The Cuckoo Clock of Doom/TV episode

The Cuckoo Clock of Doom was adapted into an episode of the Goosebumps TV series. The episode aired on Fox Network on November 3, 1995 as the third episode of the series, as well as Season 1. It was directed by John Bell.

Cast

 * John White as Michael Webster
 * Kristen Bone as Tara Webster
 * Cynthia Belliveau as Mrs. Webster
 * Larry Mannell as Mr. Webster
 * Kyle Fairlie as Michael Webster at Age 6
 * Alyssa Gebert as Mona
 * Jake Roberts as Anthony
 * Sam Hilwi as Josh at 12
 * Brandon Smith as Josh at 6
 * Christopher Chung as Henry at 12
 * Michael Ho as Henry at 6
 * Steve W. Smith as Scary Man
 * Zachary Brian McQuaid as Michael at Age 3

Differences from the Book

 * While in the televised version Michael Webster experience being 12, 6 (on his sixth birthday), and a baby in the past, the book has him experience a much longer time reversal, first going into 12, 3rd grade, 2nd grade, kindergarten, nursery school and being a baby.


 * Michael does not experience getting beaten up by Kevin Flowers or being seen in his underwear.
 * This is the only single-part episode to not make it to home video.
 * Michael's dream is different. It is not of a scary version of his birthday. Instead, it is the clock with Tara's head for a cuckoo chasing him.


 * The first time when Michael's father tells Tara not to touch the clock, the father is also visibly more upset than in the book.
 * His father is a lot angrier at finding him at Anthony's Antiques than in the book. Later on, when he was brought back to the present it is the actual present, and he gets the same scolding from his father that Tara got earlier. Michael being happy to see his parents again catches his father off guard.


 * Tara's bedroom is his father's office and not Michael's old bedroom.
 * Mr. Webster discovers the year 1988 is missing first.
 * The man who asked Michael if he had the time was never identified.

Trivia

 * This television episode was adapted into Goosebumps Presents Book #2.
 * One of two television episodes whose opening title appeared in white rather than green. The other one is The Girl Who Cried Monster.
 * The second time Michael goes through his birthday, his mother asks him to help her with his cake. When he goes to her, you see they are outside. But the first time of Michael's birthday, they were inside.


 * In the scene where Michael is dreaming, he opens the door to the room the cuckoo clock is in and begins to scream. But we hear the scream a split second, before his mouth opens.


 * The first time when Michael's father tells Tara not to touch the clock, you see she has bangs on her forehead. But when she turns around to stick her tongue out at Michael, her bangs are gone.
 * This television episode, along with The Girl Who Cried Monster, on their original premieres had a special opening theme in which there was a ten-second remix when R.L. Stine is walking through the grass with the briefcase. When the G passes the dog, that part of the music is played with a different instrument. There were also different scenes from the television show when the door opened.


 * When Michael looks in the mirror at age 6, his scream and facial expression is exactly the same as Macaulay Culkin's scream in the Home Alone movies (and he also bears a resemblance to him).


 * John White (Michael Webster at 12) played Steve Boswell in Season 2's The Haunted Mask II.
 * When Michael is 6, his father reads him Norman Bridwell's "Clifford the Big Red Dog." Like Goosebumps, Clifford is also a Scholastic property.


 * While The Haunted Mask is the first episode made, this was the first episode that premiered the Goosebumps TV series.