We’re at that part of the year where the 2023 TV schedule is forming up its ranks for the season to come. The 2023-2024 season is taking shape, and that happens through the natural cycle of cancellations and green lights. On the more negative side of this process, Fox has just canceled its Fantasy Island revival; but Kathy Bates on the other hand has gotten some fantastic news, with her Matlock pilot leading to a full series order.
RIP Fantasy Island (2021-2023)
After two seasons of anthological wish granting, TVLine has announced that Fox is saying goodbye to Fantasy Island. The legacy-quel to the classic ABC series led by Ricardo Montalban, saw a gender-flipped version of Roarke, played by Roselyn Sánchez, holding court. Other than that, the show played out pretty much the same as the original, with a revolving door of guest stars being put into some wild situations. And much like the original, all of these issues were linked to a wish made by whomever the protagonist(s) of the week happened to be.
While the original expanded its run to seven seasons, this new take fell rather short of that mark. Still, Fox’s take on the property faired better than some other attempts at opulent wish fulfillment; and those that wish to pay their respects can do so by catching the second season of Fantasy Island with a Hulu subscription.
Modern audiences don’t seem to have much love for Fantasy Island, as this is yet another failed attempt to update the Gene Levitt-created classic. ABC itself had tried its hand at resurrecting its own brand in a Malcolm McDowell-led variant, a buy that ran for only one 13-episode season in 1998. Then there was the critically savaged Fantasy Island movie, which went over as well as you’d think even in a pandemic-infused market.
Who knows when, or if, this magical IP will be revisited yet again; all we know is that the latest attempt was a valiant effort that is now part of the history books.
Kathy Bates' Matlock Reboot Is A Go At CBS
Meanwhile, on the more positive side of the revival coin, Kathy Bates’ recent Matlock pilot was enough of a joy to spawn a full series order. Deadline broke the news that the revival of the beloved Andy Griffith series is one of several projects getting its turn at bat. The original aired on NBC and ABC between 1986 and 1995, and much like Fox’s Fantasy Island, it sees the lead role swapped into a female character for Bates and her Academy Award-winning talents to take hold of.
This is more good news for fans of CBS’s lineup, as this helps the recent uncancellation of S.W.A.T. balance out cutting rookies East New York and True Lies from the team. However, just because an established name like Matlock is in the mix doesn’t make for instant success. Although Kathy Bates is a prestigious actor, and having her slip into Andy Griffith’s folksy courtroom defender does sound like a mighty nice fit.
However, just as anyone who worked on Fantasy Island will tell you, it’s ultimately up to the audience to keep the planes flying and the ratings soaring. We'll just have to wait and see what happens, as Matlock will presumably be set for a premiere during the 2023-2024 TV season; provided production doesn't run into any writer's strike-related hurdles.
