Fantasy Island

Fantasy Island is a television series which ran from 1978 to 1984 (following two pilot movies). Like The Love Boat, which shared producers and which it followed on the ABC schedule, the show featured celebrity guests (often making repeat trips) in multiple storylines and exotic vacation trappings. As the title indicates, however, fantasy was the emphasis on the title island, presided over by the genial but mysterious Mr. Roarke (Ricardo Montalbán). While some fantasies were staged with actors or involved contests and other easily arranged trappings, others overtly involved time travel, magic, and other supernatural accoutrements (even the Devil himself).

The popular show led to multiple revivals and reworkings, including a 1998 ABC series, a 2020 horror film, and a 2021 Fox series.

References

• A factoid displayed before a "Trivial But True" game in The Muppet CD-ROM: Muppets Inside notes that while Hervé Villechaize played Tatoo (sic) on Fantasy Island, "we don't think he had any tattoos at all."

• The script heading for Sesame Street Episode 2733, when Big Bird and Snuffy imagine themselves on an island, is titled "Fantasy Island."

Connections

Regular cast and crew

• Lawrence H. Levy wrote 4 episodes (1982-1983)
• Jerry Ross was story editor on two episodes and wrote "The Imposter" (1984)
• Hervé Villechaize played Tattoo (pilot movies, 1978-1983)

Guest stars

• Don Adams
• Loni Anderson
• John Astin
• Milton Berle
• Theodore Bikel
• LeVar Burton
• Red Buttons (3 episodes)
• Vikki Carr
• Mary Jo Catlett (2 episodes)
• Charo
• Imogene Coca
• Joan Collins
• Jimmy Dean (2 episodes)
• Lola Falana
• Peggy Fleming
• Tracey Gold (2 episodes)
• Robert Goulet (4 episodes)
• H. B. Haggerty (2 episodes)
• Florence Henderson (3 episodes)
• Arte Johnson (4 episodes)
• Don Knotts (2 episodes)
• Rosetta LeNoire
• Cleavon Little
• Rich Little (2 episodes)
• Susan Lucci
• Loretta Lynn
• Peter Marshall
• Philip McKeon
• Jayne Meadows (5 episodes and wrote 1983's "What's the Matter with Kids?")
• Howard Morris (2 episodes)
• Joe Namath
• Leslie Nielsen (3 episodes)
• Regis Philbin (2 episodes)
• Markie Post (2 episodes)
• Helen Reddy
• Lynn Redgrave (2 episodes)
• Doris Roberts (2 episodes)
• Avery Schreiber
• Hal Smith (2 episodes)
• Olan Soule (2 episodes)
• Connie Stevens (3 episodes)
• Gordon Thomson
• Tanya Tucker
• Paul Williams (3 episodes)