Below, a round-up of coverage from around the web, speculating on the latest developments of the NBC/Universal/Apple production of the re-booted Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories.
And now that it looks as if the show is actually going to premiere, we’ve also included some suggestions for how you, our readers, can help make this show work for the magazine and the website.
Summary:
- According to multiple reports, casting and production of at least one episode of the “mystery project” Puget Sound (code name for Amazing Stories) is underway in Forsyth, GA.
- Speculation from entertaiment websites suggests that the show will air during Apple TV’s opening season in “March of 2019” or “early in 2019”
- The same sources suggest that it will be a “streaming” service offered through Apple TV and for Ipad and IPhone. One report suggests that the service will be offered “for free”. Earlier this year a source was quoted as saying that Apple “intends to sell a standalone subscription to its original video shows, priced below Netflix”.
- (Recently, Netflix stopped offering signups through the Apple Store, instead directing people to their own vehicles; this apparently recovers quite a large amount of “Apple Tax” fees)
- Entirely speculative: episodes will run to one hour, with the first episode potentially longer.
- A poll conducted on the MacWorld website currently displays 83% of respondents would sign up for an Apple Streaming service
Background:
In the late summer of 2015 negotiations were entered between The Experimenter Publishing Company and NBC/Universal Television to license the name for use with the reboot of the 1980s TV show, produced and directed by Steven Spielberg (who shares a birthday, but not an “n”, with your erstwhile publisher).
Option and various other fees received have gone into the production and maintenance of the blog and the quarterly magazine. Other negotiated terms do not kick in until the show is produced and aired.
Subsequent dealings saw NBC/Universal sell the show to Apple, which is actually producing the show
What You Can Do:
The longer the show airs, the more fees we collect. We’re obviously hoping that the show has a long, long run. But not at the expense of quality, nor of the genre itself. Of course, track records being what they are, there is a very good chance that both quality and respect will be found in this new iteration. Spielberg and Co., have not always pleased science fiction audiences, but they have, far more often than not, pleased family audiences with a science fiction vehicle. He’s also pleased science fiction fans often enough that we’re willing to give his new offerings a shot.
I fully expect the various stories to lean more parable, fairy tale and “fantasy”, if the first iteration is anything to go by, although we did make strong “noises” about the fact that Amazing Stories is synonymous with science fiction during our negotiations. (And, purportedly, the show’s first show-runner – Bryan Fuller – left the production over creative differences with its direction. Apparently Fuller wanted to take things in a “darker” direction than Spielberg, even though early reporting suggested that Spielberg had approved 5 of ten scripts submitted by Fuller.)
What we want you do do is:
Join us for watch parties on Facebook. (If we can figure out how to make that happen.)
Become the primary, vocal audience for this show. When announced, sign up for the service (which, if it remains free, ought to be easy to do. We’ll be sure to announce things at the appropriate time).
Watch the episodes with an open mind. (If it continues to bill itself as “family fare”, keep that in mind. You’ll not be getting Harlan Ellison, cutting edge, in your face social commentary; you’ll be getting stories designed to tug your heart strings, suitable for 8 to 80 year olds to watch.)
Give the series some time to find its feet
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK
We’ll be posting a recap here on the website following every episode, but we don’t want to be the only voices. In fact, we want to run multiple reviews of each and every episode. If you are interested in contributing, you can either do so willy-nilly (just email your critique to me) or let us know if you want to provide regular coverage and we’ll schedule you in.
Remember though, we want honest, personal impressions. If you liked an episode, say so (and why); if not, tell us about that too (and why).
News Roundup:
The show’s “log line”: “(Amazing Stories) will transport the audience to worlds of wonder through the lens of today’s most imaginative filmmakers, directors and writers.” (quoted from The Wrap)
Excellent all around coverage of the subject from Macworld (12/17/18)
Local TV Footage showing filming location from 11Alive (12/14/18)
Cast & Crew News from Hollywood Reporter (12/4/18)
Similar reporting from Deadline Hollywood (12/4/18)
Amblin Entertainment’s Move Into TV LA Times (12/18/18)
Changing Crews on Show from The Wrap (2/7/18)
Bryan Fuller Interview Mantadory (11/3/2015) (statement about scripts submitted and approved by Spielberg)
How exciting. Will you be giving us the link to the FB watch parties here?
yes, here and on facebook, once we figure out if and how we can do it