It ran for two series, airing through the summers of 2001 and 2002 on RTÉ One. Based on a New Zealand format, two groups of strangers lived and survived on a remote island in Tonga with one winner taking home the £50,000 prize. COCO Television also produced the spin-off series Treasure Island Uncut and Treasure Island Live for RTÉ Network 2. The show was axed after its second series and replaced by Cabin Fever in 2003. Series 1 (2001) The first series aired on RTÉ One at 8pm each Sunday night from 15 July to 12 September 2001. Commissioned by Billy McGrath - then Commissioning Editor of Entertainment - it was RTÉ's and Ireland's first major reality TV series. Almost 31,000 people applied to take part in the first series. The first programme involved 22 people vying to be part of the final 16. They ranged in age from 19 to 63. The group of 22 would then be taken to Killary Harbour, Connacht, where they faced a series of physical and psychological challenges. After two days the final 16 were chosen and taken immediately to Dublin Airport, where they departed for Tonga. When they arrived on the island the teams were split into two teams, the East/Blue team and the West/Red team locating on each side of the island. A spin-off series was shown on Network 2 called Treasure Island Uncut on Monday nights at 10:35 pm. Blue Team: Yvonne Cronin (Winner), Tom Tom O'Brien, Becky Fennel, Robin Creagh, Geoff Fisher, Sheila Comerford, Lewize Crothers, Peter Finn Red Team: Tom Barton (2nd Place), Patrick Doorey, Carole Ross, Paul Gannon, Faith Atkinson, Mary Ann McCormack, Martin Laheen, Ann Murphy Series 2 (2002) The second series aired between June 16 and August 30, 2002. Before becoming a Senator, Mark Daly appeared on this series of Treasure Island; he came third in the series. The spin-off series Treasure Island Uncut was again shown on Network 2, but RTÉ introduced a new spin-off series for RTÉ One called Treasure Island Live, that was hosted by Brendan Courtney and shown on Tuesday nights at 8 pm. Sean O'Brien won the treasure hunt beating Ann Collins, Annette Woolley, Aoife MacCana, Bernadette Duffy, Chantelle McCann, Damian Manning, Dave O'Brien, Ian Tighe, Mark Daly, Mary T. O'Connor, Patricia O'Mahony, Sabine Sheehan, Sean Paul Teeling, Trevor McDaniel and Winston Roberts. Sean O'Brien (the winner of Series 2) and