writers punted and just played it straight or relied on sight gags (which Ritter is known for).

So, they get dropped in the Arctic and wolves attack them. Not funny. They get dropped into a cat-and-mouse cartoon and the cat chases the mouse for ten minutes. Less funny than a real cat-and-mouse cartoon.They get dropped into a "professional" wrestling match and get thrown around the ring for a bit. Not funny.

Each scene was just bursting with comic potential, but the writers never went for the home run and always played it safe and bunted for the single. By the end, I was writing the big jokes in my head.

This movie is just begging to be remade with a team of actual comedians writing the script and, bonus, playing all the bit parts.

Don't change that channel.

[Hey_Sweden · 6/10 · 13 August 2019]

A moderately amusing comedy as well as a pretty blunt comment on the nature of boob tube addiction, "Stay Tuned" offers up some decent entertainment, if no real comedy fireworks. Two proven TV stars, John Ritter and Pam Dawber, are front and centre as Ritter plays shameless, unambitious couch potato Roy Knable, who unwittingly enters into a contract with one of Hells' top salesmen, Spike (Jeffrey Jones). Spike has just sold Roy a super-elaborate satellite system that sucks Roy and wife Helen (Dawber) into a TV netherworld that forces them to participate, whether they're trapped in a game show (You Can't Win), wrestling, or a private-eye mystery.

Admittedly, the segment that works best is the cartoon supervised by the legendary Chuck Jones; it really does feel like vintage Looney Tunes, and is a hoot to watch. The rest of the material yields modest chuckles throughout, with regular shots taken at TV and film titles that are given macabre spins: Driving Over Miss Daisy, Three Men and Rosemary's Baby, Northern Overexposure, etc. The actors make the best of the situation, with Ritter as a reasonably likeable guy who seems like a useless lump at first, but who will ultimately rise to the occasion. Jones is an effective antagonist; some of the biggest guffaws come from seeing him and Ritter in the Salt N Pepa music video. The supporting cast features some solid and reliable character faces: ever-endearing Eugene Levy of 'SCTV' fame, Don Calfa ("The Return of the Living Dead"), Erik King ('Dexter'), Bob Dishy ("Brighton Beach Memoirs"), etc.

Overall, "Stay Tuned" is fairly mild stuff, but it does make its points succinctly. It wraps up in a trim hour and a half, delivering in terms of pace and liveliness. The visual effects are also pretty good.

Any fan of Ritter will laugh out loud at the scene approximately 74 minutes into the running time, acknowledging his most famous role.

Six out of 10.

Holy Shatner!

[callanvass · 7/10 · 20 October 2013]

The Knables are a very dysfunctional family. Roy Knable (John Ritter) is a very unhappy person, who cares more about his T.V shows, than his wife Helen (Pam Dawber) his wife is fed up of it. They have two children who bicker constantly. Things are in complete and utter disarray. Roy gets an offer from a mysterious salesman named Spike. He offers up a satellite dish with over 600 channels for Roy's choosing. Being the T.V addict Roy is, he is very much enticed. He turns Spike down, so Spike gives Roy a free trial. His wife flips and is about to move out, but they get sucked into a hellish world, filled with sadistic T.V shows. Roy and Helen are forced to try and survive the gauntlet, and get back home

Not only is this movie clever, but I enjoyed it very much. This movie is made for film buffs. It's filled with spoofs of T.V titles, which cracked me up. This is definitely one of those misunderstood films, and it's almost cultish in a way. It's not going to be for everyone. Casual movie goers may not get into all the inside jokes, and stuff like that. But for people that watch a lot of movies and T.V shows on a yearly basis, will howl. There is even a bizarre cartoon sequence, where Roy and Helen play mouses, and try to evade a mechanical cat of sorts. Strangely enough, it was very funny. My favorite one is near the end of the movie, where Roy gets transported onto the Three's Company set. I won't spoil it all, but it's absolutely hilarious. Those that don't know, John Ritter was propelled into stardom due to Three's Company. I do have a minor carp. It did seem to me that Roy & Helen accepted their predicament a bit too easy. Maybe it was just me, which could be the case. The film also leaves their kids to be the heroes, and I especially found the sister annoying. John Ritter & Pam Dawber ace their parts with charisma and likability. Jeffrey Jones hams it up like no tomorrow, and is clearly having a blast. Eugene Levy is amusing as well

Stay Tuned for extra title jokes at the end credits!

Final Thoughts: This is a highly underrated film. I think many people didn't grasp what this movie was going for. I watch a ton of movies on a yearly basis. I managed to get most of the jokes. This is highly recommended for big movie fans, not so much for people that watch movies on a casual basis. I personally dug it

7.5/10

For 90s kids ONLY!

[youngcollind · 5/10 · 13 July 2022]

Stay Tuned is the kind of movie you stumble on as a kid, that fades into your memory like some weird dream you mighta once had. If you had asked me to rate it at the time, I probably would have given it two big thumbs up, then went back to my Ninja Turtles toys or whatever. Revisiting it as an adult, I'm prepared to meet my youthful enthusiasm halfway.

It's zany and fast paced, just simple, fun entertainment that will hold your attention without asking anything of your intellect. It plays to that family film formula that may be a bit schmaltzy, but is a little endearing at the same time.

The sense of humour gets pretty suspect though, as it's essentially a long string of bad puns and dated pop culture references. They range from moderately clever (David Dukes of Hazard) to unbelievably inane (Unmarried With Children). The appeal of the goofy gags is certainly best suited for a younger crowd, though the nods to 90s media are all so tied to the time period that I'd expect the bulk of the film would fly over the heads of anyone born after it's release. This makes it hard to recommend to literally anyone who hasn't already seen it and is deeply hurting for a nostalgia trip.

Great movie!

[Movie Nuttball · 10/10 · 30 August 2003]

Stay Tuned is a excellent movie! John Ritter, Pam Dawber, and Eugene Levy was good. Jeffrey Jones performed well. I like how the film was made. The scenes were really cool and the segment of Duane's Underworld was really funny! The wrestling match segment was awesome! George Gray played Mr. Gorgan. He was better known in the old wrestling days (when it was special in My opinion) of the WCW in the early 1990s as The One Man Gang and in the old WWF days in the 1980s as The One Man Gang and "The African Dream" Akeem! It was so cool seeing this 6'6, 400 plus pound wrestler because he is one of My all time favorites and also it was good to see Captain Lou Albano! Good music by Bruce Broughton and direction by Peter Hyams! Anyway, there is a whole bunch in the movie and is all I can say is that if you like Ritter, Dawber, Levy, and Jones and want a wild ride of a movie then I suggest you see Stay Tuned!

Very dated technology and pop culture references

[cricketbat · 6/10 · 27 January 2021]

Stay Tuned was a pretty gimmicky comedy when it was released back in 1992 and time hasn't been that kind to it. The technology is very dated now and the constant stream of pop culture references will most likely be lost on modern audiences. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this trip down television memory lane, and I still find Stay Tuned to be entertaining.

Great Premise Disappoints

[ReelCheese · 3/10 · 6 April 2007]

STAY TUNED offers a great comedic premise. John Ritter is a couch potato extraordinaire who gets what he may have long wished for when he is literally sucked into the 500-channel universe. Trouble is, this cable package is straight from h-e-double-hockey-sticks, with shows like "Duane's Underworld" and "Meet the Mansons." Along with wife Pam Dawber, he must survive 24 hours or be, to borrow a TV term, canceled.

The problem is, STAY TUNED never really capitalizes on this joke-rich notion. It starts out strong, but the continual TV parodies are often lame and gradually grow tiresome. The likable Ritter tries hard, he really does, but this material is far beneath him. Some of it is lightly funny, in a "Cracked" magazine kind of way, but most of it is not. And because it's basically a family film, things stay too tame to really please grown-ups.

Die-hard Ritter fans, 12-year-olds and staunch couch potatoes will get the most out of STAY TUNED. And although there's been much worse emitted from Hollywood, the rest of us are generally disappointed.

Yes, The Devil Made Me Watch This!

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 2 June 2007]

This was a clever and funny movie, much better than I anticipated. Most of the humor involves takeoff or parodies of television programs and movies. Being familiar with most of them, I enjoyed the humor. The takeoff involved having the devil take charge of some of these programs.

John Ritter and Pam Dawber play husband-and-wife "Roy and Helen Knable" who get sucked into buying a TV dish package straight from The Devil. After the purchase, which comes complete with 666 channels, mayhem ensues. There were a number of spots in here I just laughed out loud. Knowing a lot of the TV programs that were being spoofed helps a lot, of course, but there is a lot of good material in this film. The special-effects were pretty good, too, especially for a film that really never got a lot of exposure nor, I assume, had a huge budget.

Jeffrey Jones and Eugene Levy, two guys who are usually pretty funny, supply some good humor here, too. I looked at this strictly for laughs even though I know the devil is somebody to take seriously, but this film was anything but played for seriousness. As a bonus, we even got a Chuck Jones cartoon in the middle of the story.

This is one wacky movie and I'd like to see it on widescreen DVD. I last saw it on tape. This is recommended to those who enjoy dark humor.

yes, a silly movie CAN be eerily prescient

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 24 January 2013]

The 21st century has seen a number of reality shows, but none like this! John Ritter and Pam Dawber play a couple who get sucked into a satellite dish and sent through a world of twisted shows whose titles reminded me of some of the scenes in "UHF". One scene even lets John Ritter spoof his most famous role.

As it turns out, the movie may have been intended as something silly, but it now looks more serious. So many reality shows force people to perform self-degrading acts for money - like what Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr do in "The Magic Christian" - while the audience cheers the whole thing on. Viewers end up desensitized to things previously considered appalling, sometimes thinking that a real-life tragedy is part of the show (like what happens at the end of "Phantom of the Paradise").

But like I said, the movie was almost certainly intended as totally silly, and it comes out really funny. Mind you, you'll only get the jokes if you know a lot of TV shows. I figure that if the movie got made now, other spoofed titles could be "666 Feet Under" and "No Country for Mad Men".

Wild Satiric Comedy.

[AaronCapenBanner · 5/10 · 29 August 2013]

John Ritter and Pam Dawber(both sitcom veterans) play Roy and Helen Knable, a suburban couple who unwittingly become sucked into their new television, and find themselves bouncing through different TV series & movies, which are being aired on a demonic TV station run by Spike(Jeffrey Jones, well cast) who puts them through(among other unfortunate TV watchers) an ordeal to see if he can capture their souls for Satan, and earn himself a promotion! Plot of course is ludicrous, but this is supposed to be a comedy, and while some of it is funny(amusing joke titles of TV series and films, and a clever in-joke with John Ritter and two old cast mates...) not enough of it is, as the film seems like a nutty cross between "Network" and "Beetle Juice"! Watchable to a point, but should have been grounded a little further in reality to be successful.

Doesn't anybody recognize the significance of this movie?

[robin-hill-2 · 4 January 2007]

The things that Ritter's character found 'hellish' back in '92 are now common fare - e.g. stabbing each other in the back (figuratively) in 'The Apprentice', 'Survivor', etc.; paternity tests on 'Maury'; revealing the adultery of spouses (and nude wrestling) on 'Springer'; not to mention Jackass, Southpark or Borat.

I think the word is prescient.

I have often thought over the years about how this movie was so outrageously impossible when it was made, but how, within a few years how mainstream much of the portrayed content had become.

I think this is a movie - although a low budget comedy (dare I use the descriptor "B"?) - that should be recognized for its historical significance, and perhaps studied in sociology courses about the effect of media on society (or more exactly - the effect of media on media).

The significance of this movie has been overlooked.

You'll Stay Tuned

[themovieraidshow · 7/10 · 9 November 2023]

The concept story where heaven and hell have their war over souls displayed in a positive light involving Hell to lure people who watch too much TV be apart of its programming. It's a charming film with a good cast, John Ritters character becomes the encouraging Underdog.

This film is easily hidden away and should be apart of any families library. The story may seem light but it executes its purpose.

Character wise their wholesome and an homage to popular films and TV shows the characters ventures through.

Even displaying the TV shows that Roy watches on Hell TV is clever including Salt N Peppa making an appearance. It is an underrated film its charm and innocent.

That old stuff aging well

[opticuscro · 7/10 · 28 September 2022]

Hm... I watched this movie a long time ago, and due to the lack of good movies today and becouse the pollution of the new movies by woke-diversity trend agenda, I occasionally watch older ones. I recently watched this movie again. I'm kind of divided in my opinion, I don't like hell-themed films, but this one is somehow a pioneer in its field. Original story and good visual effects considering the period in which it was filmed. I'm not sure that this movie is worth recommending to fans of retro sci fi and fantasy, but I would definitely describe this movie as a below-average watchable time killer.

Light Satire

[Foggy-7 · 7/10 · 23 August 1999]

The Boston Phoenix review of this movie sarcastically lambasted its lack of depth, meaning, and relevance. Shakespeare this ain't; it's a formula comedy with some great laughs that make fun of the idiot box. John Ritter is always hit and miss, but it's nice to see Pam Dawber working. Jeffrey Jones is a great devil that doesn't really seem evil.

A weak Hollywood parody of weak TV programs...

[Oryx · 4/10 · 2 June 1999]

This movie aims to be a parody of television programming, but aims low and barely even hits that. Watching this movie is a bit like sitting with a friend who tells not-so-funny jokes, and then laughs really hard at them. I got the feeling the people making this movie thought they were being rather witty, but the end result didn't turn out nearly as clever as they thought it would.

Not horrible, and if you're in the right mood for utter fluff, it may be worth a look, but don't go out of your way to watch it.

Seriously underrated horror comedy

[BrandtSponseller · 10/10 · 15 January 2005]

Roy Knable (John Ritter) loves watching television so much that his marriage is falling apart because of it. When a door-to-door salesman shows him a high-tech remote control, Ritter listens to his pitch, and buys into it when he discovers that it's for a new television and satellite system that offers 666 channels of programming--much of which is not available anywhere else. However, the salesman may not have been what he seemed to be, and Knable soon discovers that he may have agreed to a contract that obligated him to give up more than money.

Oh, how I loved this film! Director Peter Hyams and the writing crew of Tom S. Parker, Jim Jennewein and Richard Siegel definitely had my number on this one. Stay Tuned is a very clever horror comedy that is extremely underrated and perhaps was a bit mismarketed. Although I'm a huge horror fan, and love horror comedies, I'd never heard of this one before (however, later I did find references to it in a couple horror sources, so it seems it wasn't completely overlooked by the industry and fans). But the horror aspect of the film doesn't appear to be advertised anywhere. I watched this on HBO's Family Channel. Even though Knable's son is important to the plot and there are strong fantasy aspects, this is not really a family film. Not that kids might not like the film, but they'd have to be kids who like horror (comedies) and whose parents let them watch horror (comedies). Enjoyment of the film is also helped by having a familiarity with the material that is being spoofed, and the references are broad enough that it would take years of experience to acquire that familiarity.

Why spoofed? Well, on one level, Stay Tuned is just a long series of crafty takes on film and television programs and genres, giving many well-known classics a more immediate horror twist--immediate because they all put our heroes, Knable and his wife Helen (Pam Dawber), in peril in some way. There are many more subtle jokes, as well, and the film even pokes fun at film students/film geeks. The spoofs range from silly to poignant, and can be as quick as a title or as long as ten minutes or so. One of the best is a classic Warner Brothers-styled animated segment. The style and the quality should not be surprising, as Chuck Jones designed and supervised the animation.

Under different hands, maybe this material wouldn't be quite as good as it is. Hyams' direction is spot-on throughout the film, the script (including the dialogue) is very intelligent, and in addition to Ritter and Dawber being as good as I've seen them, Stay Tuned also features Jeffrey Jones (one of my favorite character actors) and Eugene Levy. Both are fantastic.

Stay Tuned deserves much wider recognition. It is funny, suspenseful and seems to draw from a well of endless inventiveness. It's as good as any other horror comedy I've seen. There is also a surface message of turning off the television and living your life, which is a worthwhile sentiment, but perhaps a harder sell when it is packaged in a film as excellent as this.

A 10 out of 10 from me.

some fun

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 14 November 2017]

Darryl Knable is a nerdy kid in the suburbs. He likes to modify the TV and do his own broadcast. His dad Roy (John Ritter) however is obsessed with watching TV nonstop while struggling as a salesman. His successful wife Helen (Pam Dawber) breaks the TV in frustration. A mysterious stranger named Spike (Jeffrey Jones) offers Roy a magic remote and a giant TV to access a massive new TV package. Helen tries to leave Roy and both are sucked into Hellvision by the satellite dish. Darryl suspects foul play but his sister Diane just wants to party. Spike with his minion Crowley (Eugene Levy) have 24 hours to send Roy and Helen down to the devil.

I'm a couch potato and this takes a good jab at people like me. I would probably like it more if Roy didn't start off so pathetically. Ritter is doing a lot of his bumbling pratfalls. This becomes a series of TV spoofs. Some of it works great in terms of danger in the scheme of the story. It's especially great when Roy uses his TV knowledge to good use. Sometimes the spoof is nothing but a spoof. The endless spoofs become repetitive tired puns. Obviously, there's the Three's Company scene. That's fun but there's no Mork & Mindy. The cartoon is the only truly fun section while the others are functional. It's not anything spectacular.

A good premise, but middling execution.

[IonicBreezeMachine · 5/10 · 21 May 2020]

What would happen if you took Dante's Inferno and themed it after American television? That's the basic premise of Stay Tuned where clueless couch potato Roy and exasperated "at the end of her rope" Helen get sucked into their "free" cable package while in the midst of a marital spat. First off the good: The production design of the world of Hellevision is absolutely fantastic, it has a diverse collection of themes ranging from tacky Chuck Barris style game shows to violent Tom & Jerry inspired animation. Visually speaking the film is pitch perfect in capturing the look and feel of a fun house mirror nightmare inspired by TV. The writing however is not as strong. The Knable family consisting of the previously mentioned Roy and Helen, as well a children airheaded Diane and tech saavy Darryl feel so much like they belong in a siitcom that they don't work as straight men for the insanity that befalls them. Both Pam Dawber(Helen) and John Ritter(Roy) are best known for the their sitcom work on Mork and Mindy and Three's Company(to which a reference is made in movie), and they're both playing these roles like sitcom characters and this robs the premise of much of its comedic potential because instead of a level headed straight man placed against an insane scenario, we have wacky characters in a wackier scenario. The movie isn't a complete failure as there are a few moments of inspired humor such as a game show spoof called "You Can't Win" and an animated Looney Toons homage directed by Chuck Jones that has Roy and Helen as anthropomorphic mice being mercilessly hunted by a robotic cat(in probably their most grounded moment). But for every part that works, there's one that doesn't. This is mainly because many of the setups they have don't go beyond the pun they make on recognizable titles such as Saturday Night Dead with a skit of "Duane's Underworld" or Northern Overexposure where they're trapped in a snowy wasteland hunted by wolves with not much beyond that. There are comic opportunities that the movie just outright ignores, why don't Helen and Roy ever find themselves poorly dubbed by a sound alike when they swear for example as a dig at broadcast standards and practices? Why couldn't they crash an over the top soap opera? or how come they're never run across an aggressive commercial or infomercial? Stay Tuned is by no means a bad movie, but it does make you wonder "why am I not laughing more?"

What's wrong with it? Heck if I know...

[Gislef · 8/10 · 4 June 1999]

I've read a few bad-type reviews on this, but that just shows what I know. i think Stay Tuned is one of the funnier movies to roll along in a while. Yeah, it's filled with TV rejects like Ritter, Dawber, and Levy, but they're still kinda funny. The funniest thing are the TV parodies (yes, they're funny, dammit), and the whole parody of the modern entertainment industry. Plus you've got a great Chuck Jones cartoon set right in the middle. Moves along just fast enough to keep your interest, and the characters are just tolerable enough you don't want to turn off on it. As was noted, it grows on you.

Horribly boring

[prine012478-1 · 2/10 · 27 November 2021]

I hung in for an hour I won't get back. The idea is great, but the presentation was dull and the attempts at humor strained.

Save yourself on boredom.

I just LOVE this movie!!!!

[rogelioduron · 14 September 2003]

A very long time ago i saw a trailer of this movie when i was on vacation in the US and i said that one day i´d get to see this movie, some years went by and on my first trip to California i went into a Suncoast store bought some movie souveniers and asked for this film, I found it with a regular price and bought it,at this time i had just seen the trailer, not read any reviews or nothing, i just knew i had to have it cause it looked cool on the trailer, I was so right in buying it, this movie is great, being myself a couch potato i can relate to George Knable (Played wonderfully by the recently deceased John Ritter) and the stuff that happens to him when hes sucked inside his new satellite dish with his wife into a programming of 666 channels into alternative horror versions of classic shows and movies,Theres even an MTV kind of video with Salt N Pepa that is so cool i had to buy the soundtrack of this movie, i love that sequence when theyre all dancing, To me this film rocks and its a must see, John has passed away just 2 days ago and i feel this movie as being his best movie of all because he is the main character and he does a great job at being funny, I will always remember John Ritter.