Dead Man's Island, 1996

STARRING: Barbara Eden (Henrie O)

Eden is of course the ever popular star of the I Dream Of Jeanie TV series.

William Shatner (Chase Prescott)

It's Captain Kirk, enough said. I heard Shatner speak once when I was in Las Vegas. He is currently starring in the top rated series Boston Legal.

Morgan Fairchild (Valerie St. Vincent)

In addition to her roles in the likes of Flamingo Road and Falcon Crest, Morgan has enjoyed many guest appearances in recent years including playing Chandler’s mother on Friends and Andrea Thorpe, Doctor Dick’s second wife, on Cybil.

Roddy McDowall (Trevor Dunnaway)

McDowall starred in all 5 of the original Planet Of The Apes Movies and the short-lived TV series. He passed away in 1998.

Traci Lords (Miranda Prescott)

Lords biggest TV role to date was playing Jill on the hit TV series Profiler during its second season. Her acting career took off in 1988 after starring in a remake of the 50's b-movie 'Not Of This Earth'.

With David Faustino (yes, Bud Bundy) and Christopher Atkins.

PLOT: Henrie O. (Eden) is a journalist who is called to a mysterious island by her old flame, Chase (Shatner). Someone is trying to kill him and he suspects it could be any one of his friends and family who are currently on the island with him. He wants Henrie O. to use her investigative skills find out who it is before it’s too late.

No sex, very mild violence, no language, TV-PG/PG.

THOUGHTS: This was a pilot for a potential series along the lines of Murder, She Wrote. In fact it’s from the same writer and producer. The all-star cast do a good job and the story is quite engaging and exciting, though I could do without the scenes of Shatner in his bathing suit! Somehow I just can’t see him and Traci Lords as a married couple either. I think perhaps she should've swapped characters with Morgan Fairchild, but who needs realism! It's a TV movie!

It plays much like an episode of the aforementioned murder mystery series which kind of begs the question, what’s the point? Eden is certainly no Angela Lansbury. The bad Southern accents she and Lords put on could've used a little more practice too. Although it's likable enough I’m not surprised the show didn’t get past this stage.

CAN I BUY IT? Used on ex-rental VHS in the UK.