Stay Tuned (film)

Stay Tuned is a 1992 American fantasy comedy film directed by Peter Hyams, written by Jim Jennewein and Tom S. Parker, and starring John Ritter, Pam Dawber, Jeffrey Jones, David Tom, Heather McComb, Bob Dishy, and Eugene Levy.
== Cast ==
* John Ritter as Roy Knable
* Pam Dawber as Helen Knable
* Jeffrey Jones as "Spike"
* David Tom as Darryl Knable
* Heather McComb as Diane Knable
* Bob Dishy as Murray Seidenbaum
* Eugene Levy as Crowley
* Erik King as Pierce
* Don Calfa as Wetzel
* Susan Blommaert as Ducker
* George Gray as Mr. Gorgon
* Faith Minton as Mrs. Gorgon
* Don Pardo as Game Show Announcer
* Lou Albano as Ring Announcer
* Salt-N-Pepa as Themselves
** The group's manager and primary producer Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor (credited under his birth name "Herby Azor") and his brother Steve Azor appear as dancers during the "Start Me Up" segment.
== Production ==
In 1990, Jim Jennewein and Tom S. Parker wrote the entire script for the film, under working title Terrorvision (not to be confused with TerrorVision), inspired by the idea was "The Evil Dead meets Monty Python".
Tim Burton was originally chosen to be the director on account of his art and style, but left to direct Batman Returns.
The script was purchased by Warner Bros. for $750,000.
== Reception ==
The film was not screened for film critics. The film holds a 47% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 17 reviews.
Stephen Holden of The New York Times called the film a "cleverly plotted movie" based on a "nifty satiric concept" but said that "most of its takeoffs ... show no feel for genre and no genuine wit." Rita Kempley of the Washington Post called the film "wonderfully silly" and a "zippy action spoof." Variety reported the film was "not diabolical enough for true black comedy, too scary and violent for kids lured by its PG rating and witless in its sendup of obsessive TV viewing...a picture with nothing for everybody"; it noted that the "six-minute cartoon interlude by the masterful Chuck Jones, with Ritter and Dawber portrayed as mice menaced by a robot cat...has a grace and depth sorely lacking in the rest of the movie." Time Out called it "pointless 'satire'" with the "emotional depth of a 30-second soap commercial."
=== Box office ===
Stay Tuned opened at #6 in the US, which the Los Angeles Times called a "fuzzy reception". The film grossed $10.7 million in the US and Canada and grossed only $1 million internationally for a worldwide total of $12 million.
== Parodies ==
Some film and television series parodies include:
* Three's Company, in which John Ritter had starred as Jack Tripper between 1977 and 1984.
* Wayne's World – Duane's Underworld in a twisted zombie sketch show Saturday Night Dead (a parody of Saturday Night Live)
* The Silence of the Lambs – Silencer of the Lambs commercial, a couple binds and gags their kids to keep them quiet during a car trip
* Three Men and a Baby, Rosemary's Baby – Three Men and Rosemary's Baby
* The Dukes of Hazzard – David Dukes of Hazzard
* Driving Miss Daisy – Driving Over Miss Daisy
* Northern Exposure – Northern Overexposure
* Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous – Autopsies of the Rich and Famous
* The Exorcist – The Exorcisist
* Murder, She Wrote – Murder, She Likes
* Leave It to Beaver – Meet the Mansons
* thirtysomething – thirtysomething-to-life (in prison)
* Beverly Hills, 90210 – Beverly Hills, 90666
* I Love Lucy – I Love Lucifer
* The Golden Girls – The Golden Ghouls
* Married... with Children – Unmarried with Children
* Fresh Prince of Bel-Air – Fresh Prince of Darkness
* The Facts of Life – Facts of Life Support
* My Three Sons – My Three Sons of Bitches
* Diff'rent Strokes – Different Strokes (about two elderly men literally having strokes)
* World Wrestling Federation – Underworld Wrestling Foundation (includes a cameo by former professional wrestler/manager Lou Albano)
* Star Trek: The Next Generation – Death Trek: The Next Generation (additional minor reference to William Shatner of the original Star Trek series)
* Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb – This reference is made during a scene in Spike's control center. The center is modeled after the War Room and also features a Dr. Strangelove impersonator.
* Looney Tunes – Rooney Tunes, a cartoon, animated by Chuck Jones Enterprises, depicting Roy and Helen as mice trying to evade a mechanical cat
* Home Shopping Club – Home Shoplifting Channel
* Yogi Bear – Yogi Beer commercial, a kid drinks a beer that has no alcohol, but makes him sound just like his father
* The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Channel 1: Gunslinger Scene
* MTV - HTV music video segment featuring a cameo appearance of Salt-N-Pepa
* Crash Test Dummies-Demonstration
== Adaptation ==
In August 2020, it was reported that AMC Studios was developing a television series adaptation of the film with Ian B. Goldberg and Richard Naing as writers, a part of Goldberg's overall deal at AMC Studios.
Category:1992 films
Category:English-language films
Category:1990s adventure films
Category:Articles in need of a picture
Category:Fantasy-comedy films