Four men and three women are stranded on an uncharted island following a torrential storm.
During what was supposed to be a three-hour tour, the S.S. Minnow is shipwrecked on an uncharted tropical island following a typhoon. The seven castaways include the blustery captain, his bumbling first mate Gilligan, a millionaire couple named the Howells, curvaceous movie star Ginger Grant, sexy farm girl Mary Ann Summers, and a science professor known as the Professor. Despite their dire situation, they managed to survive on a diet made up of fish and coconut cream pie, and were aided by their trusty transistor radio and a seemingly never-ending parade of guest stars who managed to drop by their "deserted" island (including a big game hunter, a movie producer, a mad scientist, a rock band, Russian cosmonauts, foreign spies, and a jungle boy), yet never managed to bring them to safety.—Marty McKee <mmckee@soltec.net>
In Hawaii, Gilligan and the Skipper are giving out tours. Five passengers - a movie star from Hollywood, a general store sales clerk from Kansas, a professor, and two millionaires - board the S.S. Minnow for a three hour tour. A storm comes in and the crew is unable to handle the boat. The castaways wake up on a uncharted Island. They live in huts made from sticks and leaves. They eat plants and fruits found on the island. They will encounter many adventures while trying to make it back to civilization.—Jonathan Chun <jchun12@hotmail.com>
The iconic television sitcom Gilligan's Island, all started with a simple theme song, "Ballad of Gilligan's Island." This show has achieved cult status through syndication. Panned by critics as silly and stupid, it did three years from September 26, 1964, to April 17, 1967 on the CBS network with a total of 98 episodes.
The story and episodes all revolve around one small chartered boat, the S.S. Minnow that sets sail from Hawaii with a Skipper (Alan Hale) and one crewman, Gilligan (Bob Denver). The passengers are the millionaire (Jim Backus) and his wife (Natalie Schafer), the movie star (Tina Louise), the farm girl (Dawn Wells) and the professor (Russell Johnson). They get caught in a terrible oceanic storm and get stranded on an uncharted island in the Pacific. Most plot summaries revolve around the castaways' trying to find ways to get off the island and somehow Gilligan always seems to screw it up and yes, they're on the island for another episode.
Hollywood wanted to make America laugh about seven people who got marooned on a tropical island. And that ended up being an oddly endearing show named Gilligan's Island. A comedy television show made in the 60's was perhaps escapism in its finest form. It was a very busy place with so many stars/people visiting the island and all with the ability to leave the island and never taking any of the castaways with them. Still, despite the corny jokes and ridiculous situations, unrealistic story and cavalcade of period celebrity stars this fun sitcom has lasted decades and finds new fans every year in syndication. - Martin Snytsheuvel
