The Baron Watches "Gilligan's Island"

[The Baron]

Having seen my good friend Jeff's latest TV-based discussion, Jeff Watches Torchwood, I thought, "Since Jeff is posting about a current program that he's watching for the first time, I ought to post about an old program that I'd be watching for what would be at least the fiftieth, but which I haven't looked at in quite some time - and what better program to watch than one of the seminal comedies of its generation, one which had a profound impact on American television, and which went on to inspire such varied fare as Dusty's Trail, Far Out Space Nuts, and Lost.

Gilligan's Island is one of the first television programs I ever remember watching - Having been born in 1963, I was a touch too young to watch it in first-run, but I must've caught it in its earliest re-runs - I'm pretty sure that "Happy Birthday to You" and "The Ballad of Gilligan's Isle" are among the first songs that I knew all the words to.

I debated putting a spoiler warning on this thread - it's hard for me to conceive that there's anyone out there who hasn't seen Gilligan's Island - certainly not in the U.S. Anyway, if by some chance you haven't seen the show, but might want to watch it someday - be forewarned! There will be discussions of plot points, here.

As for the rest of you, "Just sit right back..."

[Fred W. Hill]

The rabbit's revenge for having its foot removed.

The Baron said:

Gilligan's Living Doll:

A robot parachutes onto the island, and the castaways try to figure out a way to use it to get them off the island. The robot is reasonably well-conceived - about the level of a "Tenth Planet" - era Cyberman.

I strongly suspect that the title of this episode is a gag on the 1964-65 series My Living Doll, which is not much remembered now, but would've been current when this episode was released.

Back Story: The robot was Model XR-1000. It was being carried on an unmanned drone plane for Hickam Field to Vandenberg AFB on a radiation detection flight when it was accidentally ejected.

Taking It Seriously: I think we have to assume that robotics is somewhat more advanced in the Schwartzverse. The robot claims to be programmed to buld a carrier, destroyer or minesweeper - it is also programmed to construct a toy schooner.
Considering this is apparently one of the most advanced robots in the world, the Professor seems to be able to reprogram it awfully easily.

Gilligan Spoils A Rescue: Yes. The castaways determine that the robot is able to walk to Hawaii. They give it a message to deliver to the authorities. However, Gilligan places his rabbit's foot charm into the robot's interior to bring it luck, and the charm somehow reverses the polarity of the neutron flow demagnetizes the receptor spools and hopelessly garbles the castaways' message.

[Tracy of Moon-T]

[The Baron]

I just noticed this,

Tracy of Moon-T said:

[JD DeLuzio]

The Baron said:

ClarkKent_DC said:

I once read somewhere that Wonder Woman's appearance on The Brady Kids was her first appearance in animation.

If it's true, they must've just beaten the first SuperFriends show.

Super-Late to the party, but I don't think anyone followed up on this:

Not only was The Brady Kids Wonder Woman's first animated appearance, the Brady Kids ep with Superman was entitled "Cindy's Super Friend"-- suggesting the title of that famous toon take on the Justice League.

Episode Here

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Stairway to Gilligan's Island

[Richard Willis]

Jeff of Earth-J said:

Stairway to Gilligan's Island

[Fred W. Hill]

First heard that mashup on the Dr. Demento Show in the late '70s.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Foxtrot, December 18, 2022.