Gilligan's Island
 The
source of many of my pre-pubescent wet dreams. I could never help
but think what an interesting show this might have been if the
producers had explored all the possibilities of being trapped on
an island with Mary Ann and Ginger . . .
The Ballad of Gilligan's Island (by George Wyle and
Sherwood Schwartz) tells the tale of the Minnow's ill fated
' three hour tour' and introduces the seven castaways.
Technically speaking, the final episode of the lovably stupid
sitcom, which aired on 17 April 1967, didn't wrap anything up.
In
a typical Island set-up, a native king came calling, searching for
a maiden to be sacrificed to his tribe's volcano god.
The ever-heroic Gilligan, seeking to save Ginger, Mary Ann and
Mrs. Howell from that fate, dolled himself up to distract the
king.
The castaways did finally get off the island but inexplicably
then went on a reunion cruise onboard the Minnow II, only
to wind up stranded back on the same island as the result of
another freak storm.
In 1978, NBC decided to bring back the original cast for a
reunion special - Rescue From Gilligan's Island . All
agreed to appear except Tina Louise (who wanted too much money).
She was replaced by Judith Baldwin. The two-part show aired in
October as a two-part special, and was a phenomenal hit.
A follow-up special called Castaways on Gilligan's Island
was screened in 1979, in which the group converted the island into
a tourist resort. 1981 brought yet another "sequel" in
which the Harlem Globetrotters dropped by.
 
There was a talk of reviving the series, but audiences for the
1979 and 1981 sequels were not very large, and the plans never
materialised.
TRIVIA NOTE
The island you see in the distance at the
beginning of the second and third season is an actual island
called Coconut Island (or Mokuoloe). It is located in Oahu's
Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii, and is the home of the Institute of Marine
Biology.
Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale
A tale of a fateful trip
That started from this tropic port
Aboard this tiny ship.
The mate was a mighty sailing man
The skipper brave and sure
Five passengers set sail that day
For a three hour tour
The weather started getting rough
The tiny ship was tossed,
If not for the courage of the fearless crew
The Minnow would be lost
The ship set ground on the shore of this
Uncharted desert isle
With Gilligan, The Skipper too
The millionaire and his wife
The movie star, The professor and Mary Ann
Here on Gilligan's Isle
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