History Series / FantasyIsland

One of Creator/AaronSpelling's biggest hits, the original ''Fantasy Island'' was introduced to viewers via two made-for-TV {{Pilot Movie}}s in 1977. Those went on to spawn a highly popular series that ran on Creator/{{ABC}} from 1978 to 1984. Creator/RicardoMontalban starred as Mr. Roarke, the mysterious, charming, white-suited figure who ran the eponymous island. Assisting Mr. Roarke was his earnest, vertically (and verbally) challenged sidekick, Tattoo (played by Creator/HerveVillechaize, also famous for playing [[Film/TheManWithTheGoldenGun Nick Nack]]), who kicked off every episode by running up to the island's bell tower, ringing the bell and loudly exclaiming "Da plane! Da plane!"

** In a showdown, Roarke offers the souls of himself, the woman and her husband, three souls total with the Devil agreeing. But then Roarke asks "what about the soul of her unborn child," the Devil realizes that by the terms of the agreement, taking an extra soul violates rules even he dare not cross and thus forced to let all three go.
** The Devil shows up again and tricks Julie into selling her soul to him so he can get Roarke to offer his in return. It looks like Roarke will let Julie go...until it turns out she signed ''her'' soul to Roarke. And that contract is legally signed and notarized so each owns half her soul. Roarke offers his own soul in exchange for the Devil to give up his claim on Julie and make Roarke run Fantasy Island for people to indulge in sin. At which point, Julie reveals Roarke sold ''his'' soul to ''her'' and too late, the Devil realizes the time limit for claiming either soul is passed.
** A pickpocket is about to be arrested by an NYC detective and his daughter sent to foster care. But Roarke tells the cop that the local magistrate has ruled the guy has to stay on the island...in "parole" on the farm area the two had been hiding at. At first upset, the detective realizes this is just what the pair want to do with their lives and just smiles before leaving.

* GenderBender: Original series, season 7, episode 2 "The Big Switch" finds a bickering couple (Vic Tayback and Katherine Helmond) swapping bodies for the weekend. In the 1998 series, episode 6 "Estrogen", Stan wants more insight into women, so Rourke transforms him into one. In the 2021 series, season 1, episode 2 "His and Hers", a couple (Dave and Odette Annable)looking for an adventure to rekindle their romance have their bodies swapped.
* GenderFlip: Also in "Estrogen"

* FreakyFridayFlip: One episode finds a bickering couple (Vic Tayback and Katherine Helmond) swapping bodies for the weekend.

* GenderBender: In 1998's "Estrogen"

* HulaAndLuaus: The precise location of Fantasy Island is unclear, but it uses these generic Hawaiian tropes to emphasize its "tropical paradise" motif.

* HollywoodVoodoo: "Voodoo" shows a [[AngryBlackManStereotype crafty Caribbean man]], surrounded by lit candles, using a rope to control a snake. He makes the snake menace a white woman who might inherit the island. Actual Vodou practitioners often view snakes as benevolent protectors. [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damballa]][[https://huampos.wordpress.com/2015/05/12/voodoo-in-benin/]]

* DenserAndWackier: The first season is rather grounded, with simple fantasies that a rich man like Roarke could pull off with actors and special effect trickery. Starting with the second, it's more obvious these people are truly being thrown back in time or having some other fantastic experience. By the later years, the writers don't even both hiding that Roarke is some sort of magical being who is a peer to other magical beings (mermaids, genies, angels, even the Devil himself), and no one blinks at all the blatantly supernatural shenanigans.

In 1998, ABC hosted a ''Fantasy Island'' revival series that put Creator/MalcolmMcDowell into the role of Mr. Roarke. [=McDowell=]'s take on the character was a bit darker, as was the tone of the series. Gone were Tattoo and his antics. Instead, Mr. Roarke had a team of assistants, most of whom were compelled to serve on the island as a form of metaphysical punishment for their past sins. One of the assistants was a beautiful shape-shifting woman named Ariel (a ShoutOut to a character of the same name in ''Theatre/TheTempest.'') She was Mr. Roarke's right-hand woman and a source for much of the series' {{Fanservice}}. Mr. Roarke also employed an elderly couple as travel agents, who would book the fantasies at the beginning of each show. As mentioned before, [=McDowell=]'s take on the Mr. Roarke character was a bit on the dark side, and he seemed to take more delight in watching the guests squirm under his treatment, but he was basically a decent fellow/omnipotent Trickster Being, and most guests came away better for their experiences. Of course, it was canceled after only half a season. This version is a little tricky to find, Syfy Channel reran it a bit before it was seemingly lost to the ether. Luckily you can now catch this version in it's entirety on ''Creator/{{Tubi}}''.

* AsHimself: Tattoo arranges for Don Ho to sing at Mr. Roarke's wedding, and a sixth season episode finds Mickey Gilley playing himself pre fame looking for stardom and getting his real life club Gilley's.

* LoopholeAbuse: A classic episode has a woman selling her soul to the Devil to save her dying husband. The Devil says he'll let it go if she can find a very rare living flower on the island. She does so and brings it to him...only for it to wilt in his hands as he smirks "nothing lives when I'm around."

The plane he was talking about, of course, was the one that was delivering new arrivals to the island, each of whom had lain down a sizable sum of money to have his or her personal fantasies fulfilled. Mr. Roarke would take it upon himself to greet every guest as they stepped onto the island and then [[MrExposition describe]] to Tattoo in an AsYouKnow fashion, the nature of their fantasy request. Of course, being a supernaturally-powered TricksterMentor, Mr. Roarke very rarely allowed his guests' fantasies to play out in the way ''they'' expected them to. And quite often the fantasies themselves were used to teach each guest an important moral -- one intended to open their eyes to some facet of their own lives they might have been neglecting. Or to teach them to appreciate what they have. Or just simply, to BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor. But rather often, everybody just had a good time, even if it wasn't what they were expecting.

* DenserAndWackier: The first season is rather grounded and logical a rich man like Roarke could pull off these simple fantasies with actors and special effects. Starting with the second, it's more obvious these people are truly being thrown back in time or some fantastic experience. By the later years, the writers don't even both hiding Roarke is some sort of magical being and things like people turned invisible are accepted as everyday occurrences.

In 1998, ABC hosted a ''Fantasy Island'' revival series that put Creator/MalcolmMcDowell into the role of Mr. Roarke. [=McDowell=]'s take on the character was a bit darker, as was the tone of the series. Gone were Tattoo and his antics. Instead, Mr. Roarke had a team of assistants, most of whom were compelled to serve on the island as a form of metaphysical punishment for their past sins. One of the assistants was a beautiful shape-shifting woman named Ariel (a ShoutOut to a character of the same name in ''Theatre/TheTempest.'') She was Mr. Roarke's right-hand woman and a source for much of the series' {{Fanservice}}. Mr. Roarke also employed an elderly couple as travel agents, who would book the fantasies at the beginning of each show. As mentioned before, [=McDowell=]'s take on the Mr. Roarke character was a bit on the dark side, and he seemed to take more delight in watching the guests squirm under his treatment, but he was basically a decent fellow/omnipotent Trickster Being, and most guests came away better for their experiences. Of course, it was canceled after only half a season. This version is a little tricky to find, Syfy Channel reran it a bit before it was seemingly lost to the ether. Luckily you can now catch this version in it's entirety on ''Creator/TubiTV''.

In 1998, ABC hosted a ''Fantasy Island'' revival series that put Creator/MalcolmMcDowell into the role of Mr. Roarke. [=McDowell=]'s take on the character was a bit darker, as was the tone of the series. Gone were Tattoo and his antics. Instead, Mr. Roarke had a team of assistants, most of whom were compelled to serve on the island as a form of metaphysical punishment for their past sins. One of the assistants was a beautiful shape-shifting woman named Ariel (a ShoutOut to a character of the same name in ''Theatre/TheTempest.'') She was Mr. Roarke's right-hand woman and a source for much of the series' {{Fanservice}}. Mr. Roarke also employed an elderly couple as travel agents, who would book the fantasies at the beginning of each show. As mentioned before, [=McDowell=]'s take on the Mr. Roarke character was a bit on the dark side, and he seemed to take more delight in watching the guests squirm under his treatment, but he was basically a decent fellow/omnipotent Trickster Being, and most guests came away better for their experiences. Of course, it was canceled after only half a season.