When her mother wakes up from a six-year coma, teenage Alia struggles to reconnect with this stranger who can’t remember her old life.

After a weak start, the 21st Century revival of Amazing Stories continues to improve with a strong sci-fi thriller that’s less whimsical than previous instalments. Waitress Alia (Sasha Lane – Hellboy) has her life turned upside when a hospital tells her that mom Sara (Michelle Wilson) has come out of a coma. Dr Koh (Linda Park – Enterprise) calls it a miracle, which it is, but can things be the same again?

Sara has woken up differently, and while initially it feel like a likely side effect of the time in limbo – people change a lot in six years – the arrival of mysterious stranger Wayne Wilkes (Josh Holloway – Lost) as an old friend of hers raises concerns with Aila. Sara seems to have lived a secret life totally alien to her daughter, and alien is the operative word as we finally work out what the truth is behind the resurrection.

Verdict: An effective sci-fi thriller with a familiar genre cast, this is the sort of solid fare we expect for this brand. 7/10

Nick Joy