DID YOU KNOW

Did you know that Gene Levitt's Fantasy Island started out as a joke? Okay, this might sound too outrageous to you, but we promise, we're not kidding (no pun intended). In fact, one of the producers, Aaron Spelling admitted this. For those who were too young to remember or those who want their memories refreshed, Fantasy Island is a fantasy horror show that aired every Saturday at 10 PM, right after Love Boat. It starred Ricardo Montalbán and Hervé Villechaize. Alright, you're probably wondering how the show came to fruition and eventually became a hit TV show in one of the best TV channels of all time. Well, here's what exactly went down at the network:

Spelling and his co-producer, Leonard Goldberg, were in a pitch meeting with the ABC executive Brandon Stoddard. Unfortunately, all of their ideas fell flat, much to Spelling's exasperation. This led to him blurting out a frustrated joke: "What do you want? An island that people can go to and all of their sexual fantasies will be realized?" Surprisingly, Stoddard loved it. Thus began the creation of one of the most popular series to grace our television screens in the 70s. Incredible, right? This just goes to show that sometimes we really do have to fail to succeed. Imagine if Spelling and Goldberg hadn't failed the first time he pitched a show. It probably wouldn't delight the palate of the audience then. And we probably wouldn't have a fantasy horror film to look forward to now. So, are you excited to watch Fantasy Island?