Sci Fi TV Flashback: Looking back at notable sci fi and fantasy television entries from years past.
What Is It? The ever-cheerful Mr. Roarke and his faithful companion Tattoo are the hosts for Fantasy Island where guests come to live our their fantasies. But once there, the visitors often learn that what they thought would be fantasies take them down a road they did not expect.
Aired: ABC, 1977-1984, 7 Seasons Totaling 152 Episodes and 2 TV Movies
Starring: Ricardo Montalbán, Hervé Villechaize
Created By: Gene Levitt
Is It Must-Watch Sci Fi? Possibly. This is iconic TV and it is worth catching the first two movies and maybe a few episodes to get a feel for the show.
The Skinny: Fantasy Island is not one that many people think of when considering classic sci fi and fantasy entries from the past, but it definitely is a genre show of note. Often lumped together with The Love Boat (which it ran concurrently with) as one of those romantic comedy guest star anthology shows that came from Aaron Spelling in the ’70s/’80s, Fantasy Island actually delivered its own unique spin on the concept and stood on its own merits. The mysterious Mr. Roarke was suggested to have lived hundreds of years and had strange and sometimes ominous powers, though that was rarely the focus of the show. He instead shepherded the fantasies of the guests and was a constant presence delivering commentaries to those very guests when they felt their fantasies were derailing.
But Fantasy Island was not interested in hard-hitting drama. Instead, it delivered what I consider to be quintessential television for television’s sake: beautiful locations, known quest stars, glitzy production, along with gentle morality tales that that keep it from being a completely dispensable. Many of the “lessons” learned by the guests had already been covered by other television shows or movies–or more literary works–in the past, but this time around they were wrapped in a pretty package for easy consumption. Some might consider this vapid television, others might count it as a guilty pleasure. And for every throwaway fantasy the show delivered, there were some that had a bite as well as those that ventured into more supernatural territory. At one point, Jack the Ripper made his way to the island and twice Mr. Roarke faced off with the devil.
But what really makes this show is the performance of its two leads. It’s quite obvious that Ricardo Montalbán is having a ton of fun as the mysterious Mr. Roarke, acting at one point as the gracious host and the next as the paternal voice cautioning those who have not learned yet that their fantasies are actually there to guide them into a deeper understanding themselves. Hervé Villechaize was originally brought on as comic relief, though he would get more to do as the series progressed (and would eventually be replaced when he demanded more money). Together, these two made the show as they opened and closed each episode and frequently interjected themselves into the the lives of their guests. Add to that a who’s who of familiar faces on the guest star list, and you have a show that delivered a perfect slice of television being television and that is actually quite enjoyable for what it is (plus, it still holds up well today).
Cancelled Too Soon? No. At over one hundred and fifty episodes plus two movies, this show had a lengthy run. Some would say that it wore out its welcome, but over its seven years it delivered its fair share of good episodes to offeset its equal number of of turkeys (sometimes sharing the same episode since each had at least two stories).
Revival: As with any anthology show, Fantasy Island is imminently rebootable, and there have so far been multiple attempts to return to the island. In 1998, the show was brought back with Malcolm McDowell taking over as Mr. Roarke and Barry Sonnenfeld (The Addams Family, Men in Black) onboard as executive producer. It definitely mixed in much of the look and feel of a Sonnenfeld production and delivered a darker, more cynical take on the concept. Sadly, though, that one disappeared after a short, thirteen-episode run. In 2020, Blumhouse Productions did a horror film take on the show that was considered a prequel of sorts. But that one received poor reviews and disappeared rather quickly. And just recently, FOX brought the show back in Summer 2021 with a new version that draws heavily on the original (with Roselyn Sánchez as Elena Roarke taking over as the latest in the line of Roark’s to run the island) while also throwing in a bit of Twilight Zone to give it an edge. The ratings have been tepid for that one so far, so its future is uncertain.
Interesting Facts: How much does it cost to go to Fantasy Island? In the first movie, it is revealed that it costs $50,000 per guest, though Mr. Roarke later indicated that he sometimes he drops the price because he believes everybody should have a chance to have their fantasies fulfilled.
According to Aaron Spelling, the original pitch for the show was a joke. ABC exec Brandon Stoddard had rejected several of his pitches so in frustration he blurted out: “What do you want? An island that people can go to and all of their sexual fantasies will be realized?” Stoddard liked that idea and told him to start working on the show.
Where Can You Watch It?: The first three seasons were released on DVD along with the movies, but it does not appear that the later seasons have had the home video treament. The entire series is streaming for free (with ads) on Tubi TV, though not the first two movies. The 1998 series is also available for streaming there, and that one has not been available on DVD or any other medium since it first aired.
Read More About the Show: Wikipedia | IMDb.com.
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