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Hello Out There From TV Land,
I have HUGE news for die-hard "Gilligan" fans such as myself: as yours truly learned from a Me-TV commercial break earlier this week of a "Happy Days" rerun (specifically "My Favorite Orkan," guest-starring Robin Williams as Mork from Ork in an episode that spun off "Mork & Mindy" the following Fall 1978 TV season), on Monday week, September 7, after a Summer hiatus, "Gilligan's Island" will be returning to Me-TV, this time airing Weekday mornings at 7 A.M. ET.
For those unfamiliar with the show, here's the Inside Information, unless otherwise noted courtesy of its 1999 "E! True Hollywood Story" episode.
Created by Sherwood Schwartz, "Gilligan's Island" enjoyed a successful 3-year tour of the CBS Television Network from September 26, 1964 - April 17, 1967.
The original "Gilligan" pilot was filmed on November 22, 1963 (the same day that President Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas, Texas by Lee Harvey Oswald) entirely on location in Honolulu, Hawaii, remaining unaired until telecast for the first time EVER on the TBS Television Network in 1992.
The original Pilot had 3 different cast members change after the Pilot, specifically actors John Gabriel as The Professor, Kit Smythe as Ginger, and Nancy McCarthy as Bunny (later rechristened Mary Ann for the series).
Willy Gilligan (Bob Denver) was the sole crew member aside from Jonas Grumby (Alan Hale, Jr.), The Skipper; Thurston Howell III (Jim Backus) and his wife Lovey (Natalie Schafer) were the Millionaire and His Wife, respectively; Roy Hinkley (Russell Johnson) was The Professor; Ginger Grant (Tina Louise) was the Hollywood Movie Star; and Mary Ann Summers (Dawn Wells) was Mary Ann.
Though as mentioned earlier the original 1963 Pilot was filmed entirely on location in Honolulu, Hawaii, the rest of the series was filmed at the CBS Studio Center in Los Angeles, California, as originally telecast on CBS from 1964-1967.
At the end of its 3rd season, Sherwood Schwartz was given a FIRM Commitment for a Season 4 by CBS; however, despite great ratings, then-CBS President Fred Friendly (whose wife was a HUGE "Gunsmoke" fan) renewed "Gunsmoke" for a 12th season (it eventually would air 20 years on CBS until 1975 when the network cancelled it), causing the 7 Stranded Castaways of "Gilligan's Island" to "Go Home," Permanently--until 1978, when except for Tina Louise (who refused to participate after the 1967 cancellation in any "Gilligan" reunion telefilms as Ginger due to being a real, pardon my French, *****, although was very professional onset throughout the original series' run), the entire cast reunited for a De-Facto Series Finale, "Rescue from Gilligan's Island," as telecast on NBC in October 1978, a decade after CBS' untimely Cancellation, during which time the Castaways were FINALLY rescued off the Island, only to go on a Reunion cruise shortly afterwards, winding up EXACTLY back where they started due to ANOTHER Thunderstorm causing the Ship to go far off shore.
2 more reunion telefilms followed for NBC, both produced by Universal Studios Television: 1979's "The Castaways on Gilligan's Island" (a proposed Pilot for a "Love Boat"-esque version of "Gilligan" where the Castaways turned the Island into a Resort where Various Guest Stars e.g. Tom Bosley would appear as Guests; not surprisingly, the Pilot was passed over by NBC for series), and 1981's "The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island," with the famous Basketball team The Harlem Globetrotters arriving on "Gilligan's Island."
The 1981 telefilm would prove to be the final time the Castaways would work together Professionally, as Jim Backus was VERY Ill at the time with Parkinson's Disease; he eventually died of Pneumonia on July 3, 1989 at the age of 76.
Judith Baldwin replaced Tina Louise for the Reunion TV Movies as Ginger.
And now, a Complete Biography of the 7 Stranded Castaways on "Gilligan's Island," and the Actors Who Portrayed Them throughout its 3-year TV tour.
Bob Denver (Willy Gilligan) -- Robert Osbourne "Bob" Denver was born on January 9, 1935 in New Rochelle, New York (24 hours after the birth of a certain Elvis Aron Presley in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8, 1935) and raised soon afterwards in Brownwood, Texas; after College, Bob, then a Struggling Actor, worked odd jobs--including a Postman and Teacher--before his initial big break as Maynard G. Krebs on the hit '50s sitcom "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" from 1959-1963; after "Dobie" ended, Bob almost immediately booked the title role of Willy Gilligan on the hit '60s sitcom "Gilligan's Island," a role he'd be famous for the rest of his life. Nearly a decade after the end of "Gilligan," Bob Denver, by this time a three-time Divorcee, met and fell in love with aspiring actress Dreama Perry; they eventually married and became parents in 1984 to a severely Autistic son, Colin, who has had the Mental Illness of Autism his entire life. Bob and Dreama gave up Showbiz and raised Colin together, even as Bob wound up in real-life Hot Water over various Drug Arrests e.g. his 1997 Marijuana Possession Bust earning him Probation; in early 2005, a year after making what would be his Final Public Appearance at the 2004 TV Land Awards alongside Tina Louise (who I believe by this time had since mellowed her Bitchness), Russell Johnson and Dawn Wells, Bob, by this time having turned 70, survived Heart Surgery only to be diagnosed with a rare form of Throat Cancer that cost him his voice. After many years of Death Rumors, Bob Denver died--FOR REAL--on September 2, 2005 of Pneumonia at age 70 in North Carolina, and besides Colin and Dreama, was survived by 3 grown children (including his eldest son, Patrick, who appeared as a younger child version of "Gilligan" in an uncredited cameo on an episode of "Gilligan's Island" I believe around 1965).
Alan Hale, Jr. (The Skipper) -- The elder of 2 children (including a younger sister, Karen, born in 1924, 6 years afterwards) born to Rufus Edward MacKahan (real name of Alan Hale, Sr.) and Gretchen Hartman, both actors, Alan Hale MacKahan, Jr. was born on March 8, 1918 in Los Angeles, California (as verified by his official website at https://web.archive.org/web/20190503094735/http://alanhale.com/, presumably run by his family). He graduated from Hollywood High School in 1938 at age 20, where among other things he was a Teen Classmate of Joe Yule, Jr. (real name of Child Star Mickey Rooney), after which he followed his parents (his dad, Alan, Sr., by this time a Hollywood movie star) into Acting, eventually becoming best known for his role as Jonas Grumby, The Skipper, on "Gilligan's Island," the role of which he was cast in at age 45 in November 1963; in 1986, at age 68, Alan Hale, Jr. was diagnosed with Cancer, but despite his Cancer, he continued working every chance he could, making guest appearances on such hit shows as "ALF," "Murder She, Wrote" and "Growing Pains," the last of which had Alan Hale, Jr. portray his Skipper character as a Cabbie in an extended Dream Sequence. He died at age 71 on January 2, 1990 in Los Angeles at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and among his many survivors were his widow, Trinket Hale, and 4 grown children from his first marriage to Bettina Doerr--as well as a 6-year-old Granddaughter, Samantha.
Jim Backus (The Millionaire) -- Best known besides "Gilligan's Island" as "Mr. Magoo" in a series of theatrical cartoon shorts (later adapted into a 1997 Disney live-action PG movie with Leslie Nielsen as "Mister Magoo"), James Gilmore "Jim" Backus was born on February 25, 1913 in Cleveland, Ohio. At the time of his death at age 76 of Pneumonia after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease on July 3, 1989, Jim was survived by his widow Henny--thus Jim became the first "Castaway" on "Gilligan's Island" (but certainly NOT the last) to go to Heaven.
Natalie Schafer (The Millionaire's Wife) -- According to Bob Denver via the 2000 "Gilligan" Documentary/Biopic airing on CBS called "Surviving Gilligan's Island," Natalie was 90 when she died in 1991, having been born in New York City on November 5, 1900. She initially only accepted her Lovey Howell role on "Gilligan's Island" because it was a working vacation, with its initial Pilot filmed entirely on location in Hawaii, only to see the show move permanently for the rest of its run to CBS Studio Center in Los Angeles, California upon series pickup.
Russell Johnson (The Professor) -- Though best known for his role as The Professor on "Gilligan's Island," Russell Johnson (who died in 2014 at age 89) was born on November 10, 1924 in Ashley, Pennsylvania and had a number of credits before "Gilligan," including an episode of the '50s Western "Rawhide"; before his own death, Russell's son, David, who was openly Gay, died of AIDS.
Tina Louise (The Movie Star) -- Before becoming Ginger Grant, the fictional famous Movie Star, on "Gilligan's Island," Tina Blackert (real name of Tina Louise) had posed covered topless for Playboy in one of the magazine's earliest issues during her days as a Struggling Actress. Though very professional onset, by all accounts, Tina has refused to reprise her Ginger role due to her false, preconceived notion that SHE was gonna be the star of the show, becoming a real ***** in the years since then (though presumably mellowed in fairly recent years). Tina, as of this writing, is still very much alive at her current age of 86.
Dawn Wells (Mary Ann) -- At her current age of 81, it's reported that Dawn Wells in recent weeks was given a Confirmed Diagnosis of Dementia after a long-term Health Struggle including surviving Injuries from a Fall she suffered some time ago. She reprised her Mary Ann persona in a number of TV shows and commercials--including a 10-10-321 Commercial in the early 2000s.
Besides Me-TV, reruns of "Gilligan's Island" have flourished in Syndication and on various cable networks e.g. Nickelodeon, TBS, TV Land, and Hallmark Channel; A Gladasya-United Artists Television Production, "Gilligan's Island" is Distributed for Syndication via Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.
I have HUGE news for die-hard "Gilligan" fans such as myself: as yours truly learned from a Me-TV commercial break earlier this week of a "Happy Days" rerun (specifically "My Favorite Orkan," guest-starring Robin Williams as Mork from Ork in an episode that spun off "Mork & Mindy" the following Fall 1978 TV season), on Monday week, September 7, after a Summer hiatus, "Gilligan's Island" will be returning to Me-TV, this time airing Weekday mornings at 7 A.M. ET.
For those unfamiliar with the show, here's the Inside Information, unless otherwise noted courtesy of its 1999 "E! True Hollywood Story" episode.
Created by Sherwood Schwartz, "Gilligan's Island" enjoyed a successful 3-year tour of the CBS Television Network from September 26, 1964 - April 17, 1967.
The original "Gilligan" pilot was filmed on November 22, 1963 (the same day that President Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas, Texas by Lee Harvey Oswald) entirely on location in Honolulu, Hawaii, remaining unaired until telecast for the first time EVER on the TBS Television Network in 1992.
The original Pilot had 3 different cast members change after the Pilot, specifically actors John Gabriel as The Professor, Kit Smythe as Ginger, and Nancy McCarthy as Bunny (later rechristened Mary Ann for the series).
Willy Gilligan (Bob Denver) was the sole crew member aside from Jonas Grumby (Alan Hale, Jr.), The Skipper; Thurston Howell III (Jim Backus) and his wife Lovey (Natalie Schafer) were the Millionaire and His Wife, respectively; Roy Hinkley (Russell Johnson) was The Professor; Ginger Grant (Tina Louise) was the Hollywood Movie Star; and Mary Ann Summers (Dawn Wells) was Mary Ann.
Though as mentioned earlier the original 1963 Pilot was filmed entirely on location in Honolulu, Hawaii, the rest of the series was filmed at the CBS Studio Center in Los Angeles, California, as originally telecast on CBS from 1964-1967.
At the end of its 3rd season, Sherwood Schwartz was given a FIRM Commitment for a Season 4 by CBS; however, despite great ratings, then-CBS President Fred Friendly (whose wife was a HUGE "Gunsmoke" fan) renewed "Gunsmoke" for a 12th season (it eventually would air 20 years on CBS until 1975 when the network cancelled it), causing the 7 Stranded Castaways of "Gilligan's Island" to "Go Home," Permanently--until 1978, when except for Tina Louise (who refused to participate after the 1967 cancellation in any "Gilligan" reunion telefilms as Ginger due to being a real, pardon my French, *****, although was very professional onset throughout the original series' run), the entire cast reunited for a De-Facto Series Finale, "Rescue from Gilligan's Island," as telecast on NBC in October 1978, a decade after CBS' untimely Cancellation, during which time the Castaways were FINALLY rescued off the Island, only to go on a Reunion cruise shortly afterwards, winding up EXACTLY back where they started due to ANOTHER Thunderstorm causing the Ship to go far off shore.
2 more reunion telefilms followed for NBC, both produced by Universal Studios Television: 1979's "The Castaways on Gilligan's Island" (a proposed Pilot for a "Love Boat"-esque version of "Gilligan" where the Castaways turned the Island into a Resort where Various Guest Stars e.g. Tom Bosley would appear as Guests; not surprisingly, the Pilot was passed over by NBC for series), and 1981's "The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island," with the famous Basketball team The Harlem Globetrotters arriving on "Gilligan's Island."
The 1981 telefilm would prove to be the final time the Castaways would work together Professionally, as Jim Backus was VERY Ill at the time with Parkinson's Disease; he eventually died of Pneumonia on July 3, 1989 at the age of 76.
Judith Baldwin replaced Tina Louise for the Reunion TV Movies as Ginger.
And now, a Complete Biography of the 7 Stranded Castaways on "Gilligan's Island," and the Actors Who Portrayed Them throughout its 3-year TV tour.
Bob Denver (Willy Gilligan) -- Robert Osbourne "Bob" Denver was born on January 9, 1935 in New Rochelle, New York (24 hours after the birth of a certain Elvis Aron Presley in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8, 1935) and raised soon afterwards in Brownwood, Texas; after College, Bob, then a Struggling Actor, worked odd jobs--including a Postman and Teacher--before his initial big break as Maynard G. Krebs on the hit '50s sitcom "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" from 1959-1963; after "Dobie" ended, Bob almost immediately booked the title role of Willy Gilligan on the hit '60s sitcom "Gilligan's Island," a role he'd be famous for the rest of his life. Nearly a decade after the end of "Gilligan," Bob Denver, by this time a three-time Divorcee, met and fell in love with aspiring actress Dreama Perry; they eventually married and became parents in 1984 to a severely Autistic son, Colin, who has had the Mental Illness of Autism his entire life. Bob and Dreama gave up Showbiz and raised Colin together, even as Bob wound up in real-life Hot Water over various Drug Arrests e.g. his 1997 Marijuana Possession Bust earning him Probation; in early 2005, a year after making what would be his Final Public Appearance at the 2004 TV Land Awards alongside Tina Louise (who I believe by this time had since mellowed her Bitchness), Russell Johnson and Dawn Wells, Bob, by this time having turned 70, survived Heart Surgery only to be diagnosed with a rare form of Throat Cancer that cost him his voice. After many years of Death Rumors, Bob Denver died--FOR REAL--on September 2, 2005 of Pneumonia at age 70 in North Carolina, and besides Colin and Dreama, was survived by 3 grown children (including his eldest son, Patrick, who appeared as a younger child version of "Gilligan" in an uncredited cameo on an episode of "Gilligan's Island" I believe around 1965).
Alan Hale, Jr. (The Skipper) -- The elder of 2 children (including a younger sister, Karen, born in 1924, 6 years afterwards) born to Rufus Edward MacKahan (real name of Alan Hale, Sr.) and Gretchen Hartman, both actors, Alan Hale MacKahan, Jr. was born on March 8, 1918 in Los Angeles, California (as verified by his official website at https://web.archive.org/web/20190503094735/http://alanhale.com/, presumably run by his family). He graduated from Hollywood High School in 1938 at age 20, where among other things he was a Teen Classmate of Joe Yule, Jr. (real name of Child Star Mickey Rooney), after which he followed his parents (his dad, Alan, Sr., by this time a Hollywood movie star) into Acting, eventually becoming best known for his role as Jonas Grumby, The Skipper, on "Gilligan's Island," the role of which he was cast in at age 45 in November 1963; in 1986, at age 68, Alan Hale, Jr. was diagnosed with Cancer, but despite his Cancer, he continued working every chance he could, making guest appearances on such hit shows as "ALF," "Murder She, Wrote" and "Growing Pains," the last of which had Alan Hale, Jr. portray his Skipper character as a Cabbie in an extended Dream Sequence. He died at age 71 on January 2, 1990 in Los Angeles at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and among his many survivors were his widow, Trinket Hale, and 4 grown children from his first marriage to Bettina Doerr--as well as a 6-year-old Granddaughter, Samantha.
Jim Backus (The Millionaire) -- Best known besides "Gilligan's Island" as "Mr. Magoo" in a series of theatrical cartoon shorts (later adapted into a 1997 Disney live-action PG movie with Leslie Nielsen as "Mister Magoo"), James Gilmore "Jim" Backus was born on February 25, 1913 in Cleveland, Ohio. At the time of his death at age 76 of Pneumonia after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease on July 3, 1989, Jim was survived by his widow Henny--thus Jim became the first "Castaway" on "Gilligan's Island" (but certainly NOT the last) to go to Heaven.
Natalie Schafer (The Millionaire's Wife) -- According to Bob Denver via the 2000 "Gilligan" Documentary/Biopic airing on CBS called "Surviving Gilligan's Island," Natalie was 90 when she died in 1991, having been born in New York City on November 5, 1900. She initially only accepted her Lovey Howell role on "Gilligan's Island" because it was a working vacation, with its initial Pilot filmed entirely on location in Hawaii, only to see the show move permanently for the rest of its run to CBS Studio Center in Los Angeles, California upon series pickup.
Russell Johnson (The Professor) -- Though best known for his role as The Professor on "Gilligan's Island," Russell Johnson (who died in 2014 at age 89) was born on November 10, 1924 in Ashley, Pennsylvania and had a number of credits before "Gilligan," including an episode of the '50s Western "Rawhide"; before his own death, Russell's son, David, who was openly Gay, died of AIDS.
Tina Louise (The Movie Star) -- Before becoming Ginger Grant, the fictional famous Movie Star, on "Gilligan's Island," Tina Blackert (real name of Tina Louise) had posed covered topless for Playboy in one of the magazine's earliest issues during her days as a Struggling Actress. Though very professional onset, by all accounts, Tina has refused to reprise her Ginger role due to her false, preconceived notion that SHE was gonna be the star of the show, becoming a real ***** in the years since then (though presumably mellowed in fairly recent years). Tina, as of this writing, is still very much alive at her current age of 86.
Dawn Wells (Mary Ann) -- At her current age of 81, it's reported that Dawn Wells in recent weeks was given a Confirmed Diagnosis of Dementia after a long-term Health Struggle including surviving Injuries from a Fall she suffered some time ago. She reprised her Mary Ann persona in a number of TV shows and commercials--including a 10-10-321 Commercial in the early 2000s.
Besides Me-TV, reruns of "Gilligan's Island" have flourished in Syndication and on various cable networks e.g. Nickelodeon, TBS, TV Land, and Hallmark Channel; A Gladasya-United Artists Television Production, "Gilligan's Island" is Distributed for Syndication via Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.
