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Tobey and that dude from "Hocus Pocus" in "Eerie, Indiana".
#tobeymaguire #maguireattire #makespiderman4 #eerieindianatvshow #eerieindiana #90s #tobeyistherealspiderman #tobeyisthebestspiderman

5. Tobey Maguire Played a Ghost

Before Tobey Maguire learned the Cider House Rules (which were about abortion or something) or re-invigorated then later ruined Spider-Man, he starred in an episode of Eerie, Indiana. In “The Dead Letter” Maguire plays an old-timey clothes-wearing ghost who enlists Marshall’s help in delivering a love letter to his former sweetheart. In a scene that is both touching and creepy, the young man is reunited with his love who is now a haggard old woman– it’s like a scene from Harold and Maude, or Madonna’s life.

4. The Show’s Co-Creator Also Wrote The Motorcycle Diaries

After Eerie, Indiana was cancelled, Jose Rivera (who co-created the show with Karl Schaefer) wrote the screenplay for the acclaimed film The Motorcycle Diaries. While the exploits of the famous Argentine revolutionary and noted T-Shirt logo model Che Guevara might seem like quite a departure from depicting children battling werewolves and zombies, it might interest you to know that Rivera began his career as a celebrated playwright. He also wrote for Family Matters, but you probably find that less impressive.

3. They Rebooted the Show Six Years Later

With the original show finding a new audience through syndication and a series of novelizations, a reboot of the original concept (that could also be considered a spin-off because it’s technically another dimension) was produced. In Eerie, Indiana: The Other Dimension, the original protagonists Marshall and Simon were replaced by their Bizzaro-world equivalents Mitchell and Stanley, played, of course, by entirely different actors. Sadly even the alternate universe iteration of the show lasted only one season.

2. Bob Balaban Directed Several Episodes

While famed director Joe Dante acted as a consultant for the show, and directed many episodes himself, another name you might recognize contributed heavily to Eerie, Indiana. Bob Balaban, who people know mainly for his acting roles in Christopher Guest’s films, Seinfeld, and Gosford Park, just to name a few. But Balaban is also an accomplished director, having helmed feature films such as the insane and underrated Parents, as well as My Boyfriend’s Back, the zombie romantic comedy that came out way, way before that sort of thing became trendy. He has also leant his cinematic chops to a myriad of TV programs including Oz and Tales From the Darkside. He directed three of the nineteen episodes of Eerie, Indiana.

1. It Had the Craziest Final Episode of All Time

Most TV shows try to up their game for the final episode, whether it’s Bob Newhart waking up in bed with his former TV wife, or Breaking Bad doing a bunch of things we’re not allowed to freely talk about on the internet yet. Even shows like The Prisoner or Lost that steered their finales firmly into the surreal didn’t have the chutzpah to do what Eerie, Indiana did. In a sly nod to The Twilight Zone episode “A World of Difference” Marshall discovers a script for a show called “Eerie, Indiana” and suddenly finds himself on the set of a TV show where his entire reality is revealled to be a fiction. His parents and friends are all actors and refer to him as “Omri Katz” (the name of the actor who plays Marshall). It’s probably the most existentially disturbing finale of any TV show, let alone a one intended for kids.

We’ve been watching Eerie Indiana most of the day so far and now I’m half tempted to get the accursed Disney+ so we can watch So Weird again 👀

So far I’ve seen deputy Andy Brennan over and over again, recognized Tony Jay on voice alone in the mummy episode (I was like FROLLO?!), saw bby Tobey Maguire, and now Max Headroom lmao

Y'know, in addition to the initial shock of it starring Max from Hocus Pocus.

Jason Marsden now?! Gat dam

my parents and sister are watching eerie indiana and my dad is so invested

the two ways this has been shown is him yelling “are those fucking NAZIS??” and him losing his mind over Tobey Maguire’s appearance and shouting “sHANNON, that’s SPIDER-MAN,” aggressively at my stepmom.
— drake ✨ || ducktales spoilers (@drakepadz) November 19, 2020

Episode 8 of Eerie Indiana "The Dead Letter" (guest star Tobey Maguire) pic.twitter.com/vXdP7wFf2W
— James Gormanley (@JamesGormanley) November 8, 2020

Bro...Tobey Maguire was in the show Eerie Indiana as a kid...
— Four Lyoko (@TimWUnderwood) November 2, 2020

Best ‘Eerie, Indiana’ guest star?
— Return to Eerie, Indiana (@eerieindianapod) August 22, 2020

Toby Maguire played a ghost on Eerie, Indiana!? https://t.co/Gi48tMy5if @Rewatchability
— Horror4kids (@horror4kids) August 17, 2020

This show is based in my home state, I always thought that was cool 😎 pic.twitter.com/K5YhSSbRkT
— 🎃🍂🍁⚰️Spooky Season Creature Features⚰️🍁🍂🎃 (@Creep_It_Reel) August 17, 2020

Mine, too!
— Madison Russeau (@RusseauMadison) August 17, 2020

Ye Eerie Indiana was class. Early 90s solid gold. Anyone remember this? I think Tobey Maguire was in one of them.
"Elvis lives on my paper route" pic.twitter.com/BJFqV0P9nG
— A s t r a l S t e r e o P r o j e c t (@Astral_Stereo) August 13, 2020

4. You were also on an episode of “Eerie, Indiana,” another show I love. You got to kiss Omri Katz! Was that your first on-screen kiss?

Yes! I think that was! Tobey Maguire was on that show as well. He and I were also in a private acting class together. One story about that show – they brought in the largest fan I have ever seen in my life. No one knew what impact this powerful 10 foot tall fan would have, so they did a dry run with it, and all the book shelves blew over, my hair covered my face, I couldn’t see anything, and I almost fell over myself (because I had no shelf to grab on to).

Can anyone tell me who this is?#EerieIndiana pic.twitter.com/vsb3WMgcoh
— Zadok Allen (@MorgueMeat) July 3, 2020

Its Trip! Aka spiderman
— Zadok Allen (@MorgueMeat) July 3, 2020

I was this morning years old when I learned that baby Tobey Maguire played the bad kid’s friend in The Wizard pic.twitter.com/BPWnyTgH6J
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) May 14, 2020

He was also in an episode of Eerie, Indiana (I also found out yesterday).
— Torgun (@TorgunP) May 14, 2020

Tobey Maguire in Eerie, Indiana in 1991. pic.twitter.com/Fkq3HOuvON
— James Gormanley (@JamesGormanley) May 9, 2020

"Hey look that's..."

Here's Tobey Maguire in The Wizard.

Give me some of your best before they were famous movie spots... pic.twitter.com/fxvtxdYXJQ
— Marc Uren (@uren_marc) May 6, 2020

Toby Maguire in Eerie Indiana episode "The Lost Letter" where he plays a ghost 😍 pic.twitter.com/AMa4uGls2x
— Jam🍓🌼 (@Jambeanie) May 6, 2020

Darth_Garlic_Bread: Finding out this was on prime just made my day! Thank you!

_EVILLIVE_ It's a trip to see actors slightly older than me now as kids....there was a few cameos from people that I recognized like no shit that's freddy Rodriguez and nikki cox....I know there's more but those two I remember off the top of my head.

Captain_Roderick There was a young Toby Maguire, the voice of Panic (Disney Hercules), & I’m pretty sure the actual actor of Max Headroom is there as well as lots of people I know I recognized from countless small roles over the years. But, yea, lots of people. It was a trip.

ArugulaZ: There was an episode where a guy named "The Donald" hypnotized people with catchy TV commercials, made them buy useless crap on credit, then took their souls as collateral. I guess people should have been paying attention to Eerie Indiana, huh?

Captain_Roderick: Honestly, that was probably a direct reference to Trump. He’s been around forever being a shitty businessman. Even Sesame Street mocked him a few times over the years .

The show had quite a bit of politics in actually.

a-maizing-blue-girl: I’m thinking you are correct and we should have payed more attention. Episode 2 “The Retainer” had an Enquirer magazine with the headline “Our Next President?” And Trump’s picture. They inadvertently predicted Trump’s campaigning and win.

jeffmartin48early 80s: I had a big crush on Julie Condra because of this show and her appearances on The Wonder Years.

There was also a short lived spinoff, Eerie Indiana: The Other Dimension.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eerie,_Indiana:_The_Other_Dimension

Captain_Roderick: I never saw the other dimension. It’s also on Prime & I plan on watching it too.

You say short lived... eerie Indiana was only 19 (one season) eps itself.

jeffmartin48
early 80s
Wrong phrase. All I could think of at the time. Seems like! It lasted a little longer.

The Other Dimension only lasted 15.

I remember that that they retooled the show and added Jason Marsden as Dash X.

HollowGoob: The Other Dimension is really really bad.

Captain_Roderick: That sucks. At least now I have low expectations going in.

Funky_Sack: I think everyone had a crush on her. She was nice to look at.

JoeMafia7: I was thinking about this show on the way to work just yesterday. Thank you for the knowledge its available on prime. 🤗

jax9999: God I loved that show

PotatoFancier: Holy crap! I was thinking about this show recently too

leadweightdeadweight: This was a great show. Does anyone recall a similar show that had to do with a family that ran a lighthouse?

Captain_Roderick: I believe you are looking for “Round The Twist”.

NocturnalPatrolAlpha90: Please, TV producers, I'm begging you! Bring back these kinds of shows!

pic.twitter.com/oQ8L9Q9tYX
— Return to Eerie, Indiana (@eerieindianapod) April 6, 2020

Continuing to watch Eerie Indiana with the kids and theres a kid in one episode called Tripp McConnell... And I'm like, I know this actor...

It's only Tobey Maguire! Spiderman!
— Jam🍓🌼 (@Jambeanie) April 5, 2020

"Eerie, Indiana" ATM with a Heart of Gold HARRY GOAZ (TV Episode 1991) - IMDb - https://t.co/1Kxx0BgENa
— SiameseTwins18 (@high_bread) April 2, 2020

"Eerie, Indiana" Heart on a Chain STEVE PERI (TV Episode 1991) - IMDb - https://t.co/jFfjgOHuQl
— SiameseTwins18 (@high_bread) April 2, 2020

"Eerie, Indiana" The Dead Letter TOBEY MACGUIRE (TV Episode 1991) - IMDb - https://t.co/pWBn4skiPn
— SiameseTwins18 (@high_bread) April 2, 2020

Baby Tobey Maguire spotted while watching Eerie, Indiana pic.twitter.com/5mVKMnRiCP
— JamesMan (@TheOnlyJamesMan) March 23, 2020

Where are you watching it?
— While ur stuck inside watch Daybreak , you f*cks (@WeirdNPissdOff) March 23, 2020

They have it up on Prime
— JamesMan (@TheOnlyJamesMan) March 23, 2020

Awesome. Thanks!
— While ur stuck inside watch Daybreak , you f*cks (@WeirdNPissdOff) March 23, 2020

Baby Tobey Maguire spotted while watching Eerie, Indiana pic.twitter.com/5mVKMnRiCP
— JamesMan (@TheOnlyJamesMan) March 23, 2020

And For Fun, My Recommended Viewing Order (with My Ratings)

1. Foreverware - A-
2. The ATM with the Heart of Gold - A+
3. Scariest Home Videos - B-
4. The Losers - A-
5. Broken Record - A
6. Tornado Days - B
7. Heart on a Chain - A
8. Just Say No Fun - B
9. Who's Who - B+
10. Marshall's Theory of Believability - B+
11. The Lost Hour - A+
12. The Hole in the Head Gang - B+
13. Mr. Chaney - B+
14. The Loyal Order of Corn - A-
15. Zombies in P.J.s - A+
16. Reality Takes a Holiday - A

I've skipped my least favorite episodes and stuck mostly to the original production order to keep the main story intact. Then, I alternated some of the lighter popcorn-fare with the heavier dramatic episodes to create a nice balance. So, if you're wondering whether or not to get into the series, this would be my suggested approach. You can skip any you wish or add the ones I took out, but I don't know why you would need to see a young Tobey Maguire that badly.

“Questions were playing tiddly winks with my grey matter...”

Most times you go back to watch a programme from your youth, it's pretty disappointing. Every now and then, however, they're genuinely as good as you remember. Eerie, Indiana is one of those special few. There are a handful of series that tried to be The Twilight Zone for kids. Round the Twist (which I'll be coming back to in another article) is well-remembered by British and Australian audiences. Are You Afraid of the Dark and Goosebumps scared the kids of the early and late nineties, respectively. None had the wit of Eerie, Indiana. So why this series only lasted for a single season baffles me.

The series was set in the eponymous town of Eerie, Indiana, population 16,661. Marshall 'Mars' Teller moves to Eerie with his family. Only he, and his best friend, Simon, seem to notice just how bizarre life in Eerie really is. Bigfoot eats out of Marshall's trash, Elvis is on his paper round, and each episode, some uncanny occurrence makes becomes the subject of Marshall and Simon's investigations. The situations the duo faced were man and varied. Some were drawn from classic horror and sci-fi, but with a twist, such as “America's Scariest Home Video,” which drew the Mummy straight out of a black-and-white movie and into Marshall's living room, while Simon's younger brother took his place (and proved far scarier). Some drew on science fiction for their inspiration, such as the HAL 9000 riff “The ATM With a Heart of Gold.” Others were barmy in their originality. “No Brain, No Pain,” involved a shambling vagrant, who was in fact a genius, but had accidentally taped over his mind with a copy of The Knack's My Sharona.

While the writing was generally very good for a children's drama, it was the direction and the cast that really set Eerie apart from its rivals. While Jose Rivera and Karl Schaefer were credited as the series' creators, Joe Dante was a major creative force on the show, directing several episodes. This is the man who directed such sci-fi classics as Innerspace, Gremlins and, um, Piranha. Not the sort of person you'd expect to be working on a children's TV series for the Disney Channel. The cast were what really made it, though. The series boasted not only a solid regular and semi-regular cast, but some of the best guest actors in television. Weird old Vincent Schiavelli played the town's terrifying orthodontist, while Rene Auberjonois tried to brainwash the town. Dante's favoured actor, Archie Hann, played Mr Radford, the proprietor of the World O' Stuff, until the series' midpoint turnaround, when he was revealed to be an imposter. The real Radford was revealed, played with twinkling charm by John “Gomez” Astin. In one fan-favourite episode, “The Lost Hour,” putting the clocks forward one hour incorrectly stranded Marshall in an empty parallel version of Eerie, with only a mysterious milkman to turn to for help. That milkman – who, it was hinted, may have been Marshall's own future self – was played by the late, great Eric Christmas, an actor who was born to play the Doctor. These impressive guest spots and many clever references make the series a joy to watch for genre fans.

It would be wrong to overlook the core cast, however. Omri Katz was the star of the show. Fifteen at the time of filming, but playing it a little younger, Omri was perfect as Marshall, representing the many young boys who were just entering puberty and being torn between silly kids' shows and adult life. Omri gave Marshall a wide-eyed wonder at the weirdness of the world, with just enough snark to make the character snappy, but never obnoxious. Stealing the show, though, was Justin Shenkarow, four years younger, as Simon Holmes. Justin dominated every scene he was in, despite being the youngest member of the cast. Simon was an outsider in Eerie, and became close friends with Marshall, only to find himself take a backseat to the teenager's problems. Popularity, school, and above all, his burgeoning interest in girls, threatened to take Marshall away from Simon, but at the end of the day, the two were inseparable. There was a lot for young boys to relate to.

Marshall's family were equally as important to the setup, forever oblivious to the strange goings on around them. Frances Guinan was just the right side of eccentric as his father Edgar. Possibly named in association with Edward Teller, inventor of the hydrogen bomb, Edgar tried to keep afloat with his career as an inventor for Things Incorporated. His inventions were often a main plot point in the series. Marshall's mother, Marilyn, was played Mary-Margaret Humes, who I only now realise was quite impossibly sexy and wasted as Edgar's housewife. As Marshall's older sister, Syndi, Julie Condra provided the boys watching with the twin interests of an irritating sibling to run rings round, and a beautiful young woman to gaze at.

It was something of a boys' show. Marshall had a new crush every other week, and while the girls were often strong, impressive characters, there was less for the female members of the audience. That changed in the thirteenth episode, which began a process of revamping the series by introducing Jason Marsden – that guy who's in everything, these days – as Dash X. A mysterious, amnesiac with grey hair, Dash X didn't know his real name or where he came from. He became the amoral antagonist to Marshall's hero, sometimes helping him, sometimes out for himself. He might possibly have been an alien, and was even seemingly aware that he was part of a television programme. He was also, importantly, the one all the girls watching had a crush on.

Dash X threatened to steal the series away from Marshall, something that the producers were fully aware of. In what was surely intended as the final episode of the series, but actually aired as the penultimate instalment, Marshall woke up to find that his name was really Omri, and his entire life was, in fact, part of a TV show. “Reality Takes a Holiday” was an ingeniously postmodern episode, and saw Dash X – the only character referred to by his fictional name, and not his actor's name – attempt to oust Marshall as the star. Genuinely clever, it was a high point for the series.

My favourite episode, however, was “Heart on a Chain.” Marshall and a previously unmentioned classmate, Devon (played by another Dante favourite, Cory Danziger), both fall for the new girl, Melissa. When Devon is killed in a road accident, his heart is transplanted into the desperately ill Melissa, who begins to display some of Devon's personality traits. Marshall and Melissa's burgeoning romance is sabotaged by Devon's restless spirit. Apart from the fact that I had a huge crush on Danielle Harris, who played Melissa, this episode really touched me as a kid. Watching it again now, it's still affecting. It's a genuinely sweet, sad, creepy little ghost story, just really fine television.

For all the silliness, references and naff monsters, Eerie, Indiana was quite a dark, subversive series. The strangeness of the town and its supposed ordinariness was a metaphor for the harsh realities that are so often kept behind closed doors. While Marshall had a strong, loving family, Simon was from a broken home. He was able to spend so much time with the Tellers because his mother was rarely home, and his father was often “entertaining.” Other characters' lives were rarely anything to celebrate. “Who's Who” revolved around a young girl whose mother had abandoned her, and who was neglected and exploited by her father and brothers. Even the pilot episode, “Foreverware,” hinted at the dark secrets behind so many supposedly perfect families.

For some reason, Eerie, Indiana never took off on its initial 1991-2 run. It sank without a trace, with certain episodes not even airing. It wasn't until 1997 that Fox bought the series and it was given a new lease of life. It was then that the series made it overseas, onto the Saturday mornings of my thirteen-year-old self. It became successful enough to spawn a spin-off series, Eerie, Indiana: The Other Dimension. The concept was rather clever: in a parellel version of Eerie, life is perfectly normal, until a crazy cable guy opens an interdimensional rift. This lets the weirdness of the “prime” Eerie through to the Other Dimension, and threatens to destroy the Eeries of all realities. Marshall and Simon even appeared in the first episode to help out their younger equivalents, Mitchell and Stanley. However, although the effects had improved over the years, the scripts hadn't, and the weaker sequel series lasted only one season itself.

Eerie, Indiana amassed something of a cult following in its brief renaissance, but has little legacy. Even much of its cast are no longer acting. Omri Katz made the occasional film up until about eight years ago, while Justin Shenkarow now does mainly voice work. Julie Condra no longer seems to be acting. Of course, many of the more legendary guest stars are no longer with us. On the other hand, Jason Marsden is a familiar face on American television, Danielle Harris has become something of a modern day scream queen, and some kid called Tobey Maguire, who played a ghost boy, did quite well for himself. Still, I doubt any of these roles will make me smile quite as much as Eerie, Indiana.

I am neck-deep in an "Eerie, Indiana" marathon. I adore this series. It was a weird depiction of early '90s Americana, similar to David Lynch's "Twin Peaks", but with a stronger paranormal and supernatural spin on it (think "The X-Files" for the pre-teen audience). Overall, it holds up really well, and I'm surprised at times by the caliber of the talent that worked on this series, particularly the cast, the writers, and the guest directors.

Hello again, as THE UNSEEN HORROR reaches out from across your TV screens. Last time, we ventured across dimensions with Rod Serling and NIGHT GALLERY. Today however, we look at a very different place– a small town in the American heartland. Oh, does that not sound scary to you? Well don’t worry, because this is no ordinary town. It’s a place where Elvis is on the paper route, and Bigfoot goes through your trash. It’s a town of alien societies and dog uprisings. This is EERIE, INDIANA.

The Plot

Marshall Teller and his family have just moved to Eerie, Indiana from New Jersey. Marshall’s parents waned a quiet, safe upbringing for their children. However, Marshall quickly learns that Eerie is anything but quiet. In fact, the town is the center of weirdness for the entire planet. However, none of the residents seem to realize the oddities that surround their lives. Marshall and Simon Holmes, the only other person to note the Eerie weirdness, must collect evidence as they deal with the strangeness of the town.

The Cult of EERIE, INDIANA

EERIE, INDIANA began on NBC, with GREMLINS director Joe Dante serving as a creative consultant. The series lasted for nineteen episodes. Disney Channel then put it into syndication. However, when it aired on FOX in 1997, as part of its children’s lineup, something unexpected happened. The show gained a new audience that propelled it into cult status.

The fan reaction impressed Fox. They eventually green-lit a sequel series (EERIE, INDIANA: THE OTHER DIMENSION), but it only last one season. Nevertheless, the influence was felt by many. GRAVITY FALLS creator Alex Hirsch cites the show as an influence of his work. Critics also enjoyed the show; USA described it as ‘Stephen King meets the Simpsons’. Others praised how it mocked suburban tropes and took them to strange, absurd lengths as well. Much of that likely comes from Dante, who directed similar themes in films like THE BURBS. The full series is available on DVD and Fear.net aired the episodes daily.

EERIE, INDIANA explored many odd ideas in suburbia. This included tupperware that could halt the aging process, being stuck in the lost hour of Daylight Savings Time, and more standard horror fare like ghosts and werewolves. Since this was designed for younger audiences, these stories weren’t full of heart-pounding terror. However, they did have strong writing, a good sense of humor and the absurd, and solid performances from the cast. However, the creativity of the stories was the real selling point. The show fully understood the norms of suburbia, and how to take them to extreme lengths. Personally, I enjoy the idea of the ‘Elks Lodge’ secretly being a meeting ground for aliens.

Beyond the plots I’ve mentioned above, the show also showcased people literary becoming credit-spending zombies, a town ‘tornado day’ involving a sentient windstorm, and even breaking the fourth wall when Marshall emerges on the set of the TV show. Marshall himself was also crucial to the show, as he served as the narrator. His monologues were full of dry wit, but also filtered through the eyes of a child. It’s refreshing to hear his take on how credit works mixed with his expertise on the weirdness around him. The weirdness was another wonderfully done aspect. It gave Marshall a conspiracy to unravel. This deepened his relationship with the younger Simon, who could see things more simply then Marshall.

EERIE Residents

The casting was another bonus for the show. Marshall and Simon had enough charm and charisma to carry the show easily. Marshall’s family was also perfectly cast. The family was rarely a focal point, but their normalcy helped Marshall feel more developed and unique to the town. The show also featured a number of character actors stopping by, such as John Astin, Rene Auberjonois, Matt Frewer, Stephen Root, Jason Marsden, and Ray Walston, just to name a few. Other actors got their start here, like Nikki Cox and Tobey Maguire. Omri Katz (Marshall) even got a role in another Halloween classic, HOCUS POCUS. Ironically, his character in that film disbelieved in the supernatural.

Take A Trip to EERIE, INDIANA

EERIE, INDIANA isn’t truly terrifying in the same way NIGHT GALLERY was. However, it’s full of strong writing, an appreciation for horror and imagination, and is always fun to watch. This show functions as a gateway to the TWILIGHT ZONE and similar shows. So if you want to share your love of strangeness with your kids, or just want to have a good time in suburbia, head to EERIE, INDIANA.

And afterwards, come back next week, when we move into the realms of science fiction and atomic energy…

In which we salute the superlative kid’s show Eerie Indiana! The early-nineties series created by José Rivera and Karl Schaefer, with Gremlins‘ own Joe Dante serving as creative consultant and occasional director.

For those unfamiliar, the series revolves around Marshall Teller, a teenager whose family moves to the quaint, desolate town of Eerie, Indiana. There he meets a younger outcast kid, Simon, who seems to be the only other citizen of Eerie that can tell things are incredibly amiss. Together they investigate all the mysteries the town throws at them.

If you guessed coming-of-age Lynchian/ Burtonian goings-on, then you hit the nail on the head (though it’s worth noting Eerie aired in 1991: still early in the careers of both Burton and Lynch).

It is very well made; shot on film, with pleasingly self-aware scripts, satisfying Twilight Zone-style plots, an absolutely fantastic cast, and direction that harks back to classic 50s/60s b-movies. Self-aware, funny, satirical, and at times genuinely moving, it also loves to get cerebral, and includes the most meta episode of anything I’ve ever seen: the brilliant finale Reality Takes a Holiday.

The less you know about this one going in, the better. Yep, that’s Vance DeGeneres of Daily Show/ being Ellen’s brother fame.

Guest stars: how about a recurring John Astin? You like Stephen Root? Rene Auberjonois? A tiny Toby McGuire? Pretty much any character actor that worked a lot in the 80s? All here!

This show meant a lot to me as a kid, and in my opinion, it more than stands up as an adult. If you find yourself at a loss for something spooky to watch this Halloween weekend, the whole thing is on Youtube and streaming on Amazon.

If you want to read more, only by a competent writer, Denofgeek recently posted an excellent spoiler-free short write-up for each episode (including which ones to skip) right here.

@TobeyMaguire on eerie Indiana as tripp McConnell
— Craig Коще́й (@PittPenguin44) October 22, 2019

#EerieIndiana - The Dead Letter. Heartwarming ghost story starring a young Toby Maguire! It's pretty predictable but nevertheless enjoyable. It takes you back to simpler times which is no bad thing in these dark days. pic.twitter.com/n23cxC2lkr
— Dave of Androzani (@BungleSir) October 4, 2019

Was reminded of the show, "Eerie Indiana," so I had to watch some early 90's weirdness. Spotting celebrity guests and kids that became celebs.
— Kiran Chicoine (@SoryuBlueDragon) September 29, 2019

The Eerie Indiana episode with Tobey Maguire is still one of the best.
— Girl Davis (@Thatgirldavis) September 25, 2019

It's not exactly correct to describe the short-lived 1991 TV series, Eerie Indiana as X-Files meets The Twilight Zone for the tween set because Eerie actually preceded the X-Files by two years!

But since it first aired in the U.S. on NBC, Eerie Indiana's original 19 episodes have built a huge worldwide following with scores of fan web sites, a 1998 spin-off series, Eerie, Indiana: The Other Dimension, and a fervent fan base which lobbied for years to get the series released on DVD. Eerie was clearly as important and pivotal a series for budding Gen Y sci-fi fans as My So-Called Life was for Gen Y teen angst.

Thirteen-year-old Marshall Teller (Omri Katz) and his family have moved from his beloved New Jersey to the picture perfect town of Eerie, Indiana. But as the boy observes, Eerie is a strange town caught between the worlds of David Lynch and Tim Burton. Elvis lives on his paper route. Big Foot rummages through the garbage. And the neighbours are very, very weird. Marshall and his best friend Simon (Justin Shenkarow), like a prototypical Mulder and Scully, start to investigate the strange happenings in their town because Marshall wants to know why Eerie is the centre of weirdness. As Mulder would say, The truth is out there.

Also reminiscent of the junior Goosebumps series (for the pre-teen set?), Eerie Indiana has an impressive pedigree. Co-creator and writer, Jose Rivera, would later write indie film The Motorcycle Diaries. His co-creating and writing partner, Karl Schaefer, would go on to write and produce The Dead Zone. And giving the series a Danny Elfman-like soundtrack is Stephen King favourite, Gary Chang (Kingdom Hospital, Rose Red, Storm of the Century). Series producer and occasional episode director was Joe Dante (Gremlins, Explorers, Small Soldiers).

Even with rotating guest directors and writers, Eerie maintained an interesting atmosphere of unease thanks to the central theme of a young stranger living in a strange land. Series star, Omri Katz, narrates each episode with a pitch perfect teenage weariness. The writers had a lot of fun playing with sci-fi themes - everything from ghosts, werewolves and aliens to mysterious Chinese restaurants, Tupperware of the damned, lost souls trapped in the one-hour of Daylight Savings time, to an episode where Marshall finds himself starring on a TV show - as Omri Katz! Though this series is almost 14 years old, it doesn't feel dated. Production values and special effects are pretty good - much better than say cheapie Canadian location shoots, Sliders or Goosebumps - and the episodes are smartly written so that fans - new and old - can enjoy the strange tales of a boy stuck in a town he can't quite call home.

Best of all are glimpses of some familiar faces. A very young Tobey Maguire (Spiderman) guest stars in the episode "The Dead Letter" as a ghost. And one-time child actor favourite, Gabriel Damon (Robocop, Star Trek) shows up in "ATM with a Heart of Gold" along with Full House teen idol, Scott Weinger (Aladdin). John Astin (The Addams Family) and Ray Walston (My Favorite Martian) guest star in an episode about a teleportation portal - in the middle of a cornfield!

WORTH IT? Long time Eerie fans should be thrilled to finally replace their worn tapes with this clean digital transfer. Unfortunately, if you're looking for extras, you won't find them on this set - no commentaries, nothing. But it's an accomplishment in itself that a 14-year-old series was done well enough to have such an enduring fan base.

RECOMMENDATION: Definitely worth a rental for a weekend of weirdness or a Halloween marathon. And fans should snap up this set to replace their tapes.

Rewatching "Eerie, Indiana" and evidently Tobey Maguire was in an episode! pic.twitter.com/jnevW7HF9M
— KnoxSe7eN (@KnoxSe7eN) August 28, 2019

i remember that show it was neat and also remember his one scene in the wizard when he was rockin a mullet
— malriffic (@mal1981sj) August 28, 2019

My final installment #tbt is the much loved, sorta forgotten Eerie, Indiana. I streamed this (again) last week on Amazon Prime video. A young Tobey Maguire even makes an appearance! And how dreamy was Omri Katz? I was 12/13 at the time. Lol.

Here’s a fun twitter game to help procrastinate: what’s your fave instance of an actor in a bit part before they were famous that now seems bizarre? ie Amy Adams in Buffy, Anna Kendrick in Twilight or Natalie Dormer as “the lady who hits on Captain America”

Gifs/pics plz
— Kate Leth 🌈 FlameCon K92 (@kateleth) August 13, 2019

Toby McGuire in ‘Eerie Indiana’ or Michael Buble in ‘X-Files’. pic.twitter.com/8OKfqM0So7
— Drew Millward (@DrewMillward) August 13, 2019

Here’s a fun twitter game to help procrastinate: what’s your fave instance of an actor in a bit part before they were famous that now seems bizarre? ie Amy Adams in Buffy, Anna Kendrick in Twilight or Natalie Dormer as “the lady who hits on Captain America”

Gifs/pics plz
— Kate Leth 🌈 FlameCon K92 (@kateleth) August 13, 2019

I see your Tobey Maguire / Fear & Loathing image and raise you my Tobey Maguire / Eerie Indiana image. 😃 pic.twitter.com/AacmGeS7Gz
— SomeMediaGeek (@SomeMediaGeek) August 14, 2019

Is the kid on the left Max from Hocus Pocus?
— Nunyuh 🏳️‍🌈 (@NunyuhBeeznis) August 14, 2019

Yep! Same kid. 😃
— SomeMediaGeek (@SomeMediaGeek) August 14, 2019

Here’s a fun twitter game to help procrastinate: what’s your fave instance of an actor in a bit part before they were famous that now seems bizarre? ie Amy Adams in Buffy, Anna Kendrick in Twilight or Natalie Dormer as “the lady who hits on Captain America”

Gifs/pics plz
— Kate Leth 🌈 FlameCon K92 (@kateleth) August 13, 2019

Tobey Maguire as a lovesick ghost in that one episode of Eerie Indiana, godDAMN that was a great show.
— Janet 💗 Lynn (@Weez) August 13, 2019

I've been discovering this series on Prime and loved seeing Danielle Harris and now Toby McGuire! It's a great, late night, "I don't want to get into anything too heavy because I should be sleeping" show.
— CreepyCribleyBrown (@CribleyBrown) August 10, 2019

One of my favorite shows

I remember watching this show when I was younger and a year or two ago, catching the re-runs on Disney channel. It was like an Outer Limits for kids. Every week it was original with great special guests like Matt Frewer, Henry Gibson, even Tobey Maguire as a lovelorn ghost. The follow-up to the show was Fox's Eerie, Indiana, the Other Dimension which could have been an interesting idea, but was not as good as its original. My favorite episode was when the town found out that the owner of the general store was actually a maniac and had tied up the original owner in the basement. The original owner was played by John Astin. I wish they would release them on DVD.

Still to be found lurking around the netherworld of Channel 4’s esoteric schedules, this underrated and inventive creep-show predates Lost by marooning its characters in a place where inexplicable things happen, which may or may not (according to its rabid cult fans) have something do with hell (the town’s population contains the number 666) or doctored milk. Starring former Dallas moppet Omri Katz (he was John Ross Ewing III) as new boy in town Marshall Teller, each episode unravels further layers of weird, all of which Teller catalogues and stores in a locker to which only he has the key.

The series lasted for only 19 episodes — all of which are included here — the highlights being ‘The Lost Hour’ and ‘Reality Takes A Holiday’. Look out too for a young Tobey Maguire as a ghostly presence in ‘The Dead Letter’.

Eerie Indiana is the reason I love shows like this. This is the first show I watched and loved. This first aired when I was a baby but my brother told me how one week this wasn't on and I wouldn't stop crying.

Then I remember it re-airing in the late 1990s early 2000s on Saturdays. I remembered in particular the episode where Marshall turns back his clock one hour and ends up going missing.

Then when I was older YouTube emerged and I found the show and watched all the episodes. Of course not realising it was this show until that episode. This show featured a young Tobey Maguire in one episode. -

Even as an adult I really just love this series. There is one episode that is so beautifully brilliant. Heart on a Chain. Like this episode was just wow. This type of storytelling in a kids show didn't happen again until Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street. That's another great show that was obviously influenced by Eerie Indiana.

Pocos lo recordarán, pero una de las mejores series que vi en mi vida (adolescente) sólo tuvo una temporada, de ese santo grial de "Parker Lewis", "Eerie Indiana" y por supuesto "Great Scott!" con el único Tobey McGuire #90s pic.twitter.com/ecWah12MQo
— Ed Vill (@edvill) April 24, 2019

In the previous episode, we learned that one of Marshall’s friends met a grisly accident when he was run down by a milk truck. And this evening, we learned that wasn’t the first time such a fate befell a young man in Eerie. In 1929, a kid named Tripp was on his way to deliver a love letter to a girl named Mary when he stepped in front of a milk truck. The letter was tucked into a library book which was never again checked out.

Sixty-two years later, the library sent a couple of shelves of books to the World o’ Stuff to raise some money. Marshall runs across the letter and opens it, releasing Tripp’s ghost. Tripp is played by Tobey Maguire. It’s an early role for the future Spider-Man actor, but he doesn’t get to shine as a fish out of water. The script, sadly, doesn’t address the situation of a ghost suddenly in the world of his future, or maybe I’m just thinking about that because we’ve finished watching Adam Adamant Lives! and miss it already.

I'm getting 90s nostalgic and watching Eerie, Indiana- Episode 8: The Dead Letter, and who do I see? A young @TobeyMaguire. I totally forgot he was in this episode, it's been too long! This was actually one of my favorite episodes. Too bad it was for only one season =(
— Liz M. (@Timey_Wimey14) January 17, 2019

Man, Eerie Indiana ep. 7 "Heart on a Chain" is pretty dark.
— Sawcy New Year (@sawcesome) January 8, 2019

Tobey Maguire is in the eighth episode of Eerie Indiana.

The amount and quality of guest stars in this show so far is ridiculous.
— Sawcy New Year (@sawcesome) January 8, 2019

Ну наконец-то Эйри теперь можно смотреть и на ютюбе! Вот так радость! Да ещё и в качестве подарка к этому незабываемому событию, сегодня вечером можно будет глянуть премьеру восьмой серии! Ссылка в профиле! Так, а что ж это будет за серия? Ну, это будет восьмая серия, в которой Маршалу и Саймону придётся помогать настоящему призраку, которого играет... Играет... Иииграет... Узнали этого супчика?! Да это же Человек-паук! Ну то есть Питер Паркер! Ну то есть Тоби Магуайр! А вы думали! То-то же!

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