Mysterious Island (1995–1995)

TV ShowEndedDrama, Action & Adventure1 season, 23 episodes
Mysterious Island poster
Trailers & clips

Plot

Mysterious Island is a Canadian television series based on Jules Verne's novel L'Île mystérieuse. It ran for one season in 1995. The beginning of the series is much as in the novel. A group of refugees attempting to escape the American Civil War in a balloon wind up stranded on a remote Pacific island, where they are able to improvise a comfortable living for themselves while they wait for a passing ship. As time passes, they become suspicious that some unseen force is watching and directing their movements. The main difference between the protagonists of the series and those of the novel is the addition of a female character, the wife of Pencroft. The unseen watcher, Captain Nemo, is more active and less benevolent than in the novel. Able to monitor the island through steampunk-style closed-circuit television and other advanced devices, he treats the castaways as human laboratory specimens, influencing their environment to test their behaviour under stressful conditions. As the series progresses, his tests become more extreme as their continued co-operation threatens his preferred thesis that all humans are, at base, selfish and untrustworthy. In the series finale, Nemo apparently succeeds in breaking up the group; this proves to be a ruse by the protagonists, who are now certain of Nemo's existence. After they penetrate his hideaway, Nemo admits that the 'experiment' is ruined, and offers to return the castaways to civilisation in his submarine. In a final twist, he puts out to sea without them, apparently leaving them alone on the island, without his influence for good or ill.

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Highest-rated episodes all ranked

  1. 01GenesisS01E01 · 6.0The Battle of Richmond, March 20, 1865: Captured by Confederate forces, the group escapes their captors and flees in a helium balloon. Rising into the sky, the travelers and their balloon are carried away by strong winds and soon find themselves over open water. Attempting to land, the balloon descends uncontrollably (helped along by Nemo observing from an island below) forcing the group to climb into the rigging and drop the backet to remain aloft in hopes of reaching the island before they plunge into the ocean. Struggling to stay in the air, Captain Harding sacrafices himself to the ocean, allowing the balloon to slow its descent and reach the island. Exploring the island for signs of civilization with Neb, Herbert becomes trapped in a rock pool as the tide comes, threatening to drown him. Neb manages to rescue Herbert (with unseen help from Nemo). Herbery and Neb enter into a cave where they encounter signs of habitation.
  2. 02Safe HavenS01E03 · 6.0Following an earthquake, the group decides to seek shelter further inland. When a landslide strikes, Gideon becomes trapped beneath some large boulders. Harding and Neb set out to find materials to make an explosive change but Neb is overcome by sulfur fumes and must be pulled to safely by Harding. The final item on Cyrus's list turns up out of thin air (Nemo) allowing him to formulate an explosive to free Gideon. Traveling on, Neb falls down into a cave complex which becomes the group's new home, christened "Granite House" by Gideon. While fishing, Neb and Herbert pull an old sea chest out of the ocean. Returning to camp for asistance, Neb is hit by the effects of eating wild berries and loses his sight while atop a dangerous precipice and loses his footing…
  3. 03Down UnderS01E02 · 5.0Herbert and Neb find Captain Harding alive in the cave but he has no memory of how he got there, only of slipping below the waves after jumping from the balloon. Reunited, Harding, Spilett and Neb decide to climb to the top of a mountain to get their bearings. Along the way they stop at a pool where Spilett takes a swim only to get attacked by an unseen creature, eventually escaping to the safety of the shore (with help from Nemo). Meanwhile, Jack and Herbert go off hunting but Herbert can't bring himself to kill. They come across a cave and inside they find an alter and a gold plate. They become trapped when the entrance closes up. Unable to dig their way out and with hope seemingly vanishing, a green light (Nemo) draws their attention to an underwater exit that leads them back to the sea and the arms of their companions.

Episodes by season

Season01Episode ratings across the season — the gold bar is its best episode23Episodes1995Aired 5.7Season avg
  1. S01E01Season's bestGenesisJune 15, 1995 6.0The Battle of Richmond, March 20, 1865: Captured by Confederate forces, the group escapes their captors and flees in a helium balloon. Risin
  2. S01E02Down UnderJune 22, 1995 5.0Herbert and Neb find Captain Harding alive in the cave but he has no memory of how he got there, only of slipping below the waves after jump
  3. S01E03Safe HavenJune 29, 1995 6.0Following an earthquake, the group decides to seek shelter further inland. When a landslide strikes, Gideon becomes trapped beneath some lar
  4. S01E04White WaterJuly 6, 1995—Neb is rescued when a vine is lowered to him, although when Captain Harding and Herbert arrive, both deny being responsible. For Harding, it
  5. S01E05A Death In The FamilyJuly 13, 1995—Jack leaps into the water to rescue his son from the unseen menace and they swim to the safety of the shore where Gideon has found a bottle.
  6. S01E06Love Thy NeighbourJuly 20, 1995—While the castaways grieve for Neb, Nemo revives him and puts him into suspended animation storage. Pencroft's jealousy leads him to hunt do
  7. S01E07All That GlittersJuly 27, 1995—Pirate Captain Cutler and three of his crew come to the island to collect their buried treasure and seek revenge on Ayrton, whose dark past
  8. S01E08The Price Of VengeanceAugust 3, 1995—Joanna stumbles into an underwater trap set by Nemo and the others race to free her. Shortly thereafter, Captain Cutler, sole survivor of hi
  9. S01E09The Phantom's LairAugust 10, 1995—Harding dives into Nemo's lair beneath the lake and is trapped in a chamber. Gideon is awakened by an intruder.
  10. S01E10It Should Be An EnglishmanAugust 17, 1995—A tribe of native Islanders arrive on the island in search of Nui, a young native girl they believe has special significance.
  11. S01E11No One Rules MeAugust 24, 1995—Nemo observes Harding's feelings about Joanna, manifested in romantic dreams, as part of his research into the workings of the human mind. M
  12. S01E12He's Not HeavyAugust 31, 1995—Nemo intercepts a canoe and brings a wise old native woman to the island as a culture clash experience, but finds himself face to face with
  13. S01E13Make Yourselves A HomeSeptember 7, 1995—Nemo fulfills a promise to Katira to bring the rest of her people to the island, then watches with glee as the natives take over Granite Hou
  14. S01E14First Impressions Are Skin DeepSeptember 14, 1995—A tattooed native man arrives on the island telling the castaways that he is on a spiritual quest. Nemo is delighted when his presence has a
  15. S01E15Gideon's Tale (1)September 21, 1995—Herbert realizes that it is his birthday, but decides to keep it a secret. He is angry because he thinks Joanna has forgotten, and while she
  16. S01E16Gideon's Tale (2)September 21, 1995—When pirates bring two women to the island, Nemo uses the situation to study human mating habits. The women, meanwhile, set their sights on
  17. S01E17Last Rites Of SpringSeptember 28, 1995—Joanna argues with Herbert after a dream about a baby, and leaves the Granite House, headed for Ayrton's cabin. She has an accident on the w
  18. S01E18Labours LostOctober 5, 1995—Nemo's hidden camera in Granite House breaks down, so he disguises himself as a shipwrecked Englishman in order to gain admittance into the
  19. S01E19The VisitorOctober 12, 1995—A series of accidents leads Harding to come face to face with the mysterious phantom, and he struggles with how to share the shocking truth.
  20. S01E20What Are You Afraid Of?October 19, 1995—The castaways share their experiences with the phantom and realize he may be their only hope of escaping the island.
  21. S01E21Plan And AttackOctober 26, 1995—Nemo reveals to Harding that his need to complete his experiment is greater than his desire to help the castaways off the island, and Hardin
  22. S01E22A Pact With The DevilNovember 2, 1995—Harding carries out his part of the deal with Nemo, and the other castaways are enraged, moving from the Granite House into a makeshift hut
  23. S01E23Going, Going...November 9, 1995—Harding carries out his part of the deal with Nemo, and the other castaways are enraged, moving from the Granite House into a makeshift hut

Season 1 ranked & reviewed

Cast

Alan ScarfeAlan ScarfeCaptain Cyrus HardingGordon Michael WoolvettGordon Michael WoolvettHerbert PencroftJohn BachJohn BachCaptain NemoStephen LovattStephen LovattGideon SpilettColette StevensonColette StevensonJoanna PencroftAndy MarshallAndy MarshallNeb BrownC. David JohnsonC. David JohnsonJack Pencroft

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