Remote Control Man 

A meek, unhappy and frustrated husband with a nagging wife and incorrigible sons finally finds solace in his new TV set that "comes alive" with the use of a magic remote control and gives ... See full summary »

Director:

Bob Clark

Writers:

Steven Spielberg (developer), Joshua Brand (developer)

Stars:

Sydney Lassick, Nancy Parsons, Philip Bruns

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Sydney Lassick	...	Walter Poindexter
Nancy Parsons	...	Grendel
Philip Bruns	...	Mr. Beasley
Jeff Cohen	...	Ralph (as Jeff B. Cohen)
David Stone	...	Maheshwara
Shawn Weatherly	...	Beauty Pageant Contestant
Kristian Alfonso
Lyle Alzado	...	Himself
Dirk Benedict	...	Face
Barbara Billingsley	...	June Cleaver
Gary Coleman	...	Arnold Jackson
Leann Hunley
Jim Lange	...	Himself
Ed McMahon	...	Himself
LaWanda Page	...	Aunt Esther Anderson

Storyline

A meek, unhappy and frustrated husband with a nagging wife and incorrigible sons finally finds solace in his new TV set that "comes alive" with the use of a magic remote control and gives him the chance to replace his family with various TV characters. But then reality hits.

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Plot Keywords:

hand stuck in a garbage disposal | remote control | new tv | nagging | television set | 

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 December 1985 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amblin Entertainment, Universal Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

25 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shawn Weatherly appears in a red swimsuit. For her role in 'Baywatch' two years later she would wear a similar costume.

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Connections

References The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962)

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Soundtracks

Turkey in the Straw
(uncredited)
Traditional

User Reviews

A Chance to See a Whole Host of Tiresome TV Stars of the Era

This is the story of a henpecked husband who is under constant stress from one of the worst families imaginable. His obese wife is literally abusive. He has two sons, one a bona fide brat and the other a Hare Krishna follower who is only true to that calling when it suits him. Dogs attack the man. People are terrible to him. He only wishes one thing. To sit in front of the TV. One day, the wife sells his TV. He is devastated. She has spent the money on trivial things and dares him to do something about it. He goes to a high tech TV dealership where he buys a TV that is beyond his wildest dreams. Of course, his wife is furious. As she attacks him, he clicks the remote, she disappears, being replace by a knock down gorgeous blonde who was on the TV at the time. What follows is a horror story as the characters who dominated the networks in 1985 (and before) show up to make things intolerable. It is a cute idea that is hit and miss. My favorite is Gary Coleman who plays his TV son (going by the name Beaver) and of course, Barbara Billingsly as his new wife. Watch it for the crazy denouement.