If you are looking for an anthology program with all the magic and fine writing of "The Twilight Zone" or "The Outer Limits", you should keep on looking. "Amazing Stories" was a short-lived 80s series and after re-watching a bunch of episodes recently, I was actually surprised it lasted two seasons and wasn't canceled sooner. This is because although it was a Steven Spielberg production, the show was incredibly uneven. Many of the episodes were bad--poorly written and very broadly acted. I think perhaps much of this is because they were trying to create a show that would appeal much more to kids than adults--and so many episodes are just tedious and annoying. It's a real shame, as a few of the shows (such as the one starring John Lithgow) were magical and sweet. The idea of such a program COULD have worked. It's just a darn shame the writing was so bad and the appeal strictly limited to kids.
By the way, if you think I am wrong about the show, try re-watching a few episodes yourself. I thought the show was pretty good back in the 80s when it debuted but when seen today, they have clearly NOT aged well. The acting and subtlety seem more akin to "Family Matters" (that annoying Urkel show) or "Full House" than an anthology series. Also, the earlier episodes were a tad better and often featured top directors or famous actors directing (such as Timothy Hutton and Burt Reynolds). Later, the show fell into a more mundane pattern with less stars and a bit less entertainment.
Also, if you watch, pay attention to the heavily computer generated intro. In the mid-80s, it was DEFINITELY state of the art and amazing. By today, it looks incredibly dated and shabby. This is NOT a criticism--more a comment about how far CGI has come since then.
By the way, if you think I am wrong about the show, try re-watching a few episodes yourself. I thought the show was pretty good back in the 80s when it debuted but when seen today, they have clearly NOT aged well. The acting and subtlety seem more akin to "Family Matters" (that annoying Urkel show) or "Full House" than an anthology series. Also, the earlier episodes were a tad better and often featured top directors or famous actors directing (such as Timothy Hutton and Burt Reynolds). Later, the show fell into a more mundane pattern with less stars and a bit less entertainment.
Also, if you watch, pay attention to the heavily computer generated intro. In the mid-80s, it was DEFINITELY state of the art and amazing. By today, it looks incredibly dated and shabby. This is NOT a criticism--more a comment about how far CGI has come since then.