Marshall et Simon

My sister and I saw Eerie Indiana when it was first screened on UK TV. We became instant fans of this funny quirky show. It's a rare kind of kids programme in that it is one that adults can enjoy. My sister and I were 13 or so when it was first aired, and now at almost 23 we're still huge fans! It was repeated a few years ago, and we made sure we recorded them all. They don't seem to have aged a bit, and certanley are not 'childish' at all. Omri Katz is just brilliant (come out of retirment Omri!!) and Justin Shenkarow and Jason Marsden are fab too. I recommend this to anyone, kid or adult. A gem that they just don't make anymore.....

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?".

Fascinating little show, still turns up in the UK every once in a while. Only 19 episodes and a further unaired one? Shame, really as it had quite a lot of unexplored terrority to go over, such as Dash X (or as Mitchell called him "Plus and minus") and exactly where he fitted into things. I dare say if it had been left to run, like all good things, it would have explained itself, or at least gone off on a tangent.

The 'Reality Takes A Holiday' episode is by far the most surreal and bizarre episode of anything I've ever seen on TV (although some of the stuff that comes out of Japan and turns up on Tarrant On TV comes close). The 'Reality Takes A Holiday' episode basically starts calling everybody by the names of the actors. So Mitchell turned into Omri (Omri Katz, the actor name), Simon turned into Justin (Justin Shenkarow) and so on. I honestly thought somebody had given the broadcaster the wrong tape and we were actually watching one of those so-called "end of year" tapes that find their way onto shows like Alright On The Night and Denis Norden. But its one of the highlights of the entire run though.

I saw one episode this morning and was very impressed. I always enjoyed Who's Afraid of the Dark and the like (though Goosebumps was a little ordinary) and it's Outer Limits, X Files type storyline is very good for a kids show (and I'm 23).

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.