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..."

[Richard Willis]

I discovered this thread recently and just finished catching up. I enjoyed it greatly and applaud your dedication in rewatching and commenting on the entire series.

[The Baron]

Richard Willis said:

I discovered this thread recently and just finished catching up. I enjoyed it greatly and applaud your dedication in rewatching and commenting on the entire series.

Glad you liked it!

[Ron M.]

Fascinating review. I've been talking to some fellow fans of this show and they're unhappy with the idea a movie is being planned, considering how movies based on old tv shows tend to get everything wrong.

Things fans hope the movie will avoid:

Someone walking around the island with a cell phone saying "Can you hear me now?"

Raunchy behavior and language by the cast away, especially Ginger.

Mary Ann, being a farm girl, being depicted like Daisy Mae Scragg.

Beyonce as Ginger.

Johnny Depp as Gilligan.

[Ron M.]

All this month ME-TV has been running season one colorized. Unfortunately it's the awful 1991 Turner colorization where both the sky and the water are purple.

[Ron M.]

Russell Johnson played the big boss crook in a season one episode of the Adventures of Superman. For some reason he spoke with an accent.

[Ron M.]

Alan Hale turned up in a third season episode of Batman (Vincent Price was the villain). Police Chief O'Hara repeatedly calls Hale "Gilligan." (Presumably because viewers might not have gotten the joke the first time. Or the second. Or the third.) 

[Jeff of Earth-J]

 Jeff of Earth-J said:

RECASTING GILLIGAN’S ISLAND:

I was re-watching season one of Saturday Night Live on DVD when it came to my attention that the original “Not Ready for Prime Time Players” sexes and numbers matched our castaways’. Here’s how I’d re-cast them on Gilligan’s Island.

Skipper - John Belushi
Gilligan - Chevy Chase
Mr. Howell - Dan Ackroyd
Lovey - Laraine Newman
Ginger - Jane Curtin
Mary Ann - Gilda Rader
Professor - Garrett Morris

Then it occurred to me that I’d put the original cast of Gilligan’ Island out of work, so I recast them on Lost in Space.

John Robinson - Alan Hale
Maureen Robinson - Tina Louise
Will Robinson - Bob Denver
Penny Robinson - Dawn Wells
Judy Robinson - Natalie Schafer
Don West - Jim Backus
Zachary Smith - Russell Johnson

On the other hand, if I were to re-cast Gilligan’s Island with the cast of Lost in Space, it would look like this:

Skipper – Guy Williams
Gilligan – Billy Mumy
Mr. Howell – Jonathan Harris
Lovey – June Lockhart
Ginger – Marta Kristen
Mary Ann – Angela Cartwright
Professor – Mark Goddard

[Looking back on my decision of two years ago, I think I'd flip the casting of Dan Ackroyd and Garret Morris. Ackroyd would make a much better Professor and Morris would make a much better Mr. Howell.]

[Ronald Morgan]

Guess that would make the robot Mr. Howell's teddy bear.

[The Baron]

Someone has compiled all of the radio broadcasts and songs from the show.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

If I were to re-cast Gilligan’s Island with the cast of Dark Shadows, it would look like this:

Skipper – Mitch Ryan (or perhaps Dennis Patrick)
Gilligan – David Henesy (or perhaps John Karlen)
Mr. Howell – Jonathan Frid
Lovey – Joan Bennett (or perhaps Grayson Hall)
Ginger – Kathryn Leigh Scott
Mary Ann – Alexandra Moltke
Professor – Thayer David

The cast of Dark Shadows would look like this:

Elizabeth Stoddard – Natalie Schafer
Barnabas Collins – Jim Backus
Roger Collins – Russell Johnson
Carolyn Collins – Tina Louise
David Collins – Bob Denver
Victoria Winters – Dawn Wells
Burke Devlin – Alan Hale

Or perhaps this:

Elizabeth Stoddard – June Lockhart
Barnabas Collins – Jonathan Harris
Roger Collins – Mark Goddard*
Carolyn Collins – Marta Kristen
David Collins – Billy Mumy
Victoria Winters – Angela Cartwright
Burke Devlin – Guy Williams

*Although Jonathan Harris would be better suited to the role of Roger Collins, I prefer the idea of him playing the vampire.

Lost in Space re-cast with the cast of Dark Shadows, it would look like this:

John Robinson – Louis Edmonds
Maureen Robinson – Joan Bennett
Judy Robinson – Nancy Barrett
Penny Robinson - Alexandra Moltke
Will Robinson – David Henesy
Don West – Mitch Ryan
Zachary Smith – Jonathan Frid

[The Baron]

See, I would have thought that Louis Edmonds would be Mr.Howell.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Oh, yes, that's much better.But that makes it Frid-less (to coin a phrase).