Entertainment

LOOKING FOR MR. SANDBAR

IN the grand tradition of “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys” and “Xena: Warrior Princess” comes “Crusoe” (just “Crusoe”), an NBC show that they are calling an “ambitious adaptation” of Daniel Defoe’s ambitious 17th century novel.

Since the show was filmed by a British producer during the writers’ strike, the show has that PBS-ish “Masterpiece Theater” look about it. But, truly, that’s where the Ch. 13 similarity ends.

While “Masterpiece Theater” is usually so strict about sticking to the original that you can smell the moss on Sherlock Holmes’ cuffs, this retelling of the Robinson Crusoe legend seems to have forgotten that ole Robby was a plantation owner who got shipwrecked while on a slave-buying expedition.

Here, they make him a financially-strapped, 17th century fabric maker who has to take to sea so he can buy looms and make more money to support his family. Or something.

The shipwrecked Crusoe (played by insanely handsome Philip Winchester) awakens to find himself washed ashore on an uncharted island and, in short order, is rescued from the cannibals by Friday (an equally good-looking Tongayi Chirisa).

This part is unfortunately given short-shrift. Instead, there’s nearly two hours of gold-hungry/buried treasure-obsessed pirates who all look like they fell off a Captain Morgan’s Rum bottle. (Well, all but the pirate girl who looks like Maxim’s idea of a buccaneer wench.)

The story, which flips back and forth from Crusoe’s island predicament to his London past, makes Crusoe seem more like a contestant on “Survivor” than an actual shipwreck survivor. For sure, he would have won that show because, pretty quickly, he’s managed to build every giant contraption in the world on the island.

For example, he’s made this wheel thing that he’s suspended across the river and which they use to cross from one shore to the other like hamsters in a cage. Of course, the looming question for us is, why did he have to leave England to go buy looms if he could build stuff like this from scrap!

“Crusoe” has a raft (sorry) of good actors including Joaquim de Almeida and Sam Neill. The chemistry between Winchester and Chirisa is great and very believeable, which goes to the acting ability of both men. It’s not easy to make relationships seem real in this out-there fantasy.

“Crusoe”

Friday night at 8 on NBC