|
|
All the skipper (Alan Hale jr) and his first mate Gilligan (Bob Denver)
were supposed to do was to take a bunch of tourists - millionaire Howell
(Jim Backus) and his wife (Natalie Schafer), moviestar Ginger (Tina
Louise), the know-it-all professor (Russell Johnson) and wholesome girl
Mary Ann (Dawn Wells) - on a three hour trip on their boat, but then they
get into heavy weather, and are ultimately marooned on an islang
God-knows-where. And the only thing that's for sure, according to the
professor, is that there's a tribe of savages on one of the neighbouring
islands that comes visit every once in a while. So the skipper and
Gilligan build a raft to get help - but once out on the open sea, they're
attacked with (apparently) bamboo-eating sharks, and only just make it
back to dry land ... and are completely unaware they're back on the
island, only on the other side, as are their fellow ship-wreckees. So when
the skipper and Gilligan light a fire to dry their clothes, the professor
and company believe it's the savages having returned to the island, and
build a trap - a trap that ultimately doesn't spring only on the skipper
and Gilligan but the professor and company as well ... Of
course, over the course of more than 50 years, and with hommages paid to
it by pretty much every sitcom that came afterwards, the premise of Gilligan's
Island has become a little too familiar, likewise the brand of
humour, which also seems dated by today's standards - and still, this
first episode of the series is still pretty funny, as it doesn't feel yet
as formulaic as later episodes and the humour still feels kind of fresh.
Now it's no great revelation or something, but based on this one, one can
understand why it left the audience was left wanting for more.
|
|
|