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Cast | Brought to You By | Deceased | Episode Listings | Episode Guide | Episode Synopses | Fantasies | Interviews | News | Notes | Pictures | Powers | Quotes | Scripts | Together Before | TV Guide Fall Preview 1998

Cast

Episode Guide

Click here for full summaries + reviews of each episode.

Episode Listings

All aired on Saturday at 9PM Eastern US and were 1 hour long.

Episode Synopses

1. The Pilot - Roarke and reluctant assistants try to fulfill the fantasies of a married man pining for a former girlfriend (John Mese); an insecure law student trying to best her elder sister (Marley Shelton); and a thrill-seeker pursuing the ultimate adventure (Paul Hipp).

2. Superfriends - A woman (Alyssa Milano) secretly in love with her best friend wants him to meet her in a way that makes sparks fly; and a dad (James McDaniel) turns into a superhero to impress his son.

3. We’re Not Worthy - A rich newlywed (Jere Burns) who had a whirlwind courtship with his Vegas bride wants to learn if she really loves him by reading her mind; an insecure professor (Maura Vincent) wants to become beautiful.

4. Dying to Dance - A novelist (John Ales) wants to experience the supernatural, so Roarke sets him up in a haunted house; an older woman's (Louise Fletcher) fantasy is to take dancing lessons. Meanwhile, Cal and Harry try to escape from the island.

5. Secret Self - A know-it-all housewife (Olivia d'Abo) wants to be a talk-show host. A nice guy (John Hawkes) wants to learn how to more cut-throat at work to get ahead. Ariel and Harry fight over flower arrangements.

6. Estrogen - A women (Christine Elise) wants to know what combat is like during WWII and to die a hero's death in battle. A man (Stan Cahill) who wants to understand women ends up morphing into a woman. Fisher tries to make sure Roarke gets a bad review so that Roarke will get fired and Fisher can take his job.

7. Dreams - A stressed stockbroker (Bradley White) wants a trip that combines business with pleasure. A nerdy teen (Nate Richert) wants to be more like his football-hero classmate and fit in with the cool crowd. Ariel thinks Roarke has forgotten her birthday.

8. Handymen - A man (David Newsom) with an obsessive fear of germs gets his fantasy crossed with a woman's. Roarke tries to show a complaining ex-fiancé of an old guest that he has to start taking responsibility for his own failures. Cal sexually harasses Ariel.

9. Wishboned - A beleaguered divorcé (Kadeem Hardison) visits the fantasy world he invented in his childhood; a young woman wishes (Megan Ward) she had the perfect family to introduce to her beau. Cal plans for a turkey on Thanksgiving.

10. Let Go - Ray's (Gerry Red Wilson) fantasy to find out who stole his vintage car reveals his wife as the thief; Roarke is reunited with his daughter.

11. Innocent - A defense attorney (Dean Cain) finds himself accused of murder; a young woman (Erika Elaniak) wants to become a virgin again. 

12. The Real Thing - A woman (Lauren Holly) wants to turn back the clock so her best friend's fiancé could fall in love with her instead; Carl wants (Jay Thomas) to be the heavyweight champ and Aaron a tabloid journalist (Pauly Shore) tries to dig up dirt about the island. 

13. Heroes - Two older actors (Pat Harrington, John Ashton), stars of a vintage TV cop show, wish for some adventure, and find themselves chasing a master criminal. Meanwhile, a man (Arye Gross) who's been pressuring his wife for a son learns he's pregnant.

Brought to You By

After the theme the ABC episodes mentioned the main sponsor.

1. Scope

2. Pringles

3. Oil of Olay

4. Crest

5. ?

6. ?

7. Always Maxis

8. Oil of Olay

9. ?

10. Old Spice

11. Always tampons

12. Puffs

13. Bounty

Deceased

11/21/98 - Gerry Red Wilson of Meningitis (episode 10)
7/1/99 - Sylvia Sidney of throat cancer.

Fantasies

• FI1 - to be famous. Killed by disdain for paparazzi.

• FI2 - to be a sexual dynamo. Killed by viagara.

• FI3 - to be beautiful.

• FI4 - for a famous person to go somewhere that no one will recognize them.

"When I was growing up and in my early teens, I lived near a racetrack in England and was always fascinated by it. They had the British Grand Prix there and I remember that my heroes were the racing stars of the time, particularly Fangio, Sterling Moss, Mike Hawthorne and people like this. So my fantasy has always been to be in a 1950s race car racing against these great champions, and to win!" - Malcolm 1998

Interviews

Exclsuive 7/4/01 Ric Groenendal AD for the series
1998 - From the official site with Barry Sonnenfield

News

Maui News May 4-31, 1998

Maui' s the star in 'Fantasy Island'
By This Weeks News Staff

Maui - The Valley Isle is the principal shooting location for ABC's new TV show, "Fantasy Island." The pilot was done in mid-April with the crew returning to do six episodes. The show is a hipper version of the original 1977-1984 series starring Ricardo Montelban and Herve Villechaize, who made famous the phrase, "De plane, Boss! De plane!" The remake has Malcolm McDowell of Star Trek playing Mr. Roarke. Shooting is set for the Hana area, headquartered from the Hotel Hana Maui. Craig Robin, film development specialist at the Maui Film Office, says cameramen have their eye on Hana Bay, Hamoa Beach and La Perouse. Oahu and Kauai locales will also appear on the hour-long pilot.

May 11

I sent an expedition to Hana and here's what they said.

There's only two ways into Hana, one is by helicopter and the other is a 52 mile road that takes four hours to drive because it is made of dirt and runs through the mountains. It's like those winding roads you see in the movies. It's a desolate area, a real no man's land There is nothing along the road, no stores, nothing. The hotel is very isolated and very, very expensive. We asked about FI and they weren't interested. They had no pictures or information to offer us. It was like they didn't know, didn't care or were waiting for money. The gift shop was very small and they
didn't even have a postcard of the hotel for you. The hotel itself is only two levels and unimpressive. The place is like a big compound with many areas, cottages, golf course, tennis courts, churches, etc. I don't understand why they picked this desolate place in the middle of nowhere. If you didn't know it, you never would believe they filmed anything there at all. No pictures of Malcolm on the walls or signs or anything like that. No stories from anyone that worked there either. Sorry I couldn't offer you any better information.

April 16

Here's all the information on the Hotel Hana Maui.

Hotel Hana-Maui Wellness Center
A healing retreat offering extensive hiking programs to treasured spots of cultural and spiritual significance in the remote tropical Hana district. Individualized aerobics, yoga, aquacise, and massage treatments offered daily. 93 rooms. High season: Dec 20-Jan 5/Aug 1-Sep 5. Low season: spring, fall. 
PO Box 9, Hana, HI 96713 USA. (800) 321-HANA, tel:(808)
248-8211 ext: 127 fax:(808) 248-7202.

Hotel Hana Maui
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RESERVATION:
Toll Free: 1-800-321-HANA
Local Phone: 1-808-248-8211
FAX: 1-808-248-7202

LOCATION:
Hotel Hana-Maui
P.O. Box 8
Hana, Maui HI 96713.
Located in Hana, Maui about 3 blocks inland from Hana Bay near Hana Ranch.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GENERAL PROPERTY INFORMATION:
GENERAL MANAGER:
Chip Bahouth

DIRECTOR OF SALES:
Brandy Abercrombie
Hotel Hana Maui is a secluded romantic hideaway located in the town of
Hana on the island of Maui. The accommodations include sea ranch
cand wood ceiling fans. The luxurious baths have sunken tubs with a
garden enclosing the outside. The Hana area is rich in Hawaiian lore and
replete with visitor opportunities. A stay at the Hotel Hana-Maui is to
experience "the Hawaii that used to be".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROOM AMENITIES:
Phone in Bath, Robes, Complimentary toiletries, Coffee Grinder/brewers,
Refrigerators.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GUEST SERVICES:
Valet Service, Library, Car Hire, Laundry, Baby-sitting service, Game Area.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
Sports Facilities: Tennis Courts, Croquet, Practice Golf, Horseback
Riding, Snorkeling, Bicycling, Swimming, Fishing, Hula, Massage, and
The Wellness Center.

Attractions:
Museum and Cultural Center, Waianapanapa State Park, Botanical
Gardens, Lower Pools at Ohe'o, Hasegawa General Store, the Road to Hana.

April 15

Click here for a map of Maui, where the center of "FI" is located, the Hotel Hana Maui in East Maui. This will be the home base for the show.

April 7

Filming for a TV pilot will be based on Oahu.
    Residents in rural Hana are looking forward to the additional business generated by the film 
production of the new "Fantasy Island" pilot in their community of 2,000 residents. Hotel Hana Maui will be the key location and veteran actor Malcolm McDowell will star as Mr.Roarke in the hour-long ABC pilot "Fantasy Island," which begins filming April 6 on Oahu and April 14 on Maui.
    It's been 14 years since pint-sized actor Herve Villechaize last offered his famous opening to 
the old Aaron Spelling Saturday night staple, which ABC has picked up for a remake. The original 
"Fantasy Island" ran on ABC from 1978 to 1984, starring Ricardo Montalban. As Mr. Roarke, he ran a tropical resort where guests could live out their fantasies. Villechaize, now deceased, played 
Roarke's sidekick, Tattoo.
    The Columbia TriStar production will base its production team on Oahu "at least" for the pilot, 
but lots of principal photography will be done on Maui, with second-unit filming -- that means 
without actors -- on Kauai, said Greg Prange, "Fantasy Island" producer. "The primary location (of 'Fantasy Island') is Hotel Hana Maui," said Maui Film Commissioner Georja Skinner. Larry Mayo, general manager of the hotel, said a good portion of the resort property will be used during the two weeks of filming.
    A centerpiece in the pilot is expected to be the resort's Plantation House, once occupied by a 
sugar plantation manager. The hotel, with 93 rooms, employs a little more than 200 people.
Maui can expect to have one week of filming for each episode if the show is selected by the 
network as a series, Skinner said. Six additional episodes of "Fantasy Island" optioned by ABC 
would be filmed in Hawaii July through October and broadcast in the fall.
    The pilot will be filmed on Oahu April 6-12 then move to Maui April 14-18; second-unit filming on Kauai will be April 21-22. "Fantasy Island" would be the first television series in Hawaii history to be filmed on three islands, a logistically difficult and tremendously expensive venture.
    "We needed a special look, and it doesn't solely exist on one island," Prange said. "For one 
thing, the 'Fantasy Island' resort is supposed to be the only one in the middle of an island."
The production also will film in Los Angeles on the actual "Jeopardy" set, a plan that was 
already scheduled, Prange said. "Creatively, filming in so many locations is what is best for the show," he said. "But logistically it's the hardest thing I've ever done."
    Skinner said the difficulties in filming on three islands, primarily financial, is "a major reason why we really need the support of the business community and government. TV shows don't have a lot of money, contrary to popular belief, and we feel helping this would be a good investment. We're trying to arrange the best deals with airlines, hotels, and inter-island shipping companies."
    When the production films on Maui, it will hire about 10 area crew members out of about 70, 
including 30 from Honolulu, Skinner said. Neither Skinner nor Prange would say how much the pilot would cost, but generally Hawaii pilots have cost from about $1.1 million to $3 million. When on Maui, the cast and crew will stay at the Hotel Hana Maui and other area accommodations. Another major location will be in the La Perouse area.
    Co-stars are expected to be cast within a week. However, Villechaize's character Tattoo will not be replaced. Two new characters will take his place, Prange said. 
Source: SBulletin

April 4, 1998

Actress Madchen Amick ("Twin Peaks") and actors Edward Hibbert (The First Wives Club" and 
"Frasier") and Louis Lombardi ("The Usual Suspects") have been cast to star alongside Malcolm 
McDowell in the upcoming ABC remake of "Fantasy Island". Amick plays the lead female staffer on the "Island," while Hibbert plays the concierge and Lombardi the hapless bellhop. McDowell plays the Mr. Roarke-type host character (Ricardo Montalban in the original), but the new version will not have the midget sidekick Tattoo. 

April 1, 1998

Malcolm was on Tom Synder and he confirmed that he would be flying to Hawaii tomorrow to begin filming.

March 19, 1998

McDowell Inspects 'Island' By Jenny Hontz
Hollywood (Variety) - ABC is in talks with actor Malcolm McDowell to step into the white suit of Ricardo Montalban as the lead character in its remake of "Fantasy Island." McDowell, who has last seen on the small screen in the short-lived series "Pearl," would play the Mr. Roarke-type host character. Montalban starred as the slightly mysterious Mr. Roarke in the original, which ran on ABC from 1978 to 1984. No deal with McDowell has been reached yet.

Notes

• Filming for the pilot began April 2, 1998

• The Oct 10-16, 1998 issue of TV Guide had a big story on the show, but still didn't help with the ratings.

• The Oct 31 episode was the last one to feature any extra mention in TV Guide.

• Gerry died shortly after he taped his episode and it was dedicated to him.

• Fantasy Island's one condition - never to tell.

• The first episode has 3 fantasies, later episodes have 2 and a smaller story about the staff.

• In 2002 The Sci-Fi channel aired the episodes for the first time since they originally aired, but they were edited down for time. This was the last time they were ever shown. There is no VHS or DVD releases.

Pictures

Episode 1
Roarke's closet of white suits
Here we go again
Malcolm's screen credit

Hotel Hana 
Map of the Grounds
Front of the hotel
Behind the hotel

Cast
Malcolm as Roarke
Roarke and Ariel
Roarke with Harry and Cal

Memorabilia
Front is a small breast logo, back is a full size graphic.
Film Crew T-Shirt Front
Film Crew T-Shirt Back

Powers

Roarke - change the weather, bring back the dead, show the future, create and make items disappear, can't be photographed, can see and hear anything going on even out of earshot, read minds, stop time, freeze a person.
Ariel - take the form of any woman, hurl objects a great distance, her rage can cause things to explode, trap a person in suspended animation.

Quotes

"It's actually very different it's much darker...I hate to use the word hip, but it's sort of 90's anyway. I'm playing Ricardo Montalban's part, Mr. Roarke. Really, I couldn't be too much different from him, because he's a marvelous actor. It's really weird, I seem to be following him around. He did a movie where he was the bad guy in one of the Star Trek movies. We're going to shoot them all in Hawaii. Barry Sonnenfeld is the producer, his production company with Barry Josephson, his producer. Beautifully written by two guys, called the Weiss Brothers. They've done a wonderful script. They've done a brilliant thing that differs from the old one in that it starts off, the opening and the ending now - closing, is in a travel agency in New York. A sort of 30's dusty, old. They come in and you'll see there's a calendar of this island, and the calendar actually moves, you see seaplane like this (shows flying). They have this old vacuum thing that they have in old stores where they used to put the change in it and sent it off. The tube, right. Well, that goes into Fantasy Island. It goes down from New York, boom (slaps hands, whistles, makes the tube's path) the camera goes down with it, right through the ocean, boom into Roarke's room. He's sort of shaving and he then opens his closet and it's lined with white suits. He goes in the back and gets a black one. So he wears the black one. He then goes out and tells his assistant, "There's white suits in my closet. Burn them." (laughs)"  - From Tom Snyder 1998

"This Fantasy Island thing that I did, I feel the same way. I cannot - I like working fast. I'm quick to do it. I get there fast and want to move on. Let's move. Let's go. Let's do it. So that to shoot an hour in eight days is perfect for me. I like that. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough control about scripts and things. When you are asked to do something, you're not given that control. It's only when you go to them with an idea. But the pilot that they did was brilliant. It cost several million dollars and took 20 days to shoot. So, it should have been brilliant. When it actually came to do the substance of the season, they didn't really have the scripts. It was supposed to be this dark thing and it never materialized. They deserved to be canned. We deserved it. I was happy. To be honest with you, I was thrilled. Thrilled is a bit of an overstatement, but who wants to do - you only want to do superlative work if you're going to be stuck doing it for a long time. You don't want to do substandard stuff, because it's an insult to your intelligence. And to your talent. It's an insult. So, if it didn't work out, better that it was canned. I think ABC did the right thing. Unfortunately, I think, the last three that we did, we got it right. Finally, they let go of the writers on it and they hired new one and they just got it right. And it was just too late. That was sad, because I loved doing the last three. And they were very good." - From Reel.com 9/99

Scripts

'Magic Moments' - later retitled 'Dreams' July 22, 1998
Exclusive Cover Scan

Together Before

1982 - Malcolm and Edward Hibbert were both in Britannia Hospital.
1997 - Malcolm and Alyssa Milano were both in Hugo Pool.

TV Guide Fall Preview 1998

    For such a small man, Tattoo sure casts a long shadow. Consider the case of poor Edward Hibbert, a new sidekick on ABC's resurrection of "Fantasy Island." "If anybody else asks whether I'm playing the dwarf, I'm going to shoot them," swears Hibbert. "I'm five inches too tall!"
    Got that? The actor's absolutely not trying to fill the miniature shoes of the late great Herve Villechaize. This will be a Tattoo-free production.
    The show's not short on other changes, either. Indeed, the "Fantasy" camp -- hoping to stifle any initial groans from the public -- is at pains to distance itself from Aaron Spelling's schlockier, C-star-filled 1980s version. Sure, there's still the basics (an island, some fantasies, bikinis, da plane! da plane!), but this is a less kind, less gentle "Island." The ukulele-tinged hula soundtrack? Silenced. Ricardo Montalban as suave, smiling, Latin host Mr. Roarke? Supplanted by a more malevolent model, played by Malcolm McDowell, the Brit actor famous for his "A Clockwork Orange" ultraviolence. Roarke's famous white suits? Burned in the first episode, replaced by ink-dark threads.
    Mr. Roarke is joined by a band of unmerry souls who do his bidding: pompous concierge Harry (Hibbert of "Frasier"), seductive shape-shifting sprite Ariel (Madchen Amick of "Twin Peaks"), and doltish bellhop Cal (Louis Lombardi of "Suicide Kings," who says he beat out comedian Bobcat Goldthwait and "a little Spanish guy" for the role). But wait, there's more. The show begins and ends each episode at a mysterious travel agency run by a grandfatherly Fyvush Finkel ("Picket Fences") and his grumpy assistant, who just happens to be played by screen legend Sylvia Sydney.
    The most amusing moments of the generally promising pilot come from the bickering of these staffers. The three fantasies, on the other hand, seem like tacky leftovers from the Spelling years. Smartly, future episodes will feature only two fantasies, leaving more room for personnel shenanigans. Alas, that does mean less of that other Island trademark: a parade of has-been guest stars a la Barbi Benton; Sonnenfeld will either go for unknowns or try for bigger, more current names. Along with Alyssa Milano, who will slink into the second episode, his wish list includes Monica Lewinsky (please, no!) and Danny DeVito. "The fact that we're in Hawaii might be a way to get some people to come out and have some fun by working 18 hours a day and never seeing the light of day," he jokes.

This page ©1998-08 Alex D. Thrawn for www.MalcolmMcDowell.net