Entertainment Extra

2 ENTERTAINMENT EXTRA By Kyla Brewer TV Media W hat if you could have exact- ly what you've always wanted? What if your wildest fantasy were to come true? That's what happens when hope- ful guests visit an idyllic tropical island in a reboot of one of tele- vision's most iconic series. Roselyn Sánchez ("Without a Trace") stars as Elena Roarke, a woman who set aside her own dreams and the love of her life to uphold her family's legacy and become the steward of a myste- rious island, in "Fantasy Island," premiering Tuesday, Aug. 10, on Fox. Sophisticated and charming, she welcomes guests to the island's luxury resort where they can live out their fantasies. However, the real thing doesn't always yield the desired out- come. The one-hour drama is based on the classic TV program that starred Ricardo Montalbán ("Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," 1982) as Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize ("The Man with the Golden Gun," 1974) as his assis- tant, Tattoo. The original show kicked off with two made-for- television movies and continued in a series that ran on ABC in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The reboot is the brainchild of writing team Liz Craft and Sarah Fain, who have worked on "Angel," "The Shield" and "Women's Murder Club." The new "Fantasy Island," a co-pro- duction between Fox Entertainment, Sony Pictures Television and Gemstone Studios, was given a coveted straight-to- series order in December 2020. At the time of the announce- ment, Fox executive Michael Thorn had high praise for Craft and Fain. "'Fantasy Island' is a beloved program, and the world Liz and Sarah have created for this con- temporary adaptation is signa- ture Fox and a perfect show for today's times," Thorn, president of entertainment, Fox Entertainment, said in an official news release. "After all, who among us wouldn't take a (safe) trip to Fantasy Island right now?" This isn't the first time the show has been revived. In 1998, ABC brought "Fantasy Island" back to television with Malcolm McDowell ("A Clockwork Orange," 1971) as Mr. Roarke. However, the ABC edition failed to enchant viewers the way the original had, and it was canceled after just 13 episodes. More recently, Blumhouse Productions brought the concept to the big screen in the horror film adapta- tion "Fantasy Island" in 2020, but it was panned by critics. With luck, Fox will fare better by paying tribute to the classic series with its "Fantasy Island." The premise for the new ver- sion is very close to that of the original as guests of Ms. Roarke show up looking to fulfil their dreams in emotional and pro- vocative stories about desire. The network's release explains that the characters "end up reborn to themselves through the magical realism of Fantasy Island." It's a tall order, but one that could pay off in a big way as viewers look to escape every- day life in the wake of a global pandemic. Fox has described the show as "a modern semi-anthology series," meaning that while there will be a core cast led by Sánchez, storylines and guest stars will switch up from week to week, similar to the original series. Sánchez may be best known to TV fans from her role as Agent Elena Delgado in CBS's "Without a Trace." Her other TV credits include ABC's "Grand Hotel" and Lifetime's "Devious Maids." On the big screen, she's appeared in "Rush Hour 2" (2001), "Boat Trip" (2002) and "Underclassman" (2005). In addition to Sánchez as Roarke, the main cast will include Kiara Barnes ("The Bold and the Beautiful") as Ruby, a terminally ill woman who gets a new lease on life on the island, while John Gabriel Rodriquez ("Allegiant," 2016) stars as Javier, the island's pilot and head of transportation (not to mention jack of all trades). The original "Fantasy Island" often relied on high-profile guest stars to fill the weekly cast, and it looks as if the latest version will follow suit. Bellamy Young from ABC's "Scandal" will guest star as a TV morning show host who just wants to eat freely, without any consequences. When Young guest co-hosted a July edition of the entertainment news program "ET," she explained that the reboot is similar to the original series but added: "It's a little bit sexier, it's a little bit darker, it's got a little bit broader set of rules." In July, news broke that the new "Fantasy Island" would also feature a reunion of "Melrose Place" stars Laura Leighton, Josie Bissett and Daphne Zuniga. The trio guest star as friends who head to the island to celebrate turning 50 in an episode entitled "The Big Five Oh." Unfortunately, their fantasies reveal cracks in their friendship. YMCA 2 x 2" Pear Tree Gallery 3 x 2" On the Cover John Gabriel Rodriquez as seen in the series premiere of "Fantasy Island" 'Da plane' brings iconic series back to TV Chase Center 3 x 2" American Legion Post 60 2 x 3" Thrifty Muffler 2 x 2.5"

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