Amazing Stories (2020 TV series)

Lore & Background

Development of the reboot began on October 23, 2015, when NBC announced a revival of the 1985 anthology series, with Bryan Fuller expected to write the pilot and executive produce alongside Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank. At that time, Steven Spielberg was not expected to be involved. On October 10, 2017, Apple Inc. ordered ten episodes, with Amblin Television joining as a production company. On February 7, 2018, Fuller stepped down as showrunner over creative differences, and executive producer Hart Hanson also exited. On May 22, 2018, Once Upon a Time creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz became executive producers and showrunners. On December 4, 2018, Mark Mylod was reported to direct an episode executive produced by Edward Burns.

Reader's Guide

The series received mixed to negative reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 41% approval rating based on 34 reviews, with the critics' consensus calling it 'a dated retread rather than a heartfelt reboot.' On Metacritic, it scored 51 out of 100, indicating mixed or average reviews. Despite this, it was nominated for a 2021 Saturn Award for Best Television Presentation (under 10 episodes). The series is notable as the final role of actor Robert Forster, who appeared posthumously in the episode 'Dynaman and the Volt.' Its significance lies in being a modern revival of a classic anthology format, though it failed to capture the acclaim of its predecessor.

Did You Know?

• Robert Forster's appearance in the episode 'Dynaman and the Volt' was his final role.
• Bryan Fuller stepped down as showrunner on February 7, 2018, due to creative differences.

A Turbulent Road to the Screen

The 2020 Amazing Stories didn't arrive at Apple TV+ without a long and rocky development history. The project first surfaced in late 2015 when NBC announced plans to reboot the 1985 Steven Spielberg anthology, with Bryan Fuller expected to write the pilot and executive produce alongside Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank. Universal Television was set to handle production, and Spielberg himself was not anticipated to be involved at that stage. By October 2017, Apple Inc. had committed to a ten-episode order, and Amblin Television joined as a production partner. However, the creative leadership proved unstable. In February 2018, Fuller departed over creative differences without having delivered a script, and executive producer Hart Hanson also exited the same day. It wasn't until May 2018 that the Once Upon a Time creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz stepped in as showrunners and executive producers, finally giving the project a stable creative core. Spielberg, Kitsis, Horowitz, Frank, and Falvey would ultimately serve as the series' executive producers.

An Anthology of Guest Stars and a Final Bow

The 2020 series embraced its anthology format by assembling a rotating cast of recognizable performers across its episodes. Edward Burns, Austin Stowell, and Kerry Bishé were confirmed together for a single installment, while Dylan O'Brien, Victoria Pedretti, Josh Holloway, and Sasha Alexander were announced as additional guest stars in early 2020. One of the most poignant casting details involved veteran actor Robert Forster, whose appearance in the episode "Dynaman and the Volt" was revealed to be his final role before his passing. Mark Mylod was also reported to direct an episode executive produced by Burns. The series brought together a wide range of actors across its ten episodes, reflecting the anthology tradition of giving different performers a standalone stage. Principal photography ran from November 2018 through January 2019 across numerous locations in Georgia, including Alto, Forsyth, Griffin, Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Downtown Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Smyrna, Kirkwood, Flowery Branch, the Starlight Drive-In Theatre, Emory University's Briarcliff campus, and Centennial Olympic Park.

Mixed Critical Reception

Despite the prestige of its executive producer team and the Apple TV+ platform, the 2020 Amazing Stories received a largely mixed critical response. On Rotten Tomatoes, the single season earned an approval rating of just 41 percent across 34 reviews, with an average score of 4.6 out of 10. The site's critics consensus captured the prevailing sentiment, noting that while the show's ambitions were admirable, it ultimately felt more like a dated retread than a heartfelt reboot. Metacritic painted a similar picture, assigning a weighted average score of 51 out of 100 based on 14 critics, which the platform classifies as mixed or average reviews. The critical reception suggested that the series struggled to distinguish itself from its 1985 predecessor or to find a fresh voice within the anthology format. Nevertheless, the show did earn a nomination for the 2021 Saturn Award in the category of Best Television Presentation for series under ten episodes, indicating that some industry recognition acknowledged its effort and ambition even as critics remained divided on its execution.

Roots in a Century of Science Fiction

The title Amazing Stories carries a lineage that stretches back to 1926, when the name was first used for what is recognized as the earliest dedicated science fiction magazine. That publication continued in various formats over the decades, establishing a cultural touchstone for speculative storytelling. The 2020 Apple TV+ series inherits this name through the 1985 television anthology created by Steven Spielberg, which itself drew from that same magazine heritage. For the new iteration, Spielberg served as an executive producer alongside Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz, Darryl Frank, and Justin Falvey, connecting the project to both the original series' creative DNA and the broader tradition of the source material. The series premiered its episodes between March 6 and April 3, 2020, on Apple TV+, making it one of the platform's original programming offerings. By anchoring itself in a name with nearly a century of association with science fiction and speculative narrative, the show positioned itself within a long lineage of storytelling that predates television itself.