101 reviews
funny, goofy Gilligan..
I decided to watch Gilliagan's Island for the numerous times Al Bundy from Married with children mentions this show.. And, It is a lot of fun to watch the goofy Gilligan and his fellow stranded castaways in many hilarious situations. Even after those years, it is still a good sitcom.
Gilligan's Island
All right,so TV Guide rated this sitcom as the top 50 worst television shows of all time,but "Gilligan's Island" does stands out as one of the most maligned sitcoms of the era in a decade that was full of fantasy-themed shows ranging from "My Favorite Martian","My Mother The Car", "I Dream of Jeannie","Bewitched","It's About Time","F-Troop","The Ugliest Girl In Town","Batman","Get Smart","Green Acres","The Beverly Hillbillies",and much more.
Created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz,and originally produced by United Artists Television in association with the CBS Television Network,the series starred Bob Denver(formerly of "Dobie Gillis")as the main character Gilligan along with Jim Backus,Russell Johnson,Alan Hale, Tina Louise,Dawn Wells and Natalie Schafer. It aired for three seasons at CBS from its premiere episode on September 26,1964 until the series finale on April 17,1967. Only Season 1 of "Gilligan's Island" was in black-and-white for 36 episodes that aired on Saturday nights after "The Jackie Gleason Show" at 8:30e/7:30c and had stiff competition against "Lawrence Welk". For Season 2 the network moved the show from Saturday nights to Thursday nights this time in color for 32 episodes where CBS put it at the 8:00e/7:00c time slot opposite "Daniel Boone",and "The Donna Reed Show". For the third and final season the show again moved from Thursday nights to Monday nights at the 7:30e/6:30c time slot for the remaining 30 episodes in color where it got clobbered opposite NBC's powerhouse hit "The Monkees" until its cancellation on April 17,1967(a total of 62 color episodes were produced from 1965 to 1967). Repeats of Season 3 aired from April 19,1967 until September 4,1967. The series ran for a total of 98 episodes.
The reason why "Gilligan's Island" remains a cult classic among the very few? For one,this series was really targeted for kids instead of adults and that what made it so great to this day in recycled repeats. It was based on sophisticated humor. It was silly,stupid and corny but the cast was lovable by all aspects. But speaking of the characters:
You have First-Mate Willy Gilligan(Bob Denver)who was just as clumsy and naive when getting into all sorts of predicaments with those who want to get off the island. Every episode had Gilligan getting into one hilarious situation after another. And for all 98 episodes!!!
Skipper Jonas Grumby(Alan Hale,Jr.) is everything that Gilligan isn't but perfectly capable of taking charge and keeping the rest of the castaways in line.
Thurston Howell III(Jim Backus)is the archetypal crass capitalist who doesn't do any work,and sits around all day talking about money and bonds knowing that his grand ambition is to defraud all the other castaways.
Eunice "Lovey" Howell(Natalie Schafer)is much the "heiress" as she can be.
Profession Roy Hinkley(Russell Johnson) is not the college professor,but in aspects a high school chemistry teacher,but is truly too smart for his own good. He is the only one that keeps the other alive on the island where he can take materials that are wherever resources are available on the island and whip it up in jiffy(imagine making a radio transmitter out of a coconut).
Ginger Grant(Tina Louise)always the glamorous movie star who can seduce the men for information about what goes on surrounding the island.
Mary Ann Summers(Dawn Wells)the naive farm girl from Kansas who can be classified as normal and the only castaway with "common sense" who also tends the island's crops and keeps herself entertained by listening to soap operas on the radio.
The success of "Gilligan's Island" enjoyed solid ratings during its original run,but then grew in popularity during decades of repeats in the 1970's and 1980's in national syndication. The success also spawned two animated Saturday Morning cartoons series("The New Adventures of Gilligan",and "Gilligan's Planet),and three made for TV-movies in he late-1970's and early-1980's,and there are talks of a big screen version based on the classic 1960's sitcom as well.
Created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz,and originally produced by United Artists Television in association with the CBS Television Network,the series starred Bob Denver(formerly of "Dobie Gillis")as the main character Gilligan along with Jim Backus,Russell Johnson,Alan Hale, Tina Louise,Dawn Wells and Natalie Schafer. It aired for three seasons at CBS from its premiere episode on September 26,1964 until the series finale on April 17,1967. Only Season 1 of "Gilligan's Island" was in black-and-white for 36 episodes that aired on Saturday nights after "The Jackie Gleason Show" at 8:30e/7:30c and had stiff competition against "Lawrence Welk". For Season 2 the network moved the show from Saturday nights to Thursday nights this time in color for 32 episodes where CBS put it at the 8:00e/7:00c time slot opposite "Daniel Boone",and "The Donna Reed Show". For the third and final season the show again moved from Thursday nights to Monday nights at the 7:30e/6:30c time slot for the remaining 30 episodes in color where it got clobbered opposite NBC's powerhouse hit "The Monkees" until its cancellation on April 17,1967(a total of 62 color episodes were produced from 1965 to 1967). Repeats of Season 3 aired from April 19,1967 until September 4,1967. The series ran for a total of 98 episodes.
The reason why "Gilligan's Island" remains a cult classic among the very few? For one,this series was really targeted for kids instead of adults and that what made it so great to this day in recycled repeats. It was based on sophisticated humor. It was silly,stupid and corny but the cast was lovable by all aspects. But speaking of the characters:
You have First-Mate Willy Gilligan(Bob Denver)who was just as clumsy and naive when getting into all sorts of predicaments with those who want to get off the island. Every episode had Gilligan getting into one hilarious situation after another. And for all 98 episodes!!!
Skipper Jonas Grumby(Alan Hale,Jr.) is everything that Gilligan isn't but perfectly capable of taking charge and keeping the rest of the castaways in line.
Thurston Howell III(Jim Backus)is the archetypal crass capitalist who doesn't do any work,and sits around all day talking about money and bonds knowing that his grand ambition is to defraud all the other castaways.
Eunice "Lovey" Howell(Natalie Schafer)is much the "heiress" as she can be.
Profession Roy Hinkley(Russell Johnson) is not the college professor,but in aspects a high school chemistry teacher,but is truly too smart for his own good. He is the only one that keeps the other alive on the island where he can take materials that are wherever resources are available on the island and whip it up in jiffy(imagine making a radio transmitter out of a coconut).
Ginger Grant(Tina Louise)always the glamorous movie star who can seduce the men for information about what goes on surrounding the island.
Mary Ann Summers(Dawn Wells)the naive farm girl from Kansas who can be classified as normal and the only castaway with "common sense" who also tends the island's crops and keeps herself entertained by listening to soap operas on the radio.
The success of "Gilligan's Island" enjoyed solid ratings during its original run,but then grew in popularity during decades of repeats in the 1970's and 1980's in national syndication. The success also spawned two animated Saturday Morning cartoons series("The New Adventures of Gilligan",and "Gilligan's Planet),and three made for TV-movies in he late-1970's and early-1980's,and there are talks of a big screen version based on the classic 1960's sitcom as well.
Mindless tropical fun with an unlikely bunch of castaways
This is one of a number of highly entertaining and utterly brainless comedies that baby boomers such as myself grew up with. It's based on the unlikely tale of a small tour boat, the SS Minnow, that is shipwrecked during a hurricane while on an anticipated three hour cruise out of Hawaii. Both crew and passengers are left stranded for years on an uncharted tropical island and have to fend for themselves as best they can amidst assorted ill but invariably hilarious adventures. Together they build huts to live in, forage for plants, fish, & coconut cream pies as food, and combine their joint (but woefully less than extensive) wits in order to survive. They hope for a rescue back to civilization, but meanwhile listen to the latest from their transistor radio.
The crew consists of the bossy Skipper, who is invariably at his wit's end dealing with his goofy and bumbling first mate, Gilligan. Gilligan is definitely not the brightest star in the night sky but highly likable. The assorted passengers include millionaire Thurston Howell III, his superficial & society oriented wife Lovey, a sexy Hollywood movie star named Ginger, a brainy science professor, and an innocent young Kansas farm girl called Mary Anne. The banter among this gaggle of castaways generally consists of Mr. Howell's financial schemes, Lovey's lessons in elite manners, Ginger's Hollywood tales, the Skipper ranting & raving at Gilligan, and fortunately every now and then, some survival tip concocted by The Professor.
The actors are all perfect in their roles, including Bob Denver as that endearing bumbleton, Gilligan, and Tina Louise as the beautiful Ginger. I note here that the Skipper's name is actually Jonas Grumby, presumably an indication of his constantly grumbling demeanor.
Various guest stars periodically appear on their island (including a cosmonaut, big game hunter, movie producer, and spies), but never manage to actually rescue these poor unfortunate castaways. It's all pure mindless fun and still infinitely watchable in re runs, with no serious message whatsoever that I can detect. My thanks to that reviewer who enlightened us all as to the first mate's actual first name. And here I thought during all these years that his first, last, and only name was Gilligan!
The crew consists of the bossy Skipper, who is invariably at his wit's end dealing with his goofy and bumbling first mate, Gilligan. Gilligan is definitely not the brightest star in the night sky but highly likable. The assorted passengers include millionaire Thurston Howell III, his superficial & society oriented wife Lovey, a sexy Hollywood movie star named Ginger, a brainy science professor, and an innocent young Kansas farm girl called Mary Anne. The banter among this gaggle of castaways generally consists of Mr. Howell's financial schemes, Lovey's lessons in elite manners, Ginger's Hollywood tales, the Skipper ranting & raving at Gilligan, and fortunately every now and then, some survival tip concocted by The Professor.
The actors are all perfect in their roles, including Bob Denver as that endearing bumbleton, Gilligan, and Tina Louise as the beautiful Ginger. I note here that the Skipper's name is actually Jonas Grumby, presumably an indication of his constantly grumbling demeanor.
Various guest stars periodically appear on their island (including a cosmonaut, big game hunter, movie producer, and spies), but never manage to actually rescue these poor unfortunate castaways. It's all pure mindless fun and still infinitely watchable in re runs, with no serious message whatsoever that I can detect. My thanks to that reviewer who enlightened us all as to the first mate's actual first name. And here I thought during all these years that his first, last, and only name was Gilligan!
Full of Fun
All right, so "Gilligan's Island" may not be "The Dick Van Dyke Show," or any other sophisticated physical comedy show-but all in all it is just pure fun to watch. I remember when I was little watching the reruns on TNT and TBS, and now own the complete first season on DVD. I don't know why it is, but I've always had a special place for "Gilligan's Island," it's one of my favorites. True, you can't take too many clothes on a 3-hour tour realistically, or how in the world can you do everything from build a hut to a lie detector, but can't make a fail-safe raft?
The ratings, in all its three seasons, shone high above many shows; despite the network's attempt of changing the time slot a few times. It beat Bonanza in its first season, and by the end of the third season, it had beat Star Treck, The Monkees, etc. If William Paley's wife hadn't loved Gunsmoke, "Gilligan's Island" would have easily gained at least two more seasons by ratings alone.
If you're looking for sophisticated humor, this show isn't it. It's silly, corny, but the cast is just a lovable one. You can't help but like the series (which is more than I can say for "Green Acres"; which gets annoying after a few episodes). The cast is brilliant in their roles, and the chemistry between Alan Hale Jr. and Bob Denver and Jim Backus' chemistry with Natalie Shcaffer is perfect. All in all, "Gilligan's Island" is just pure clean fun, which is more than I can say for shows on today. Watch it, give it a chance, and enjoy!
The ratings, in all its three seasons, shone high above many shows; despite the network's attempt of changing the time slot a few times. It beat Bonanza in its first season, and by the end of the third season, it had beat Star Treck, The Monkees, etc. If William Paley's wife hadn't loved Gunsmoke, "Gilligan's Island" would have easily gained at least two more seasons by ratings alone.
If you're looking for sophisticated humor, this show isn't it. It's silly, corny, but the cast is just a lovable one. You can't help but like the series (which is more than I can say for "Green Acres"; which gets annoying after a few episodes). The cast is brilliant in their roles, and the chemistry between Alan Hale Jr. and Bob Denver and Jim Backus' chemistry with Natalie Shcaffer is perfect. All in all, "Gilligan's Island" is just pure clean fun, which is more than I can say for shows on today. Watch it, give it a chance, and enjoy!
After watching even one episode, who wouldn't want to get stranded on an uncharted island, just to see if you could experience what these seven experienced?
I never get tired of watching "Gilligan's Island." As one of the many 1960's TV shows with wacky premises (breaking away from the "Leave It to Beaver" mold of the previous decade), it lives on to this day. At the beginning of every episode, when the theme song begins, I always act out the lines, and then wait for something crazy to happen.
Let's look at the characters. First mate Willy Gilligan (yes, he did have a first name) is the bane of everyone who believes in order and normalcy. Clumsy, pencil-thin and naive, he bungles every chance they have to get off of the island, and yet the other castaways didn't kill him. I guess they understood that he was a good guy under that idiocy.
Skipper Jonas Grumby is everything that Gilligan isn't: fatter than fat, competent and perfectly capable of taking charge. As his weight often is the butt of Gilligan's jokes, not to mention all the times when Gilligan drops things on his feet, the Skipper usually proceeds to hit Gilligan with his hat.
Thurston Howell III is the archetypal crass capitalist. He never does any work, and sits around all day talking about money. I always get the feeling that his grand ambition is to defraud all the other castaways. In spite of all this, Mr. Howell does have one weakness: his Teddy Bear.
Eunice "Lovey" Howell is as much of an heiress as can be. Always the aesthete, Lovey engages in eternal attempts to teach everyone the ways of the elite, but they never get the hang of it. Sometimes, it seems that she and Thurston married for money more than for love. Their marriage is often rocky, but they stay together.
Ginger Grant is the castaway with whom I would like to be stranded. A sultry movie star, Ginger can always seduce the men to get information. Her endless tales about life in Hollywood make life on the island sound not so bad. Ginger's dream would apparently be for Rock Hudson to rescue her from the island...and then some.
Professor Roy Hinkley is truly too smart for his (or anyone's) own good. Still, the Professor is the only reason that they are able to stay alive on the island. Whatever anyone needs built, he can take whatever materials are on the island and whip it up in a jiffy (unless of course anyone needs a raft).
Last but not least, Mary Ann Summers. She is the only castaway who can be classified as normal (and I use that term loosely). A wholesome farm girl from Kansas, Mary Ann tends the island's crops and keeps herself entertained by tuning into the soap operas on the radio. Nothing wrong with her.
So that's the story of the seven Castaways. They've been marooned on that island for over 40 years, and Gilligan's naivety, the Skipper's short temper, Mr. Howell's greed, Mrs. Howell's stuffiness, Ginger's sex appeal, the Professor's smarts and Mary Ann's glimpse into Americana never get old. It's always a riot to see their antics again and again...here on Gilligan's isle!
Let's look at the characters. First mate Willy Gilligan (yes, he did have a first name) is the bane of everyone who believes in order and normalcy. Clumsy, pencil-thin and naive, he bungles every chance they have to get off of the island, and yet the other castaways didn't kill him. I guess they understood that he was a good guy under that idiocy.
Skipper Jonas Grumby is everything that Gilligan isn't: fatter than fat, competent and perfectly capable of taking charge. As his weight often is the butt of Gilligan's jokes, not to mention all the times when Gilligan drops things on his feet, the Skipper usually proceeds to hit Gilligan with his hat.
Thurston Howell III is the archetypal crass capitalist. He never does any work, and sits around all day talking about money. I always get the feeling that his grand ambition is to defraud all the other castaways. In spite of all this, Mr. Howell does have one weakness: his Teddy Bear.
Eunice "Lovey" Howell is as much of an heiress as can be. Always the aesthete, Lovey engages in eternal attempts to teach everyone the ways of the elite, but they never get the hang of it. Sometimes, it seems that she and Thurston married for money more than for love. Their marriage is often rocky, but they stay together.
Ginger Grant is the castaway with whom I would like to be stranded. A sultry movie star, Ginger can always seduce the men to get information. Her endless tales about life in Hollywood make life on the island sound not so bad. Ginger's dream would apparently be for Rock Hudson to rescue her from the island...and then some.
Professor Roy Hinkley is truly too smart for his (or anyone's) own good. Still, the Professor is the only reason that they are able to stay alive on the island. Whatever anyone needs built, he can take whatever materials are on the island and whip it up in a jiffy (unless of course anyone needs a raft).
Last but not least, Mary Ann Summers. She is the only castaway who can be classified as normal (and I use that term loosely). A wholesome farm girl from Kansas, Mary Ann tends the island's crops and keeps herself entertained by tuning into the soap operas on the radio. Nothing wrong with her.
So that's the story of the seven Castaways. They've been marooned on that island for over 40 years, and Gilligan's naivety, the Skipper's short temper, Mr. Howell's greed, Mrs. Howell's stuffiness, Ginger's sex appeal, the Professor's smarts and Mary Ann's glimpse into Americana never get old. It's always a riot to see their antics again and again...here on Gilligan's isle!
- lee_eisenberg
- Mar 11, 2005
- Permalink
Good fun
It's not meant to find plot holes in, and it's not based on a true story. It's a lot of silliness, but a lot of good exploration of the human spirit. Definitely an after school favorite.
- charlesachapman
- Jun 3, 2022
- Permalink
"Maybe I can find a cashmere tree?"
This review may sound caustic but I hope I never have to watch another episode from this show ever again. I grew up watching this show in syndication from 1969, then it went to Saturday morning TV, then through the colorized TBS years, past the not so special reunion shows, up until a few years ago watching "The Real Gilligan's Island" movie. I've gorged myself with Gilligan's Island and I've had my share, one can only eat so much cake. I always enjoyed the earlier shows the most, having them building their huts, trying to fix the Minnow only to have it fall apart because the glue disintegrated, hiding from savages in a cave and so on. It was a great ensemble cast with a pretty cool lagoon set complete with running waterfall. I've moved on now, and it's time to say goodbye and farewell. Thanks for the memories little Buddy.
A true classic from the golden era of family TV
One of the best TV shows that appeal to literally every age. This show is consistently fun, over the top silly, genuinely enjoyable, and surprisingly smart. The comedy rarely feels dated and with the exception of some very obvious effects often feels fresh enough to have been filmed yesterday.
- jefferydhamstra
- Apr 27, 2020
- Permalink
A lot of fun.
"Gilligan's Island" was one of my favourite shows when I was really young, and even today I'll catch an episode or two on a whim. Yes, it was campy. Yes, you could leave your brain in the next room and watch it all the same. Yes, it's silly, but that's kinda the point. It was just a series meant to be funny.
That silliness prevents me from giving the series a higher rank, as I was yearning for an intelligent episode somewhere to moderate the goofiness of the show. Oh well, c'est la vie.
That silliness prevents me from giving the series a higher rank, as I was yearning for an intelligent episode somewhere to moderate the goofiness of the show. Oh well, c'est la vie.
The Best Show Ever?
If I were stranded on a desert island and allowed only one TV show, it would be "Gilligan's Island". For all it silliness, it's a psychologically complex show. Gilligan screws up every rescue attempt (except for the Don Rickles episode which, interestingly enough, is blown by Ginger)but clearly this is his subconscious working. Why would he want to be rescued? The island offers shelter and plenty of food, so he's in no danger of dying. He's got his best friend, the Skipper. He has a mentor in the Professor. He has parent figures in the Howells (rather strange parent figures, but still parent figures), a fantasy love interest in Ginger, and a realistic love interest in Mary Ann. Why would he want to leave? None of them seem that interested in leaving. Once every couple months, they'll concoct a half-hearted scheme to build a raft or light a signal fire, but overall they're more interested in their wardrobes or putting on talent shows or electing a leader on an island where everyone pretty much does what he or she pleases to begin with... It's a commentary on how man will change any landscape to suit his or her image. Gilligan's motives for staying have been outlined. Skipper is finally a leader (at least in his mind). The Howells love being among people they can clearly feel superior to. Ginger is now the celebrity she always imagined herself being, since her roles in minor movies show she was never A-list. The Professor is totally getting off on being the brains. Mary Ann feels useful and important, probably for the first time in her life, by being the only truly sensible person on the island. The show also comments on man's laziness: letting others do the work. When a guest star arrives the castaways always see that person as salvation, instead of using their own skills to get off the island. This show is awesome. Ginger's gowns alone could be the subject of a book.
"No Man is an Island unto Himself;" and that goes Double for Sitcoms!
A Quantum Leap in the Evolution of the Sitcom. Honest, really, no sh*t! Little old GILLIGAN'S ISLAND! It's considered to be much funnier than NOVA.
Jerry Van Dyke has often mentioned in his appearances on our Late Night talk shows how he had turned down the Title Role of Gilligan, but had accepted the lead in "MY MOTHER, THE CAR"(NBC, 1965-66). Oh well, HE moves in mysterious ways; for thanks to the Good Lord for allowing that questionable career move, or we may not have had the pleasure of Jerry as Luther Van Dam, Asst. Football Coach to Craig T. Nelson's Hayden in "COACH" (1989-97).
To comment on the Gilligan phenomenon, we first should take an overview of the TV Sitcom.
Born out of necessity, following the shot gun marriage of the old silent and sound two reeler Comedies and the Radio's Comedy series. The Sitcom has been with us ever since the dawn of commercial Telecasts in the 1940's. (The first commercial TV stations were licensed in 1940, but development of the medium was delayed by a little event called World War II.) Some of our earliest series were THE BUSTER KEATON SHOW (1950) ,THE COLLEGE BOWL (1950-51) with Chico Marx and the HANK McCUNE SHOW (1950-53). Hank who (?), we hear you ask.
We couldn't find a more obscure name and title if we tried, but on his show, Hank McCune initiated a feature that was found to be an indispensable tool and an outright necessity to all of the comedy series that would follow. And that invention would be the use of the "technically augmented audience reaction", the Recorded Laugh Track.
So when the GILLIGAN show hit the TV screen via CBS in 1964, the Television industry had some 15 years or so experience in producing these "ha-ha-ha" sitcom shows that they surely did some studying of what flew and what bombed. Slowly, some variation began to show. Some were successful and others were canned early, their innocuous plot lines and characters to spend their lives in a sort of Limbo of forgotten series.
GILLIGAN seems to have done things just a little different. First of all, there were seven (7), count 'em folks, seven regular characters, and everyone was worked into the stories each week. Of course the 7 castaways were the only people on the Island; if one doesn't count the hundreds of temporary visitors who had come and gone their way, week to week.
In any play, be it live on stage or a filmed episode, be it comedy or any drama, there is a certain need for exposition and having the story line propelled along its way. So that in a sitcom, each scene should serve some such purpose; and be there not just making for funny dialog and situations. (If you think that there is no such thing as trying to be too funny, just watch an old silent film of comedian Larry Semon.) Once again in getting back to GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, we contend that this series made an additional improvement on the use of the short, little comedy vignettes. In the GILLIGAN Show, the little scenes are devised to bring all of the characters into play, one or two at a time. They also made use of comical situations to move the story along. But they were fashioned in a manner so as to be able to virtually stand on their own without the rest of the story. (Not that there would be any call for a 3 to 4 minute comedy film!) The other achievement of the Production Staff of GILLIGAN'S ISLAND is one that they most probably did not accomplish on purpose. And that would be (My Theory) that in fashioning the short scenes in this manner, almost always using regular characters well known to viewers, have created the celluloid equivalent of the Daily Newspaper Comic Strip. This strong similarity in form and literary device is most apparent in comparing GILLIGAN to the 3 or 4 panels of daily strips like: MUTT & JEFF, BRINGING UP FATHER (Maggie & Jiggs), BLONDIE, BEETLE BAILEY, MOON MULLINS and even PEANUTS (with good ol' Charlie Brown.).
Otherwise, the series ranks very high on the all time list of the Situation Comedy and was the subject of several "back-to type of Made-for-TV Movies as well as animated series of "THE NEW ADVENTURES OF GILLIGAN.
Jerry Van Dyke has often mentioned in his appearances on our Late Night talk shows how he had turned down the Title Role of Gilligan, but had accepted the lead in "MY MOTHER, THE CAR"(NBC, 1965-66). Oh well, HE moves in mysterious ways; for thanks to the Good Lord for allowing that questionable career move, or we may not have had the pleasure of Jerry as Luther Van Dam, Asst. Football Coach to Craig T. Nelson's Hayden in "COACH" (1989-97).
To comment on the Gilligan phenomenon, we first should take an overview of the TV Sitcom.
Born out of necessity, following the shot gun marriage of the old silent and sound two reeler Comedies and the Radio's Comedy series. The Sitcom has been with us ever since the dawn of commercial Telecasts in the 1940's. (The first commercial TV stations were licensed in 1940, but development of the medium was delayed by a little event called World War II.) Some of our earliest series were THE BUSTER KEATON SHOW (1950) ,THE COLLEGE BOWL (1950-51) with Chico Marx and the HANK McCUNE SHOW (1950-53). Hank who (?), we hear you ask.
We couldn't find a more obscure name and title if we tried, but on his show, Hank McCune initiated a feature that was found to be an indispensable tool and an outright necessity to all of the comedy series that would follow. And that invention would be the use of the "technically augmented audience reaction", the Recorded Laugh Track.
So when the GILLIGAN show hit the TV screen via CBS in 1964, the Television industry had some 15 years or so experience in producing these "ha-ha-ha" sitcom shows that they surely did some studying of what flew and what bombed. Slowly, some variation began to show. Some were successful and others were canned early, their innocuous plot lines and characters to spend their lives in a sort of Limbo of forgotten series.
GILLIGAN seems to have done things just a little different. First of all, there were seven (7), count 'em folks, seven regular characters, and everyone was worked into the stories each week. Of course the 7 castaways were the only people on the Island; if one doesn't count the hundreds of temporary visitors who had come and gone their way, week to week.
In any play, be it live on stage or a filmed episode, be it comedy or any drama, there is a certain need for exposition and having the story line propelled along its way. So that in a sitcom, each scene should serve some such purpose; and be there not just making for funny dialog and situations. (If you think that there is no such thing as trying to be too funny, just watch an old silent film of comedian Larry Semon.) Once again in getting back to GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, we contend that this series made an additional improvement on the use of the short, little comedy vignettes. In the GILLIGAN Show, the little scenes are devised to bring all of the characters into play, one or two at a time. They also made use of comical situations to move the story along. But they were fashioned in a manner so as to be able to virtually stand on their own without the rest of the story. (Not that there would be any call for a 3 to 4 minute comedy film!) The other achievement of the Production Staff of GILLIGAN'S ISLAND is one that they most probably did not accomplish on purpose. And that would be (My Theory) that in fashioning the short scenes in this manner, almost always using regular characters well known to viewers, have created the celluloid equivalent of the Daily Newspaper Comic Strip. This strong similarity in form and literary device is most apparent in comparing GILLIGAN to the 3 or 4 panels of daily strips like: MUTT & JEFF, BRINGING UP FATHER (Maggie & Jiggs), BLONDIE, BEETLE BAILEY, MOON MULLINS and even PEANUTS (with good ol' Charlie Brown.).
Otherwise, the series ranks very high on the all time list of the Situation Comedy and was the subject of several "back-to type of Made-for-TV Movies as well as animated series of "THE NEW ADVENTURES OF GILLIGAN.
Simple is Good
Probably the best object lesson out there for network executives of the third millennium, a lesson they just DON'T SEEM TO GET - no sex, no hokey "sexual tension", no drugs, no compelling political or social issues. Just good ol' clean American fun. Seven stereotypes deserted on Pacific island spend three years having a good time and botching opportunities to rescue themselves. My nephew knows the details of every episode by heart, but each time I see one I don't think I've ever seen it before. Whatever. This show defines for me the "Mendoza line" for television programming - if it's worse than watching Gilligan's Island I'll pass, which means with 77 cable channels I spend a fair amount of time with the castaways. And Mary Ann kills Ginger...
Junk television that was actually good
Gilligan's Island was a fun, relaxtainment show. The acting and stories were engaging. The set was obviously fake but it looked better than the cgi infested shows that we have today.
Verdict: Classic show and it only needed 3 years to become an iCON. The Big Bang Theory was on for like 12 years and that show was hash.
Verdict: Classic show and it only needed 3 years to become an iCON. The Big Bang Theory was on for like 12 years and that show was hash.
- ThunderKing6
- Apr 6, 2021
- Permalink
A childhood delight; An adult hit-or-miss.
- mark.waltz
- Oct 14, 2018
- Permalink
Once more from the top
- Steven-M-Bovard
- Mar 7, 2005
- Permalink
An after-school staple now on DVD. Oh Mary Ann my dreamboat!
Just Sit Right Back And You'll Hear A Tale
What Happens If You Mix A Clumsy Sailor A Skipper A Couple of Millionaires A Movie Star A Professor And A Kansas Farmgirl One Of Thr Best Shows Ever Made Of Really It's Like A Sitcom Family Friendly Version of LOST But Better Yeah Is Really Fun To Watch This Show And If You Like SITCOMS And Castaway Stories You'll Gonna Love It
- mateovillamayor
- Dec 20, 2020
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Eeeeeehh...
- nsequeira-50288
- Jul 1, 2018
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Ridiculously Fun, and Never Boring...
- fearfulofspiders
- Sep 6, 2008
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A Guilty Pleasure
Talk about suspension of disbelief! This show is implausible on many fronts, but somehow is very watchable. It can't be due to the quality of the comedy, because doofus Gilligan provides the crux of most laughs, on an elementary level. Somehow this show is greater than the sum of its parts
Gilligan's Island Crew
Of all the TV shows that relied heavily on the principal actors of the show, Gilligan's Island sure beats many if not all shows for casting. The members of the shipwreck was ingenious as to who was aboard. But really the typecasting for the parts is what sets the show apart, elevates it way above many other light, comedy shows-and even some dramas. The actors are just what you would expect the characters to be, magnificent portrayals. The script, the setting, the story line-all take a back seat to the actors playing their parts to perfection. It is #1 on my list of shows that need watching just to see the roles enacted in the most excellent way. For any aspiring actor or actress, they would do well to watch the 'pros' on Gilligan's Island for the model in character acting.
- jmlclassic
- Jun 19, 2017
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I'd have rated it higher as a kid
I have to admit, I watched Gilligan's Island for most of it's first run shows, and at least five or six times around in syndication. However, most of that came as a kid and teenager. It doesn't play so well to me as an adult, but that could be simply syndication fatigue.
The first couple of times through I did find humor in most of the episodes, and I certainly identified with each of the characters. Well ... maybe a different attitude toward Ginger and Mary Ann. ;-)
But even as a kid I shook my head at the way they bungled so many opportunities for rescue, and you really can't blame Gilligan as the foil for them all.
It's one of the most successful long-term syndications of all time, behind probably only I Love Lucy. And Dawn Wells was the ONLY cast member to participate financially in all of that. Her husband had that included in her contract, and at the time the producers thought it was a throwaway clause. Nothing like that had ever happened in syndication before.
The first couple of times through I did find humor in most of the episodes, and I certainly identified with each of the characters. Well ... maybe a different attitude toward Ginger and Mary Ann. ;-)
But even as a kid I shook my head at the way they bungled so many opportunities for rescue, and you really can't blame Gilligan as the foil for them all.
It's one of the most successful long-term syndications of all time, behind probably only I Love Lucy. And Dawn Wells was the ONLY cast member to participate financially in all of that. Her husband had that included in her contract, and at the time the producers thought it was a throwaway clause. Nothing like that had ever happened in syndication before.
- VetteRanger
- Feb 15, 2023
- Permalink
Just Sit Right Back And Laugh
I find this show to be an absolute original classic. Why else would it have spanned 6 decades to date. The plot is very original and is actually a social microcosm of the time (the 1960's). Granted, many shows from this era were on the silly side (Munsters, Addams Family, I Dream Of Jeannie, and even Batman). The really outstanding element of this show is how well it was cast. All 7 cast members are very convincing and their chemistry is outstanding. I'm the first to admit that some of the humor is silly. But some of it is not. It also falls under the banner of TV sitcoms with a very catchy soundtrack. The guest stars on this show were very entertaining for the most part (including a very young Kurt Russell). In my opinion, I don't believe that there has ever been a more scrutinized, criticized, nor analyzed show in the history of television. The very exaggerated detail that's questioned is what makes it funny (ie for a 3 hour tour, the Howells are carrying about 30 million dollars). Besides: if they have THAT much money, why are they on a 3 hour tour when they should be sailing on one of their own yachts? See what I mean? To me, there will never be another Gilligan's Island, Honeymooners, or I Love Lucy simply because they are timeless classics.
Why Would They?
The biggest plot hole in the series was the missing explanation of why these characters (other than the Skipper and Gilligan) would be on the boat for this rinky-dink 3-hour tour in the first place. Mary Ann could possibly be seen as a tourist taking the tour but why would Ginger, budding starlet, even be down at the docks. The professor can't reasonably seen as taking the time out of his research and studies for this 'cruise'. Finally, The Howells are reputed to be two of the richest people in the world. They would have had their own superyacht and that would not have been in a sloop anywhere near the Minnow.
- PretoriaDZ
- Nov 23, 2019
- Permalink
A Lame-Brained Comedy - Short On Laughs & Way Off Course
To me, Gilligan's Island is a prime example of just how totally asinine TV Sit-Coms were back in the mid-1960s. When it comes to utterly stupid and completely predictable situations, this dumber-than-dumb TV show certainly scrapes the absolute bottom of the barrel for laughs, which it never produces.
How this despicable, totally unfunny program actually managed to last for 3 successful seasons defies comprehension. It should have been immediately canceled right after its very first episode.
I think that Gilligan's Island's biggest and most damaging deficit was, of course, its #1 star, Bob Denver (as Gilligan), a bona-fide buffoon whose low-brow, dimwitted antics produced nothing but groans of annoyance and exasperation from this here viewer.
And regardless of how desperately the talentless scriptwriters of this badly-conceived show tried to dangle plenty of eye-candy in front of my face, this didn't, in any way, compensate for the clear lack of genuine comedy that definitely rendered Gilligan's Island virtually without a pulse and pathetically anemic.
P.S.
If you were to ask me, I'd swear that the Skipper and Gilligan were secretly sweet on each other. (nudge-nudge-wink-wink)
How this despicable, totally unfunny program actually managed to last for 3 successful seasons defies comprehension. It should have been immediately canceled right after its very first episode.
I think that Gilligan's Island's biggest and most damaging deficit was, of course, its #1 star, Bob Denver (as Gilligan), a bona-fide buffoon whose low-brow, dimwitted antics produced nothing but groans of annoyance and exasperation from this here viewer.
And regardless of how desperately the talentless scriptwriters of this badly-conceived show tried to dangle plenty of eye-candy in front of my face, this didn't, in any way, compensate for the clear lack of genuine comedy that definitely rendered Gilligan's Island virtually without a pulse and pathetically anemic.
P.S.
If you were to ask me, I'd swear that the Skipper and Gilligan were secretly sweet on each other. (nudge-nudge-wink-wink)
- strong-122-478885
- Jan 21, 2014
- Permalink