Mysterious Island (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Mysterious Island is a Canadian television series based on Jules Verne
's novel L'Île mystérieuse
. It ran for one season in 1995.
The beginning of the series is much as in the novel. A group of refugees attempting to escape the American Civil War
in a balloon
wind up stranded on a remote Pacific island, where they are able to improvise a comfortable living for themselves while they wait for a passing ship. As time passes, they become suspicious that some unseen force is watching and directing their movements.
The main difference between the protagonists of the series and those of the novel is the addition of a female character, the wife of Pencroft.
The unseen watcher, Captain Nemo
, is more active and less benevolent than in the novel. Able to monitor the island through steampunk
-style closed-circuit television
and other advanced devices, he treats the castaways as human laboratory specimens, influencing their environment to test their behaviour under stressful conditions. As the series progresses, his tests become more extreme as their continued co-operation threatens his preferred thesis that all humans are, at base, selfish and untrustworthy.
In the series finale, Nemo apparently succeeds in breaking up the group; this proves to be a ruse by the protagonists, who are now certain of Nemo's existence. After they penetrate his hideaway, Nemo admits that the 'experiment' is ruined, and offers to return the castaways to civilisation in his submarine
. In a final twist, he puts out to sea without them, apparently leaving them alone on the island, without his influence for good or ill.
On June 14, 2011, Alliance Home Entertainment
will release Mysterious Island- The Complete series on DVD in Canada for the very first time.
Jules Verne
Jules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , A Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Around the World in Eighty Days...
's novel L'Île mystérieuse
The Mysterious Island
The Mysterious Island is a novel by Jules Verne, published in 1874. The original edition, published by Hetzel, contains a number of illustrations by Jules Férat. The novel is a sequel to Verne's famous Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and In Search of the Castaways, though thematically it is...
. It ran for one season in 1995.
The beginning of the series is much as in the novel. A group of refugees attempting to escape the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
in a balloon
Balloon (aircraft)
A balloon is a type of aircraft that remains aloft due to its buoyancy. A balloon travels by moving with the wind. It is distinct from an airship, which is a buoyant aircraft that can be propelled through the air in a controlled manner....
wind up stranded on a remote Pacific island, where they are able to improvise a comfortable living for themselves while they wait for a passing ship. As time passes, they become suspicious that some unseen force is watching and directing their movements.
The main difference between the protagonists of the series and those of the novel is the addition of a female character, the wife of Pencroft.
The unseen watcher, Captain Nemo
Captain Nemo
Captain Nemo, also known as Prince Dakkar, is a fictional character featured in Jules Verne's novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island ....
, is more active and less benevolent than in the novel. Able to monitor the island through steampunk
Steampunk
Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United...
-style closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
and other advanced devices, he treats the castaways as human laboratory specimens, influencing their environment to test their behaviour under stressful conditions. As the series progresses, his tests become more extreme as their continued co-operation threatens his preferred thesis that all humans are, at base, selfish and untrustworthy.
In the series finale, Nemo apparently succeeds in breaking up the group; this proves to be a ruse by the protagonists, who are now certain of Nemo's existence. After they penetrate his hideaway, Nemo admits that the 'experiment' is ruined, and offers to return the castaways to civilisation in his submarine
Nautilus (Verne)
The Nautilus is the fictional submarine featured in Jules Verne's novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island . Verne named the Nautilus after Robert Fulton's real-life submarine Nautilus...
. In a final twist, he puts out to sea without them, apparently leaving them alone on the island, without his influence for good or ill.
Cast
- Alan ScarfeAlan ScarfeAlan John Scarfe is a British-born Genie Award winning Canadian actor. He is a former Associate Director of the Stratford Festival and the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool...
.... Captain Cyrus Harding - C. David JohnsonC. David JohnsonC. David Johnson is a Canadian actor.Born Christopher David Johnson in Montreal, Quebec, Canada he attended Stanstead College, the University of New Brunswick , and the Vancouver Playhouse Acting School and currently lives in Toronto.Johnson began his career with Theatre New Brunswick, and he has...
.... Jack Pencroft - Colette Stevenson .... Joanna Pencroft
- Stephen LovattStephen LovattStephen Lovatt is a New Zealand actor, best known for his portrayal of the character Max Hoyland on the Australian soap Neighbours.-Career:...
.... Gideon Spilett - Gordon Michael WoolvettGordon Michael WoolvettGordon Michael Woolvett is a Canadian-born actor from Hamilton, Ontario Canada, best known for his work as Seamus Zelazny Harper on the television series Andromeda . Previous to Andromeda he starred in another science fiction TV show, Deepwater Black...
.... Herbert Pencroft - Andy Marshall .... Neb Brown
- John BachJohn BachJohn Bach is a Welsh-born actor who has spent most of his career working in New Zealand.His best known role internationally is Madril in the two last movies of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , but he has substantial television credits in New Zealand, including the title role of Detective...
.... Captain NemoCaptain NemoCaptain Nemo, also known as Prince Dakkar, is a fictional character featured in Jules Verne's novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island ....
DVD releases
On November 11, 2008, Echobridge Home Entertainment released the complete series on DVD in Region 1 (US only) for the very first time.On June 14, 2011, Alliance Home Entertainment
Alliance Films
Alliance Films is a major Canadian motion picture distribution/production company, which serves Canada, the United Kingdom, and Spain.-History:It was formed in 1984 by Stephen Roth, Denis Heroux, John Kemeny, Robert Lantos and Jay...
will release Mysterious Island- The Complete series on DVD in Canada for the very first time.