THR called the pilot episode of Fantasy Island “ludicrous and hopelessly melodramatic.”
The Hollywood Reporter
In summer 2021, as a surge in COVID-19 cases linked to the delta variant quickly scuttled vacation plans, the satirical HBO series The White Lotus transported viewers to an idyllic Hawaiian setting.
The Emmy contender is the latest in a line of series — from Gilligan’s Island to Baywatch to Lost — taking fans from the couch to the beach, but the show’s exploration of privilege and mystery particularly hearken back to 1970s escapist gem Fantasy Island. Created by Gene Levitt and produced by Aaron Spelling, it premiered 45 years ago, first as a pair of TV movies and then as an episodic series that focused on a mysterious island that made visitors’ wishes come true for a hefty price. Ricardo Montalbán played the suave and enigmatic Mr. Roarke, who ran the resort with sidekick Tattoo (Hervé Villechaize), known for excitedly greeting arriving guests by shouting, “The plane! The plane!” The series lasted seven seasons and picked up seven Emmy nominations, and a reboot now airs on Fox.
In 1977, The Hollywood Reporter‘s TV columnist Richard Hack praised Fantasy Island for injecting “a bit of de Maupassant or O. Henry in these tales, with ironic twists that would even make Rod Serling proud.”
As an early pioneer of the anthology format popular today, the show featured a litany of guest stars who would recur in multiple episodes as different characters, including Sammy Davis Jr., Don Knotts and a pre-fame Michelle Pfeiffer. Adrienne Barbeau, who appeared in the TV movie that aired a week before the first season began and was also in two later episodes, tells THR she was pleasantly surprised to see the show become such a “huge audience-pleaser.”
Dallas actress Audrey Landers, who appeared in five Fantasy episodes, calls the show a “wonderful experience” and says that the ability to play a fresh role in each episode without a long commitment made the series appealing to guests. Both actresses recall how kind Montalbán was on set. Says Landers: “He just put everyone at ease and made you feel like you were so important” — as any good host should.
This story first appeared in a June stand-alone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.