Steven Spielberg’s 1980s television series Amazing Stories was important for many budding fans of both science fiction and anthology shows. It contained the wonder and awe of a Spielberg film while refraining from the scares of other anthology projects like Tales From The Crypt or The Outer Limits. For a kid like me, it was the perfect recipe for something special. It lead me down a path that helped me discover The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery and other less-talked-about shows like Monsters and the 80s reboot of The Twilight Zone.
So when Apple announced that it was creating a new version of Amazing Stories for its streaming service, Apple TV+, I was very interested. Apple has the sort of money and dedication to allow filmmakers to really splurge and indulge, this wouldn’t be some half-assed affair. The first trailer for the new show, due March 6, gives us a taste of what to expect.
And what do I expect? Well, I expect to see a show that certainly looks like the original. The bits we see in the trailer above definitely resemble something Speilbergian in nature. It also has the classic Amazing Stories theme which honestly won me over more than any visuals.
Will it be any good though? Anthology shows are tricky. You have to win over the audience anew every single week. Each episode is a new chance to knock it out of the park or totally drop the ball. And Apple wants and needs a hit. The launch of Apple TV+ has not been the resounding success that they were expecting. There is still plenty of time (and money) to right the ship but the company is desperately wanting something — anything! — to grab the attention of audiences and the internet. Perhaps Amazing Stories will be that project that finally puts them on the cultural map. Or perhaps it’ll be yet another Apple TV+ series that is talked about for, oh, one day and then forgotten just as quickly.
What do you think? Does this feel like a proper remake of the beloved Spielberg series? We will find out when Amazing Stories premieres next month.