IW001 - Gilligan’s Island
Remember Gilligan’s Island ? We thought we did…
We settled in for a three-hour tour. Turned out it took only 25 minutes to watch the first episode / series premiere of Gilligan’s Island, “Two on a Raft”. Click on the player below to hear how that went...
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Let’s talk snacks! If you’re watching our show-of-the week, you can totally go with your bowl of popcorn. But if you want to up your sense of being on the island (and that’s why we are all here, right?), we’ve customized a picnic for each show’s island.
Island Watch Picnic Picks
for Gilligan’s Island
Start with sand: “I'm so happy I could kiss the ground,” Gilligan shouts when he lands on terra firma after the shipwreck. Gratefully, he lands his lips on the island sand, then spits out, “This island tastes terrible.” You’ll fare much better. Make your sand piles: a few pulverized cookies, a small handful of ground walnuts or almonds, and a third mound of sparkly cane sugar. Mix to taste, or use separately to top an island of whip cream, or cheesecake. Or both.
Coconut Chips: Let’s not overthink this. Gilligan’s Island is FULL of coconuts. If straight from the bag isn’t fancy-schmancy enough for you, try a banana split with the chips as a crunchy topping.
Tiny Fish: Whether your tastes run to grilled smelts, canned sardines, or sweet gummy Swedish Fish, tiny fish will evoke the spirit of the SS Minnow, the ship that carries the hapless cast to Gilligan’s Island.
Putty à la Professor: The Professor’s special raft-building mix is made of mashed mango and berries. Blend your own by splashing some coconut water with mango and berries and taking it for a whirl.
VSGIP: For a very special Gilligan’s Island Picnic, track down Dawn Wells cookbook, Mary Ann’s Gilligan’s Island Cookbook. Gilligan’s Stew, Ginger’s Snaps and Shipwreck Sandwich are just some of the treats you can recreate.
"Gilligan's Island 1966" by Northridge Alumni Bear Facts is licensed with CC BY-ND 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/
Island Hopping
We got curious. Did the actors from Gilligan go on to act on other island shows, post-Gilligan?
Mary Ann: Dawn Wells. It’s out there somewhere - has anyone seen it? I’ve only read about this mythical creation. Apparently Dawn Wells co-produced and co-starred with Kathy Ruddick, a Canadian fly fishing champion, in a fishing show called Reel Adventures. They visited different sites around the world, and it must be hoped that there was at least one island involved on their global tour!
Ginger: Tina Louise. Many post-Gilligan TV credits. On the island front, kept her paddle in the water with appearances on the Love Boat and Fantasy Island.
Gilligan : Bob Denver (January 9, 1935 – September 2, 2005) was always and evermore Gilligan. He could never leave the island.
Skipper: Alan Hale Jr. (March 8, 1921 – January 2, 1990) Along with Gilligan, the Professor, and Mary Ann, appeared in an ALF episode called Somewhere Over the Rerun aka The Ballad of Gilligan’s Island.
The Professor: Russell Johnson (November 10, 1924 – January 16, 2014) Like others from the original cast, Johnson appeared in a number of Gilligan’s Island reboots in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. But can you beat the camp of This Island Earth, his 1955 sci-fi flick?
Lovey Howell: Natalie Schafer (November 5, 1900 – April 10, 1991) No other island shows, except for the Gilligan’s reboots and a couple Love Boat appearances. Too bad. This was a woman who could handle any quicksand thrown at her. Er - that she was thrown into. Imagine Cast Away recast with Natalie in the Tom Hanks role.
Thurston Howell: Jim Backus (February 25, 1913 – July 3, 1989) Like Natalie Schafer, stayed busy but island appearances were limited to Love Boat and Fantasy Island episodes.
RIP on that big island in the sky!
Photo by Abbie Bernet. Licensed through Unsplash.
Ratings
Because you asked... we now have ratings for all the shows and movies we watch.
To make sure you can find exactly the island show that's right for you, we answer two questions for each show:
Does this show make me feel like I’m actually on the island? That's our specialized Island Rating. No other show gives you that!
Do we recommend this show? Our Star Rating lets you know if we loved a show or not, regardless of the island.
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Island Rating
Gemma: Hotel Window (1 out of 5)
I felt like I was on an island of nostalgia...but no real island feels.
Dave: Hotel Window (1 out of 5)
A few scenes were filmed outside. But most of the time it's pretty obvious that it's a soundstage. That artificiality pervades the show.
Star Rating
Gemma: 1 out of 5
I recommend the theme song! It’s so dang catchy. But the show had its time in the sun.
Dave: 2 out of 5
This was a favourite when I was a kid. It doesn't stand up 50+ years later. Nonetheless, there's still a nostalgia factor.
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Find The Island: This week’s puzzle features an island with a very old resident. Like, Blue Zone busting old.
Our next island: A deserted island in the South Pacific. Tom Hanks in Cast Away will take us there!
Messages in a Bottle: The best way to get in touch with us is by email. Send your questions and comments to us at islandwatchpodcast@gmail.com