Les joyeux naufragés

It's Saturday night circa early 60's and right after The Jackie Gleason Show on CBS comes `Gilligans Island'. When it first aired about the only two well-known members of the cast to the vast majority of viewers were Bob Denver who had appeared as the beatnik Maynard G. Krebs on Dobie Gillis and the multi talented Jim Backus. Russell Johnson who played the Professor was one of those actors that would appear on various TV shows. It's run on prime time was three seasons but thanks to re-runs Gilligans Island has in fact never left the airwaves. The 98 episodes play over and over yet they still hold up well today and one can still find themselves laughing at various episodes even though they may have seen it dozens perhaps even hundreds of times. If You're not wrapped too tight then like the theme song said `You're sure to get a smile'

Here are some random thoughts on "Gilligan's Island":

--Great fun watching as a kid. As the previous person commented, the show was incredibly hokey, but that was part of its appeal.

--I always wondered why the castaways never tried some of the same escape schemes again after they were ruined by Gilligan.

--The show was remarkably prolific, having produced over 100 episodes in only 3 years.

--A lot of people don't realize that Russell "The Professor" Johnson was a Army Air Corps bombardier (on the B-26 Mitchell?) during WW II and had been in dozens of movies before "Gilligan's Island". Russell's book is the best "Gilligan's Island" book out there, in my opinion.

--Mary Ann, in my opinion, is a hands-down winner in a Mary Ann vs. Ginger debate. Dawn Wells was nice enough to send me an autographed picture after I wrote to her.

--At least one researcher has prepared a paper showing how the seven castaways represented the Seven Deadly Sins.

--Trivia Time--an actress named Judith Baldwin played Ginger in the "Gilligan's Island" movies

--Dawn Wells, bless her heart, threw the others off key when the castaways sang on the show--they had her just mouth the words during the singing scenes

--Of all the cameos the stars of "Gilligan's Island" have done on other shows, my favorite is Russell Johnson appearing on a "Newhart" episode saluting "Gilligan's Island"; his was kind of a "hidden" cameo--they didn't identify him as "The Professor"

--I have to agree with the previous reviewer--the Mosquitoes episode was my favorite

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!

This has got to be one of the campiest shows of all time. When you look at all this show you see a stereotype of the different types of people who make up our society. You have the working guys (Skipper and Gilligan), the intellectual (the Professor), the sex pot (Ginger), the sweet girl (Mary-Ann) and the upper crust capitalists (the Howells). Too bad this show didn't last another season. I would have loved to have seen them do a series finale instead of the horrid reunion movies. Maybe if they did it that way we could have gotten another season where Mr. Howell builds a resort on the island and Gilligan was the jack of all trades that really kept things rolling.

Also, the biggest question of all, Ginger or Mary-Ann?

If you're old enough to use the computer, you've probably watched Gilligan's Island. Are you checking to see what other people think about it?

I remember every day after elementary school, I'd come home and watch Gilligan's Island, then Star Trek, the old series. It was the way of the world. I can still taste the cookies and milk I'd wolf down, and occasional apple.

One thing for sure: my parents knew that when I was watching Gilligan's Island, it was clean. Do we even have anything as purely non-sexual and clean as this series? (Ahhh Dawn Wells... siiiigh)

Our local cable provider recently started carrying a channel that replays Gilligan's Island, and I've watched them all again through the eyes of an adult. Even though I knew every line, and what would happen in every episode, I still laughed and felt like a kid again.

Maybe someone would complain that the portrayal of the Japanese sailor who doesn't know the war is over is a horrible stereotype, and did anyone notice how.... white... the cast is? But who cares? It's just fun, like a live action cartoon.

By today's standards, something like this would never even be proposed, let alone produced.

Maybe we need more shows like this!