Fantasy Island
Season 1 Universal TV (*117) 20:00 Drama
Sci-fi drama series Fantasy Island is what is says: A fantasy that takes place on an island. Eat anything and not gain any weight? Easy. Cure your fear of sharks attacking you in a pool? No sweat. But there’s a catch in the reboot of the ’70s series headed up by island host Elena Roarke (Roselyn Sanchez, Carmen Luna in drama series Devious Maids). She fills the role made famous by Ricardo Montalbán (Grandfather in 2002 film Spy Kids 2: Island Of Dreams) by granting wishes, and Elena is a fan of the original. “Growing up as a Latin-American, Ricardo was a legend. He’s from Mexico and now my character is the niece of his character. It’s such an honour and we’re making this our own,” says the Puerto-Rican-born actress.
There are a few differences to the new version of the show, adds Roselyn. “We are overall lighter when it comes to the vibe. It’s not as violent. The original was also shot mainly on a soundstage in Burbank, Los Angeles. We’re 90% outside, only 10% was filmed on purposebuilt sets. We’re dealing with the real beach, real nature, real wind, real everything. The premise is similar, but you’re going to see a lot of visual changes.”
Elena can’t manage everything on her own and she’s got two trusty aides. Pilot Javier (John Gabriel Rodriquez, Massak in fantasy series The Vampire Diaries), and Ruby Akuda (Kiara Barnes, Zoe in US soapie The Bold & The Beautiful) who is a guestturned-personal assistant. But it’s not just the guests living out fantasies, hints Roselyn. “Even Elena, she’s very human. What she wants will surprise everyone, including herself. It’s a surprise!”