Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Tuesdays, I will be reviewing the original Fantasy Island, which ran on ABC from 1977 to 1986.  Almost entire show is currently streaming is on Youtube!

Smiles, everyone!  Smiles!

Episode 3.16 “Rogues and Riches/Stark Terror”

(Dir by Cliff Bole, originally aired on January 19th, 1980)

Our latest weekend on Fantasy Island is both strange and entertaining!

Attorney Mark Hendicks (John Schuck) comes to the Island with a briefcase full of papers.  He’s searching for his former law partner, Pete Gilbert (singer Robert Goulet).  Years ago, Pete came to Fantasy Island with a simple fantasy.  He wanted to be an 18th century British outlaw.  However, Pete had so much fun in the past that he decided that he never wanted to leave.  Mark needs to get Pete’s signature on some official forms so that Mark can sell some land that he and Pete bought before Pete’s fateful trip to the Island.

Mr. Roarke explains to Mark what’s going on with Pete and Mark is surprisingly accepting of Roarke’s explanation.  Roarke drives Mark out to a bridge.  He tells Mark that crossing the bridge will transport Mark to Pete’s fantasy.  Mark crosses the bridge and immediately sees Pete being chased by a bunch of British soldiers.  Pete is having a grand ol’ time in the 18th century but he’s more than willing to take some time out from plundering so that he can sign the papers so that will allow Mark to become a millionaire once he returns to the present.  However, after a dinner scene that is basically lifted shot-for-shot from Tom Jones, Mark falls in love with Margaret Winston (Dolly Read), the wife of sword-wielding Judge Winston (Alan Hale, Jr).  Mark is tempted to remain in the past but, in the end, he decides that his place is in the present.  Fortunately, it turns out that Margaret was having a fantasy of her own and she and Mark leave the Island together.

While that silly but enjoyable fantasy plays out out, Amy Marson (Melissa Sue Anderson) searches for the solution to a mystery that was so traumatic that it caused her to lose her ability to speak.  Amy’s mother (Elinor Donahue) died in front of her and Amy hopes to discover not only who killed her mother but also to recover her ability to speak.  This leads to Amy visiting the lighthouse where she grew up and having a reunion with the kindly lighthouse keeper, Joshua Templar (Michael Constantine).  Amy’s flashbacks lead her to the solution to the mystery of her mom’s death and also to Joshua’s secret son (David Drucker).

This storyline, much like last week’s battle against Elizabeth Bathory, was enjoyably creepy and it featured good performances from Anderson, Constantine, Donahue, and Drucker.  In the best tradition of Fantasy Island, the storyline was both macabre and also rather life-affirming.  Fantasy Island was always at its best when it revealed the hidden humanity at the heart of each fantasy.  Amy learns the truth of her mother’s death and she regains her ability to speak.  Tattoo tells her that she has a beautiful voice.  Awwwwww!

This was a great weekend on Fantasy Island!