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 Harper's Island

(April 10th, 2009.   Editor)          Harper's Island is a 13-episode murder mystery about a group of twenty five family members and friends who travel to a secluded island for a destination wedding. They've come to laugh... to love... and, though they don't know it... to die. As the wedding festivities begin, friendships are tested and secrets exposed as a murderer claims victims, one by one, transforming the wedding week of fun and celebration into a terrifying struggle for survival. Henry, the boy next door, is marrying the woman of his dreams, Trish Wellington, a beautiful and wealthy heiress. But as the wedding week begins, people start dying. Every episode, someone is killed. Wedding guests and island locals...every person is a suspect. No one is safe. No one can be trusted. By the end of the 13 episodes, all questions will be answered, the killer will be revealed and only a few will survive.

It is obvious in the first episode that in addition to the murder mystery that is the main event, this series does not plan to ignore all of the romantic and dramatic possibilities that come from having 25 different characters, many from different backgrounds, all forced to interact with each other under circumstances that are not under their control. There are few name actors among the cast to ensure that the key dramatic elements are delivered, but even they are not immune to elimination.

Creating the background story of a multiple murder that took place on the island in the past creates instant suspense. The hard part is going to be keeping that suspense at a high level for the entire run of this series. It helps that there is a planned end at 13 weeks. It gives the whole thing the feel of a reality series, rather than a TV drama. Kind of like "Survivor: Serial Killer".

Because even the actors did not know from week to week if they were the next ones to be killed-off, there is an edge to the whole project that takes it beyond the average TV drama series. We spend the majority of episode one just getting to know the very large cast, but there is still time to start planting the seeds of guilt and doubt among some of the key players. I'm expecting all of the elements of every slasher film that has ever been made, to make an appearance somewhere in the run of this series. And maybe even a few things we have not seen too.

Of course, there is also an element of this series on the internet hoping to attract audience reaction as the show unfolds. Not only does it create a place for the fans of the series to get more information, it also doubles as instant audience research for the show's producers. That may sound like a bad thing, but it means that the final few episodes of this show can be tailored to react to what the audience wants to see.

I'm going to enjoy watching this television experiment unfold over the remaining twelve weeks. Many others in the industry will be watching too, hoping to learn more about their own audience from this very unusual offering. A tip of the hat to CBS, who is already leading in the ratings, for taking a chance on this series. So far it looks like it's going to be a lot of fun. This effort could be the stuff of television history for more than one reason. But the best reason to watch is because it's the show everyone's going to be talking about.

 

Editor

 

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