''Crusoe'' is an
adventure
An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...
-
drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
television series, based loosely on the 1719 novel ''
Robinson Crusoe
''Robinson Crusoe'' () is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published on 25 April 1719. The first edition credited the work's protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author, leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a tra ...
'' by
Daniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe (; born Daniel Foe; – 24 April 1731) was an English writer, trader, journalist, pamphleteer and spy. He is most famous for his novel ''Robinson Crusoe'', published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its ...
. The series' 13 episodes aired on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
from October 17, 2008 to January 31, 2009, 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.
Cast
*
Philip Winchester
Philip Charles Winchester (born March 24, 1981) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in '' The Patriot'', ''The Hi-Line'', '' LD 50 Lethal Dose'', '' Thunderbirds'', ''CSI: Miami'', ''King Lear'', '' Strike Back'', '' Flyboys'', ''In M ...
as
Robinson Crusoe
''Robinson Crusoe'' () is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published on 25 April 1719. The first edition credited the work's protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author, leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a tra ...
He has been shipwrecked on the island for the past six years, and desperately desires to return to his wife and children, whom he left back in England. He goes on the voyage to the new world after he is wrongly accused of being a part of a rebellion against the crown, due in part to the dark intentions of those he believes are his friends.
As the series progresses, more information is revealed about how he became shipwrecked in the form of flashbacks and cutaways. Allowed to develop away from the bonds of 17th Century life and possessing a talent for things mechanical, the ingenious Crusoe builds a breathtaking and altogether modern home high up in the trees to elude his enemies. In 12 of 13 eps.
*
Tongayi Chirisa as
Friday
Friday is the day of the week between Thursday and Saturday. In countries that adopt the traditional "Sunday-first" convention, it is the sixth day of the week. In countries adopting the ISO-defined "Monday-first" convention, it is the fifth day ...
He becomes Crusoe's companion after he is rescued from being a human sacrifice for the tribe of
cannibals
Cannibalism is the act of consuming another individual of the same species as food. Cannibalism is a common ecological interaction in the animal kingdom and has been recorded in more than 1,500 species. Human cannibalism is well documented, bo ...
he was once a part of. Friday is well skilled and knowledgeable, but still feels as though he is an embarrassment to his father. While Crusoe recognizes Friday's wisdom and courage as more than equal to his own, visitors to the island mistake Friday for Crusoe's slave, and are unwilling to see past the color of his skin and simply refer to him as a "savage". In 12 of 13 eps.
*
Joaquim de Almeida
Joaquim António Portugal Baptista de Almeida (born 15 March 1957) is a Portuguese actor.
Almeida began his acting career in theatre during the 1980s, he started his film career appearing on the 1982 action film '' The Soldier'', and later ach ...
as Santos Santana
He is the Captain of the Spanish Guard who was originally an enemy of Crusoe and Friday. Santana is disgusted by Crusoe's respect for Friday, and makes a deal with his prisoners in order to obtain a treasure buried on the island. However, he appears to have turned over a new leaf after he is captured by cannibals and befriends Friday's father. After escaping the cannibals, he risks his life to save someone he once believed to be a savage, and sustains life-threatening injuries. In 3 of 13 eps.
*
Mía Maestro
Mía Maestro (born 19 June 1978) is an Argentine actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Nora Martinez in '' The Strain'', Nadia Santos in the television drama '' Alias'', as Christina Kahlo in ''Frida'', as Carmen in '' The Twilight ...
as Olivia
She disguises herself as a young man in order to serve as an assistant physician on an English merchant ship. After the crew mutinies, the ship becomes damaged and the crew makes camp on the island, where Olivia encounters Crusoe and Friday while bathing and out of her disguise. She often helps Crusoe with medical emergencies, and agrees to help Crusoe restore the Captain to power. However, she begins to develop romantic feelings for Crusoe, who remains faithful and in love with his wife. In 7 of 13 eps.
*
Sam Neill
Sir Nigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill (born 14 September 1947) is a New Zealand actor. Neill's near-50 year career has included leading roles in both dramas and blockbusters. Considered an "international leading man", he has been regarded as one o ...
as Jeremiah Blackthorn
He is a friend (at least he claims to be) of the Crusoe family who takes an interest in Robinson's affairs. He agrees to lend the family money in exchange for being named godfather to Crusoe's two children. As the series progresses, it becomes clear that Jeremiah's interest in the Crusoe family is for his own gain. Jeremiah's deceased brother from whom he inherited his fortune is actually the biological father of Robinson Crusoe. He is then not the rightful heir to the Blackthorn fortune, instead it is Robinson Crusoe who should be the rightful heir.
[ In 11 of 13 eps.
*]Anna Walton
Anna Walton (born 18 December 1980) is an English actress known for her roles in '' Vampire Diary'', ''Mutant Chronicles'', and the compassionate Princess Nuala in '' Hellboy II: The Golden Army''.
Walton began working as a model while still a ...
as Susannah Crusoe née Tuffley
She is a childhood friend of Crusoe's whom he later married. Like Crusoe, she lost her mother at a young age, and was raised solely by her father. However, her family is much more wealthy than the Crusoes, which makes most of her family hostile towards her husband. Her brother convinces Crusoe to make a financial deal with him, and seizes all of his funds once Crusoe leaves on his voyage, forcing Susannah to seek refuge in the home of Jeremiah Blackthorn. She refuses to believe that Crusoe is dead, despite being told otherwise. In 12 of 13 eps.
Other characters include James Crusoe (Sean Bean
Sean Bean (born Shaun Mark Bean on 17 April 1959) is an English actor. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Bean made his professional debut in a theatre production of ''Romeo and Juliet'' in 1983. Retaining his Yorkshire ac ...
), Samuel Tuffley (Mark Dexter
Mark Lee Dexter (born 21 April 1973) is an English actor who trained at RADA.
Life and career
Dexter was born in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England.
As a teenager, he was an early member of the Central Junior Television Workshop which led t ...
), Nathan West (Kieran Bew
Kieran Bew (born 18 August 1980) is an English actor, known for portraying Alfonso, Duke of Calabria in '' Da Vinci's Demons'' for Starz, '' Hans Christian Andersen: My Life as a Fairytale'' for Hallmark Entertainment and Gary Parr in Jimmy ...
), Mary Crusoe (Emma Barnett
Emma Barnett (born 5 February 1985) is a British broadcaster and journalist. She has been the main presenter of ''Woman's Hour'' on BBC Radio 4 since January 2021.
Barnett worked for BBC Radio 5 Live for six years, beginning in 2014, after th ...
), Captain Lynch (Jonathan Pienaar
Jonathan Pienaar (born 16 September 1962) is a South African writer, actor, voice-over artist and comedian who has been active for over 20 years. He has appeared in both South African and international films and television shows including ''Ski ...
), Judy (Georgina Rylance
Georgina Elizabeth Rylance (born 20 April 1976) is an English actress, best known for '' Dinotopia''.
Early life
Born in Ladbroke Grove in 1976, Rylance has a younger sister, Charlotte, and is the daughter of Judge John Rylance QC, a circuit ju ...
), Will Atkins (Jeremy Crutchley
Jeremy Crutchley is a British-born South African actor and singer. He played roles in the television series ''Salem'', ''Black Sails'', ''Leonardo'', ''Constantine'' and ''Hannibal'' and several theatre and cinema works in a career spanning for ...
), Cleric
Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
(James Middlemarch), Nolan Moore (Sean Michael
Sean Cameron Michael (born 24 December 1969) is a South African actor, writer and singer. A native South African English, English speaker, he is also fluent in Afrikaans.
Early life
Michael was born in Cape Town, South Africa. He became intere ...
), John Tuffley (Terence Harvey
Terence John Humes (October 1944 – 7 September 2017), known professionally as Terence Harvey, was a British television actor. Among his many roles was the prosecution counsel in '' The Execution of Gary Glitter''. He also appeared in ''From Hel ...
), Judge Jefferies (Joss Ackland
Sidney Edmond Jocelyn Ackland CBE (born 29 February 1928) is an English retired actor who has appeared in more than 130 film and television roles. He was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for portraying Jock Del ...
), Fenwick (Bob Goody
Robert Goody (born 16 April 1951) is a British actor, librettist, writer and former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Theatre work
Bob Goody trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (1973-1975). He was a founder member of the acclaim ...
), and Captain Taylor (Danny Keogh
Danny Keogh (3 March 1948 – 23 July 2019) was a Ugandan-born South African actor known for his roles in South African television programs such as ''Known Gods'', ''Interrogation Room'', and Julius Galt in ''Charlie Jade''.
He was born on 3 ...
).[
]
Production
The show was made by the independent, London-based production company, Power, for the NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
network and was a co-production by Power, Moonlighting in South Africa, and Muse Entertainment
Muse Entertainment is a Canadian producer of films and television programs founded by Michael Prupas in 1998. The company gained press attention in 2011 for their production of the multi-Emmy winning and nominated miniseries '' The Kennedys'' in as ...
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
Muse Entertainment is a Canadian producer of films and television programs founded by Michael Prupas in 1998. The company gained press attention in 2011 for their production of the multi-Emmy winning and nominated miniseries '' The Kennedys'' in as ...
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
Stephen Gallagher (born 13 October 1954) is an English screenwriter and novelist. Gallagher was born in Salford, Greater Manchester.
Career
Gallagher has written novels and television scripts, including for the BBC television series '' Docto ...
with a writing staff that includes Andrew Rattenbury, Debbie Oates, Nick Fisher and James Moran.
Filming
Filming began in York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
, 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
The Shambles is a historic street in York, England, featuring preserved medieval buildings, some dating back as far as the fourteenth century. The street is narrow with many timber-framed buildings with jettied floors that overhang the street b ...
, St. Leonard's hospital, the River Ouse, and York's Guildhall. Scenes were also shot in Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a maritime, mineral and tourist heritage. Its East Clif ...
, 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
Hutton-le-Hole is a small village and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England, about north-west of Pickering. It is a popular scenic village within the North York Moors National Park. Sheep roam the streets at will ...
. Other filming locations for the series are the Garden Route
The Garden Route (Afrikaans: ''Tuinroete'') is a stretch of the south-eastern coast of South Africa which extends from Witsand in the Western Cape to the border of Tsitsikamma Storms River in the Eastern Cape. The name comes from the verdant an ...
in South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
and the Seychelles
Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, V ...
.
Episodes
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 has no plans to continue ''Crusoe'' past the 13 episodes.
In the UK, ''Crusoe'' premiered with a double-bill on FTA Terrestrial Channel Five on 20 December 2008. It was then played daily during the holiday period for the full 13 episodes.
In Vietnam, it was aired on VTC7-Today TV from April 26 to June 7, 2009.
Ratings
Hulu
Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...
offered all 13 episodes from Season 1 until September 19, 2010.
References
External links
Twitter
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{{Robinson Crusoe
2000s American drama television series
2008 American television series debuts
2009 American television series endings
English-language television shows
NBC original programming
Television series by Muse Entertainment
American action television series
American adventure television series
British action television series
British adventure television series
Canadian action television series
Canadian adventure television series
Television shows set in England
American adventure drama television series
Canadian adventure drama television series