Gilligan's Island has 100 episodes.
I decided to get on an exercise bike every night for 100 evenings
and watch an episode per night.
Like most Americans, you have seen an episode here and there in
syndication over the last 40 years. I rarely watched it when it was
in its first run on CBS in the 60's.
After the first season, efforts were made to introduce a great deal
of fantasy situations to give it a new life. Many of those are very
clever and innovative. Sometimes they even spend great effort for
a 2-second sight gag.
By the third season, things become very predictable.
You basically know what's going to happen, how things
are going to turn out, how the characters will react.
But it's just a great deal of fun with a group of characters
that are a microcosm of society.
Gilligan is the labor--he does most of the work nobody else wants to do.
The Skipper is the politician/leader trying to hold everything together.
Mr. and Mrs. Howell are the wealthy and high society.
The Professor is the intelligentsia and educated class.
Ginger is the sex symbol.
Maryann is the girl next door and the most down to earth.
A number of questions come to mind after watching the entire series:
Why would the Howells take a cruise on a dinky boat with average
people when they could afford their own luxury yacht?
Why would they bring dozens of suitcases and wardrobe changes
with therm for a three-hour cruise?
When Gilligan continually messes up the chances for their survival
time after time, why don't they just ignore him and keep him away?
Why does everybody get so excited when the Howells try and bribe
them with money when money has no value on the island?
Why does Ginger go on a 3-hour cruise wearing an evening gown?
How come the Professor can make incredible inventions out of
coconuts, but he can't find a way to repair a hole in the boat?
In one episode he creates a sticky substance that will hold together
anything and we regularly see driftwood washing up on the shore.
I had the opportunity to talk with Bob Denver once.
He sounded just as enthusiastic as his character Gilligan.
You can read it on the left side of my main page
at www.eliotstein.com
