The theme song sung a million times over. This classic and immensely silly comedy series followed a group of seven people on a three-hour sea tour after their sight-seeing boat, the S.S. Minnow, encounters a storm and leaves its passengers shipwrecked on a uncharted South Pacific island. Of course, these aren’t your average retirees and mid-west vacationers. Instead, viewers found themselves marooned with a lively cast of characters. In addition to the goofy captain and his first mate, the castaways included a beautiful movie star (in full glammed-out mode, no less), a high school science teacher, a pretty general store sales clerk, and a stinking rich older couple. Bob Denver starred as Gilligan, and was joined by The Skipper (a.k.a. Jonas Grumby, played by Alan Hale, Jr.), the glamorous Ginger Grant (Tina Louise), a sweet, wholesome country girl name Mary Ann Summers (Dawn Wells), Professor Roy Hinkley (Russell Johnson), and Lovey and Thurston Howell (Natalie Schafer and Jim Backus). Airing from 1964 through 1967 on CBS, Gilligan’s Island featured a great deal of ingenuity displayed by the characters, who constructed welcoming huts from sticks and leaves, made a bamboo foot pedal-powered car, dined on coconut cream pies, fish, and fruits found on the island, and had an array of clothing that lasted three years. Despite many outlandish storylines incorporating visitors such as a mad scientist, Russian cosmonaut, movie producer, rock band, and the, er, Harlem Globetrotters (in a 1981 reunion special), the group never seemed to be able to make it off the island. Many of their failed attempts to get off the island were thanks to the fumbling Gilligan. The show spawned two animated series, three reunion movies and the TBS reality show, The Real Gilligan's Island. It wasn’t until 1978’s reunion TV movie, Rescue From Gilligan’s Island, that the castaways finally escaped their sandy cell. However, Louise was replaced in this special due to having demanded too much money to appear. Her role of Ginger was originally offered to Jayne Mansfield, who turned it down. Likewise, Jerry Van Dyke turned down the role of Gilligan. Raquel Welch also had a near-Gilligan experience, having auditioned for the role of Mary Ann. The show was originally slated to air in the ’67-’68 season but was cancelled last-minute in favor of its replacement, Gunsmoke.
