What makes this series fun is its low budget. but they do have really good actors on the show and I like watching it. What's hard to believe is that the show lasted for six years.
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tles719 October 2020
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markelsparks11 December 2021The episodes of the first couple of seasons are a bit cringy, but the production gets better. I'm not sure if I would be as invested if I didn't know the stories, but as a huge Ray Bradbury fan, I really enjoy seeing his stories adapted to screen.
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danindenver12 December 1998Ray Bradbury is an absolutely brilliant writer. I am totally impressed with the original ideas that he evolves into thoughtful and creative stories. I had nearly given up TV when his series came to our PBS affiliate in Denver. I made it a goal, early on, to see every episode.
My favorite episodes include `There Was an Old Woman' and `A Miracle of Rare Device.' They are true masterpieces. It is also fun to look for my favorite stars in these little-known vignettes.
I grew up reading Ray Bradbury's books and I enjoyed, even more, the screen portrayals of his works. His insistence on creative control over the finished product has resulted in a legacy that he can truly be proud of. Don't miss these excellent stories! -
etpowell19 January 2012Ray Bradbury will doubtless be remembered as one of the 20th century's most brilliant writers. This series captures some of his best short stories, including some fairly obscure ones, quite well. In many episodes, Bradbury does a special introduction, giving the viewer a tidbit of background about the story, which is a nice touch.
If there is one major flaw in this show, it is the production values. The show was an independent production, shot on a modest budget for cable TV. The first few episodes were done for HBO and the remainder for USA Network. The visual effects are lackluster, even for the time in which it was produced, and many of the episodes seem a bit dated--not exactly modern but not quite vintage either. Still, Bradbury's amazing ability to spin a yarn comes through to save things. Had the show been based on material from a lesser writer, it would have been unwatchable. -
It was a discrete, wise, quite, charming and weird TV show.Pére Bradbury's filmed sketches were on TV during my adolescence, and they shaped my idea of a SciFi show and of how it should look (and taste, as well ). That's why a later exposure to TV space operas was practically uselessI was lost for the spaceopera ,and educated, as it were, by Pére Bradbury's quiet marvels and paradoxesnice, wise ,gentle things, often with a humorous or a paradoxical side ;and by the '80s TWILIGHT ZONE (whose score still thrills me ).These humble things looked to a 1314 yrs. old quite exquisite and stylish and even maybe somewhat sophisticated; never dull or disappointing. This was my idea of a SciFi show, of vintage SciFi TV. The intro was unforgettablePére Bradbury in the elevator, than entering his small officethe toys, the objects around his office .We were told he never took the plane; we felt that his mind was imposing, and the oldster looked friendly and peaceful.
At the same age, I had the pleasure of reading a weekly magazine that sometimes offered a Bradbury short story (it offered a short storysometimes two, if even shorter --each time ), and then the treat was manifold. I think that there, in that magazine, I first encountered Bradbury's literature in its printed form.
I remember your TV show,Pére Bradbury,with fondness and gratitude;it was firsthand SciFi.
It cultivated the taste for the concise TV sketch. -
blahblahblah9124 October 2019So happy to see most episodes on both STIRR and Plutotv!!!
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tifsbeautyobsession1 January 2021I have always been a huge fan of shows like The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Hitchhiker, Night Gallery, Outer Limits, and of course The Ray Bradbury Theater. The stories in The Ray Bradbury Theater are extremely well written, intriguing and enthralling. His writing pulls me in and keeps me fully invested in the characters of each story. They chose the perfect actors/actresses for each role. You can tell a show is genuinely good when its (sometimes for this show) very low budget but the writing and acting is so well done that you are able to completely overlook that huge detail. I only wish there had been more than 6 seasons.
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The best thing about "The Ray Bradbury Theater" is its diversity: you never know what the next episode will bring you. There is sci-fi (both on Earth and on Mars), tales of the supernatural, mystery, horror, black comedy, just plain comedy, heartwarming stories, etc. The most disappointing thing is how many of the episodes don't have a memorable punchline or payoff, something that is required in this type of anthology show. Sometimes Bradbury's stories get lost in translation due to the generally dismal production values, or the usually unimaginative directors. But other times the stories themselves begin with a great idea that is never developed; too many endings make little sense or leave you wondering "Huh? Is that it?". There are episodes that make 22 minutes feel like an eternity; there are also episodes that achieve a kind of poetry. I won't go extensively into specific titles, because everyone has their individual tastes; I will just mention three episodes that I think are painfully unwatchable ("Colonel Stonesteel and the Desperate Empties" "There Was An Old Woman", "Exorcism"), and three that are clever and successful ("Touch of Petulance", "By The Numbers", "The Fruit at the Bottom of the Bowl"). Most of the others are somewhere in between. The DVD of this show is extremely cheap (under 10 US dollars), but you'll find out why: they have stuffed all 65 episodes in 5 discs (13 in each), resulting in frequent, and distracting, pixelization. Still, you can't beat that number of episodes for that price.
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Flameshadow20 April 2005I used to watch this show when I was somewhere between fourth or fifth Grade. I didn't always understand everything. I knew that almost every episode had a twist ending, like Twilight Zone, but I was confused sometimes. Even so, the show changed the way I thought about the world and several episodes, although I haven't seen them in years, still stick with me. Every time someone is yakking on a cell phone, I think of the episode The Murderer, and I think "I want a chocolate milkshake". At a fifth Grade book-fair one fateful day I remember seeing the the name "RAY BRADBURY" blaring on the cover of a shiny book, The Martian Chronicles. I still recall my exact thoughts. I ran up, surprised, and said to myself "Heeeeeeey! thats that guy from TV!." So I bought the book, still sitting on my bookshelf next to numerous other Bradburys. I was impressed by some stories, baffled by others. The Cold War references were lost on me, and for a long time I was confounded looking for a continuous plot. The story "There will Come soft Rains" introduced me to a favorite poet, Sara Teasdale. Although I was left a little confused, I continued to raid the school library for more Bradbury, reading Something Wicked This Way Comes, S is For Space, R is For Rocket, Twice Twenty-Two, Death is a Lonely Business. My only disappointment is that I never got around to reading I Sing the Body Electric.
Now, years later, as a teenager, I found The Ray Bradbury Theater DVD set at a best buy. 68 episodes, and only 30$! Well, needless to say, I grabbed the only copy they had left and clung to it for my life. I got home, and, perusing though episode titles, came across many of my favorite stories, A Sound of Thunder, The Lake, The Murderer, and many others I realized I had read since I watched the series as a child. In fact, I recall my elation at coming across "The Murderer" (always my favorite) as a short story.
In short, Ray Bradbury Theater is a great series for people of all ages. It will make you think, an stick with you, and possibly cause you to read more Ray Bradbury stories than you watch in episodes. -
theronnieacestation11 July 2021I tried, I really tried. But where do you go when your ideas are paper thin to begin with? I mean the premise of some or most of these are laughable. Man, if you are having trouble leading your character somewhere, get some help. Most of the ones I have seen start very promising but just lead nowhere. What was the object? What were you trying to tell us? A lesson? A lesson in what, time wasting? Have a thought through story before you put pen to paper. Maybe this was a lesson for all of us? The lesson? Don't waste your time with The Ray Bradbury theatre. Rod and Alfred, rest easy.
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briansgate18 June 2021With great anticipation I bought the entire series on DVD. Knowing Ray Bradbury's reputation, I expected outstanding stories on a par with Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone. To call this series a disappointment would be a gross understatement. After viewing over 50 of the series 65 episodes and finding only about 5 that were decent, I'm convinced this is the worst anthology I've ever seen. Most of the episodes are just plain dumb. Many episodes have major logic gaps. Story problems are simply ignored in most episodes. Many of these come off as first draft stories written by a child. Bradbury wrote all or almost all of them based on original stories of his own. I am simply dumbfounded by how poor the writing is. In many instances the dialogue does not ring true as to the way people really talk, which is just another flaw in this truly horrible series. I just had the displeasure of watching two ridiculous and pointless Season 6 episodes: "The Happiness Machine" and "The Anthem Sprinter," both about as enjoyable as a root canal. Bradbury also shows his fixation on Mars, with several episodes centered there without the characters required to wear suits. This series was produced in the mid-1980's, well after the fact that Mars did not contain an atmosphere that would support human life. Bradbury either didn't know or didn't care. Such laziness is unacceptable. Based on this I would never read anything written by him again. The only conclusion one can come to after watching this monstrosity is that Ray Bradbury is staggeringly overrated.
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AMar_rom17 August 2012Every episode (totally 65) in this TV series is based on a short story written by Ray Bradbury. I have seen most of them and I am more than happy on the way Bradbury's stories are presented on screen. The lack of budget for some episodes at least does not get in the way and the presentation exposes sufficiently well Bradbury's imaginative power.
Bradbury is one of my favorite novelists. He is (perhaps) mostly known for his science-fiction novel 'Fahrenheit 451' and the compound stories of 'The Martian Chronicles'. Nonetheless, his strength I think lies to his short stories that contain a rich blend of many themes ranging from lighthearted comedies to horror stories of the macabre. These episodes (for the most part produced for cable TV) do a more-than-decent job of introducing us to Bradbury's universe and can be an ideal starting point for many viewers to discover Bradbury. 'The Ray Bradbury Theater' is a must for fans and highly recommended for everybody. -
blake-3639811 August 2021We purchased the complete collection and because the name Ray Bradbury meant something we were sure we were going to get to watch some good stories. Boy, were we wrong. We are almost finished watching the whole series and it has been painful. Yes, these stories have some top-flight actors and actresses, but even their presence could not save the mediocre and moronic stories. The only story that we considered really good was "The Murderer". There were few (very few) that were mildly interesting. Most of them are trash with no rhyme or reason to them. We seriously doubt that we will be watching them again. They are just a waste of time for us. Needless to say, we believe that Bradbury is seriously overrated and will probably avoid anything with his name. So we say "Beware" if you are looking for stories that make even a little common sense.
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radioman970us23 September 2005I saw this on "Home Box Office" (heh! Love that...HBO now) when it first aired. Drew Barrymore's Screaming Woman has always impressed me and still does.
I recently picked up the Platinum Disc Corp DVD set for this series and was pleasantly surprised by the image quality. It's has nice color for the most part but may appear too pink at other times. I doubt the source material was outstanding visually. The biggest problem is something that was not a big surprise: image tearing. This happens when there is a lot of action on screen. It's infuriating that a company does this to a series that isn't available any way else just to save a few bucks. I paid about $25 but I'd pay more for better quality spread across more DVDs. It really sucks! And they could've turned themselves around with this collection. Yey to PDC for releasing these but boohiss for dropping the quality. For that I WON'T BE buying this for Christmas for another member of the family who is a fan. :( -
PixieInChains11 May 2019The series started out with a great variety of supernatural thriller and mystery stories but, by Seasons 4 or 5, focused primarily on Sci-Fi stuff which became very repetitive and boring.
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I dimly remember when this showed premiered. I looked at it once or twice at the time, found it dull, then forgot about it. Decades later, I rediscovered it on cable TV in marathon format, and thus gave it another try.
What a revelation. It's true that one sees things through new eyes many years after the fact. For my own part, I grew up thinking Ray Bradbury was a great science fiction writer, largely because everyone else said so. But watching his series makes me realize he wasn't a very good writer by my definition, at all.
The series is often somewhat autobiographical - time after time, an episode will revolve around an excruciatingly unattractive, geeky boy (usually tricked out in period-incorrect '30s duds), who longs to be a writer...sound familiar? The ugly boy is universally despised by the attractive, cool boys on the block, who heckle and bully him relentlessly. Invariably, some Cover Girl type female character gives the ugly geeky boy the attention and adulation he craves, and at the fadeout he winds up with a highly improbable upper hand over the attractive, cool guys who hate him.
This recurrent theme in Bradbury's episodes is an epiphany insight into his own youth. But it's not the worst part of the show.
The worst aspect of this series is the dialogue. Repetitive themes aside, Bradbury's dialogue is improbable at best -- wordy, flowery and inane at worst. Time and time again I find myself shaking my head as I watch, saying "nobody talks like that. Nobody EVER talked like that!"
Apparently, even as an adult, Bradbury's real life dorkiness isolated him from real people enough that he couldn't get the hang of how people really talk and act. There are two types of dialogue: the kind that reads well on the written page, and the kind that sounds natural when delivered by an actor. They're not always the same thing - a simple lesson Bradbury clearly never mastered.
Some may regard this series as the poor man's "Twilight Zone" or "Night Gallery." To me, it's closer to an amateur film festival experiment with the wrong writer heading the project. Possibly viewers whose experience parallels that of Bradbury's may get something out of this show - but for everyone else, this is merely a time-honored disappointment. -
midbrowcontrarian30 December 2021On a long march through the anthologies I suspect I've seen the best of them. They are, since you ask, Twilight Zone (the original not the modern rubbish), Alfred Hitchcock Presents/Hour, and Thriller (1973).
Be that as it may, my Bradbury Theatre diamond/dross ratio is just 1 in 10, about the same as the underwhelming One Step Beyond. To save time quite a few could have been consolidated into one in which astronauts land on Mars and discover some kids who don't age and have no parents and nothing much happens until an ending without a twist or even a satisfactory conclusion. Two starred Richard Benjamin and Elliott Gould so I naturally hoped these would be good, but sadly it was not to be. May I suggest taking a punt on the following half dozen before trying any more.
15 The Coffin. Great performance from Denholm Elliott as a cad (what a novelty!) who gets his comeuppance when he tries to filch his dead brother's fortune.
24 A Sound of Thunder. Big game hunters go back in time to bag dinosaurs, and change the future. Hardly an original idea but I'm very partial to this kind of story.
31 Mars Is Heaven. Men land on Mars and find it rather familiar.
36 A Touch of Petulance. Man meets his future self who has come to warn him against killing his wife.
42 Here There Be Tygers. Exploration spaceship finds a planet to be a garden of Eden but strange things happen. Somewhat reminiscent of Star Trek's Shore Leave, though of course not as good.
47 The Concrete Mixer. Wry tale of invaders from (you guessed it) Mars corrupted by American consumerism. The only one of my picks rated poorly, but I thought it quite funny.