Crusoe (TV series)

Adventure-drama television series

Not to be confused with The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (TV series).

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Crusoe

Intertitle

Genre|

* Drama
* Adventure

Created by| Stephen Gallagher
Starring|

* Philip Winchester
* Tongayi Chirisa
* Joaquim de Almeida
* Mía Maestro
* Sam Neill
* Anna Walton
* Sean Bean

Composers|

* James Seymour Brett
* James Gelfand

Country of origin|

* Canada
* United Kingdom
* United States
* South Africa

Original language| English
No. of seasons| 1
No. of episodes| 13
Production
Executive producers|

* Stephen Greenberg
* Jean Bureau
* Justin Bodle
* Michael Prupas
* Chris Philip
* Jeff Hayes

Running time| 45 minutes
Production companies|

* Power
* Muse Entertainment Enterprises (as Muse Entertainment)
* Moonlighting Films
* Universal Media Studios
* Incendo Productions

Original release
Network|

* NBC (United States)
* Five (United Kingdom)
* Citytv (Canada)

Release| October 17, 2008 (2008-10-17) –
January 31, 2009 (2009-01-31)

Crusoe is an adventure-drama television series, based loosely on the 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. The series' 13 episodes aired on NBC from October 17, 2008, to January 31, 2009, during the first half of the 2008–09 television season.[1] 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

[edit]

* Philip Winchester as Robinson Crusoe[2]

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 breath-taking and altogether modern home high up in the trees to elude his enemies. He appears in 12 of 13 episodes.

* Tongayi Chirisa as Friday[2]

He becomes Crusoe's companion after he is rescued from being a human sacrifice for the tribe of cannibals 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".[3] He appears in 12 of 13 episodes.

* Joaquim de Almeida as Santos Santana[2]

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.[4] He appears in 3 of 13 episodes.

* Mía Maestro as Olivia[2]

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.[5] She appears in 7 of 13 episodes.

* Sam Neill as Jeremiah Blackthorn[2]

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.[6] He appears in 11 of 13 episodes.

* Anna Walton as Susannah Crusoe née Tuffley[2]

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. He appears in 12 of 13 episodes.

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).[6][7]

## Production

[edit]

Crusoe filming at College Street, York

The show was made by the independent, London-based production company, Power,[8] for the NBC network and was a co-production by Power, Moonlighting in South Africa, and Muse Entertainment in Canada.[9] Power has claimed this is the first time a US network "commissioned a British supplier for nearly 40 years".[6] 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.[10] 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

[edit]

Filming began in York, England in May 2008 with an estimated budget of £17 million.[citation needed] 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.[11] Scenes were also shot in Whitby, North Yorkshire on the replica frigate the Grand Turk.[12] In early June filming moved to the North Yorkshire Moors using the backdrop of the Ryedale Folk Museum, in Hutton-le-Hole.[13] Other filming locations for the series are the Garden Route[14] in South Africa and the Seychelles.[15]

## Episodes

[edit]

No. in
series| Title| Directed by| Written by| Original air date

|
|
|
|

1–2| "Rum and Gunpowder"| Duane Clark| Stephen Gallagher| October 17, 2008 (2008-10-17)

Robinson Crusoe, the only survivor of a shipwreck, and his trusty companion Friday, a native whose life he saved, find themselves in danger when a group of pirates land on the island. They are searching for a legendary treasure, and the daughter of the pirate who buried the treasure, Judy, threatens to kill Crusoe unless he acts as a guide to the island. Friday, thought dead, pursues the pirates in order to rescue his friend. The situation goes from bad to worse when the Spanish Guard, led by Captain Santana, lands on the island and joins forces with the pirates whom they have been sent to arrest.

3| "Sacrifice"| Jeff Woolnough| Avrum Jacobson| October 24, 2008 (2008-10-24)

Friday has an unusual dream about a young woman whose spirit is lost and yearning for the sea. While Friday believes this is significant, Crusoe is skeptical, and instead focuses his attention on fixing the water source to the tree house. However, Crusoe loses his wedding ring, and in the process of trying to retrieve it from the spring, discovers a temple to a water goddess with evidence that a woman was sacrificed on the island. Chased by a group of wild dogs, Crusoe and Friday journey through the jungle in an attempt to discover the truth and set her spirit free, as well as recover the symbol of Crusoe's marriage.

4| "The Mutineers"| Michael Robison| Andrew Rattenbury| October 31, 2008 (2008-10-31)

After a merchant ship lands on the island, Crusoe and Friday discover that it has been taken control of by a group of mutineers. Crusoe contemplates forming an alliance with the ship's trapped captain in hopes that he can provide him with a means to return to England. Captain Taylor agrees, and they plan to kill the leader of the mutineers, Jacob, so that the rest of the crew will no longer serve him under fear. While planning their attack, they come across the ship's physician's assistant, Oliver, who is actually a woman disguised as a young man. However, she quickly proves that she is more than a match for any man who crosses her.

5| "High Water"| Jeff Woolnough| James Moran| November 7, 2008 (2008-11-07)

Crusoe and Friday come across a washed up boat and compass while passing through the jungle. While they repair the boat, Friday accidentally drops the compass into the camp fire, melting the needle. Crusoe and Friday then set out to steal a compass from the mutineers on the island, and discover that Atkins has been keeping track of the tides. As they make their exit, they run into Olivia, who helps them escape after Atkins and his men return to the camp. While running from the mutineers, Friday falls into a sinkhole and is trapped by a tree, making Crusoe choose between saving his friend's life and reaching the boat before the tides wash it away.

6| "Long Pig"| Michael Robison| Nick Fisher| November 14, 2008 (2008-11-14)

Friday deals with demons from his past as the cannibals return to the island to sacrifice two new captives. Crusoe, unable to stand by, decides to rescue the captives. They are initially only able to rescue one, but they aren't thrilled when it is revealed to be Captain Santana of the Spanish Guard. However, Santana claims he has turned over a new leaf, and refuses to leave the island until the other captive is rescued. Crusoe and Friday are shocked to learn that the other Captive is Friday's father, Baillom, who has befriended Santana while they were imprisoned together.

7| "Bad Blood"| Alex Chapple| Debbie Oates| November 21, 2008 (2008-11-21)

Crusoe goes to find Olivia after Friday attacks him, suffering from delusions from what he believes to be a snake bite. Not convinced by Crusoe's diagnosis, Olivia determines that he had actually ingested some poisoned honey, but there is one problem: The cure is a rare plant that only grows on cliffs. Olivia insists on accompanying Crusoe to retrieve the plant, and they set out on a desperate attempt to retrieve the cure for Friday, who is quickly falling deeper into madness. Through it all, Crusoe is determined not to betray Friday, whom he credits with saving his life, and Friday's accusing him of being a traitor brings painful memories from Crusoe's past to the surface.

8| "Heroes & Villains"| Michael Robison| Cameron McAllister| December 6, 2008 (2008-12-06)

Olivia informs Crusoe that the mutineer's ship has been fixed, and he must think of a new plan to get on it and off the island. He discloses a new strategy to Captain Taylor and his wife, the later of whom feels guilty about her prior treatment of Friday, and the former agrees to grant Crusoe passage to England. However, fresh problems are encountered, and Captain Taylor's first mate betrays him, Olivia is caught in the crossfire when the mutineers attacks Crusoe and Friday at the treehouse, and someone's attempt to find redemption causes more problems than it remedies.

9| "The Name of the Game"| Helen Shaver| Jack Lothian| December 20, 2008 (2008-12-20)

Haunted by the memory of seeing another boy being attacked by a crocodile, Friday is unable to try to pass the final test as a child, and believes that his father is ashamed of him. Years later, Friday becomes annoyed with Crusoe after he claims that the academic challenges he faced were tougher than the physical ones Friday faced. Friday and Crusoe use Friday's childhood challenges as a competitive tool, and Friday begins to lash out at Crusoe when he doesn't take the trials seriously. But after an unlucky accident, Friday is once again forced to face the challenge he could not bear to do as a child in order to save his friend's life.

10| "Smoke and Mirrors"| Alex Chapple| Debbie Oates| January 10, 2009 (2009-01-10)

Crusoe is overjoyed--and somewhat mystified--when Susannah appears on the island, claiming that she came ashore from a ship that has come to rescue him. Unable to remember the events that lead to this point, Crusoe must journey across the island to the cliffs in order to reach the ship and discover what transpired after mounting a flag as a signal for a rescue. Susannah is intent on helping him find his lost memories, but may be more aware of what is going on than she lets on. Soon, both of their lives are in danger after Crusoe realizes that there is someone else residing on the island.

11| "The Hunting Party"| Helen Shaver| Rohan Gavin| January 17, 2009 (2009-01-17)

A former king of a neighboring tribe of Friday's arrives on the island and sends three warriors to hunt down Crusoe. Friday tries to protect his friend, but ends up developing an attraction to the sole female warrior of the group. Throughout the hunt, Crusoe and Friday are reminded of those they encountered previously on the island. Meanwhile, in England, Santana has contacted Susannah over Crusoe's whereabouts, but she is reluctant to believe his lavish story. However, Jeremiah is more inclined to believe him, as his shady plans begin to fall into place. At the same time, Olivia returns to England and her life as a woman, intent on delivering Crusoe's message to Susannah.

12| "The Traveler"| Michael Robison| Stephen Gallagher| January 24, 2009 (2009-01-24)

Crusoe and Friday are startled after a rescue ship arrives off the coast of the island. Upon reaching the beach, they find a shipwrecked lifeboat, and save the sole survivor from being drowned by the current, whom they later discover to be Jeremiah Blackthorn. Crusoe is overcome with joy and gratitude, but Friday isn't convinced that Blackthorn's intentions are pure. Reading Friday's claims as a misunderstanding, Crusoe encourages Friday to spend time with Blackthorn and get to know him. Back in England, Olivia rescues Susannah from the mental institution Blackthorn placed her in, and they set out to discover Blackthorn's true intentions.

13| "The Return"| Michael Robison| Stephen Gallagher| January 31, 2009 (2009-01-31)

In the series finale, Crusoe and Friday defend themselves against Blackthorn and his men. After Blackthorn fails to capture the duo, he sets out to retrieve the Crusoe bible from the tree house, for it contains the only proof that Crusoe is the rightful heir of Blackthorn's fortune. Crusoe, shocked by the discovery of Blackthorn's true intentions, vows to get revenge, and demands information from Samuel Tuffley after cornering him in a sword fight. Back in England, Olivia helps Susannah search for her children, who are being abused at an orphanage where Blackthorn abandoned them. Blackthorn bargains with Crusoe; destroy the proof and allow Friday to be killed in exchange for passage to England. Crusoe attacks, but discovers the crew of the ship to be infected with Blackpox, and he and Friday abandon their attempt - leaving them stranded on the island.

### Broadcast history

[edit]

The series premiered in the United States in the fall (September/October) of 2008. NBC ran a heavy promotion campaign during its screening of the Beijing Summer Olympic Games.[16] The show has been sold to other countries including Canada.[6] The two-hour series premiere aired on October 17, 2008, at 8pm, on NBC and Citytv in Canada[17][18] and originally aired on Friday nights.[11][19] However, beginning in December 2008, the show moved to Saturdays, due to low ratings.[20] The show was named one of the five worst new television shows in TelevisionWeek’s semiannual Critics Poll.[21]

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."[16]

In the UK, Crusoe premiered with a double-bill on FTA Terrestrial Channel Five on 20 December 2008.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed]

## Ratings

[edit]

#  | Episode  | Air date  | Viewers
(m)

|
|
|

1.01 / 1.02  | Rum and Gunpowder  | 10-17-08  | 7.38[22]
1.03  | Sacrifice  | 10-24-08  | 6.09[16]
1.04  | The Mutineers  | 10-31-08  | 4.09[16]
1.05  | High Water  | 11-7-08  | 4.20[23]
1.06  | Long Pig  | 11-14-08  | 4.23[24][25]
1.07  | Bad Blood  | 11-21-08  | 3.56[16]
1.08  | Heroes & Villains  | 12-06-08  | 2.4[26]
1.09  | The Name of the Game  | 12-20-08  | 2.4[27]
1.10  | Smoke and Mirrors  | 01-10-09  | 2.8[28]
1.11  | The Hunting Party  | 01-17-09  | 2.7[29]
1.12  | The Traveler  | 01-24-09  | 2.89[30]
1.13  | The Return  | 01-31-09  | 3.12[31]

## Awards

[edit]

"Rum and Gunpowder", the first episode of the series, won the 2009 Golden Reel Award for Long Form Sound Effects and Foley in Television.[8] It was also nominated for the 2009 Gemini Award for Best Original Music Score for a Program or Series.[2]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Crusoe: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
2. ^ a b c d e f g "Crusoe". TVGuide.com. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
3. ^ Brown, Lynn (28 May 2008), Crusoe:Bios Tongayi Chirisa, NBC, archived from the original on 28 October 2009, retrieved 8 February 2008
4. ^ Brown, Lynn (28 May 2008), Crusoe:Bios Joaquim De Almeida, NBC, archived from the original on 28 October 2009, retrieved 8 February 2008
5. ^ "Crusoe Cast/Studio". NBC. Archived from the original on August 14, 2008. Retrieved August 12, 2008.
6. ^ a b c d Fitzsimmons, Caitlin (May 21, 2008), "Sean Bean to star in Crusoe series", The Guardian, United Kingdom: Guardian.co.uk, retrieved July 22, 2008
7. ^ "NBC's "Crusoe" heating up the fringing airwaves". fring.com. Archived from the original on August 12, 2008. Retrieved August 10, 2008.
8. ^ a b Stewart, Andrew (February 22, 2009). "'Dark Knight' wins prize pair at Reels". Variety. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
9. ^ Kimball, Trevor (November 28, 2008). "Crusoe: A Petition to Save the TV Show from Cancellation". canceled + renewed TV shows, ratings - TV Series Finale. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
10. ^ "Crusoe | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
11. ^ a b Filming gets underway for Robinson Crusoe TV series, York: The Press (York), May 21, 2008, archived from the original on December 6, 2008, retrieved July 22, 2008
12. ^ Harris, Richard (May 1, 2008), City is the real star of TV drama, York: The Press (York), archived from the original on December 6, 2008, retrieved July 22, 2008
13. ^ Crusoe & Co head for the Moors, York: The Press (York), June 3, 2008, archived from the original on December 6, 2008, retrieved July 22, 2008
14. ^ "fring blogger gets dirty on the set of NBC's Crusoe". fring.com. Archived from the original on August 11, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2008.
15. ^ Brown, Lynn (May 28, 2008), Ryedale set for Crusoe fame, York: The Press (York), archived from the original on December 6, 2008, retrieved July 22, 2008
16. ^ a b c d e "Crusoe: Mini-Series or Cancelled TV Show? | TV Series Finale". Archived from the original on December 4, 2008. Retrieved February 2, 2009.
17. ^ "NBC REVEALS COMPLETE 52-WEEK PROGRAM STRATEGY, EARLIER THAN EVER, THAT GIVES ADVERTISERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE UNIQUE MARKETING SOLUTIONS". NBC Universal Media Village. Retrieved May 14, 2008. [dead link]
18. ^ Brown, Lynn (28 May 2008), Crusoe, NBC, archived from the original on 28 October 2009, retrieved 8 February 2008
19. ^ O'Connor, Mickey (October 17, 2008). "Crusoe's Philip Winchester Previews NBC's New Island Adventure". TV Guide.
20. ^ "NBC Banishes Crusoe to Saturday Nights". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on February 8, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2008.
21. ^ "NBC, Take Heed - TVWeek - News". Archived from the original on January 29, 2009. Retrieved January 28, 2009.
22. ^ "Primetime Broadcast Ratings, October 17, 2008". Nielsen. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
23. ^ "TV Listings for - November 7, 2008 - TV Tango". www.tvtango.com. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
24. ^ "Final Ratings for Friday, November 14, 2008 [Archive]". www.sitcomsonline.com. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
25. ^ "TV Listings for - November 14, 2008 - TV Tango". www.tvtango.com. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
26. ^ "TV Listings for - December 6, 2008 - TV Tango". www.tvtango.com. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
27. ^ "TV Listings for - December 20, 2008 - TV Tango". www.tvtango.com. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
28. ^ "TV Listings for - January 10, 2009 - TV Tango". www.tvtango.com. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
29. ^ "TV Listings for - January 17, 2009 - TV Tango". www.tvtango.com. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
30. ^ "Final Ratings for Saturday, January 24, 2009 [Archive]". www.sitcomsonline.com. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
31. ^ "Broadcast TV Ratings for Saturday, January 31, 2009". Your Entertainment Now. February 2, 2009. Retrieved April 10, 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Twitter
* Crusoe at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe

Characters|

* Friday

Sequel novels|

* The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe
* Serious Reflections of Robinson Crusoe

Films|

* Robinson Crusoe (1902)
* The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1922)
* Robinson Crusoe (1927)
* Robinson Crusoe (1947)
* Robinson Crusoe (1954)
* Robinson Crusoe (1974)
* Crusoe (1988)
* Robinson Crusoe (1997)

Film variations|

* Mr. Robinson Crusoe (1932)
* Miss Robin Crusoe (1954)
* Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964)
* Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. (1966)
* Robby (1968)
* Man Friday (1975)
* Mr. Robinson (1976)
* Shipwrecked (1990)
* The Wild Life (2016)

Television|

* The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1964)
* Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, a Sailor from York (1982)
* Robinson Sucroe (1994)
* Crusoe (2008)

Literature|

* Friday, or, The Other Island
* Canadian Crusoes
* Foe

Other|

* Alexander Selkirk
* Robinson Crusoe Island
* Robinsonade
* Robinson Crusoé
* Robinson Crusoe economy
* Robinson Crusoes of Warsaw

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