‘Gilligan’s’ Pilot Cruise

Twenty-eight years ago, a review in The Times said: “ ‘Gilligan’s Island’ is a television series that never should have reached the air this season, or any other season.�

The New York Times was equally uncharitable: “ ‘Gilligan’s Island’ is quite possibly the most preposterous situation comedy of the season.�

Despite the pans, a three-hour cruise endured for three seasons. And “Gilligan’s Island,� which was rated No. 18 its first year, has proven enormously popular in its afterlife. Repeats, of course, continually air. ABC had a Saturday morning cartoon version, “The New Adventures of Gilligan,� 1974-77. NBC produced three popular reunion movies.

Surprisingly, the pilot for the series has never been aired on television--until now. On Friday, TBS will show the first episode of “Gilligan’s Island� in addition to the 1978 reunion movie “Rescue From Gilligan’s Island.�

According to Kate McSweeny, vice president of programming and development for TBS, a former employee at TBS had read about the pilot in a “Gilligan’s Island� book. “Because we owned the negative, we called to Turner Entertainment Company in Los Angeles and asked if they had it, and we did,� she said.

One of the big differences between the pilot and the series is the theme song. A calypso-inspired tune opens the show, instead of the familiar and catchy “The Ballad of Gilligan’s Island,� penned by George Wyle and the series’ creator, Sherwood Schwartz. “It really changes the whole feel of it,� McSweeny said.

Though the Skipper (Alan Hale Jr.), Gilligan (Bob Denver) and the Howells (Jim Backus and Natalie Schafer) appear in the pilot, the Professor (Russell Johnson), Mary Ann (Dawn Wells) and Ginger (Tina Louise) are not among the castaways.

Instead, John Gabriel of “Ryan’s Hope� is featured as a handsome high school teacher. Kit Smythe and Nancy McCarthy play two secretaries, Ginger and Bunny. “They are not glamorous,� McSweeny said. “When they get to the island, the Skipper assigns duties to everyone and the Skipper goes, ‘You girls wash all the clothes on the boat.’ �

Some scenes from the pilot were later used in the season’s first Christmas show and in episode No. 12: “Birds Gotta Fly, Fish Gotta Talk.�

The pilot, which was shot in Kauai, Hawaii, received high marks from preview audiences, and the reaction persuaded CBS to buy the series. Schwartz did some fine-tuning and recast the three castaways with Johnson, Wells and Louise.

“It is very fun to watch,� McSweeny said. “Really, with the exception of the theme song and that Ginger, Mary Ann and the Professor are played by someone else, the show is in reality very similar to a Gilligan episode.�

McSweeny, who was not a fan of the series while growing up, said she believes “Gilligan’s Island� has proven to be so popular over the ages because “it reminds us of when we were kids ... it is so innocent and it is just silly. If you really sit down and watch it, no matter how old you are, you are going to laugh at it. It is like a Jerry Lewis movie.�

“Gilligan’s Island� pilot airs Friday at 5:05 p.m. and “Rescue From Gilligan’s Island� airs Friday at 5:35 p.m. on TBS.

“Gilligan’s Island� airs weekdays at 2 p.m. on KTTV.