If you grew up in the late eighties, you probably have a weird, fuzzy memory of a girl who could freeze time by touching her index fingers together. No, it wasn't a fever dream. It was Out of This World, a syndicated sitcom that ran from 1987 to 1991. It was strange. It was campy. Honestly, it was one of the most bizarre hits of the decade because it blended suburban domesticity with high-concept science fiction, all on a shoestring budget that relied heavily on neon lights and a talking crystal cube.
Evie Ethel Garland was the heart of the show. On her thirteenth birthday, she finds out her dad isn't just "away on business." He’s actually an alien named Troy from the planet Antareus. This revelation comes via a glowing device that looks like a high-end paperweight but functions as a long-distance intergalactic telephone. Burt Reynolds provided the voice of the father, which is a fact that feels fake but is 100% true. He was never seen on screen, only heard through that plastic cube.
What Made the Out of This World TV Show So Weirdly Addictive?
The show worked because it tapped into every kid's fantasy of having a "get out of jail free" card. Evie could stop time. She could "gleep" objects into existence. Later in the series, she even gained the power to change her physical appearance. It was a classic "fish out of water" story, but the fish was half-alien and lived in California.
What most people forget is how the show handled the absence of the father. Troy wasn't a deadbeat; he was a literal celestial being with responsibilities on another planet. This created a strange dynamic where Donna Pescow, playing Evie’s mom, had to act opposite a glowing light. It was a precursor to the modern era of actors performing alongside tennis balls on sticks for CGI, except it was happening in a low-budget sitcom taped in front of a live audience.
The supporting cast added to the chaos. You had Uncle Beano, played by Joe Alaskey, who was obsessed with food and provided the comic relief that 80s audiences craved. Then there was Kyle Applegate, the local mayor and former actor who was perpetually vain. These characters grounded the supernatural elements in a way that made the show feel like a traditional sitcom, even when Evie was accidentally summoning historical figures or manifesting pizza out of thin air.
The Science (or Lack Thereof) of the Antareans
We have to talk about the physics. Or the total lack of them. When Evie froze time, everyone else stayed still while she moved around. This led to some of the most creative—and occasionally terrifying—practical effects of the era. If a character was supposed to be frozen mid-air, the production would literally use wires or just have the actors hold incredibly still while the camera stopped and started. It was clunky. It was charming. It was peak television before the digital revolution.
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The show never really bothered explaining the biology of how a human and an Antarean could have a child. They just leaned into the magic. That’s the thing about 80s TV; it didn't feel the need to provide a 20-minute exposition dump about midichlorians or genetic sequencing. You just accepted that the girl had a magic cube and her dad was a movie star’s voice.
The Cultural Footprint of Evie Garland
Why do we still talk about the Out of This World TV show? It’s not because it was high art. It’s because it captured a very specific transition in television history. Syndication was the Wild West back then. Shows like Small Wonder and Out of This World didn't need the backing of a major network like NBC or ABC to find an audience. They were sold directly to local stations.
This allowed for a level of experimentation (and cheapness) that you don't see as often now. The theme song was a modified version of "Swinging on a Star," which perfectly encapsulated the wholesome-yet-alien vibe.
"Would you like to swing on a star / Carry moonbeams home in a jar / And be better off than you are / Or would you rather be an Antarean?"
Okay, those weren't the exact lyrics, but they might as well have been. The show was inherently hopeful. It was about a girl navigating the horrors of middle school with the help of a literal god-like being who happened to be her dad. It’s the ultimate escapism.
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Why Critics Hated It and Fans Loved It
Critics were brutal. They called it derivative. They said it was a rip-off of Bewitched or I Dream of Jeannie. And honestly? They weren't entirely wrong. But they missed the point. Out of This World wasn't trying to redefine the sitcom; it was trying to fill a Saturday afternoon time slot for kids who were bored.
The show's longevity—96 episodes over four seasons—is a testament to its "watchability." It didn't demand much of you. You could jump in at any point and understand the stakes. Evie wants to go to a dance? She uses her powers, things go wrong, she learns a lesson, and Troy gives some fatherly advice from the cube. Rinse and repeat.
The Real Legacy of the Special Effects
Believe it or not, the "frozen time" effect actually influenced a lot of later media. While The Matrix gets all the credit for "bullet time," the low-rent version of that trick was being used weekly on a soundstage in Hollywood in 1988. The production team had to get incredibly creative with "stills." If someone was spilling a glass of milk when Evie froze time, they would use clear plastic or resin to simulate the liquid. It was tactile and physical in a way that modern CGI just isn't.
The Ending That Left Everyone Confused
One of the biggest gripes long-time fans have is the finale. Or rather, the lack of a satisfying one. In the final episode, "Evie's 18th Birthday," Troy finally returns to Earth. But there’s a catch. He has to take Evie's place, or she has to go with him. It was a cliffhanger that never got a proper resolution because the show was canceled.
Fans spent years wondering if Evie ever saw her dad again without the glowing cube. It’s one of those unresolved TV mysteries that lingers in the back of your brain. Because the show went into reruns on networks like Ion or the late-night blocks of various cable channels, new generations kept hitting that same brick wall of a finale.
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If you're looking to revisit the Out of This World TV show, your options are surprisingly limited. It hasn't had a massive 4K restoration. You won't find it on Netflix in a high-def glory. It exists mostly in the realm of DVD sets—often of questionable quality—and the occasional upload on YouTube by archivists who recorded it on VHS thirty years ago.
Practical Steps for Retro TV Lovers:
- Check Local Resale Shops: The DVD sets were released in some regions (like Germany) more comprehensively than in the US. Look for "Mein Vater ist ein Außerirdischer" if you're scouring international eBay.
- YouTube is Your Friend: There are several channels dedicated to 80s syndication that have uploaded episodes with the original commercials intact. This is actually the best way to watch it because the commercials provide the necessary context for the era's vibe.
- Support Physical Media: If you find the "Official First Season" DVD, grab it. The rights for these syndicated shows are a nightmare of legal red tape, which is why they often disappear from streaming services without warning.
- Look for Donna Pescow Interviews: She’s been very vocal over the years about her love for the show and often shares behind-the-scenes tidbits that give more insight into the production than the episodes themselves.
The show remains a weird, sparkling artifact of a time when TV didn't have to be "prestige" to be memorable. It just had to be fun. And having a dad who lives in a glowing box is about as fun as it gets.
Navigating the Rerun Era
Most people who claim to "know" the show actually only saw the first ten episodes over and over again. Syndication packages often favored the early seasons, meaning the later, weirder plot points—like Evie's alien boyfriend or her increasing powers—are less known. If you really want to understand the show’s arc, you have to dig into the fourth season. It gets significantly more "sci-fi" toward the end, moving away from the "teenager with a secret" tropes and more into the "intergalactic politics" of Troy's home planet.
The truth is, Out of This World represents a specific moment in pop culture where the line between children's programming and adult sitcoms was incredibly thin. It treated its audience like they were in on the joke. It didn't take itself seriously, and in a world of gritty reboots and dark dramas, that's probably why we still have a soft spot for the girl who could stop time with a touch.
To truly appreciate the series today, you have to look past the dated fashion and the sometimes-clunky dialogue. Look at the heart of it: a story about a family trying to stay connected across the literal universe. That's a theme that never actually goes out of style, even if the neon glowing cubes do.