There's never been another TV series like Adventures In Paradise. It's kind of disillusioning to know that the show never got off 20th Century Fox's studio back lot. At least it should have been shot in Hawaii and in color.Set in the South Pacific our protagonist is Gardner McKay who captained a schooner and he carried people and cargo anywhere from Hawaii to Australia. This of course set the stage for countless adventures in what some consider the most exotic setting in the world.The show was inspired of course by the writings of James Michener who wrote such work as Tales Of The South Pacific and Hawaii. McKay's character Adam Troy was a veteran of the recent Pacific War and like many others serving there thought what a beautiful place this was and would be again when nations stopped shooting at each other. I'm sure the show was popular among Pacific veterans.Without the World War 2 references this one could use a remake on location and in color.

"Adventures in Paradise" was perhaps one of the most attractive and breathtaking action-adventure series of the late 1950's and early 1960's. The series itself was swift-paced combined with high adventure and excitement each week along with the mystery/crime/romance and suspense and peril that came with it in most of the episodes. During its three seasons on the air,"Adventures in Paradise" became very popular and very successful in its own right. Each week audiences,myself among them, were taking to exotic locations in the South Pacific along with seeing unchartered islands and meeting interesting people along the way."Adventures in Paradise" was produced by Martin Manulis along with Gene Levitt and William Self,who was the executive in charge of production in association with 20th Century-Fox Television for ABC-TV. Created by James A. Michener,the series produced an astounding 92 episodes,all in classic black and white from the premiere episode on October 5,1959 until the final episode of the series on April 1, 1962. The series centered around Captain Adam Troy(attractive Gardner McKay)who each week found trouble,danger,and romance aboard his schooner "The Tiki". "Adventures in Paradise" was also 20th Century Fox's first foray into the action-adventure genre,and it became very successful,especially among women who were watching the show and became instant fans of Gardner McKay,along with the men who basically tuned in for the action.Nearly thirty directors ranging from movie veterans Roy Del Ruth, Jacques Tourneur,Mitchell Leisen,James B. Clark, Robert Aldrich to Tom Gries,Richard E. Bare,Paul Stanley,Sutton Roley to Justus Addiss did outstanding work for this series along with some of the writers principally Fred Freiberger, George and Judy George, Edward J. Lasko, Richard Landau,Alvin Sapinsley and Carey Wilbur contributed to some of its fascinating stories. There were minor changes during the series through its first three seasons. Regulars during season one(1959-60)in addition to Gardner McKay were Weaver Levy as Oliver Lee and George Tobias as Trader Penrose. During its second season(1960-61),Linda Lawson joined the cast along with Henry Slate,Sondi Sonsai,and Lani Kai. Its final season(1961-62)Guy Stockwell joined the cast along with Chris Parker and talented Frenchman Marcel Hilaire. The guest star roster of Hollywood's Best with included: Hazel Court, Kurt Kasznar, Claude Akins, Robert Middleton,Ricardo Montalban,Gail Kobe,Barbara Bain, Brock Peters, Elsa Lanchester, Susan Hampshire,Martin Landau, Bruce Gordon, Pippa Scott, Constance Towers, Vincent Price,Virginia Gregg, Raymond Massey, Ray Walston,Carroll O'Connor, Edward Asner, Buddy Ebsen, Yvonne De Carlo,Bert Freed,Cecil Kellaway, Edgar Barrier, Dick York,with Kent Smith,Lizbeth Scott,and Jack Lord. The Best Episodes from this series included its pilot episode "The Pit of Silence",along with "The Reluctant Hero","The Amazon","Walk Through The Night","The Appointment at Tara-Bi".Many intelligent producers carried out assignments for other personnel in this series,which remained for three seasons as one of the highest-quality series in the history of television. The series concept with Captain Adam Troy as a Korean War veteran who sails the seas of the South Pacific in search of adventure was one of the best of the golden age of late 50's television. If "Adventures in Paradise" have stay on for a fourth season,audiences would have gotten the chance to see this series and its exotic locates in full color,which would have been brilliant. It was cancelled anyway in the Spring of 1962 after 92 episodes.

Adventures in Paradise was my favorite childhood shows, partly because it came on at 9PM and I wasn't allowed to watch it very often. I think I loved the adventure, and the sea and sailboats, which I have always been interested in...maybe because of the show. The theme song still awakens my sense of adventure. I have tried to find the these song but can't find it on CD but did find a copy included with other tropical music on a record. I have been buying copies of Adventures in Paradise on VHS. I hate to say it but the the shows aren't quite as exotic as I remember but still a great childhood memory and they still evoke a sense of adventure. There were many futures stars that played in the series, Raymond Massey, Ray Walston, Harvey Korman, Martin Landau, Buddy Ebsen, Yvonne De Carlo, Carroll O'Connor (Archie Bunker) to name just a few. Anyway, at the risk of revealing my secret source, you can buy Adventures in Paradise shows at Ronnie Cramer's Cult Film Site. I also ran across a super French site that has tons of information about the series and Gardner McKay if you search under "Adventures in Paradise" "Lionel Newman". Lionel Newman wrote the theme song which you can download for free from the site.

"Adventures in Paradise" was one of the most attractive and swift=paced adventure series of the early 1869s. In its three seasons, it featured hundreds of fine actors, and took the viewers, myself among them, to exotic locations in the Pacific ocean. The series centered about skipper Adam Troy (attractive Gardner McKay), who found trouble, danger and romance aboard his schooner the Tiki. Nearly thirty directors ranging from movie veterans Roy del Ruth, Jacques Tourneur, Mitchell Leisen, James B. Clark, Robert Aldrich, and Tom Gries to Justus Addiss, Richard l. Bare, Paul Stanley, Felix E. Feist, Richard Florey, Gerald Mayer, Alvin Ganzer, James Lejtes, John Peyser and Sutton Roleydid outstanding work for the series; and almost 60 writers including principally Fred Freiberger, George W. George and Judy George ,John Kneubuhl, Edward J. Lakso, Richard Landau, Michael Pertwee, Alvin Sapinsley and Carey Wilber contributed to its fascinating stories. There were minor changes in the series through its three full seasons. Regulars in 1859-60 in addition to Gardner McKay were Weaver Levy as oliver Lee and George Tobias as Trader Penrose. During 1960-61, Linda Lawson played Renee, Henry Slate was Bulldog Lovey, James Holden was Clay Baker and Sondi Sonsai played Sondi with Lani Kai as Kelly. In 1861-52, Dean Stockwell's brother Guy Stockwell was added to the cast as Chris Parker along with talented Frenchman Marcel Hilaire as Inspector Bouchard. "Walk Through the Night" starring Brock Peters may have been the series' best show; but there were many fine ones, which featured outstanding guest stars including notably Hazel Court, Kurt Kasznar, Claode Akins, Robrrt Middleton, Ricardo Montalban, Pippa Scott, Viveca Lindfors, Vincent Price, Robert Douglas, Oscar Beregi, Jr;, Elsa Lanchester, Inger Stevens, Constance Towers, Martin Landau, John Van Dreelin, Thomas Mitchell, Gail Kobe, Dan O'Herlihy, Bruce Gordon, Edgar Barrier, Raymond Massey, Virgina Gregg, Cecil Kellaway, Kent Smith, Constance Ford and Bert Freed among others. Beyond obvious quality in these phases, the shows' technical artistries were all above average. Lloyd Ahern was the principal cinematographer, along with Perry Finnerman and a few others; the music for the show was composed by some great talents including Alex North, Hugo Friedhofer, Charles E. King, Lionel Newman, Henry Mancini. Daniele Amfitheatrof, and others uncredited such as Franz Waxman and Bernard Herrmann. Many intelligent producers carried out assignments for producers of the series, which remained for three years one of the highest-quality series in the history of series' television, expensive but worth every penny. This series concept which featured Troy as a Korean War veteran who stayed on in the Pacific; the wide-ranging format allowed him to sail practically anywhere and gave him many opportunities to be hired into, involved or accidentally available for danger and fascinating encounters. A cult favorite; unforgotten and first-rate through nearly 90 episodes.