Crusoe – CliqueClack Preview

NBC

Maybe it’s my love for the sea, but I’ve been a fan of pirate stories for many years. One story that I’d always wanted to read, though never got around to, is Daniel Defoe’s novel, Robinson Crusoe (or as less-commonly known, The Life and strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe of York, Mariner: Who lived Eight and Twenty Years, all alone in an un-inhabited Island on the coast of America, near the Mouth of the Great River of Oroonoque; Having been cast on Shore by Shipwreck, where-in all the Men perished but himself. With An Account how he was at last as strangely deliver’d by Pyrates. Written by Himself. No, I am not making that up.) It’s probably because, like I said, I love the sea and this poor Robinson guy seems to have one hell of a shitty time with the sea in this book.

NBC decided they’d shorten the title of the story even further with Crusoe because single-word titles of shows are all en vogue these days and all the cool kids are doing it. But will we get “eight and twenty” years worth of story that’s interesting enough to keep people sucked in for long? Is this just another Lost, but with two guys from 400 years ago?

I had no idea what to expect before watching the pilot. Originally I thought it might be a modern-times version of the popular tale, but thankfully it’s not. Unlike most stories of this structure, the pilot starts out with Robinson Crusoe having been on the island for several years. He’s already met Friday and taught him English, and he’s built incredibly intricate contraptions and a home in the trees. He’s got plenty of water, goats for meat and milk, fresh fruit, sand, sea and sunshine. In fact, you’d think, “why would he want to leave? It’s a frickin’ cool treehouse in the tropics, fercryinoutloud!” if it weren’t for that pesky problem called a family back home who’s in danger.

There are pirates, of course, and they come into the story very early. At first I rolled my eyes at how comical the pirates were portrayed; think Depp in Pirates of the Carribbean, only not as cool. It didn’t take long to get that the point of the show isn’t to be historically accurate but entertaining. Already a step in the right direction.

I really got into the story, and what was meant to be funny really was pretty funny. Midway through the two-hour premiere, however, my interest started to wane a bit. By the time it was all over, I was wondering how we were going to get the same sort of stories, week after week, without being too repetitive. How many exciting threats can writers throw at these two guys before having to go back to Pirates, Spaniards or cannibals again? Even the writers for Lost have to come up with crazy shit every week to keep everyone talking. I don’t think there are hatches and smoke monsters on Crusoe-land.

I imagine much of the story ahead will entail many more flashbacks and background into who Crusoe is and how he got to the island. There are already very few of these flashbacks in the premiere, with some great appearances by Sam Neill as Jeremiah Blackthorn and Sean Bean as Robinson’s father, James.

I think for its entertainment value, definitely give the first episode a watch; I think it stands very well on its own. Even if the rest of the season stunk, you’d have the movie-like premiere to remember. I say “movie-like” because it is pretty epic in scope for one episode in both story and time. As I said, I’m not sure how the writers plan to make the rest of this season — never mind more than one season — interesting enough to string people along with interest. I liked the first episode enough to want to see what they do with the next.

The show is filled with British actors and is filmed in England … maybe NBC will fall into one of those short six-episode series-like seasons and end things for us gracefully. Bah, who are we kidding.

Crusoe premieres this Friday at 8 PM Eastern on NBC.

Clacked by Keith McDuffee
on Oct 14, 2008 @ 08:00 EST5EDT