Fantasy Island

As a teenager in the 70's, this was one of my favorite TV shows. I thought it had a truly unique and amazing idea for a show and there was nothing else like it on TV. I remember being instantly hooked on the show and looked forward to seeing the different guest stars each week fulfill their fantasies or dreams. Each fantasy was like a different show within that hour long period and each fantasy never seemed to turn out the way you thought it would which made the show even more interesting. Ricardo Montalban and (Da Plane!, Da Plane!) Herve Villachaize were great in their roles as hosts of Fantasy Island. I still love watching it and see it has fun and nostalgic. And in my opinion I still think it holds up well for that unique style all its own. After all it must've been a little special to last seven seasons and I hope eventually they all make their way to DVD!

When you set out to create a show like Fantasy Island you have to be well read on history and have one good imagination. Glad to say that Fantasy Island showed a good deal of both in their episodes.

One episode I well remember was a pair of women were real big into the Civil War and desired to go back and live the genteel life that Scarlett O'Hara and her family had on Tara. Fantasy Island brought them back all right, but showed them the downside of that era and I'll say no more on the story. The morale of that show was be happy in your own backyard.

Host and impresario of Fantasy Island was the mysterious Mr. Roarke played by Ricardo Montalban. In interviews Montalban said that he never got the real career role on the big screen that defined other of his contemporaries. But on the small screen Montalban got two of them, Mr. Roarke and Khan on Star Trek which went to the big screen also. What powers Roarke drew on to show his guests what they really thought was ideal was left open to the imagination.

For all but one season Montalban had his dwarf companion Herve Villechaize and these two had a gentle and playful repartee. Villechaize had a sad and tragic life, but Fantasy Island left him with a career role and an identity that will linger.

I could never see this show revived because Montalban and Villechaise had such a special chemistry for the small screen.

I bought this for my wife, she waited with anticipation for the release date.

If it is not a part of your early teen years it may not appeal to you, as this is all about pleasant memory's.

There is a short but interesting documentary on the DVD set that gives some in-site to how the show came about.

The episodes them-self,for me, are a gentle reminder of how bad and corny and good T.V. was back then. A blast to watch and I really enjoy these as back ground visual and verbal noise as I study.On a good day I will sit and pay attention to the episodes. This is TV folks and it shows, but we liked it then and I enjoy the feelings it brings about now.

I used to love this show as a child. What a wonderful concept, a person pays for a vacation, which acts out his or her "Fantasy". Thankfully this was not part of an adult programming. However, the show had reunions of people meeting loves from high school, and events people wanted. The show's writers had imagination too show what you want can turn into a nightmare. Ricardo mentioned this line in every third show. Ricardo, and Tatoo were well casted. As I matured, I will agree with the other posts that the storylines were thin, the sets cheap, along with rushed directing and scripts. Hard to watch again, but the what kept myself watching for a couple of minutes is some of the neat concepts, and the freshness of having new guests every week. With all television, the ideas became old, and they pushed the series 2 years too long.

A very odd and weird fantasy series which were perfect to watch after midnight in the after hours zone where everything seems magic if u get the point. basically in this series those who went to that island got their wish come true but only until the end of the....episode they were on. Dozens of guest stars appeared in this show with Riccardo montalvan (the man who played zack powers of dynasty II the colbys 1985-1987) to be t a great host of the show. that dwarf actor is also one of the most memorable members of this show. if u love fantasy shows then this is for you. by the way seasons 2 and 3 are now available on dvd but seasons 4-7 are still yet to be released. let's hope we get them too soon.