We all watch TV, whether that's really a good or bad thing only time will tell. But all the same it has because a big part of everyone's lives, from childhood to adulthood and throughout the decades we all have shows that we remember, became a part of history, as well as those new shows we all get excited for.This film I feel is another under the radar gem, it's also a childhood relic since I saw it when I was about 10 and is both one of my favorite parody films in the subgenere and one of my favorite films in general. This was a parody movie that I feel was just made for me because it's pretty much parodies on top of parodies which to me is just a dream come true and something that I don't feel has been done again since. It would be awesome to see a parody (a good one) on a comic book or anime franchise where a single hero or a group of heroes go into one segment out of the norm into another.This film is pretty much a live action Mad Magazine, as each of the show/situations both characters jump into are practically a Mad Magazine cartoon you would flip to, pretty much taking things were familiar with and turning them upside down. But mainly I love the premise which is part of why I love it, it's sort of that dream we all kinda have in the back of our minds of being part of a TV show and in the action. If there is a few TV shows I'd want to be a part of it would be "Doctor Who", "Sailor Moon", and well you get it, I'm sure you have your lists as well (admit it). This film takes that concept and has fun with it. I even like that there is a bit of a horror fantasy element which makes it both bizarre and funny, but it makes sense since most humans watch TV so why wouldn't Satan think of using this opportunity to take souls. But in a way it sort of also makes the film kinda a Christian movie, since there is this element let alone a theme of redemption and family values throughout the film.The characters are solid, from the late great John Ritter as Roy Knable and Pam Daber as Helen Knable which is ironically funny since both of them are of course TV sitcom vets. Also their last name is kinda funny since it's a play on words for able or could be a slight reference to the biblical character Abel.Roy is funny and he's not a bad person, the problem with him is his head's in the wrong place which of course is TV. This guy is clearly trying to tune out of reality because to him reality sucks. I can sort of sympathize and empathize with that feeling, we can see in little segments that left and right he is getting crap canned almost every day from working in a job he hates, let alone a butt head neighbor's dog attacks him every time he goes to work and comes back home. The only high point to him is TV, even though really it should be his family and his fencing talent; but like in any morality tale he's about to learn that the hard way.Helen is also funny and she's sympathetic because their marriage is crumbling and part of that is obviously from Roy's chronic TV viewing. It's obvious their marriage needs a jump start and well fate or should I say the Devil is about to give them that.I really like the back and forth between both Roy and Helen, you could say in a way this film is a bit of a romance comedy but done right, because the couple are not teen or young adults which I personally feel have been done to death. But actual grown adults that are married and do what any couple should do, interact and help one another.I even like the two kids, the sister I'll admit I had a bit of a crush on. But I really like the little brother, he's not a stereotypical nerd this kid I think is actually cool, smart, really knows his way around communication technology which becomes useful in the film, but most importantly takes a active approach in things.I really love the pacing and the adventure aspect of it, you could say in a way it's like a video game, as the couple are constantly going from one new situation after another much like levels and have to survive each of them.I don't want to give too much away, one segment if the noir show which is just fantastic for me since I'm a fan of the genre. And I simply love the blend of both visual and verbal humor, all the clichés in that genre are there. I really like the narration of Roy in the segment which cracks me up.And of course that cartoon segment, which was animated by late animator Chuck Jones whom is known for doing the "The Looney Tunes" cartoons. It was just funny also because it has some of the clichés as well. I really thought it was funny how Roy applied cartoon logic to get both him and Helen out. But also a visual joke seeing Helen open her wallet to see a photo of her kids and we see the cartoon mouse versions of them.And the film surprisingly has a good message which is simply to not watch too much TV and most importantly to simply tune into life, it can be better if you decide to tune in.This is a parody worth tuning into.Rating: 4 stars

Before writing this, I knew that at its release (Stay Tuned) was accused of being "a pointless satire". Now I have to say that anyone says anything like that, is pointless himself !It's a refreshing fantasy, while being a wicked, sort of dark, parody also. The thing about it is that it has 2 ironies. They both had been summarized well in the tagline "Everybody wants to be on television. Just not this kind of television.". Hence it's about living the TV, and an evilly twisted version of it too. It kills me already when I know, in 2010, that a movie with this story was made 18 years ago, while I wrote a TV show based on more or less the same idea couple of years ago !! It's not "how someone else me thought about it?", No, it's "How they made it, while my TV show isn't made till NOW ?!!!!!!"Away from my personal sorrows, I think that the movie's vision can't be more obvious : Today's TV is devilish, by watching – rather surrendering to – it we sell our souls to hell, setting in front of it for more than it deserves means turning into a viewer more than doer, losing reality, dreams, and most of all : love.Its fun is close to impeccable. I loved the wicked finale where the cinema studier becomes the new devil, as if the ones who knows the rules of art will be better Satans ! I believe that writers (Jim Jennewein) and (Tom S. Parker) didn't do anything this entertaining again. While their career includes movies like (Major League II, Ri¢hie Ri¢h), still (Stay Tuned), the first one they wrote, is their most original and wild work yet. Director (Peter Hyams) can make a keen steamy action just about every time, in spite of how the scripts he deals with are sometimes weaker.Speaking of which, this movie has a similar problem. A serious one too. While the action and comedy are on, the drama isn't. From the wonderful, so smart, parody of the game show, then the wrestling match, to the end of the movie where the lead has no solution to save his love, and his marriage, but to turn off the TV, no actual drama, concerning the development of the 2 lead's relationship, was done. It's a series of non-stop chases through bizarre channels (with the bizarre commercials as well), yet with no substance to follow. I thought that with more care and seriousness about such a basic storyline the drama would have been more attractive and effective, and the interplay between the movie and the viewer more emotional and powerful. So the movie's satire wasn't bad, it's the dealing with it that tarnished it a bit, maybe causing the accusation of "pointless" for some.Minor problems : for sure the video clip at the end. It's bad on so many levels. I mean it was long. It was noisy. It was cold. And it was while the movie's most critical phase for god's sake, so how about putting it to slacken the tight pace ! Actually, seeing (John Ritter) in that yellow girlie outfit was awful enough ! I didn't like the matter of parodied TV shows, only by punned titles, at the closing credits; that was lame and blank. And for a final problem : while (John Ritter), (Pam Dawber), (Jeffrey Jones) did their absolute best, I thought they all missed the glamour of stardom. The charisma of them wasn't as dazzling as the movie itself. Well, maybe I'm wrong, and it's measured by the amount of fun this cast gave, because accordingly; they scored high.Some lines were great : "I prefer a man who touches me, not the controller", "All I wanted was to be the big shot for once. Take my remote.", "You wanted to live in a TV fantasy? Well, you got your wish." And finally the immortal Roy Knable's one : "Take my advice, kiddo. Don't watch too much TV. It can get you into trouble."It's about the journey from viewer into doer. I bet the writers loved the idea of living defeated by a TV fantasy (or did experience it already), then having the victory *through* the very TV fantasy. But while the "viewer" part was done fine, the "doer" part wasn't as fine. When it comes to this point in specific the writers were viewers more than doers themselves !

I haven't seen the movie in years but do remember liking it. Both Ritter,Dawber and Jones are perfectly cast in this comedy. A married couple,one of which is totally obsessed with TV like many of us all..kidding...anyway both husband and wife are sucked into the TV through the Satel light dish and thus the real fun begins.I won't spoil the movie for anyone but there's a very amusing sequence where both are animated mice. If you happen to see it in the video store rent it. Even though it didn't fair well at Box Office it still is a pretty good flick. One of Ritter's best movies in my opinion. I bought it at a yard sale shortly after Ritter died in memory as well as I knew it was a good movie having first seen after it was first released on VHS. Everyone in the movie was awesome. Sure there's spots where it could of been better but for the most was pretty good flick.

Roy Knable (John Ritter) loves watching television so much that his marriage is falling apart because of it. When a door-to-door salesman shows him a high-tech remote control, Ritter listens to his pitch, and buys into it when he discovers that it's for a new television and satellite system that offers 666 channels of programming--much of which is not available anywhere else. However, the salesman may not have been what he seemed to be, and Knable soon discovers that he may have agreed to a contract that obligated him to give up more than money.Oh, how I loved this film! Director Peter Hyams and the writing crew of Tom S. Parker, Jim Jennewein and Richard Siegel definitely had my number on this one. Stay Tuned is a very clever horror comedy that is extremely underrated and perhaps was a bit mismarketed. Although I'm a huge horror fan, and love horror comedies, I'd never heard of this one before (however, later I did find references to it in a couple horror sources, so it seems it wasn't completely overlooked by the industry and fans). But the horror aspect of the film doesn't appear to be advertised anywhere. I watched this on HBO's Family Channel. Even though Knable's son is important to the plot and there are strong fantasy aspects, this is not really a family film. Not that kids might not like the film, but they'd have to be kids who like horror (comedies) and whose parents let them watch horror (comedies). Enjoyment of the film is also helped by having a familiarity with the material that is being spoofed, and the references are broad enough that it would take years of experience to acquire that familiarity.Why spoofed? Well, on one level, Stay Tuned is just a long series of crafty takes on film and television programs and genres, giving many well-known classics a more immediate horror twist--immediate because they all put our heroes, Knable and his wife Helen (Pam Dawber), in peril in some way. There are many more subtle jokes, as well, and the film even pokes fun at film students/film geeks. The spoofs range from silly to poignant, and can be as quick as a title or as long as ten minutes or so. One of the best is a classic Warner Brothers-styled animated segment. The style and the quality should not be surprising, as Chuck Jones designed and supervised the animation.Under different hands, maybe this material wouldn't be quite as good as it is. Hyams' direction is spot-on throughout the film, the script (including the dialogue) is very intelligent, and in addition to Ritter and Dawber being as good as I've seen them, Stay Tuned also features Jeffrey Jones (one of my favorite character actors) and Eugene Levy. Both are fantastic.Stay Tuned deserves much wider recognition. It is funny, suspenseful and seems to draw from a well of endless inventiveness. It's as good as any other horror comedy I've seen. There is also a surface message of turning off the television and living your life, which is a worthwhile sentiment, but perhaps a harder sell when it is packaged in a film as excellent as this.A 10 out of 10 from me.