"I Was Joking": It Was One of the Most Popular Series of the 70s, and It Was Born from a Simple Joke

Discover the astonishing origins of the series "Fantasy Island," which aired in France on TF1 at the time, and the concept that was born from a joke.

Dedicated viewers have not forgotten the series Fantasy Island, where all dreams can come true for those who are willing to pay the price. Hosts Mr. Roarke (Ricardo Montalban) and Tattoo (Hervé Villechaize) are there to fulfill the wildest fantasies of their wealthy clients.

This simple concept was developed into 152 episodes aired between 1978 and 1984 and became one of the major successes of American television at the time. But did you know that the series was born from a simple joke?

"It Was a Joke, I Was Joking"

ABC

In an interview with the American Academy of Television (via TVLine), the series producer Aaron Spelling reflected on this joke he made in front of ABC executive Brandon Stoddard, which allowed the series to come to life:

"We had to pitch six ideas. He rejected them all. As a joke, I said, 'Oh, and what do you want? A big island where people come to fulfill all their sexual fantasies?' and he replied, 'Yeah! I love it!' That's the truth... We made three movies before it became a series. It was a joke, I was joking, Brandon. Because we never really did sexual things on the island, but that's how sometimes things are decided."

This joke actually led to the filming of not three but four TV movies: Fantasy Island on January 14, 1977, followed by Return to Fantasy Island on January 20, 1978. The series officially began on January 28, 1978, followed by seven seasons and a viewership success that would only diminish at the very end of the series.

The Sequels Failed to Recapture the Magic

ABC

The reason Fantasy Island maintained its popularity over time is that it told two stories/fantasies per episode, allowed for total escapism (the exoticism of the island for Western viewers, and that provided by the clients' requests), as well as a small moral to wrap it all up.

Fantasy Island made a comeback in 1998, overseen by Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black), this time with Malcolm McDowell as Mr. Roarke, but it was canceled after just 13 episodes.

Years later, a sequel was launched with Roselyn Sánchez as Mr. Roarke's niece, but the show only lasted two seasons with 10 and 13 episodes aired between 2021 and 2023. It must be said that in the meantime, Westworld had come along...