Eerie, Indiana

This was a wonderful and quirky TV series that somehow didn't succeed. Part of this was because the show was marketed as a kids' show--limiting its appeal--even though the show was great for the entire family. Part of this was because the network moved the show around--a sure death knell for a TV show. It's a shame, really, as the show was very good. Now this isn't to say that every episode was gold, but this was also the case with "The Twilight Zone" and other anthology shows--there are great ones and not so great ones.

The show is about friends Marshall and Teller--two kids living in the ultra-bizarre town of Eerie, Indiana. In this town, every weird thing on the planet comes to life. In the opening credits you see Elvis (among others) walking down the street and the show took advantage of numerous crackpot conspiracy theories and did them in a very funny tongue in cheek manner.

My favorite of these bizarre tales was the second episode. This is where the kids discover that after a friend gets braces, he can somehow hear the thoughts of dogs--and the dogs are apparently plotting to take over the world! However, most of the episodes have a similar weirdness about them and it was hard to dislike the show due to clever writing.

Considering they only made 19 episodes, it's surprising that the series was actually released to DVD--a testament to its cult appeal.

"The X-Files" is sometimes an imaginative, funny show, but "Eerie, Indiana" during its first season was consistently so. It was far superior to "Are you afraid of the Dark" and "Goosebumps". I think in its more recent Fox incarnation, it probably lost something.

A better comparison than any of these would be to "The Adventures of Pete and Pete".

Hi :) When i first saw "Eerie" as i now affectionately dub it, I was 8. I lived in England and i remember it was on Channel 4 (pretty good memory since i am now almost 17). I adored it. Omri Katz (Marshall Teller) reminded me of my older brother and I sometimes wished my brother was as cool. 3 years ago, i saw the title "Eerie Indiana" in the Cable TV guide here in Oz. And all my fond memories came rushing back. I remembered 3 episodes quite clearly. This show made an impact on me so large... i don't know how to explain it! Luckily i got to see it over and over again on cable. I can't believe they axed "Eerie" after only 19 episodes, leaving me with only 6 episodes with my now favourite actor Jason Marsden. If you can, watch an episode of Eerie Indiana, no matter what age you are. You will love the references to other TV shows, and common knowledge, the kooky music.. characters, plotlines. And.. perhaps, you will see that there were some programs which tried to be revolutionary. Shame the kids of that era (minus myself of course) didn't see it, coz it's a cult classic now!

I fondly remember watching reruns of this show on MoviePlex two or three years ago, when I was twelve or thirteen. Even back then, I knew how much better this was than the more popular shows of the time--"Are You Afraid of the Dark" and "Goosebumps." There are so many reasons, I don't even know where to begin.

I'd say the principal reasons this show was so good was mostly because A) it didn't take itself too seriously and B) it didn't talk down to kids. Too many shows underestimate a child's resilience, and so they throw tired plots and cheesy "scares" at them, thinking (and unfortunately, they are usually correct) that these children will be satisfied. I only believe this works because most kids don't know until later what they are missing. But the thing that irks me most about Goosebumps (and, sometimes, Are You Afraid of the Dark) is that they take these cheesy scares so seriously that it quickly becomes not just silly, but in fact plain ridiculous. Not so with Eerie. Here, the plots are outlandish, unbelievable, and perhaps outright absurd, but the makers realize this, and so they are never _silly_. For example, one episode I remember concerned a group of ladies who are obsessed with a brand of Tupperware called "Foreverware," or some such thing, which keeps all food products fresh forever (one lady comments that she packaged some peas "when Jimmy Carter was president, and they're still as fresh as the day I opened them"). But, Marshall and Simon discover the ladies use Foreverware for more than just food storage--like remaining eternally young! Sounds about as frightening as a killer sponge under the sink (*cough R.L. Stine cough*), but not only do they make it work, they make it fun! I don't believe the intention of the show was ever to frighten (although it does get suspenseful at times). I think it was made to cause wonder, explore some of life's little mysteries, and perhaps even spoof the world we live in. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a satire, of life or of other horror shows, but it definitely has a tongue-in-cheek approach to things, and a dry sense of humor is usually present.

To conclude, I can only say I really hope this is out on video somewhere. It's better than Goosebumps in every way imaginable, and more consistent than Are You Afraid of the Dark. And best of all, it won't induce an urge to puke, groan, or even roll your eyes.

Eerie Indiana is a show about a kid called Marshall who moves to the suburban city of "Eerie Indiana". But behind this American dream lurks a much more sinister reality. Apparently, Marshall and his only friend Simon (the loyal sidekick) are the only ones who can see all the weirdness going on, and they have made it their mission to uncover the truth!

This is simply a great, great show. I first watched it when I was a kid, but later on I watched it again with equal facisnation and passion. Although the show is meant for the younger audience, it can certainly be viewed by the older crowd too. It has creative and interesting stories, some of them are inspired by 50's horror and cult movies, but they still manage to stay in their own little universe. The acting is superb, far better than most other kid shows I have seen. Eerie Indiana has it's own mood and aura, something which is very rare in a show like this. It's really a shame that the show was cut after only 19 episodes, it had so much more to offer. Like another reviewer I also agree that the only show that this can be compared to is "The Adventures of Pete and Pete", because of the two shows resemble each other in many ways. Not to be mistaken though, they are completely different shows plot and genre wise, but they offer something out of the ordinary, not just another all-too-familiar show. Both of these shows should definately be considered cult, because they are...atleast by my generation.

By the way, there is a DVD released containing the first 4 episodes, and I seriously hope that they will continue to release all. Oh and don't even bother checking out "Eerie Indiana: The Other Dimension" it's nothing like this, but rather a poor attempt to create something ala "Goosebumbs" or "Are You Afraid of the Dark?".