Steven Spielberg 2-Season Gem ‘Amazing Stories’ Is a Sci-Fi Fantasy Masterpiece

Throughout the golden age of television, legendary director Steven Spielberg has been involved in numerous TV projects, further proving that his work as a producer translates naturally to the small screen. From the iconic war series Band of Brothers to more obscure series like The Whispers, the Academy Award-winning director has also shown he has no creative boundaries when it comes to exploring different genres and production scales.

And while many think that producing animated shows like Tiny Toon Adventures and Animaniacs was his first gig in television, Spielberg’s TV credits began years before that. In 1985, the same year he helped produce Back to the Future, the Jurassic Park director returned to the format that put him on the map after he had made Duel and directed episodes of Night Gallery and Columbo in the ’70s. It was the year that NBC released the very first episode of Amazing Stories.

The TV anthology showcased Spielberg’s visual storytelling, but also his work as ideator of several of its stories. From hard sci-fi to horror, the series blended genres and the visions of different filmmakers who were invited to contribute to the show that, unfortunately, only lasted two seasons. With a total of 45 episodes (we’re not counting spin-offs), Amazing Stories is one of the most memorable and hard-to-find anthologies ever made for the small screen.

Many Visions, Many Genres

Spielberg directed the pilot episode, “Ghost Train,” and delivered a short segment that perfectly embodied the tone of the series. It is a heartfelt fantasy with compelling performances and a hopeful message built around what’s essentially a ghost story. It is also one of the many episodes inspired by an original story from Spielberg, who consistently incorporates his signature style throughout the series.

Season 1 of the show also includes classic segments like “Fine Tuning” (which may have influenced the comedy Galaxy Quest), “The Doll” starring John Lithgow, and Martin Scorsese’s “Mirror, Mirror.” Also directed by Spielberg, “The Mission” may be the show’s most famous episode, a brilliant fantasy war story starring Kevin Costner and Kiefer Sutherland that’s as cinematic as any feature of the era.

Season 2 featured directors like Robert Zemeckis, Mick Garris, and Joe Dante, expanding the range of genres the show could explore within the constraints of network television. Episodes like “Welcome to My Nightmare” and “Family Dog” stand out from the rest, while the genre-bending fantasy thriller “Thanksgiving” will scare viewers, as well as give them hope through its emotionally gripping story. Unfortunately, Season 2 also saw a decline in viewership ratings, and Spielberg’s great TV endeavor was canceled, much to the dismay of fans who connected with the unique tone of the show.

An Outstanding Blend Between ’80s TV and the Amblin Touch

The series combined the visual style of ’80s television with Spielberg’s signature approach as a producer. As you can see in the above intro for the show, the program did suffer some limitations with its visual effects, but this was a small hurdle to overcome. The Amblin touch – a defining element in ’80s projects featuring the director as producer – is an indelible mark in the series. And everything Spielberg “touched” back then often translated into commercial success. That’s likely the reason why Spielberg was able to get NBC to follow his demands, as odd as they were (the budgets were massive, and still the director requested that his name be taken off the promotional material so that the show had its own identity).

Things were different in the ’80s. TV was less appealing for major film stars and noteworthy directors. But Amazing Stories featured the work of well-established filmmakers from back then, such as Peter Hyams and Clint Eastwood. Still, Spielberg’s supervising role remains central to the entire series.

While the 2020 Apple TV reboot tried its best to capture the essence of the series, the attempt was futile. Spielberg was involved as executive producer, but long gone was the genre-blending magic that the director had first achieved with the original series.