TV REVIEW : ‘Clock’ Fitting Start to ‘Goosebumps’

Suppose you’re a 12-year-old boy teased and tormented by a little sister from hell. And suppose your dad brings home a mysterious old clock that you discover not only tells time but also warps it. And suppose your scary misadventures with that clock lead you to the perfect pay-back for Sis.

Welcome to “The Cuckoo Clock of Doom,” the well-made, entertaining first episode in “Goosebumps,” a new live-action chiller/thriller series that premieres today on Fox.

“Goosebumps,” based on R.L. Stine’s phenomenally popular horror book series for ages 7 to 11, features lots of “gotcha” scares and giggles, served up with a dash of kid-pleasing gloppy grossness.

That’s what you’ll find in “The Cuckoo Clock of Doom,” a tale that won’t do a thing for sibling relations: Sister Tara (Kristen Bone) is an irredeemable pest and her big brother, Michael (John White), gets no support from his parents.

Things seem to go from bad to worse when Michael’s nightmarish encounter with the antique clock sends him back in time to a recent birthday, to age 6 and even, comically, to crib-and-diaper stage.

Until he discovers what effect that has on Tara. . . .

One caveat: Although the chills are mild by big-screen standards, they’re too intense for younger kids. The show, like the books, is for ages 7 and up.

* “Goosebumps” will air Fridays at 5 p.m. on Fox (Channel 11).