All is bright
Fox’s sunny ‘Fantasy Island’ gets into the Christmas spirit
Alot of people fantasize about the perfect Christmas, but what if you could make your wildest holiday dreams come true? A hit summer series is returning to titillate viewers with a special two-hour holiday edition this season, and fans won’t want to miss it.
Roselyn Sánchez (“Devious Maids”) stars as the mysterious Elena Roarke, a woman who welcomes travelers in search of a little holiday magic in a special double episode of “Fantasy Island,” airing Tuesday, Dec. 21, on Fox. The premiere twohour event marks the return of the hit show that wowed audiences this summer — a stunning reboot of the classic 1977 to 1984 television series that starred Ricardo Montalbán (“Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” 1982) as Elena’s ancestor, Mr. Roarke.
The reimagined series proved so popular that it has already been picked up for Season 2, and producers are treating fans to a bonus Christmas special to tide them over until the next season.
When the second-season pickup was announced, Fox executive Michael Thorn explained that Season 1 left viewers wanting more, so “more” is exactly what they’ll get.
“Thanks to the fantastic Roselyn Sánchez and charming Kiara Barnes and the captivating stories that tapped into the core tenets of emotion and aspiration, ‘Fantasy Island’ was the perfect wish fulfilment and escape we all needed this summer,” Thorn said in an official Fox news release.
The basic plot of Fox’s “Fantasy Island” is true to the original: People arrive at a luxury resort on an idyllic tropical island with hopes of living out their fantasies, which are magically granted. Though the magic of the island appears to give them everything they think they want, they often learn important lessons about what they really need.
The reboot, however, takes the premise of the original and tweaks it for today’s audiences.
While Montalbán’s Roarke was shrouded in mystery and perhaps even a little devious, viewers learn a little more about Sánchez’s Elena, who purportedly gave up her ambitions and maybe even the love of her life to continue her family’s tradition as stewards of the mystical island.
In the classic series, Mr. Roarke relied on the assistance of his comrade, Tattoo (Hervé Villechaize, “The Man With the Golden Gun,” 1974), but assisting Elena on the island now is Ruby Akuda (Kiara Barnes, “The Bold and the Beautiful”), a woman who came to the island with a terminal illness and who’s been mysteriously granted a new lease on life.
Then there’s Javier (John Gabriel Rodriguez, “The Vampire Diaries”), the ruggedly handsome jack of all trades who serves as the island’s head of transportation and who seems to have a history with Elena.
These characters really connected with TV audiences this summer, drawing at least a million viewers per episode, sometimes even two. It came as no surprise to industry pundits that “Fantasy Island” would be back, but the holiday special is an added bonus.
“We’re so happy to have Elena Roarke, Ruby Akuda and everyone on ‘Fantasy Island’ open their world again for a brief visit this winter and for a longer stay next year,” Thorn said.
In the holiday special entitled “Welcome to the Snow Globe,” Elena is tested in unexpected ways when a visiting businesswoman (guest star Lindsey Kraft, “Grace and Frankie”) arrives in the hopes of having a perfect Christmas and meeting “Mr. Right” (guest star Eddie Cahill, “CSI: NY”). Elsewhere, Mr. Jones (guest star Mackenzie Astin, “Scandal”) must face his past. As for the islanders themselves, a new Secret Santa tradition prompts Ruby and Javier to consider their futures.
Craft, Cahill and Astin will continue the franchise’s tradition of casting popular guest stars.
As in the original series, Season 1 of the Fox reboot featured a number of familiar faces for TV fans, including Bellamy Young (“Scandal”), Leslie Jordan (“Call Me Kat”), Sánchez’s real-life husband, Eric Winter (“The Rookie”), and husband and wife duo Dave (“Brothers & Sisters”) and Odette Annable (“House”). The new “Fantasy Island” also made headlines for an episode that featured a reunion of “Melrose Place” stars Laura Leighton, Josie Bissett and Daphne Zuniga.
Given the audience response to the series this summer, the special holiday edition should be a good draw.
Filmed on location against the beautiful backdrop of Puerto Rico, the new “Fantasy Island” has proved popular with viewers looking for an escape from the everyday. In fact, “Fantasy Island” was the No. 1 new drama this summer in the critically important adult 18-49 demographic and doing even better than earlier revivals.
In 1998, ABC rebooted the original “Fantasy Island” premise with Malcolm Mcdowell (“A Clockwork Orange,” 1971) as Mr. Roarke, but it failed to earn a second season. Later, Blumhouse Productions put a terrifying twist on the premise in the 2020 horror film “Fantasy Island,” but the movie was universally panned by critics.
The holiday season seems like the perfect time to fantasize about what could be. With twinkling lights, indulgent food and lots of good cheer to go around, Christmas can be a fantasy in itself, and for pandemic-weary viewers, “Fantasy Island” could be the perfect holiday escape. Whether you’re enjoying a picture-perfect Christmas with loved ones or looking for a little quiet “me time,” check out “Fantasy Island’s” two-hour holiday special, “Welcome to the Snow Globe,” when it premieres Tuesday, Dec. 21, on Fox.