Amazing Stories

Amazing Stories ran on NBC from 1985 to 1987.  The anthology series was created and produced by Steven Spielberg and featured episodes of several genres.  Lasting only two seasons, it has gathered a semi-cult following (only some of the episodes were released on VHS and only season 1 on DVD).  But after years of reboot ideas, Amazing Stories returned in 2020 on Apple TV.

I don't typically dig into television too much, but this is possibly the show with the biggest film composer connection.  Great directors (Tobe Hopper, Brad Bird, Clint Eastwood, Martin Scorsese, Robert Zemeckis, Joe Dante and Spielberg) among many others worked on the show.  And with that, several great film composers of the 1980's added their score to the show.

Spielberg not surprisingly turned to John Williams for the Amazing Stories main title theme.  Not his first TV work, Johnny Williams cut his teeth on several television shows in the early 1960's.  Williams also scored the two Spielberg-directed episodes.  The fantastic theme is fanfare-like and features a sweeping melody.  It appears as the main titles for each episode, with a piano-led gentler rendition appearing at each end title.  Thankfully, the theme is retained for the 2020 television return. 

Here's the list of episodes and respective composers.  Starred titles were released across Intrada Records' three soundtrack volumes.   

Ghost Train (John Williams)*
The Main Attraction (Craig Safan)*
Alamo Jobe (James Horner)*
Mummy Daddy (Danny Elfman & Steve Bartek)*
The Mission (John Williams)*
The Amazing Falsworth (Billy Goldenberg)*
Fine Tuning (Jonathan Tunick)
Mr. Magic (Bruce Broughton)*
Guilt Trip (Stephen Dorff)
Remote Control Man (Arthur B. Rubenstein)*
Santa '85 (Thomas Newman)*
Vanessa in the Garden (Lennie Niehaus)*
The Sitter (Ken Wannberg)
No Day at the Beach (Leonard Rosenman)*
One for the Road (Johnny Mandel)*
Gather Ye Acorns (Bruce Broughton)*
Boo! (Jerry Goldsmith)*
Dorothy and Ben (Georges Delerue)*
Mirror, Mirror (Michael Kamen)*
Secret Cinema (Billy Goldenberg)*
Hell Toupée (David Shire)*
The Doll (Georges Delerue)*
One for the Books (Glenn Paxton)
Grandpa's Ghost (Pat Metheny)*
The Wedding Ring (Craig Safan)*
Miscalculation (Phil Marshall)
Magic Saturday (Ralph Burns)
Welcome to My Nightmare (Bruce Broughton)*
You Gotta Believe Me (Brad Fiedel)
The Greibble (John Addison)*
Life on Death Row (Fred Steiner)*
Go to the Head of the Class (Alan Silvestri)*
Thanksgiving (Bruce Broughton)*
The Pumpkin Competition (John Addison)*
What If...? (Billy Goldenberg)*
The Eternal Mind (Miles Goodman)
Lane Change (Jimmy Webb)
Blue Man Down (Brad Fiedel)
The 21-Inch Sun (Ralph Burns)
Family Dog (Danny Elfman & Steve Bartek)
Gershwin's Trunk (John Mayer)
Such Interesting Neighbors (David Newman)*
Without Diana (Georges Delerue)*
Moving Day (David Shire)*
Miss Stardust (John Mayer)