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"Fantasy Island" Gets Real

Tue., Oct. 30, 2001 12:30 PM PST by Josh Grossberg

Da plane! Da plane! Da plane!

Yes, da plane might be making another stop on Fantasy Island. But this time things might be a little more real.

NBC is planning to bring back the Aaron Spelling-ABC schlock classic as a reality series. Peacock executives have given the green light to a nonfiction pilot featuring real-life guests pursuing their dreams in vignettes that range from romance to adventure.

Executive producer Danica Krislovich says the show will not have a prize element à la Survivor but will instead be an amalgam of the CBS hit along with Fox's Temptation Island and the WB's Popstars, with a twist straight from the old show.

"There's no elimination process and there's no game to it. This is not formulaic," Krislovich tells E! Online.

Instead, staying true to the original series, visitors will be flown out on "da plane" for a stay at a yet to be determined tropical resort. Krislovich says she imagines several unscripted stories over the course of one or possibly even several episodes. And like its predecessor, the reality version won't necessarily guarantee a happy ending.

"Per episode, there'll be one to three fantasies," says Krislovich. "Storylines may intersect or not. Whether it's someone trying to overcome a fear...looking for a soulmate [or] bridge a rift between a father or a sibling, what will determine the format will be going behind the scenes and researching their lives."

One such story she's considering is helping someone who dreams of being a private eye solve a case. Another story may feature a love triangle between a husband, wife and mistress or maybe a soldier trying out to be a Navy SEAL who, unfortunately, didn't make it through Hell Week.

"There will also be several twists and turns and a beginning, middle and an end," added Krislovich who is busy coming up with several workable scenarios.

Producers acknowledged they are searching for a Mr. Roarke-style host, as well as a suitable sidekick to take the place of Tattoo, originally played by the late Hervé Villechaize, who committed suicide in 1993.

There's also no word on whether Ricardo Montalban will be returning as either the white-suited wishmaster or in some other capacity. Krislovich says she and NBC are considering a wide range of talent, but she's open to the idea of bringing back the 80-year-old actor.

Although Montalban was unavailable for comment Tuesday, he once said that he'd love to reprise the role despite debilitating back surgery.

"I would have to work with a walker or a wheelchair, which would be kind of more mysterious," Montalban told TV Guide in 1998. "With this character, Roarke, I think it wouldn't be too bad. He's guiding the whole thing with his mind, anyway, not with his body. So I could do it."

This will be the third go-round for Fantasy Island. After buying the rights to the show from Spelling, Columbia TriStar television launched a remake of Fantasy in 1998, featuring British thespian Malcolm McDowell as Mr. Roarke. The show, however, was criticized for being too dark, tanked in the ratings and was deep-sixed after only a few episodes.