Surviving Gilligan's Island Documentary 2001"},"lengthSeconds":"5192","ownerProfileUrl":"http://www.

soft Bree drives away our winter worries into our blue skies on

island

vacation Where we find love in the white zone is only for immediate loading and unloading of passengers nowhere there are times and places in all our lives events that forever alter the paths we took for me, that was a particular TV series, Gilligan's Island W, that's me, Dawn Wells, it's been almost 40 years since the series started. 40 years old, some kids who watched us back then still watch it, but now with her grandchildren, I mean, the series has never been off the charts. air since it went off, but let me help you with that.

Oh thank you very much. I'm going to need a ladder to reach this upper compartment. There is no problem. It's the least I can do for Maryann. Thank you so much. You're welcome, welcome aboard Miss Wells. Oh thanks. Would you like to have something to drink before taking off? Eh, not yet. How long is the flight scheduled for today? We're scheduled to arrive around 7: this afternoon and about um 3 hours a night. 3 hour tour, just sit back and listen to the red story. I grew up on that show. The story of a fateful journey that began recently.

I'm not making this up. This actually happened on our tour. Gilligan's Island touched so many people's lives in the most unexpected ways that we truly became part of the national consciousness and welcome to all of you too. A Daily Double awaits you in one of these categories, the captain next, we have the millionaire, uh-oh, his wife, the movie star and the rest are in EST. quotes we know what that means and finally here in Gilligan's hallway now it's amazing, right? It was just a silly little comedy at least that's what we thought at the time, you have to identify Captain Ashley, go to the movie star first. for 200 please Pastor Bob we are losing control we need more juice more juice this is all the juice I have something wonderful aerobics yes you know For better or worse the teacher changed my life and to think I wanted nothing to do with That paper At first I wanted to do the pilot.

I just finished a long run with Doby Gillis playing Mayor G Krebs. He's a real beatnik with groove like the bongo man, so I don't think he was exactly Gilligan's first choice. I heard they were looking at Jerry Van djk, that's right, they sent me the script, but he wasn't that crazy about it. I thought it was horrible. It's the worst script I've ever read in my life. I was looking for a success in this. Wasn't it also the case that my agent had me lined up for a hit Sure Fire series called My Mother's Car Guaranteed to Last Forever?

I've had longer showers our show has run more often and in more places than any other television series in history and that includes I Love Lucy, we play daily around the world and in 30 languages, no one would have guessed that at the beginning including the network was absolutely the worst idea I have ever heard in my life, hands down the worst seven people on an

island

week after week. How many stories could you get out of that, uh, two, three, who would ever see something like that? I'll tell you who would watch it, no one, that's who I disagree with, respectfully, look, I've been doing comedy.

Now that we know your background, hope, skeleton. the Emy and all you're a fun guy but at the end of the day you're just a writer we're the network you should trust we know what we're talking about Sherwood Sherwood Schwarz was the creator and producer of the show, the same guy who The Brady Bunch came up with a few years later, great talent, you think the network would listen to him, they had just gotten a taste of power, there's a story that has something to do with that. little ship we set sail on, remember the name of it, aha, SS Minnow.

Most of you probably assume that The Minnow was referring to a small fish. It was actually an inside joke on the part of Sherwood Schwarz in the early '60s, many of them. The popular television shows were designed only to entertain a strange intersection in Shadowland called The Twilight Zone. You are the first time traveler in the history of man. Here I am. What do you want people to see as Americans? Newton Minow was the chairman of the FCC at the time and the irony is that he didn't even like television but when television is bad nothing is worse I invite you to sit in front of your television when your station goes on the air and keep your eyes glued to that television until the station I assure you that you will observe a vast wasteland, a vast wasteland.

Alas, their solution was for the networks to take more control of what they put on the air. H and they did. What you're saying is you know, watch the comedy. our history we just don't understand what this is, they understood the Gomer stack and they understood The Beverly Hillbillies, but this concept escaped them, don't get us wrong, we like the ship, the whole idea of ​​the cruise business, it's different, fresh, well, great, then. Let's move on, but what if every week was another trip, uh, different passengers, uh, guest stars, actually, they might have had something in mind, but the love boat was still years away.

That's not my series. You see, these people have to be stranded, so they are. forced to become a family, depend on each other, what I had in mind was to create a social microcosm, huh, what a social microcosm, seven different shapes that represent different parts of today's society, the type of middle class working person, the millionaire, the intellectual, the intellectual, look, look. That concerns us, you are a Sherwood, you are aiming too high, if we wanted Plato, we would have hired Plato, you could try, but believe me, you couldn't afford it. Sorry, it's not our kind of show, but try again, okay? the criticism was that there weren't enough possible plots to prove them wrong.

Sherwood came up with dozens more than a season's worth to make sure they knew it was a comedy. He had to find the right title. I mean, would you have seen it if it was called Mortimer's Island or you know, Kad's Island, no, he might have been considering where he found the name BBY, not Dundon, it's not funny, he finally got to G's H, Gilligan, Gilligan, Gilligan's Island, well, it certainly sounds funny, that's because it is and, uh, here. some plots just to roll the ball 31 feet of them, well that's very impressive Sherwood, these are all plot lines that you developed, that's right, and you're 31, you know, actually, this could be another big hit like uh , Doby Gillis, goodbye.

Dear Isla, given the answers to every question they had, the network agreed to do a pilot episode, they gave it what is called the green light. I wasn't on the first Original Episode cruise, nor was Dawn or Tina Louise, well, yeah. Not even a character called Maryann at the beginning was someone called Bunny Bob, on the other hand, it was the first and only Gilligan, it was pure entertainment, pure silly fun, the kind of thing I love to do and I sure didn't, I found common ground , TRUE? from the beginning that's me with the book well okay it's an actor playing me but oh you get the idea Robinson Cruso my favorite story growing up so that's where the idea came from who knows where the ideas, they just appear suddenly, the trick is to spot them when they appear on your doorstep.

Could I do physical comedy on this show? Oh, sure, I'm counting on it. I mean the real Pratt Falls tomfoolery. Double takes. I've never had the opportunity to do all that. Oh, apart from Lucy, there's really nothing. on television I like it these days plus we need more clowns here I'll tell you what this takes read it and let me know what you think what can I say I've always had a strange sense of humor Shwood had already thought of Jim Bakus and Natalie Schaefer and Nancy McCarthy played the role of the bunny secretary. John Gabriel had the role of the high school teacher.

I heard that Jane Mansfield turned down the role of Ginger, but Kit SMI soon landed that role. The trick was finding the right captain. The problem is that the audience has to love the guy even though he keeps blowing up at Gilligan by hitting him with his hat all the time like Abbott was always hitting Costello like Hardy was with Laurel, you see the Captain has to be big, he has be adorable mhm mhm well what's up with that? Carol or Conor gave a good reading, excellent actor, but not quite right. Carol or Conor then managed to break out like Archie Bunker and All in the Family, he was a great Archie, but you can imagine him playing the captain and I can't without the captain either.

You don't have a show. All I'm saying is we need someone like that guy. This is the only movie I've done this year. Oh, okay, look at things. I won't be picking up again soon I'm changing careers maybe real estate I'm serious we trinkets here hey last time it was like this. I sold vacuum cleaners that were pretty good at that too, eh, real estate should be a piece of cake, whatever you want. to do what do you think you would do? Shwood had a feeling Allan Hail was the guy, but the networks insisted on a screen test.

The problem was that Allan was making a western in Utah and the producers wouldn't let him. Go away, thanks Jo, listen, I'll be back tonight before anyone knows I'm gone, so on the day of the test, he and a friend borrowed some horses and headed to the nearest main road to where you're headed. I need to take the jump to Las Vegas. in it he hitchhiked to Las Vegas took a plane to Los Angeles and took a cab to the studio drove across four states to get to that screen test that day anyone signed up for a screen test today Alan, I'm glad you were able to make it.

I hope it wasn't a problem, no, not at all, hey, I love the script, by the way, classic, no one makes this kind of comedy anymore. It's time for me to say: I like your attitude, you like my attitude, I like your program, hey and while we play. Cruise captain I'm a Pisces, it's a water sign, it's destiny. I hope you are right. Today we will do this scene and you will read with Bob Denver Bob Alen Hal Jr. that we are looking for. that elusive thing called Skipper chemistry, well hey little buddy, there was no doubt he was the skipper and before we knew it we were on our way to Hawaii to get the look right, this was going to be an expensive shoot.

Isla, well, I can't. wait until you read the script oh Jim you haven't read it yet if it's good enough for Sherwood it's good enough for me you might want to check it out I mean it's just terrible it's a comedy yes it's broad but it's funny It's a matter of opinion. I suppose it may not be Shakespeare, but it certainly isn't and I've played Shakespeare. Come on, M. Schaer, if you didn't like the script, why did you sign up? Well, it's a free trip to Hawaii and I know I'll never get it. I moved out of my house in New York because there's no chance of this being a series, so I'm here for the holidays.

Charming attitude. Natalie, you will agree as soon as you read the pages, remember I was right. I guess, but it takes a little time for its cast to become a family, that was also the goal of the whole series, so with some division in the ranks we got to work on filming, the network hired writers to add four minutes of material into the script and Sherwood was hard at work trying to make those new scenes fit into his concept and the rest of us did the best we could, oh my gosh, I'm sorry you were right and I for one, the wine list on the hotel will be longer next time. maybe you hear me, yeah, I still want to say it's a check, we'll make Sherwood fix what he doesn't, we'll do it ourselves, we'll fix it, yeah, we'll add some jokes, that little little one I don't do.

I don't know how to announce Li, oh well, better for me, what, oh, nothing, nothing to worry about. I'll teach you, you'll be out doing whatever you want to me in no time. I mean, Mucho laughs, you act like the whole world is a joke. Being funny is the most important thing in the world for me now without laughter it's nothing we're going to see love why do you use those things to look imperative I use them to see well you know they're good for the character you should leave them I love Ginger gr. Somehow we got through it until the last few days.

The Castaways had rescued their radio and discovered that the search for them had been called off. You mean we're stuck here forever? This is not the time to panic. Gilligan, it's not. It's always just that we can find a way out and he'll realize that, just like the captain on the First Mid is up to Gilligan and me, oh my God, honey, we're stuck here forever, now's a good time to panic, Gilligan and cut, help me. Up Jim, please, are you stuck to me with sand like it's mine? But it was another radio report, a real one, that halted production.

We have just received news that the President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, has died as a result of the injuries he sustained. suffered today when he was shot while his motorcade was driving through the streets of Dallas, Texas, we have news that Vice President Lyndon Johnson is being sworn in right now, no doubt, we all remember where we were when we heard the news ofso that we are not caught off guard. Excellent. Just last time, Skipper made me sleep outside for snoring and I almost drowned. Professor, how does it work? It's pretty simple. In fact, you see these palm fronds stretch up to S minute changes in barometric pressure and these shells rotate in response to the smallest deviation in the wind fields. and convection currents are just brilliant everyday meteorological principles so if it rains we'll know Gilligan look what you've done how are we going to know now if it's raining maybe when we're getting wet the speeches weren't difficult to memorize?

The real trick was looking it all up in the encyclopedia, so I knew what the hell he was saying. Jim has also had some strange confrontations with him and told us all about a time in Rome when he and his wife Henny were staying in a luxurious house. hotel well there you go here one for you my hello um oh do you want an autograph no, that's not what I want it's what you want major ow oh you're Italian look uh well no thanks but um I'm not on the market 100 American dollars and all this could be yours um well you see uh I only have $5 for all this oh no no no no an insult oh five videos yeah well I was hoping you thought that because you did it again my love thank you D, so where are we going tomorrow?

Let's throw some coins into Trevy's Fountain. You see what you get for $5. H, who was that Chim? What is so funny? But the award for Best Fan Experience goes to Dawn Wells. One time she was visiting the Solomon Islands, we were miles from anywhere and heading to an island with no running water or electricity, no modern civilization as we know it. I was the first non-native woman allowed to set foot. the island of su there we were welcomed by the boss's family was very nice to this stranger but then his wife came out to see what was going on Maran oh my god believe how did you know dear hi this is something thank you as it turned out she was studying nursing in Hanara Island and he used to come home after school and look at me, there's really no escape, it's there as for Bob Denver, well he enjoyed the attention to the point that Bob has always basically been a shy person and when the cameras They didn't record well, he could be very quiet and very introspective.

Hey, Don, a little early for you, isn't it? You know me. You always call the makeup room first. It's good that I'm a morning person. What are you doing here at this hour? You look tired. My kids and I built a spider farm last night. I couldn't go to bed until we named all the spiders. How are they? Kids, not spiders, are great, I just love them. We had a great time and how is Maggie. She is fine. I think you think we got divorced last week. Oh, I'm so sorry and I'm surprised things didn't go so well, but everything will be okay.

You never said a word. I don't want to bring him to work with me you men what men Allan broke his wrist falling from that Palm Tre and he didn't tell any of us that he didn't see a doctor for 3 weeks because he didn't want to delay production. I don't understand his point. I didn't think they would. My point is that I love you guys. I just want you to be happy. I wasn't now. Maybe it can be okay. Rest a little. We can talk later if you want. We all had things that we kept to ourselves.

In fact, as close as we were there was something I wasn't. find out about Natalie Schaefer until years later, will it be that she had plans to go to dinner with a friend and his sister one night you two carry on I'm not really up for going out oh, but it will be fun dear all the right people will be there, oh, come anyway, put on something festive and join us. I don't think so, so continue. Tomorrow she will have surgery and she doesn't know if she will be able to continue. What type of operation? myectomy she has no idea what to expect I guess we are both a little nervous would you mind if I try to talk to her?

I don't know what you could say to him, but maybe something your brother just told me will come to mind. I'm so sorry, I appreciate Natalie doing it. I just wish I didn't feel so alone in this. You're not, you know it and you should have this operation, it could save your life, but what kind of life can I have afterward? How can I look in the mirror? You can have the life you want. Think about all the other women who have gone through something like this and surgery has come so far in the last few years in my time.

The Middle Ages used to be so radical and deeply affecting that there were women so scarred that they could never feel comfortable romantically again and they would withdraw deeply into themselves and stop living for fear of another man discovering the truth about them, but they survived. . and they continued and if they could overcome that, why don't you have anything to fear. I know what you're trying to do Natalie, but what would you know about something like this? Oh, she saved my life that night. No no no. I don't even want to see you next time, mons, hey guys, hey, listen, guys, listen, I just want to say it's been a fantastic three seasons, but where do you see the scripts I have prepared for you next year?

Pause everyone, hey, someone wants to grab a pizza before they run out. I would love Elm. I have plans, oh me too. Skipper, uh, let's do it when we start again and it will be my present next, that will be the day. You still owe me a year's worth of lunches that I picked up for you love, well, when we get back, then, have a good rest, have a good time, have a good vacation, I've always led your work, never let me take, let me . Take it, Hi Dawn, I'm Sherwood. I just spoke on the phone with the chain.

They have changed their mind about a fourth season. They have been cancelled, but they promised it. Well, they removed it. Do you know Bob? I'm calling everyone. I have to talk to him, okay, hey Bob, you heard, I can't believe it, we won every time slot they put us on, we even beat the monkeys and they dropped us so we could blow smoke into the air again. network boss is his wife's favorite show, can I call you back? I need to see if Alan is okay, sure, hello Alan, you're Bob, you're okay B, they can't do this to us, can they, whether they can or not, it looks like they did it to you.

I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye. I know, I know shows get cancelled. These things happen when our boss wants to smoke. We want smoke. But even the cancellation wasn't the end of Gilling. An island. We had no idea about the phenomenon. Gilligan's Island. It would become that we all signed contracts that paid us for some reruns, but then nothing after the cancellation, we all tried to find work, but many of us were so tight, well, jobs were hard to find, some of us made it to the extremes to recreate ourselves. she played a dystic murderous lesbian in a play that didn't get many laughs but was actually exciting Bob Russ Come and have it coconut cream pie oh oh coconut pie I haven't had this since we left the island how about some pie for you Bobby oh yes I promise not to tell my dear wife.

You know the diet. Why didn't you tell people about the series you got right after ours? Hey, the good ones, it came and went, and I also left Los Angeles after 11 years? From this series I felt like I had to step away and get some perspective, but we all go through changes. I remarried and Allan opened a seafood restaurant in Hollywood. I lost my dad and got divorced the same year the show was cancelled. It must have been quite frustrating. for Tina after all the dramatic roles she had had early in her career were not so easy to get and she often said that Gilligan Island had hurt her career, what we didn't know and didn't know at the time was one of our friends was He was late facing the battle of his life again and you see, he will have forgotten his wallet and I will have to pay again like old times yeah, oh, here they are, Jim, honey, can I get something else, are you okay?

Ok, I have to do it, are you okay? I'll be fine, just ask him to stop spinning the room for a moment, uh, take a uh, yeah, yeah, okay, he fell out of the car this morning, he left it but something's not right. Natalie, sure. It's okay, baby, I'm okay, honey, I'm okay. Jim was in the early stages of Parkinson's disease. He used to tell me not to worry, you don't die from it, you die with it. He said that his condition worried us. We all eat. your cake Bobby, meanwhile the fans watching the show were very confused, did you ever watch the show Gilligan's Island when you were a kid, sure who didn't, it just ended, didn't it?

I mean, what do you think? happened to those guys, I guess they're still out there, stranded somewhere, it just doesn't seem right somehow, yeah, they were right, so Sherwood came up with a TV movie, 10 years after our last episode that we filmed, Gilligan's Island Rescue, we finally had the opportunity to tie together our characters' stories, it put a nice little bow on the series and we said our proper goodbyes. My only disappointment was that Tina didn't join us and she finally decided to part ways with the series once and for all. they had to recast Ginger the movie was so successful we made two more Gilligan the radio doesn't work doesn't work get the Gilligan gets the radio Jim was only well enough to make a cameo in the last one but his wife Henny thought that the role would lift his spirits give me the radio Gilligan give me the radio radio blue JS and the Yankees tonight I was with Henny while Jim gave his last reading as thirsty Howell III well that's what they do in Peru and they cut what then that's everything then I'm done oh J no, you know you'll never be done, you know I'm on my way here, you take care of this boy, thank you, you were wonderful, but I was absolutely fun.

Some might, Jo, we all knew it would be the Last time we worked with him we lost three of our dear friends from the island, all in the space of 2 years, when Natalie died, they listed her age as 91, which meant who had to be 80 years old when we were splashing around. in the lagoon after he kept his age a secret for so long. I can't imagine how he let the word get out when I go and I don't plan on going anytime soon of course I want to make sure they put my real age in my obituary are you kidding me why in the world because I want to imagine all my friends opening the paper reading it and saying how old he was, cheers darling, we also lost the captain and his final request was quite appropriate to be buried at Sea Dawn was to represent us all as we gave our brother's ashes and soul to the Sea, which he loved so much he was destined to be a small private service just for family and a few close friends, but the reporters didn't let that happen.

I'd like to think that as much as Allan enjoyed playing the captain and as much as he enjoyed the recognition, he would have really loved to share the final moment with his fans, so we won't make another Gilligan movie without the original cast. anyway but okay we had a wonderful time but now I share my memories with my family and the love of my life my wife Drea I live on an island near Seattle with my dear wife Constance I have a daughter named Kimberly and my son David was Appointed coordinator of first aid for the city of Los Angeles before dying of the same disease.

He dedicated much of his time to fighting. David was an extraordinary man. I miss him, I miss him and Tina has made several films since he left the island and he also works to promote literacy in primary schools. She volunteers as a reading tutor in New York City. Acting is my first love and I have never been out of work since the series went off the air, in addition to producing writing and teaching at my training camp for film actors. but well, the most important thing is that the series gave us lifelong friendships and, while none of us managed to escape it, we are certainly rich in memories at any time.

Professor, I didn't know you invented that, and neither did I, In many ways we are all Still there on the island lost in the Pacific waiting to be rescued but in the meantime we are having fun oh wo W oh wo wo oh oh and cut