What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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T2 WHATS UP! December 19 - 25, 2021 TV FEATURE BY KYLA BREWER TV Media A lot of people fantasize about the perfect Christmas, but what if you could make your wildest holiday dreams come true? A hit summer series is re- turning to titillate viewers with a special two-hour holiday edition this season, and fans won't want to miss it. Roselyn Sánchez ("Devious Maids") stars as the mysterious Elena Roarke, a woman who welcomes travelers in search of a little holiday magic in a special double episode of "Fantasy Is- land," airing Tuesday, Dec. 21, on Fox. The premiere two-hour event marks the return of the hit show that wowed audiences this summer — a stunning reboot of the classic 1977 to 1984 television series that starred Ricardo Mon- talbán ("Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," 1982) as Elena's ances- tor, Mr. Roarke. The reimagined series proved so popular that it has already been picked up for Season 2, and producers are treating fans to a bonus Christmas special to tide them over until the next season. When the second-season pickup was announced, Fox ex- ecutive Michael Thorn ex- plained that Season 1 left view- ers wanting more, so "more" is exactly what they'll get. "Thanks to the fantastic Rose- lyn Sánchez and charming Kiara Barnes and the captivating sto- ries that tapped into the core te- nets of emotion and aspiration, 'Fantasy Island' was the perfect wish fulfilment and escape we all needed this summer," Thorn said in an official Fox news re- lease. The basic plot of Fox's "Fanta- sy Island" is true to the original: People arrive at a luxury resort on an idyllic tropical island with hopes of living out their fanta- sies, which are magically grant- ed. Though the magic of the is- land appears to give them ev- erything they think they want, they often learn important les- sons about what they really need. The reboot, however, takes the premise of the original and tweaks it for today's audiences. While Montalbán's Roarke was shrouded in mystery and perhaps even a little devious, viewers learn a little more about Sánchez's Elena, who purport- edly gave up her ambitions and maybe even the love of her life to continue her family's tradition as stewards of the mystical is- land. In the classic series, Mr. Roarke relied on the assistance of his comrade, Tattoo (Hervé Villechaize, "The Man With the Golden Gun," 1974), but assist- ing Elena on the island now is Ruby Akuda (Kiara Barnes, "The Bold and the Beautiful"), a woman who came to the island with a terminal illness and who's been mysteriously grant- ed a new lease on life. Then there's Javier (John Ga- briel Rodriguez, "The Vampire Diaries"), the ruggedly hand- some jack of all trades who serves as the island's head of transportation and who seems to have a history with Elena. These characters really con- nected with TV audiences this summer, drawing at least a mil- lion viewers per episode, some- Bentonville Acupuncture 5 x 5 continued on page T10 Roselyn Sánchez stars in the "Fantasy Island" Christmas special A holiday 'Fantasy' Not a subscriber? No problem, subscribe today and receive an iPad with your subscription*. *iPad must be returned within 30 days of termination of account. now available on the digital replica! NEW INTERACTIVE PUZZLE PAGES Get the new puzzle pages on the digital replica, featuring puzzles daily! CROSSWORDS KIDS' GAMES SUDOKU WORD GAMES STRATEGY & MEMORY NUMBERS Call 479-684-5509 or visit nwaonline.com/nwaipad