7.6 /10 1 Votes
8.3/10 TV | 6.9/10 IMDb First episode date 17 October 2008 Writers Stephen Gallagher | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Starring Philip WinchesterTongayi ChirisaJoaquim de AlmeidaMía MaestroSam NeillAnna WaltonSean Bean Country of origin CanadaUnited KingdomUnited StatesSouth Africa Cast | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Crusoe is a television adventure drama (with comedic elements) based loosely on the novel Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. The series' 13 episodes aired on NBC during the first half of the 2008–2009 television season. It follows the adventures of Robinson Crusoe: a man who has been shipwrecked on an island for six years and is desperate to return home to his wife and children. His lone companion is Friday, a native whom Crusoe rescued and taught English.
Contents
- Robinson crusoe rescued again documentary about classic tv series
- Production
- Filming
- Broadcast history
- Cast and characters
- Ratings
- References
Robinson crusoe rescued again documentary about classic tv series
Production
The show was made by the independent, London-based production company Power for the NBC network and is a co-production by Power, Moonlighting in South Africa, and Muse Entertainment in Canada. Power has claimed this is the first time a US network "commissioned a British supplier for nearly 40 years". Justin Bodle is the executive producer for Power, with Michael Prupas executive producer for Muse Entertainment and Genevieve Hofmeyr for Moonlighting. Other executive producers are Jeff Hayes, Stephen Greenberg and Jean Bureau. The series format has been developed for television by British writer Stephen Gallagher with a writing staff that includes Andrew Rattenbury, Debbie Oates, Nick Fisher and James Moran.
Filming
Filming began in York, England in May 2008 with an estimated budget of £17 million. Exterior footage was shot around York in location including St William's College, The Shambles, St. Leonard's hospital, the River Ouse, and York's Guildhall. Scenes were also shot in Whitby, North Yorkshire on the replica frigate the Grand Turk. In early June filming moved to the North Yorkshire Moors using the backdrop of the Ryedale Folk Museum, in Hutton-le-Hole. Other filming locations for the series are the Garden Route in South Africa and the Seychelles.
Broadcast history
The series premiered in the US in the fall (September/October) of 2008. NBC ran a heavy promotion campaign during its screening of the Beijing Summer Olympic Games. The show has been sold to other countries including Canada. The two-hour series premiere aired on October 17, 2008 at 8pm, on NBC and Citytv in Canada and originally aired on Friday nights. However, beginning in December 2008, the show moved to Saturdays, due to low ratings. The show was named one of the five worst new television shows in TelevisionWeek’s semiannual Critics Poll.
Crusoe was initially promoted as a regular TV show but, after the first few episodes aired (with poor ratings), the network listed it as a "high-action, fast-paced, thirteen-part series." NBC hasn't announced any plans to continue Crusoe past the 13 episodes.
In the UK, Crusoe premiered with a double-bill on FTA Terrestrial Channel Five on Sunday 20 December 2008 at 11:50am. It was then stripped daily across the festive period for the full 13 episodes.
In Vietnam, it was aired on VTC7-Today TV from April 26 to June 7, 2009.
Cast and characters
Other characters include James Crusoe (Sean Bean), Samuel Tuffley (Mark Dexter), Nathan West (Kieran Bew), Mary Crusoe (Emma Barnett), Captain Lynch (Jonathan Pienaar), Judy (Georgina Rylance), Will Atkins (Jeremy Crutchley), Cleric (James Middlemarch), Nolan Moore (Sean Michael), John Tuffley (Terence Harvey), Judge Jefferies (Joss Ackland), Fenwick (Bob Goody), and Captain Taylor (Danny Keogh).
Ratings
Hulu offered all 12 episodes from Season 1 until September 19, 2010.