The client doesn’t always know what they want. Until they see it! On January 14, 1977, the U.S. TV viewing audience saw what they wanted. In the decade that Americans endured the U.S. oil crisis, and the end of the Vietnam War and the Nixon presidency, ABC and Writer Gene Levitt bet that people were ready for an escape. They were right.
Numbers tell a story and you can’t argue with success. The original Fantasy Island series spanned seven seasons, included a star studded list of Oscar and Emmy nominated and winning talent, and sealed in history the catchphrase “The Plane! The Plane!” How did they pull it off? It was the strong moral code of mysterious host Mr. Roarke and the supernatural forces on the island that drew the viewer in. Each guest, who paid a substantial fee specific to their socio-economic situation, was destined to learn a life lesson following some unexpected turn in their fantasy.
Making a bet once again, in a country clamoring for truth and justice, and still reeling from the worst year in U.S. history, Fox Networks Group has given a straight-to-series order for a contemporary version of the classic drama series. This follows the box office success of the February 14, 2020 release of “Fantasy Island” the movie, with an opening weekend of $12.3 million, and a gross worldwide to date of $48.8 million on a production budget of $7 million.
The new series is slated to air in 2021 with Sony Pictures’ newly created Gemstone Studios leading the charge. A boutique label dedicated to premium independent production in a creative and efficient way, the plan is to co-produce with Fox Entertainment. Veteran Sony Pictures Entertainment creative exec Marie Jacobson, tapped to lead Gemstone last year, along with venerable Writer-Producers Liz Craft and Sarah Fain will lead the creative effort.
While it hasn’t appeared in IMDB Pro as of this writing, I’m certain Jacobson, Craft, and Fain are neck deep in script development. To all my TV writer friends, perhaps this is your opportunity to pitch an episode!
As for the rest of us, what is your fantasy for 2021? Remember creativity will drive ROI and the sky is the limit. Good luck!
