Fantasy Island (1977)
Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2024 7:45 pm
I picked up the DVDs of the first three seasons of this show. I never got to watch it as a kid, I was too young. (I got sent to bed when the opening credits of Hawaii 5-0 rolled.) But I had heard that it was good.
The pilot was a delight. The idea is that Fantasy Island is an island resort where guests pay $50,000 to live out their fantasy. Ricardo Montalban plays Mr. Roarke, the owner of the resort. He's kind of like if the narrator of the Twilight Zone got to actually be in the episodes.
There was a romantic storyline with Bill Bixby and Sandra Dee, a story about a rich businesswoman faking her own death and attending her own funeral, and a third storyline that was an inversion of The Most Dangerous Game, where a big game hunter signs himself up to be hunted, for the ultimate thrill.
Victoria Principal has an early role as the hostess assigned to the big game hunter. She's basically his ersatz girlfriend.
In an unexpected complication, she gets handcuffed to the big game hunter, who has to save her constantly. And in a lovely scene, she runs into a tiger and faints dead away, and winds up getting carried OTS for the remainder of that stage of the hunt.
But don't take my word for it:
It's a great way to kick off a show. Only time will tell if they can beat that!
Oh, and so far, I like the show. Ricardo Montalban is great as Mr Roarke.
The pilot was a delight. The idea is that Fantasy Island is an island resort where guests pay $50,000 to live out their fantasy. Ricardo Montalban plays Mr. Roarke, the owner of the resort. He's kind of like if the narrator of the Twilight Zone got to actually be in the episodes.
There was a romantic storyline with Bill Bixby and Sandra Dee, a story about a rich businesswoman faking her own death and attending her own funeral, and a third storyline that was an inversion of The Most Dangerous Game, where a big game hunter signs himself up to be hunted, for the ultimate thrill.
Victoria Principal has an early role as the hostess assigned to the big game hunter. She's basically his ersatz girlfriend.
In an unexpected complication, she gets handcuffed to the big game hunter, who has to save her constantly. And in a lovely scene, she runs into a tiger and faints dead away, and winds up getting carried OTS for the remainder of that stage of the hunt.
But don't take my word for it:
It's a great way to kick off a show. Only time will tell if they can beat that!
Oh, and so far, I like the show. Ricardo Montalban is great as Mr Roarke.