TV Tonight: Crusoe

BuzzSugar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 07:30:10 PDT

Some time ago, NBC entertainment boss Ben Silverman asked his staff to brainstorm a list of the greatest stories ever told. One of the entries on that list was Robinson Crusoe, and tonight, NBC's adaptation of that classic tale hits the small screen.

Crusoe stars Philip Winchester as the famous castaway, marooned on a desert island and forced to survive all kinds of calamities with nothing but his wits and his friend Friday (Tongayi Chirisa) by his side. There look to be plenty of cool set pieces on the "island" the crew created, including one very elaborate treehouse.

From what I've read, Crusoe doesn't stick very closely to Daniel Defoe's classic book, but it could still be entertaining in its own right. The series is scheduled to run for 13 episodes, with the first two airing back-to-back tonight. Do you have an interest in checking out a new spin on this timeless tale? You can watch a couple of preview videos if you

First Look: Crusoe

BuzzSugar — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 14:00:00 PDT

As far as Fall television shows go, NBC's Crusoe is an utter mystery to me. The show didn't have a panel at the TCA press tour because the crew was in production in South Africa, and NBC hasn't sent out the pilot yet either. But! Now I have a trailer, and while it may not be much, at least it's something.

In some ways, there's not much I need to know about Crusoe, since the story stays close to Daniel Defoe's classic tale. Crusoe (Philip Winchester) is an island castaway who must use all his resources simply to stay alive amid militia attacks, lightning storms, and various other challenges. In addition to looking at Crusoe's everyday trials, the series will also flash back to Crusoe's life before he became isolated on the island.

The idea for Crusoe sprung from an idea NBC Entertainment Cochairman Ben Silverman had to retell some of the greatest stories every told. It's scheduled to premiere on Oct. 17 with a two-hour special and air at 9 p.m. each Friday thereafter - a pretty tough time slot for a show that must be expensive to produce (so I guess it's a good thing some European producers are footing most of the bill).

Do you have any interest in watching a retelling of the Robinson Crusoe story? To watch the preview, just