Sherwood Schwartz conceived and produced the American sitcom Gilligan's Island, which was first broadcast on United Artists Television. Bob Denver, Alan Hale, Jr., Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Tina Louise, Russell Johnson, and Dawn Wells starred in the situation comedy series. From September 26, 1964, through September 4, 1967, it aired on CBS for three seasons. The show, which was originally sponsored by Philip Morris and Procter & Gamble, followed the humorous exploits of seven castaways as they tried to survive on the island where they had been shipwrecked. The majority of the episodes focus on the many castaways' tensions and fruitless attempts to escape their predicament. Gilligan's Island lasted 98 episodes in all. The first season was shot in black-and-white and consisted of 36 episodes. Later, for syndication, these episodes were colorized. The second and third seasons of the show, as well as the three television movie sequels, were shot in color. During its first run, the show had strong ratings, and during decades of syndication, it gained in popularity, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s, when many markets broadcasted it in the late afternoon after school. Gilligan's Island's title character is now regarded as an American cultural icon.
Read full
Discussion