Amazing Stories (2020 TV series)

Last updated
Amazing Stories
Genre
Based on Amazing Stories
by Steven Spielberg
Theme music composer John Williams
Composers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes5
Production
Executive producers
Editors
  • Sabrina Plisco
  • Geofrey Hildrew
  • Nona Khodai
Running time47–53 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network Apple TV+
ReleaseMarch 6 (2020-03-06) –
April 3, 2020 (2020-04-03)

Amazing Stories is an American anthology television series based on the 1985 television series of the same name created by Steven Spielberg. The series is produced for Apple TV+ and its executive producers for the series include Spielberg, Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz, Darryl Frank, and Justin Falvey. Episodes premiered between March 6 and April 3, 2020. [1]

Contents

Like the previous series, the name Amazing Stories is taken from the first science fiction magazine, which was launched in 1926 and has continued in various formats for decades.

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"The Cellar" Chris Long Jessica Sharzer March 6, 2020 (2020-03-06)

An accidental time-traveler has a romance with a woman a hundred years in the past.

Cast : Dylan O'Brien, Victoria Pedretti, Micah Stock, Sasha Alexander
2"The Heat" Sylvain White Chinaka Hodge March 13, 2020 (2020-03-13)

After a hit-and-run collision, the ghost of a track athlete investigates her death and helps her best friend train for a college track scholarship.

Cast : Hailey Kilgore, E'myri Crutchfield, Shane Paul McGhie, Ezana Alem
3"Dynoman and the Volt!" Susanna Fogel Peter Ackerman March 20, 2020 (2020-03-20)

A grandfather receives a superhero ring that he ordered in the mail 60 years ago, enabling him to become a hero to his comic-obsessed grandson.

Cast : Robert Forster, Tyler Crumley, Kyle Bornheimer
Note: This episode was dedicated in memory of Robert Forster who died in October 2019 sometime after this episode was made.
4"Signs of Life" Michael Dinner Leah FongMarch 27, 2020 (2020-03-27)

Sara awakens from a six-year coma with memory loss and other strange behaviors. Her adult daughter Alia, who struggles after dropping out of school, discovers that Sara is linked to other similar cases.

Cast : Michelle Wilson, Sasha Lane, Josh Holloway
5"The Rift" Mark Mylod Don Handfield and Richard Rayner April 3, 2020 (2020-04-03)

A World War II fighter plane crashes outside of Dayton, Ohio. Passerby Mary Ann rescues the pilot, Lt. Theodore Cole, and learns that he had been shot down over Burma. Mary Ann and her stepson Elijah (Duncan Joiner) protect Cole as he is pursued by federal agents who believe that his presence is a bad omen.

Cast : Kerry Bishé, Austin Stowell, Edward Burns, Juliana Canfield
Note: This episode was adapted from the 2017 graphic novel of the same name. [2]

Production

Development

On October 23, 2015, it was announced that NBC was developing a reboot of the 1985 anthology television series Amazing Stories created by Steven Spielberg. Bryan Fuller was expected to write the pilot episode and executive produce alongside Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of Universal Television. At that time, Spielberg was not expected to be involved with the series. [3]

On October 10, 2017, it was announced that Apple Inc. had given the production a ten-episode series order. It was further announced that Amblin Television would serve as an additional production company for the series. [4]

On February 7, 2018, it was reported that Fuller had stepped down as showrunner of the series over creative differences. It was unclear as to whether Fuller would have a different role in the production going forward but it was clarified that he had not delivered a script to Apple before his departure. [5] Later that day, it was also reported that executive producer Hart Hanson was exiting the series as well. [6] On May 22, 2018, it was announced that Once Upon a Time creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz had joined the production as executive producers and showrunners. [7] On December 4, 2018, it was reported that Mark Mylod would direct an episode of the series executive produced by Edward Burns. [8]

Casting

On December 4, 2018, it was announced that Edward Burns, Austin Stowell, and Kerry Bishé would guest star together in an episode. [8] On October 11, 2019, it was announced that Robert Forster would appear on the show and would be his final role after his death in the episode "Dynaman and the Volt." [9] On January 19, 2020, it was announced that Dylan O'Brien, Victoria Pedretti, Josh Holloway, and Sasha Alexander would also appear on the show. [10]

Filming

Principal photography for the series began in November 2018 in Georgia, US. Filming took place in various locations around the state that month including Alto, Forsyth, Griffin, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, and Downtown Atlanta. [11] [12] In December 2018, the production was shooting in areas such as Sandy Springs, Smyrna, Kirkwood, and Flowery Branch. [13] In January 2019, the series was working out of locations in Atlanta including the Starlight Drive-In Theatre, Emory University's Briarcliff campus and the Centennial Olympic Park. [14]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 40% based on 35 reviews, with an average rating of 5.07/10. The website's critical consensus states, "While Amazing Stories' aspirations are admirable, it feels more like a dated retread than a heartfelt reboot." [15] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 51 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [16]

Amazing Stories has been nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Television Presentation (under 10 episodes). [17]

Related Research Articles

<i>Amazing Stories</i> (1985 TV series) American anthology television series

Amazing Stories is an American anthology television series created by Steven Spielberg, that originally ran on NBC in the United States from September 29, 1985, to April 10, 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amblin Television</span> TV production division of Amblin Partners

Storyteller TV Distribution Co., LLC, doing business as Amblin Television, is the television production division of Amblin Partners. It was established in 1984 by Amblin Entertainment as a small-screen production arm for Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories anthology series for NBC. The company has produced television series including Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, SeaQuest DSV, ER, Falling Skies, and The Americans.

<i>Bull</i> (2016 TV series) American legal drama television series (2016–2022)

Bull is an American legal drama television series starring Michael Weatherly. CBS ordered the pilot to series on May 13, 2016, and it ran from September 20, 2016, to May 26, 2022.

<i>Dynasty</i> (2017 TV series) American television soap opera

Dynasty is an American drama television series reboot based on the 1980s prime time soap opera of the same name. Developed by Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, and Sallie Patrick, the first season stars Elizabeth Gillies as glamorous businesswoman Fallon Carrington, Grant Show as her billionaire father Blake Carrington, James Mackay as her brother Steven, and Nathalie Kelley as Blake's new wife Cristal, with Robert Christopher Riley as chauffeur Michael Culhane, Sam Adegoke as tech billionaire Jeff Colby, Rafael de la Fuente as Cristal's nephew Sam "Sammy Jo" Jones, and Alan Dale as Joseph Anders, the cunning majordomo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gretchen J. Berg</span> American writer and television producer

Gretchen J. Berg is an American writer and television producer. She has worked extensively with her writer and producing partner Aaron Harberts on a number of television series including Pushing Daisies and Revenge. She was also one of the showrunners of Star Trek: Discovery alongside Harberts until their departure in June 2018. In 2019, the team of Gretchen J. Berg and Aaron Harberts joined Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist on NBC as writers and executive producers.

Sallie Patrick is an American screenwriter and television producer. She was the co-creator, executive producer, and showrunner of Dynasty, a 2017 reboot of the 1980s series of the same name.

<i>Truth Be Told</i> (2019 TV series) American drama television series

Truth Be Told is an American legal/crime drama television series. The series was created by Nichelle Tramble Spellman for Apple TV+ and is based on Kathleen Barber's 2017 debut novel Are You Sleeping. Spellman also acts as executive producer and writes for the show. Unlike the book, Poppy Parnell plays the main role, as a podcaster who revisits the case that made her famous with the hope of finally getting to the truth.

Aaron Harberts is an American television writer and producer. He was a co-showrunner of CBS's Star Trek: Discovery with Gretchen J. Berg until their departure in June 2018. Harberts and Berg have been writing/producing partners since they met as students at Northwestern University. In 2019, Aaron Harberts and Gretchen Berg teamed up again as writers and executive producers for Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist on NBC.

The Morning Show, also known as Morning Wars in Australia and Indonesia, is an American drama television series starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carell that premiered on Apple TV+ on November 1, 2019. The series is inspired by Brian Stelter's 2013 book Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV. The show examines the characters and culture behind a network broadcast morning news program. After allegations of sexual misconduct, the male co-anchor of the program is forced off the show. Aspects of the #MeToo movement are examined from multiple perspectives as more information comes out regarding said misconduct. Subsequent seasons focus on other political topics and current events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, racial inequality, the Capitol insurrection, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

<i>Dynasty</i> (2017 TV series) season 1 Season of television series

The first season of Dynasty, an American television series based on the 1980s prime time soap opera of the same name, originally aired in the United States on The CW from October 11, 2017 through May 11, 2018. The season was produced by CBS Television Studios, with Sallie Patrick as showrunner and executive producer alongside executive producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. The pilot, which was announced in September 2016, was ordered to series in May 2017. On November 8, 2017, The CW picked up Dynasty for a full season of 22 episodes. On April 2, 2018, The CW renewed the series for a second season.

<i>The Neighborhood</i> (TV series) American television sitcom (2018–present)

The Neighborhood is an American television sitcom created by Jim Reynolds that premiered on CBS on October 1, 2018. The series follows a white Midwestern family as they adjust to moving into a predominantly black neighborhood in Pasadena, California. It stars Cedric the Entertainer, Max Greenfield, Sheaun McKinney, Marcel Spears, Hank Greenspan, Tichina Arnold, and Beth Behrs. In January 2023, the series was renewed for a sixth season, which premiered on February 12, 2024. In April 2024, the series was renewed for a seventh season.

<i>Magnum P.I.</i> (2018 TV series) American action drama television series

Magnum P.I. is an American action drama television series developed by Peter M. Lenkov and Eric Guggenheim. It stars Jay Hernandez as Thomas Magnum, the titular private investigator and former Navy SEAL who solves crimes in Hawaii. It is a reboot of the original series of the same name created by Donald P. Bellisario and Glen A. Larson, which aired from 1980 to 1988. The series co-stars Perdita Weeks, Zachary Knighton, Stephen Hill, Amy Hill, and Tim Kang.

<i>The Twilight Zone</i> (2019 TV series) 2019 American anthology television series

The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series developed by Simon Kinberg, Jordan Peele, and Marco Ramirez, based on the original 1959 television series created by Rod Serling. Peele serves as narrator, in addition to executive producing through Monkeypaw Productions. The weekly series premiered on April 1, 2019, on CBS All Access, and was renewed for a second season halfway through its first set of 10 episodes. The second season was released in its entirety on June 25, 2020. In February 2021, the producers announced the series would not return for additional seasons.

<i>Dolly Partons Heartstrings</i> American anthology dramedy television series

Dolly Parton's Heartstrings, or simply Heartstrings, is an American anthology dramedy television series that premiered on November 22, 2019, on Netflix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple TV+</span> American video streaming service

Apple TV+ is an American subscription streaming service owned and operated by Apple Inc. Launched on November 1, 2019, it offers a selection of original production film and television series called Apple Originals. The service was announced during the Apple Special Event of March 2019, where entertainers from Apple TV+ projects appeared onstage, including Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey, and Steven Spielberg.

Shantaram is an American-Australian drama thriller television series created by Eric Warren Singer and Steve Lightfoot, based on the novel of the same name by Gregory David Roberts. The story drew inspiration from Roberts' own life, which is about a bank robber from Australia who flees the country to India. The series consists of twelve episodes directed by Bharat Nalluri, Iain B. MacDonald and Bronwen Hughes. Steve Lightfoot joined as showrunner after Eric Warren Singer departed the project. It is produced by Fair Honest Positive Creative, The 4 Keys, Bohemian Risk Productions, Square Head Productions, Anonymous Content and Paramount Television Studios and was distributed by Apple Inc. for their streaming service, Apple TV+. The series premiered on 14 October 2022 and concluded on 16 December 2022. In December 2022, the series was cancelled after one season.

Tyler Crumley is an American actor. He is best known for his appearance as Jonah Rayfield in the episode These Old Bones of the Netflix original series Dolly Parton's Heartstrings, starring Kathleen Turner. The series has been nominated for Outstanding Television Movie at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards in 2020.

<i>American Gigolo</i> (TV series) American neo-noir crime drama television series

American Gigolo is an American neo-noir crime drama television series developed by David Hollander. It is based on the 1980 film of the same name written and directed by Paul Schrader. The series stars Jon Bernthal as Julian Kaye, the protagonist of the original film, alongside Gretchen Mol, Lizzie Brocheré, Gabriel LaBelle, Leland Orser, and Rosie O'Donnell.

Reboot is an American comedy television series created by Steven Levitan. It premiered on September 20, 2022, on Hulu. The series follows the dysfunctional cast of a fictional early 2000s hit sitcom, Step Right Up, who must face their unresolved issues and navigate a vastly different media and entertainment environment when a young writer successfully pitches a reboot of their show. The series stars Keegan-Michael Key and Johnny Knoxville.

References

  1. ↑ "Apple announces premiere date for Steven Spielberg's "Amazing Stories" and unveils first look image" (Press release). January 19, 2020. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  2. ↑ The Rift #1 (of 4) Archived 2020-11-16 at the Wayback Machine - comiXology
  3. ↑ Hibberd, James (October 23, 2015). "'Amazing Stories' being revived at NBC with 'Hannibal' boss". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  4. ↑ Koblin, John (2017-10-10). "Apple Joins Forces With Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on 2017-10-10. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
  5. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (February 7, 2018). "'Amazing Stories': Bryan Fuller Steps Down As Showrunner Of Apple Series". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
  6. ↑ Patten, Dominic; Andreeva, Nellie (February 8, 2018). "'Amazing Stories': Executive Producer Hart Hanson Exits Apple Series Reboot". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  7. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (May 22, 2018). "'Amazing Stories': Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz Set As Showrunners For Apple Series, Re-Up ABC Studios Overall Deal". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  8. 1 2 Petski, Denise (December 4, 2018). "'Amazing Stories': Edward Burns To Star, Executive Produce Episode Of Steven Spielberg's Apple Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 5, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  9. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (October 24, 2019). "'Amazing Stories' Apple Series To Pay Tribute To Robert Forster". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  10. ↑ Bennett, Anita (January 19, 2020). "'Amazing Stories': Apple Unveils First Look Photo & Premiere Date For Steven Spielberg's Anthology Series – TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  11. ↑ Tubb, Raymond (November 30, 2018). "Film extras needed in Forsyth for reboot of Spielberg's 'Amazing Stories'". WMAZ-TV . Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  12. ↑ Walljasper, Matt (November 29, 2018). "What's filming in Atlanta now? Limited Partners, Watchmen, Stranger Things, plus unpacking the #BoycottGeorgia movement". Atlanta . Archived from the original on December 1, 2018. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  13. ↑ Walljasper, Matt (December 20, 2018). "What's filming in Atlanta now? Undercover Brother 2, Limited Partners, Watchmen, Dolly Parton's Heartstrings, and more". Atlanta. Archived from the original on December 24, 2018. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  14. ↑ Walljasper, Matt (January 31, 2019). "What's filming in Atlanta now? Bad Boys for Life, Noelle, Amazing Stories, plus Atlanta's award nods". Atlanta. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  15. ↑ "Amazing Stories: Season 1 (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes . Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Amazing Stories (2020): Season 1". Metacritic . Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  17. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (March 4, 2021). "Saturn Awards Nominations: 'Star Wars: Rise Of Skywalker', 'Tenet', 'Walking Dead', 'Outlander' Lead List". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on 2021-03-04. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.