Amazing Stories

Amazing Stories brings the anthology format back by placing ordinary people into sudden encounters with the strange and the wondrous. Each episode introduces a fresh cast and a self-contained premise, shifting tone from hopeful fantasy to tense science fiction or brisk adventure. Stories often start in everyday settings, a small town, an office, a family home, and then introduce a single extraordinary element that forces characters to change how they see the world. Rather than relying on long arcs, the show concentrates on mood, invention, and the moral choices characters make when faced with the impossible. It blends humor and suspense.

Released in 2020, the series was developed by Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis with Steven Spielberg attached as executive producer, reinventing his original 1980s anthology concept for a new audience, and several guest directors and writers contributed individual episodes.

The revival did not rack up major awards, and it saw limited recognition during the awards cycle. A few craft categories received notice in specialist outlets and guild conversations, but the series never became an awards-season favorite, with attention centered more on standout episodes than on the show as a whole.

By invoking Spielberg's name and the beloved title, the show prompted nostalgia and sparked conversations about the anthology format on modern streaming platforms. Select episodes generated online discussion and fan art, and the series encouraged other creators to consider short-form, high-concept storytelling as a viable option outside long serialized dramas.

Critical reaction leaned mixed to positive, reflected by a community vote average of 7.365 out of 10 from 440 votes. Reviewers and viewers praised imaginative premises, production design, and episodic variety, while critiques noted uneven tone and inconsistent episode quality. Recurring themes include imagination versus doubt, moral choice, and the odd beauty that can be found in ordinary life.