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The second of the three "Gilligan's Island" spinoff TV movies was called "The Castaways on Gilligan's Island," and it aired on NBC on May 3, 1979. It arrived one year after the first movie, "Rescue from Gilligan's Island," and 12 years after the final episode of the original "Gilligan's Island" TV series.

The "Gilligan's Island" TV movies were considered dubiously canonical by the show's fans. Tina Louise didn't reprise her role as Ginger from the "Gilligan's Island" TV show for any of them (with Judith Baldwin serving as her replacement), while, generally speaking, they aren't nearly as well-remembered or beloved as Sherwood Schwartz's original creation. The animated "Gilligan's Island" spinoff shows also contradicted what happened in the TV movies, leaving fans to debate which of the "Gilligan's Island" timelines counts as the "real one." Personally, I like to think "Gilligan's Planet" is the canonical path.

In "The Castaways on Gilligan's Island," life...

Thanks to the earworm that is "The Ballad of Gilligan's Island," most audiences know how Gilligan (Bob Denver) and the other castaways became stranded. Gilligan and the Skipper (Alan Hale) took five passengers on an intended three-hour tour of the Hawai'ian islands when they hit rough weather and were thrown off-course. The ship set ground on the shore of an uncharted desert isle, and the seven castaways had to learn to survive. Because "Gilligan's Island" was broad and cartoonish, however, the survival was never harrowing or even particularly difficult. There were rarely food or water shortages, and everyone brought huge amounts of clothes and supplies. Life actually seemed okay on Gilligan's Island, the utter isolation notwithstanding.

Series creator Sherwood Schwartz said that he intended "Gilligan's Island" to be an idealized microcosm of a well-functioning American democracy. Seven character, all from different classes, are forced to live together by extreme circumstances,...

Prior to "Gilligan's Island" in 1964, Tina Louise was already a long-working actress. Indeed, Louise worked her first modeling gig at the age of two, appearing in an ad campaign for her father's candy store. In high school, she started studying acting, and landed her first professional gig in 1956, appearing in an episode of the TV series "Studio One." She made her feature film debut in Anthony Mann's celebrated drama "God's Little Acre," in which Louise played Griselda, the wife of a character played by Jack Lord. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance. 

Louise went on to star in other high-profile film projects, including Michael Curtiz's "The Hangman," and the 1960 Italian historical epic "The Siege of Syracuse," in which she played three different roles. Louise also played the poet Sappho in a film called "The Warrior Empress." In 1964, she appeared in a film called "For Those Who Think Young,...

Fans of Gilligan’s Island love to joke about the earliest version of the show’s theme song, which shouts out most of the cast before resorting to an “And the rest!” lyric to refer to the Professor and Mary Ann. In fact, it didn’t change until star Bob Denver lobbied for it to include everyone.

One cast member, however, would have preferred to keep it the original way — Tina Louise, the “Movie Star” who closed out the original version of the credits. “Part of Louise’s dissatisfaction with the series was that she had expected to be the star of the show,” according to a 1965 issue of TV Guide, as reported by MeTV.

TV Guide wasn’t much of a gossip rag but even the publication responsible for channel listings couldn’t ignore the bad blood between Louise and everyone else in the cast. Denver, who played Gilligan, “will...

After Sherwood Schwartz's hit sitcom "Gilligan's Island" wrapped in 1967, actress Tina Louise, who played the glamorous movie star Ginger Grant, was finished. While most of Louise's co-stars would return for "Gilligan's Island" TV movies and spinoffs, she would stay away from the franchise, pursuing other film and TV projects as her whims dictated. Louise's refusal to make more "Gilligan's Island" after 1967 led to persistent rumors that she hated the show and didn't enjoy her time on it. While Louise might have been a little cold to her co-stars, she has revealed that she never resented them for any reason, and actually very much enjoyed her time on "Gilligan's Island."

After "Gilligan's Island," Louise starred in several high-profile films, including the Matt Helm spy spoof "The Wrecking Crew," the sci-fi horror film "The Stepford Wives," and the made-for-tv sequel "Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby." Her most recent performance came...

As House of the Dragon Season 2 comes to an end on August 4, Max subscribers will be wondering about what’s next. The Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service has a lot to offer in the upcoming month including as many classic and new content comes out on the service. Just like every month there is a lot of content on the way and just like every month, we have sorted out the best movies and TV shows you should invest your time in. So, here are the 7 best movies and TV shows coming to Max in August 2024.

Beetlejuice (August 1)

Beetlejuice is a fantasy comedy horror movie directed by Tim Burton from a screenplay co-written by Michael McDowell and Warren Skaaren. The 1988 film follows the story of a ghost married couple Barbara and Adam, who lead a peaceful life but when their house gets sold to new people, they call on the...

Sherwood Schwartz's 1963 sitcom "Gilligan's Island" was a high-concept series that, thanks to the gods of syndication, remained in the public consciousness for decades after it went off the air. The show's impeccable theme song, written by Schwartz and George Wyle, may be the best theme in television history, as it handily explains the premise using a hummable sea shanty: five tourists boarded the S.S. Minnow -- manned by Captain Jonas Grumby (Alan Hale) and his first mate Gilligan (Bob Denver) -- for a three-hour tour off the coast of Honolulu. When the tiny ship hit some bad weather, the seven characters landed on a desert island, stranded. The series followed their merry attempts to survive. 

"Gilligan's Island" ran for 98 episodes, ending its initial run in 1967, but reruns continued to air well into the 1990s. Yes, there was a time when "Gilligan's Island" was a reliable TV staple, occupying...

1964: Another World premiered.

1982: Dynasty's Cecil died while making love with Alexis.

1984: Guiding Light's "Dreaming Death" virus killed Lesley Ann.

1987: Days of our Lives' Kim and Shane were married."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into d ifferent and unexpected images."

― Anselm Kiefer

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1943: On Vic and Sade, Chuck Brainfeeble visited Sade with a gross of "Little Leather Ringmasters." He proposed to use them to repay his $40 debt to Vic, and wouldn't take "no" for an answer.

1958: Elaine S. Carrington, the radio writer who created Pepper Young's Family and other daytime dramas,...

1973: Barbara looked for her husband on the first episode of The Young and the Restless.

1982: Capitol premiered in a primetime special on CBS.

1990: General Hospital's Casey met Robin.

1997: The City's Ally learned truth about Carla's baby."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into d ifferent and unexpected images."

― Anselm Kiefer

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1967: On Another World, Ada (Constance Ford) mentioned having been married to “Lou”, which was probably the original name for the character of Gerald Davis, Rachel's father.

1968: The first episode of Dark Shadows that was directed by Dan Curtis aired. Nathan...

1964: Another World premiered.

1982: Dynasty's Cecil died while making love with Alexis.

1984: Guiding Light's "Dreaming Death" virus killed Lesley Ann.

1987: Days of our Lives' Kim and Shane were married."All true histories contain instruction; though, in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut."

― Anne Brontë in "Agnes Grey"

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1943: On Vic and Sade, Chuck Brainfeeble visited Sade with a gross of "Little Leather Ringmasters." He proposed to use them to repay his $40 debt to Vic, and wouldn't take "no" for an answer.

1973: Barbara looked for her husband on the first episode of

The Young and the Restless. 1982: Capitol premiered in a

primetime special. 1990: General Hospital's Casey met Robin.

1997: The City's Ally learned truth about Carla's baby."All true histories contain instruction; though, in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut."

― Anne Brontë in "Agnes Grey"

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1967: On Another World, Ada (Constance Ford) mentioned having been married to “Lou”, which was probably the original name for the character of Gerald Davis,...