"Fantasy Island" (1998) TV series 1998-1999

Writers:

Dean Batali (writer)
Rob Des Hotel (writer)

Seasons:

1 | unknown

Release Date:

26 September 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy

Plot:

In this revival of the popular 1970s television series, Mr. Roarke and his three assistants run a tropical...

Plot Keywords:

Island

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Malcolm McDowell	...	Mr. Roarke (13 episodes, 1998-1999)
Mädchen Amick	...	Ariel (13 episodes, 1998-1999)
Edward Hibbert	...	Harry (13 episodes, 1998-1999)
Fyvush Finkel	...	Fisher (13 episodes, 1998-1999)
Cherisse Lamoureux	...	'Hotel employee' Pilot (13 episodes, 1998-1999)
Louis Lombardi	...	Cal (11 episodes, 1998-1999)
Tracy Bautista	...	Hotel employee (9 episodes, 1998-1999)
Sylvia Sidney	...	Clia (7 episodes, 1998)

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Häna, Maui, Hawaii, USA

Company:

Columbia TriStar Television

Trivia:

Malcolm McDowell plays Mr. Roarke, who was played by 'Ricardo Montalbán' in the 1977 series. Both men had previously played the main adversaries in Star Trek movies: Montalbán played Khan Noonien Singh in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982), and McDowell played Dr. Tolian Soran in Star Trek: Generations (1994).

Quotes:

Mr. Roarke: Mr. Barnes likes to flirt with death, but death is looking for a more permanent relationship.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "South Park: City on the Edge of Forever (#2.7)" (1998)

Far from a holiday in hell.

This shortlived revamping of the classically silly TV series was, ironically, closer to the original concept than the first show (the 1970s version's pilot was darker and a lot edgier than the subsequent series); the "fantasy" aspect of the title got as much play here as the "island" part, with a greater implication that Mr. Roarke and his crew were not all they seemed - particularly Madchen Amick's shape-shifter Ariel ("I'm not hard to get - I'm impossible to get").

The travel agency in NYC that booked the passengers for Fantasy Island filled in another gap from the original show (how the hell did they get there in the first place?), and the stories were overall a bit more interesting - in one episode someone even wanted to live out a fantasy where he died a hero, and got his wish. John Ottman's excellent title music (plus his Emmy-nominated score for the pilot) also managed to capture both the exoticism and the mystery of the locale; no disrespect to Laurence Rosenthal, a fine composer in his own right, but his old theme was far too lush and old-fashioned to work here.

On the other hand, what sane person would want to arrive on an island paradise and find someone as creepy as Malcolm McDowell waiting for you? (And admit it, while his aides are good characters you miss Tattoo.) Nonetheless, this remains a decent effort - and certainly a better TV venture for Barry Sonnenfeld than that hopeless "Secret Agent Man."