This episode of "Amazing Stories" has all the subtlety of a stripper appearing at a Baptist barbecue! It is yet another example of why "Amazing Stories" will never be considered a classic--which is amazing considering the show was produced by Steven Spielberg. Instead of being interesting and compelling, it just comes off as ridiculous and cartoonish.
The show is about a very henpecked man, Mr. Poindexter. Poindexter's wife and sons are caricatures of human beings and were just terribly written. The wife is violent and abusive as are the sons--and are so far over the top it ruins the show. It's sad because in stark contrast is Poindexter--a likable and interesting shmoe who is being abused by his horrid family. When the hellish wife gets rid of Poindexter's TV, he buys another one--and it has a magical remote control. The magical remote turns his family members into various TV characters--most of which end up being among the more annoying and talentless folks from television of the era.
In many ways, this is a crap version of a funny old "Twilight Zone" episode involving a camera that takes pictures of the future. But this old "Twilight Zone" was FUNNY and although the characters were silly, they were not like cartoon characters nor were they grating idiots.
Overall, a shabbily written story that was written, I assume, by a 6 year-old. The concept could have worked but the show simply was badly written, loud and annoying.
The show is about a very henpecked man, Mr. Poindexter. Poindexter's wife and sons are caricatures of human beings and were just terribly written. The wife is violent and abusive as are the sons--and are so far over the top it ruins the show. It's sad because in stark contrast is Poindexter--a likable and interesting shmoe who is being abused by his horrid family. When the hellish wife gets rid of Poindexter's TV, he buys another one--and it has a magical remote control. The magical remote turns his family members into various TV characters--most of which end up being among the more annoying and talentless folks from television of the era.
In many ways, this is a crap version of a funny old "Twilight Zone" episode involving a camera that takes pictures of the future. But this old "Twilight Zone" was FUNNY and although the characters were silly, they were not like cartoon characters nor were they grating idiots.
Overall, a shabbily written story that was written, I assume, by a 6 year-old. The concept could have worked but the show simply was badly written, loud and annoying.