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 '3 hour tour' and
introduces the seven castaways.
Technically speaking, the final episode of the lovably
stupid sitcom, which aired April 17, 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.
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. 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.
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.
Gilligan Bob Denver The Skipper (Jonas Grumby)
Alan Hale Jnr GingerGrant
Tina Louise Mary Ann Summers
Dawn Wells Professor Roy Hinkley
Russell Johnson Thurston Howell III
Jim Backus Mrs "Lovey" Howell
Natalie Schafer
Gilligan's Island
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. 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.
