Fantasy Island (1998–1999)

In this revival of the popular 1970s television series, Mr. Roarke and his three assistants run a tropical paradise where guests come in to have their wildest dreams and fantasies come true.

Stars:

Malcolm McDowell, Mädchen Amick, Edward Hibbert

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Series cast summary:
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 R. Bautista	...	Hotel employee (9 episodes, 1998-1999)
Sylvia Sidney	...	Clia (7 episodes, 1998)

Storyline

In this revival of the popular 1970s television series, Mr. Roarke and his three assistants run a tropical paradise where guests come in to have their wildest dreams and fantasies come true.

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Plot Keywords:

island | based on tv series

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Taglines:

Careful what you wish for.

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 September 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

La isla de la fantasía

Filming Locations:

Hotel Häna Maui - 5031 Hana Hwy, Hana, Maui, Hawaii, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia TriStar Television, Sonnenfeld Josephson Worldwide Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the opening episode, two elements of the original series Fantasy Island are referenced: the white suits (Roarke in this series makes a point of choosing black) and the infamous "The plane! The plane!" announcement (Roarke orders the underling who does this never to do it again). In a later episode we see a woman living in a trailer with a Ricardo Montalban commemorative plate.

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Quotes

Ariel: Voyeurism is so... unsatisfying.

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Connections

Referenced in Queer as Folk: Episode #2.3 (2002)

User Reviews

Surprisingly better than the original

This is one of those shows I never watched in the first run because of the association with the original. Sure, I sometimes was amused at the original but in the late 90's that kind of show held little appeal for me to actually carve out yet another hour in my schedule for it. So I found myself saying "oh, no, not another remake". (I also recalled how pitiful most remakes were).

I have seen some of the reruns on SciFi and realize this show was far superior to the original. Somewhere along the way the original was made less edgy and far more silly. Apparently this newer incarnation was closer to the original concept.

Seeing it I realize why it was cancelled. Most TV is geared towards the lowest common denominator. Ahh, well. At least we have a few reruns to enjoy.