Gilligan's Island (season 2)
The second season of the American comedy television series Gilligan's Island commenced airing in the United States on September 16, 1965, and concluded on April 28, 1966, on CBS. The second season continues the comic adventures of seven castaways as they attempt to survive and escape from an island on which they had been shipwrecked. Most episodes revolve around the dissimilar castaways' conflicts and their failed attempts—invariably Gilligan's fault—to escape their plight. The season originally aired on Thursdays at 8:00-8:30 pm (EST). Unlike the first season, this season was shot in color.
| Gilligan's Island | |
|---|---|
| Season 2 | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 32 |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | September 16, 1965 – April 28, 1966 |
| Season chronology | |
Production
Executive producers for the second season of Gilligan's Island included William Froug and series creator Sherwood Schwartz.[1] Filming of the season took place at the CBS Radford Studios complex in Studio City, Los Angeles, California.[2] This complex contained 17 sound stages, as well as special effects and prop departments.[3] On one part of the studio lot, a lagoon had been constructed by the production company "at great expense".[4] According to Bob Denver, the crew would spend half of their days filming scenes in the lagoon. Scenes involving the castaways' huts and or the jungle, were shot on a soundstage.[4] After the series' cancellation, the show's lagoon was not dismantled, and it remained in place until 1995, when it was converted into a parking lot.[2][4]
Cast
The series employed an ensemble cast of seven main actors and actresses.[5] Denver played the role of the titular First Mate Gilligan, a bumbling, naive, and accident-prone crewman who often messes up the castaways chances of rescue. Alan Hale Jr. portrayed The Skipper, captain of the S.S. Minnow and the older friend of Gilligan. Jim Backus appeared as Thurston Howell III, a millionaire, and Natalie Schafer played his wife, Eunice Lovelle Wentworth Howell. Tina Louise played the role Ginger Grant, a famous movie star. Russell Johnson portrayed Professor Roy Hinkley, Ph.D., a high school science teacher who often uses his scientific background to try to find ways to get the castaways off the island. Dawn Wells played Mary Ann Summers, wholesome farm girl from Kansas.[6] Charles Maxwell was the uncredited voice of the radio announcer, to whom the castaways would often listen via their radio.
Broadcast history
The season originally aired Thursdays at 8:00–8:30 pm (EST) on CBS.
DVD release
The DVD was released by Warner Home Video, with an interdiction by the creator and members of the cast.
Episodes
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by [7] | Written by [7] | Original air date [8] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | 1 | "Gilligan's Mother-in-Law" | Jack Arnold | Budd Grossman | September 16, 1965 | |
| A native family arrives on the island looking for a husband for their ample (overweight) daughter. They choose Gilligan, but soon a native suitor shows up to challenge Gilligan to a duel. Jim Backus' real-life wife Henny has a cameo as the wife of the chief. Jim Backus impersonates entertainer Ted Lewis in this episode. | ||||||
| 38 | 2 | "Beauty Is as Beauty Does" | Jack Arnold | Joanna Lee | September 23, 1965 | |
| After each of the other men nominate a different woman as the fairest on the island, Gilligan suggests a beauty contest to decide Miss Castaway. | ||||||
| 39 | 3 | "The Little Dictator" | Jack Arnold | Bob Rodgers & Sid Mandel | September 30, 1965 | |
| When El Presidente Pancho Hernando Gonzales Enrico Rodriguez of Ecuarico is exiled on the island, he foments a revolution and convinces Gilligan to become his puppet leader. This episode is in effect a satire of the military politics of many Latin American countries during the 1960s, and is series creator Sherwood Schwartz's personal favorite. Nehemiah Persoff guest stars. | ||||||
| 40 | 4 | "Smile, You're on Mars Camera" | Jack Arnold | Al Schwartz & Bruce Howard | October 7, 1965 | |
| A Mars Lander accidentally crashes on the island instead of landing on Mars. | ||||||
| 41 | 5 | "The Sweepstakes" | Jack Arnold | Walter Black | October 14, 1965 | |
| Gilligan wins the lottery, joins the Howells' club, and then loses the ticket. | ||||||
| 42 | 6 | "Quick Before It Sinks" | George Cahan | Stan Burns & Mike Marmer | October 28, 1965 | |
| The Professor mistakenly believes that the island is sinking when Gilligan uses the Professor's high water measuring stick to mark the lobster traps. | ||||||
| 43 | 7 | "Castaways Pictures Presents" | Jack Arnold | Herbert Finn & Alan Dinehart | November 4, 1965 | |
| Gilligan discovers a sunken ship in the lagoon. The ship is only half there, but the cargo is intact: two crates of movie production equipment and costumes. | ||||||
| 44 | 8 | "Agonized Labor" | Jack Arnold | Roland MacLane | November 11, 1965 | |
| The Howells are broke, or so the radio says. After the rest of the group stops Mr. Howell's suicide attempts, they try to train them for other lines of work for after they are rescued. | ||||||
| 45 | 9 | "Nyet, Nyet -- Not Yet" | Jack Arnold | Adele T. Strassfield & Robert Riordan | November 18, 1965 | |
| Two Russian Cosmonauts land on the island. The castaways hope it will lead to a rescue. For once, Gilligan does something right when he switches water for vodka, but in the end he still messes things up, as usual. | ||||||
| 46 | 10 | "Hi-Fi Gilligan" | Jack Arnold | Mary C. McCall, Jr. | November 25, 1965 | |
| Gilligan's mouth becomes a radio when a filling in a tooth is knocked loose. Just in time, too, as the regular radio is broken and a monster typhoon is on its way. | ||||||
| 47 | 11 | "The Chain of Command" | Leslie Goodwins | Arnold & Lois Peyser | December 2, 1965 | |
| The Skipper wants to train Gilligan to take charge should anything happen to him. Gilligan's mettle is tested when the Skipper disappears, apparently kidnapped by natives. | ||||||
| 48 | 12 | "Don't Bug the Mosquitoes" | Steve Binder | Brad Radnitz | December 9, 1965 | |
| In a parody of The Beatles and Beatlemania, the music sensation "The Mosquitoes" land on the island for much needed peace and quiet. What they get instead are the girls having formed a group of their own, "The Honeybees". | ||||||
| 49 | 13 | "Gilligan Gets Bugged" | Gary Nelson | Jack Gross, Jr. & Michael R. Stein | December 16, 1965 | |
| Gilligan has been bitten by the dreaded, and deadly, Mantis Khani and fears he has only 24 hours to live. | ||||||
| 50 | 14 | "Mine Hero" | Wilbur D'Arcy | David Braverman & Bob Marcus | December 23, 1965 | |
| Gilligan catches a World War II mine while fishing. Now they must get rid of it before it destroys them all. | ||||||
| 51 | 15 | "Erika Tiffany Smith to the Rescue" | Jack Arnold | David P. Harmon | December 30, 1965 | |
| Socialite Erika Tiffany-Smith (Zsa Zsa Gabor) arrives on the island, looking for a place to build a resort, but instead she falls in love with, and becomes engaged to, the Professor. | ||||||
| 52 | 16 | "Not Guilty" | Stanley Z. Cherry | Roland MacLane | January 6, 1966 | |
| Who killed Randolph Blake? According to a newspaper that washed ashore, one of the castaways did it the night before the fateful 3-hour tour. So, they recreate the crime in order to find out who among them is the murderer. Well-known Cincinnati news anchor Al Schottelkotte has an off-screen cameo as himself as the radio announcer. | ||||||
| 53 | 17 | "You've Been Disconnected" | Jack Arnold | Elroy Schwartz | January 13, 1966 | |
| A storm washes an international underwater telephone cable onto the shore of the lagoon. So, naturally, they try to call for help. | ||||||
| 54 | 18 | "The Postman Cometh" | Leslie Goodwins | Herbert Finn & Alan Dinehart | January 20, 1966 | |
| Gilligan and the Skipper hear on the radio that Mary Ann's boyfriend is getting married. When they try gently to break the news to her, Mary Ann believes they are trying to tell her she is dying. | ||||||
| 55 | 19 | "Seer Gilligan" | Leslie Goodwins | Elroy Schwartz | January 27, 1966 | |
| Gilligan has found a bush that provides seeds that enable anyone who eats the seeds to read people's minds. | ||||||
| 56 | 20 | "Love Me, Love My Skipper" | Tony Leader | Herbert Finn & Alan Dinehart | February 3, 1966 | |
| The Howells are planning a cotillion, but Mr. Howell accidentally loses the Skipper's invitation. | ||||||
| 57 | 21 | "Gilligan's Living Doll" | Leslie Goodwins | Bob Stevens | February 10, 1966 | |
| A robot lands on the island, and the castaways must figure out how to use him to get rescued. Watch out for Gilligan's lucky rabbit's foot, which will magically reappear in episode 3.05. | ||||||
| 58 | 22 | "Forward March" | Jerry Hopper | Jack Raymond | February 17, 1966 | |
| Someone is shelling the castaways with hand grenades. It turns out that a gorilla has found a stash of World War II weapons in a cave. | ||||||
| 59 | 23 | "Ship Ahoax" | Leslie Goodwins | Charles Tannen & George O'Hanlon | February 24, 1966 | |
| When "Island Madness" threatens to destroy harmony on the island, Ginger uses a crystal ball to give everyone something to hope for. NFL Films narrator John Facenda has an off-screen cameo as himself as a radio announcer. | ||||||
| 60 | 24 | "Feed the Kitty" | Leslie Goodwins | J.E. Selby (aka Robert Lees) & Richard Sanville | March 3, 1966 | |
| A cage carrying a lion washes off a ship and onto the island. Gilligan befriends it by pulling a thorn from its paw. Note: During filming of this episode, the lion tried to attack Bob Denver. The lion's trainer asked the cast to keep this a secret from his employer, fearing he would be fired. | ||||||
| 61 | 25 | "Operation: Steam Heat" | Stanley Z. Cherry | Terence & Joan Maples | March 10, 1966 | |
| Gilligan finds a thermal vent and soon everyone has piping-hot water, but the Professor isn't so excited, because this means there is an active volcano on the island. | ||||||
| 62 | 26 | "Will the Real Mr. Howell Please Stand Up?" | Jack Arnold | Budd Grossman | March 17, 1966 | |
| Mr. Howell has a double back home spending his money. When the gent goes on a cruise, guess where he lands? Jim Backus played both Mr. Howell and the imposter | ||||||
| 63 | 27 | "Ghost a Go-Go" | Leslie Goodwins | Roland MacLane | March 24, 1966 | |
| A ghost is terrorizing the castaways, so the castaways decide to terrorize the ghost. Richard Kiel guest-stars as the "Ghost" | ||||||
| 64 | 28 | "Allergy Time" | Jack Arnold | Budd Grossman | March 31, 1966 | |
| First the Skipper, then the rest of the castaways develop an allergy to Gilligan. | ||||||
| 65 | 29 | "The Friendly Physician" | Jack Arnold | Elroy Schwartz | April 7, 1966 | |
| Mad scientist Dr. Boris Balinkoff (Vito Scotti in his third of four guest appearances) "rescues" the castaways, but in reality he kidnaps them to his own nearby island for mind transfer experiments. | ||||||
| 66 | 30 | "'V' for Vitamins" | Jack Arnold | Barney Slater | April 14, 1966 | |
| Gilligan must guard the last precious orange when the Professor determines that the castaways are in need of vitamins. (Bob Denver's real-life son Patrick plays small Gilligan in the dream sequence.) | ||||||
| 67 | 31 | "Mr. and Mrs. ???" | Gary Nelson | Jack Gross, Jr. & Michael R. Stein | April 21, 1966 | |
| The radio announces that the minister who married the Howells was a phony, so they aren't really married. | ||||||
| 68 | 32 | "Meet the Meteor" | Jack Arnold | Elroy Schwartz | May 5, 1966 | |
| A meteor crashes into the island making everything near it age very rapidly, including people. Can the Professor, the Skipper and Gilligan find a solution before the castaways age 50 years in a week? | ||||||
Footnotes
- Berard and Englund (2009), p. 126.
- "CBS Studio Center". Seeing-Stars.com. Retrieved October 17, 2009.
- "CBS Buys Republic Lot". Broadcasting. February 27, 1967. ProQuest 1014503405. (subscription required)
- Walstad, David (August 7, 1995). "Civilization Takes Over 'Gilligan's' Lagoon". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
- Tucker (2010), p. 89.
- Schwartz (2009), pp. 49–64.
- Schwartz (1988), pp. 291–299.
- Gilligan's Island: The Complete Second Season (booklet). Arnold, Jack, et al. Warner Home Video.CS1 maint: others (link)
References
- Berard, Jeanette; Englund, Klaudia (2009). Television Series and Specials Scripts, 1946-1992. McFarland. ISBN 978-0786454372.
- Morowitz, Laura (2003). "From Ganguin to Gilligan's Island". In Morreale, Joanne (ed.). Critiquing the Sitcom: A Reader. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 978-0815629832.
- Schwartz, Sherwood (1988). Inside Gilligan's Island. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0312104825.
- Stoddard, Sylvia (1996). TV Treasures – A Companion Guide to Gilligan's Island. St Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0312957971.
- Tucker, David (2010). Lost Laughs of '50S and '60S Television: Thirty Sitcoms That Faded Off Screen. McFarland. ISBN 978-0786455829.