Harper's Island

Harper's Island
The words "Harper's Island" are separated by a lighthouse. The word "Harper's" is in white, and "Island" is blood red.
Genre
Created byAri Schlossberg
Starring
ComposerDavid Lawrence
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Jill E. Blotevogel
  • Grace Gilroy
  • Keira Morrisette
  • Robert Sizemore
  • Lindsay Sturman
Production locations
CinematographyRobert McLachlan
Running time42–45 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseApril 9 (2009-04-09) –
July 11, 2009 (2009-07-11)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Harper's Island is an American horror mystery limited series created by Ari Schlossberg for CBS. Schlossberg, Jeffrey Jackson Bell and Jon Turteltaub served as executive producers. The series features an ensemble cast led by Elaine Cassidy alongside Christopher Gorham, Katie Cassidy, Cameron Richardson, Adam Campbell, C.J. Thomason, and Jim Beaver. The plot follows a group of family and friends that travel to the titular locale for a destination wedding, only to learn that there is a killer among them. At the center of the mystery is Abby Mills (Elaine Cassidy), whose mother was one of several people murdered by John Wakefield seven years prior.

The series premiered on April 9, 2009, and was marketed as a thirteen-week limited event. The final two episodes aired on July 11. By the end of its run, Harper's Island averaged 9.36 million viewers, ranking #50 in Nielsen ratings. The first three episodes aired on Thursdays, but was moved to Saturdays during the week of April 28. Because of this, Global Television Network premiered the following episodes two days prior to the United States.

The series was initially intended to be an anthology series featuring a new setting and characters in the second season. However, on July 14, 2009, CBS cancelled the series after one season.[7] The show gained a strong cult following since its release, with some critics and fans noting it as being ahead of its time.[1][5][8]

  1. ^ a b c "'Harper's Island' season 2 plot and more secrets from the short-lived show". Entertainment Weekly.
  2. ^ Lee, Felicia R. (7 April 2009). "A New Television Murder Series Keeps Its Own End in Sight". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  3. ^ Storey, Michael (16 April 2009). "THE TV COLUMN: Blood-soaked Harper's Island ramps up gore factor". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  4. ^ Medina, Joel (19 March 2024). "This 2000s Horror Miniseries Resembles the Best Agatha Christie Adaptation". Collider. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  5. ^ a b "This Forgotten Slasher TV Show Was Too Ahead of Its Time". 30 July 2022.
  6. ^ O'Neill, Phelim (16 September 2009). "Harper's Island: the cult slasher series that makes all the right noises". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  7. ^ Rice, Lynette (July 14, 2009). "Harper's Island: No chance for second season, insiders say". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
  8. ^ "Revisiting Harper's Island, 10 years on". 17 July 2019.