15 Gilligan's Island Facts Only Hardcore Fans Know

Even if you never watched "Gilligan's Island" yourself, it's such a pillar in pop culture that you undeniably know the gist of what it's about. A charter boat with two crew members and five passengers ends up getting shipwrecked on a deserted island, except for the occasional guest star who would show up for an episode and then never appear again. These seven individuals frequently get underneath one another's skin, as they figure out how to get off the island, and anytime it seems like they're close, Gilligan (Bob Denver) usually winds up ruining everything. 

It's a simple premise, but one that worked incredibly well for 98 episodes across three seasons from 1964 to 1967. To this day, Gilligan's iconic red shirt and white bucket hat remain entrenched in people's minds. But a lot happened during those three seasons that even the most hardcore of fans may not be aware of. After 60 years, there's always something new to learn, so let these "Gilligan's Island" facts keep you company. 

While Bob Denver starred in various films and TV series over the course of his career, none ever matched the heights of when he played America's little buddy on "Gilligan's Island." Denver admitted to having conflicting feelings about getting typecast in similar Gilligan-esque roles but appeared grateful for the opportunity to play such a beloved character. In another timeline, someone else would've received such a fate. 

Apparently, the show's creator, Sherwood Schwartz, wanted Jerry Van Dyke (Dick Van Dyke's brother) to play Gilligan at first. It wasn't the first time he had a chance to be in an iconic TV show, as he was also in the running to replace Don Knotts on "The Andy Griffith Show." But he forewent "Gilligan's Island" to star in the short-lived yet incredibly bizarre series, "My Mother the Car," which is about the soul of a man's dead wife inhabiting his vehicle. That show would get cancelled after one season, but Van Dyke would find greater success later in his career, appearing in all nine seasons of the hit ABC sitcom, "Coach." 

In the era of reality television, it's hard to know what's real and what's scripted. It causes chaos within the fanbases of things like Nathan Fielder's "The Rehearsal" where you never know when someone is in on the joke. Apparently, this issue isn't anything knew, even when people in the 1960s were watching shows with laugh tracks attached. 

"Gilligan's Island" caused chaos for the Coast Guard when it was on the air, as people would write in asking them why they hadn't rescued the castaways yet. One might think the obviously fake sets and the fact Ginger (Tina Louise) had an extensive wardrobe despite only needing to pack for a three-hour tour would've tipped the general populace off that the show was all fake. Sherwood Schwartz reportedly received a pile of telegrams, so this wasn't limited to just a couple of folks either. The next time you see a conversation online debating how bad media literacy has gotten, just remember that people misunderstanding art is a perennial problem. 

It's hard to find a show more lighthearted than "Gilligan's Island." Seven people get into shenanigans on an island is about as carefree as you can get, but while the crew was filming the pilot, "Marooned," things took a dark turn. 

On the second-to-last day of production — November 22, 1963 — the cast and crew got word that President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated. It's heavy news to receive and then go back to making jokes about coconuts, but that was just the beginning of their problems. November 23 was meant to be the final day where they got the shot of the S.S. Minnow actually leaving the harbor, the beginning of what was to be the pilot. Unfortunately, the harbor was shut down in the aftermath of Kennedy's death, and they had to reschedule. They eventually did finish filming, and while the show got picked up for a season order, that episode wouldn't air for another 30 years...

One would hope with such difficulty in finishing the pilot it would all be worth it in the end, but it would take nearly 30 years for anyone to lay eyes on it. Studio executives nearly ruined the "Gilligan's Island" pilot by filling it with unnecessary scenes of the castaways packing their bags. The dynamic amongst the main cast was also off. Gilligan, the Skipper, Thurston Howell III (Jim Backus), and Thurston's wife, Lovey (Natalie Schafer), were all there. But the rest of the cast was rounded out by two secretaries — Bunny (Nancy McCarthy) and Ginger (Kit Smythe) — as well as a high school teacher called simply the Professor (John Gabriel). 

It's a testament to CBS' trust in the show that they moved forward even with the wonky episode. Sherwood Schwartz retooled the main cast to instead include movie star Ginger Grant, farm girl Mary Ann Summers (Dawn Wells), and actual professor Roy Hinkley (Russell Johnson). The series premiered in earnest with the episode "Two on a Raft" on September 26, 1964. The true pilot, "Marooned," remained lost at sea until it aired as part of a special presentation in 1992.

The premise to "Gilligan's Island" seems simple enough: Put a bunch of wacky characters on a deserted island and see what they get up to. However, Sherwood Schwartz had far grander ambitions for the series. In the book "Inside Gilligan's Island: From Creation to Syndication," Schwartz explained how he wanted the series to explore how people from different backgrounds could come together for the greater good. He even described his initial pitch as "a social microcosm and a metaphorical shaming of world politics in the sense that when necessary for survival, yes we can all get along." It's like "Lord of the Flies" but with more jokes and less death. 

It was a loftier idea than what executives were seemingly thinking. In 1992, Schwartz told The Los Angeles Times that he met with CBS board chairman William Paley and gave the "microcosm" pitch. "The man visibly blanched," Schwartz recalled. "He said, 'I thought it was a comedy show.' I said, 'Mr. Paley, it's a very funny microcosm.' Very quickly. And I never used that phrase again." It's a vital case study in the importance of occasionally needing to dumb things down for a prospective boss. 

To the degree that the "Gilligan's Island" castaways represent different aspects of the American microcosm, Mary Ann represents the more rural side of the country. She's a farm hand and is often better-natured compared to some of her compatriots that are used to the finer things in life. Dawn Wells did an exceptional job playing Mary Ann as the girl-next-door, but the role could've gone to a bona fide movie star. 

Granted, she wasn't a household name when "Gilligan's Island" first aired, but Raquel Welch almost played Mary Ann. In 1964 when the show first aired, Welch was still making a name for herself in Hollywood, ultimately breaking out with 1966's "Fantastic Voyage." But the reason Welch missed out on Mary Ann is that Sherwood Schwartz thought she was too sophisticated for the part, especially with Ginger already being the more sophisticated of the pair.

Say what you will about '60s sitcoms, but they really had some amazing theme songs. "Gilligan's Island" was no exception, but there was an odd irregularity in the first season's opening number. Fans undoubtedly remember that the song ends by listing off the characters: "With Gilligan, the Skipper too, the billionaire and his wife, the movie star, and the rest." It seems like an odd exclusion that they couldn't have fit descriptors for Mary Ann and the Professor in there, but that was actually due to a clause in Tina Louise's contract that she be the last person mentioned in the opening credits, and as a result of when Dawn Wells and Russell Johnson signed on, they were shipped off to the end credits. 

That didn't sit right with Bob Denver, who had the titular role. He threatened to put his name last just to spite Louise, who relented and allowed other actors to have their names come after hers. Starting with season 2, all of the castaways get a shoutout. It's a great example of the social microcosm Sherwood Schwartz wanted of actors supporting one another. 

From the above anecdote, maybe one can surmise Tina Louise was a bit difficult to work with. She was already an established actress, and according to reports, she didn't want to be typecast into comedic roles by accepting the "Gilligan's Island" part. There were also reports (albeit unsubstantiated) that she didn't get along with Bob Denver and Dawn Wells. Allegedly, Denver spread a rumor about Louise sneaking a boyfriend into her dressing room, which caused tension. 

When the cast reunited for the 1978 reunion movie, "Rescue from Gilligan's Island," the role of Ginger was played by Judith Baldwin. Wells spoke to Studio 10 about what she perceived to be Louise's attitude toward her fellow cast members: "Tina thought she was a movie star and I don't think she realized what it was that there were seven of us. She was never difficult. She was never part of the company, though." Years later, Louise cleared the air about her thoughts toward "Gilligan's Island," saying how she "loved doing [her] part."

Many viewers likely didn't give a second thought to the name of the S.S. Minnow, the ill-fated ship that was supposed to go on a three-hour tour but led its crew and passengers to that fateful island. After all, it's a boat, and a minnow is a type of fish. But there's a far more hilarious reason why the boat is named the S.S. Minnow. 

Sherwood Schwartz wasn't a fan of then-chair of the Federal Communications Commission Newton Minow. Minow himself wasn't a fan of the larger television landscape, something Schwartz had dedicated his life to. In an infamous speech Minow gave on May 9, 1961, he called out some of TV's more diabolical elements, including "formulaic comedies" like what Schwartz had worked on. As such, Schwartz named the disastrous boat after Minow, which, to his credit, he took in good humor. 

"Gilligan's Island" ended after three seasons in 1967, but it remained a cultural touchstone, receiving three made-for-TV films — "Rescue from Gilligan's Island," "The Castaways on Gilligan's Island," and "The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island." Much of the cast got back together for these reunions, with Alan Hale Jr. only having a small cameo in the "Harlem Globetrotters" film due to poor health. But those weren't the only places fans could catch the castaways post-cancellation.

Hale, Bob Denver, Dawn Wells, and Russell Johnson reprised their characters on a season 2 episode of "Alf" titled "The Ballad of Gilligan's Island," where Alf has a dream about visiting his favorite deserted island residents. Denver and Wells embodied their characters again on an episode of "Baywatch" in yet another dream sequence. And finally, in 1995, Denver, Wells, Johnson, and Tina Louise (with Hale having since passed away) got back together for an episode of "Roseanne." "Gilligan's Island" is a crucial component of TV history, so it's been nice to see so many series that followed in its footsteps pay tribute.

The long-lost pilot may have filmed in Hawaii, but as one might expect, much of the show was filmed on a lot in Studio City, California. When the characters were inside huts, they were in a soundstage, but the famous lagoon was outside, meaning (rather humorously) that the cast and crew would have to wait to film until after rush hour so that sounds from the nearby highway couldn't be heard. The lagoon itself consisted of a massive water tank that came in handy when filming other shows, like "St. Elsewhere" and "Wild Wild West."

Sadly, anyone hoping to visit the "Gilligan's Island" lagoon these days are in for an anticlimactic surprise. In the '90s, CBS paved over the lagoon to make room for more employee parking spaces. In 1995, Dawn Wells told The Los Angeles Times of the development, "They've paved over a lot of memories, as far as I'm concerned."

"Gilligan's Island" is already a pretty ridiculous show. After all, the Professor can somehow build a hot air balloon, lie detector, and washing machine with parts found around the ship and the island, but he can't just build another boat. Those kinds of things are understandable because if they could get off the island, then the show would have to end. Early in the show's development, there was a suggestion that could've derailed the whole thing in one of the wildest "Gilligan's Island" facts to date. 

Specifically, Hunt Stromberg Jr., a producer on the series, wanted to add a dinosaur to the cast. He thought the dinosaur could function as the castaways' pet and effectively function as the show's Mr. Ed by having a cute animal walking around. Thankfully, animating a dinosaur (with the help of Disney to blend it into the live-action elements) would've been too expensive for the show to pull off, so the idea was scrapped. 

"Gilligan's Island" is a silly show, but it's spawned some truly dark fan theories. One involves the alleged eighth passenger aboard the S.S. Minnow when it set sail before getting shipwrecked. Many fans proclaim that if you look at the silhouettes of the Minnow as it's heading out to sea during the show's opening song, you can see an eighth person standing there. It's hard to make out, and there's a good chance it's just something that in the shadows resembles a person. But if there's one thing the internet is phenomenal at, it's taking the most inconsequential detail and running wild with it. 

Since there are only seven castaways, fan theories suggest Gilligan, the Skipper, and the rest cannibalized the eighth member as a food source. Maybe this explains why the Professor could never simply built another boat: He felt like he and the other castaways had already sacrificed their humanity and didn't deserve ever to reach civilization again. Okay, thinking about this made us depressed, so we need to watch some silly "Gilligan's Island" episodes to feel better. 

Given the impact "Gilligan's Island" has had on pop culture, it's odd to think its original run only lasted for three years (although it still managed to cram in 98 episodes during that time). But there could've been more. Reportedly, "Gilligan's Island" was set to receive a fourth season, but it had to contend with another behemoth show on CBS — "Gunsmoke."

"Gunsmoke" was cancelled in 1967 and then quickly brought back to life. There are conflicting reports as to why "Gunsmoke" was quickly revived, including one about how it was an executive's wife's favorite show who demanded it return. Regardless of the truth, "Gunsmoke" was ultimately renewed in 1967, and "Gilligan's Island" had to surrender its time slot, becoming the casualty in all this. "Gilligan's Island" would still find its own victory in later years as it gained new life in syndication, with reruns going constantly in the decades that followed, allowing for generations of fans to discover the misadventures of Gilligan and the other castaways. 

"Gilligan's Island" may have ended too soon, but its persevering popularity ensures other adventures followed. The first is a spinoff in the loosest sense called "Dusty's Trail," which sees Bob Denver play the titular Dusty, one of two coachmen who lead five other passengers astray from their party. Yes, it's a Western-themed version of "Gilligan's Island," perhaps hoping for better luck this time around, seeing as "Gunsmoke" knocked Denver off his perch previously. But it only lasted one season.

Next, there was an animated spinoff called "The New Adventures of Gilligan" that saw Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, and Russell Johnson reprising their characters in cartoon form, with Jane Webb voicing both Mary Ann and Ginger. This time around, Gilligan even got a pet monkey to pal around with. This was followed by "Gilligan's Planet," another cartoon where the Professor builds a rocket ship but winds up crash-landing them on another planet. After all this, we still can't tell if the Professor is a genius or an idiot because he could build a rocket ... BUT NOT A SHIP!?!