Gilligan's Island

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

Gilligan's Island is an American TV sitcom originally produced by United Artists Television. It aired for three seasons on the CBS network, from September 26, 1964 to September 4, 1967. It was originally sponsored by Philip Morris & Company and Procter & Gamble. The show followed the comic adventures of seven castaways as they attempted to survive and ultimately escape from a previously uninhabited island where they were shipwrecked.

In 2002, Gilligan's Island came back as a reality show, similar to Survivor, where seven contestants were shipwrecked on an island. They then had to re-create the original Gilligan's Island sitcom with costumes and props. Gilligan's Island ran for a total of 98 episodes. The first season (consisting of 36 episodes) was filmed in black-and-white, though colorized in later syndication. However, the next two seasons (62 episodes) and three TV movie sequels were filmed in color. Enjoying solid ratings during its original run, the show grew in popularity during decades of syndication. Today, the title character of Gilligan is widely recognized as a comedic American popular culture icon.

Highlights

On the legendary question of one's preference, "Ginger or Mary Ann?"

Sherwood Schwartz on seeing evidence of the power of television when viewers sent telegrams calling for the rescue of the Gilligan's Island castaways

John Rich on directing the first three episodes of Gilligan's Island; and the talents of creator Sherwood Schwartz and the cast

On the legacy of Gilligan's Island

Who talked about this show

Thomas Azzari

Thomas Azzari on doing set design for Gilligan's Island

Steve Binder

Steve Binder on directing "Don't Bug The Mosquitoes" (1965) episode of Gilligan's Island

Hal Cooper

Hal Cooper on casting Gilligan's Island and directing two episodes

Katie Couric

Katie Couric on getting hired for Today - she was more of a "Mary Ann" than a "Ginger"

Richard Donner

Richard Donner on directing Get Smart and Gilligan's Island

Richard Donner on directing Gilligan's Island

Richard Donner on the importance of television theme songs

Gerald Fried

Gerald Fried on feeling typecast at studios after composing for specific shows

Gerald Fried on composing music for TV shows Ben Casey, Slattery's People and Gilligan's Island

Composer Gerald Fried on working on the incidental music for Gilligan's Island

William Froug

William Froug on producing one season of Gilligan's Island

Herschel Burke Gilbert

Herschel Burke Gilbert on going to work at CBS as Executive Music Director, and on serving as music director for Gilligan's Island

Joseph Jennings

Joseph Jennings on helping with art direction for Gilligan's Island

Russell Johnson

Russell Johnson on being cast on Gilligan's Island

Russell Johnson on his fellow cast members on Gilligan's Island

Russell Johnson on co-starring as "The Professor" on Gilligan's Island

Russell Johnson on the theme song to Gilligan's Island and being part of "the rest"

Russell Johnson on interacting with network executives on Gilligan's Island

Russell Johnson on his favorite episodes (ones with dream sequences) of Gilligan's Island

Russell Johnson on working with guest stars on Gilligan's Island

Russell Johnson on the critics' reactions to Gilligan's Island

Russell Johnson on reactions from fans of Gilligan's Island

Russell Johnson on questions he gets asked from people about Gilligan's Island

Russell Johnson on the cancellation of Gilligan's Island

Russell Johnson on the TV movies of Gilligan's Island

Russell Johnson on appearing as "The Professor" on shows other than Gilligan's Island

Russell Johnson on working with animals on Gilligan's Island

Irma Kalish

Rocky Kalish on writing the pilot for Gilligan's Island with writer Elroy Schwartz; on not getting credit for the show

Rocky Kalish on coming up with the premise of Gilligan's Island and the characters, and the name of the S.S.Minow

Rocky Kalish on the un-aired pilot he wrote for Gilligan's Island and the changes between that and the series; on coming up with the names of the characters

Rocky Kalish on the success of Gilligan's Island "there's no accounting for what the success of a show is going to be"; on the tone of the show

Rocky Kalish

Rocky Kalish on the pilot he wrote for Gilligan's Island and the changes between that and the series; on coming up with the names of the characters

Rocky Kalish on writing the pilot for Gilligan's Island with writer Elroy Schwartz; on not getting credit for the show

Rocky Kalish on coming up with the premise of Gilligan's Island and the characters, and the name of the S.S.Minow

Rocky Kalish on the success of Gilligan's Island "there's no accounting for what the success of a show is going to be"; on the tone of the show

Leslie H. Martinson

Leslie H. Martinson on directing The Brady Bunch and Gilligan's Island

Nolan Miller

Nolan Miller on designing "Ginger's" (Tina Louise) gowns for Gilligan's Island

Carroll O'Connor

Carroll O'Connor on the claim that he'd been up for the role of "The Skipper" in Gilligan's Island

Carroll Pratt

Carroll Pratt on providing a laugh track for The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, The Brady Bunch, Gilligan's Island, My Favorite Martian, Happy Days, and The Andy Griffith Show

John Rich

John Rich on directing the first three episodes of Gilligan's Island; and the talents of creator Sherwood Schwartz and the cast

John Rich on directing Gilligan's Island

Sol Saks

Then CBS executive Sol Saks on how producer William Froug was considered to replace Sherwood Schwartz on Gilligan's Island, and how Saks himself didn't like the pilot script

Sherwood Schwartz

Sherwood Schwartz on seeing evidence of the power of television when viewers sent telegrams calling for the rescue of the Gilligan's Island castaways

Sherwood Schwartz on the concept of Gilligan's Island

Sherwood Schwartz on trying to sell the Gilligan's Island concept to CBS

Sherwood Schwartz on the difficulty of selling the concept of Gilligan's Island to CBS executives

Sherwood Schwartz on the entities that have owned stakes in his series Gilligan's Island

Sherwood Schwartz on casting Gilligan's Island

Sherwood Schwartz on casting Tina Louise as Ginger on Gilligan's Island

Sherwood Schwartz on the Gilligan's Island theme song

Sherwood Schwartz on the shooting of the pilot and the series premiere Gilligan's Island

Sherwood Schwartz on the production details of Gilligan's Island (he also displays the last piece of the lagoon)

Sherwood Schwartz on the sets of Gilligan's Island

Sherwood Schwartz on the directors of Gilligan's Island

Sherwood Schwartz on the cancellation of Gilligan's Island

Sherwood Schwartz on the Gilligan's Island reunion specials

Sherwood Schwartz on the yet-unproduced Gilligan's Island feature film

Sherwood Schwartz on Tina Louise's refusal to participate in subsequent Gilligan's Island shows and the impact of the series on the public

Lloyd J. Schwartz

Lloyd Schwartz on Gilligan's Island and its production challenges

Lloyd Schwartz on visiting the set of his father's show Gilligan's Island

Dawn Wells

Dawn Wells on working on Gilligan's Island

Dawn Wells on Sherwood Schwartz's composition of the Gilligan's Island theme song

Dawn Wells on how Gilligan's Island changed her life

Dawn Wells on the matchmaking episode of Gilligan's Island in which Mrs. Howell tries to set up Mary Ann and Gilligan

Dawn Wells on the "V is for Vitamins" episode of Gilligan's Island