It’s an unassailable incontrovertible fact that “The Ballad of Gilligan’s Island” stays top-of-the-line TV theme songs of all time. It is gentle, catchy, and shortly explains the present’s premise intimately for any newcomers. The ballad additionally introduces all seven of the present’s most important characters, letting viewers know that they’re about to see a sequence containing a variety of persona conflicts. There’s Gilligan (Bob Denver), the Skipper too (Alan Hale Jr.), the millionaire (Jim Backus) and his spouse (Natalie Schafer), the film star (Tina Louise), the professor (Russell Johnson), and Mary Ann (Daybreak Wells) there on Gilligan’s Isle.
What’s curious in regards to the opening theme, nevertheless, is that solely two of the characters — the primary and final — are listed by identify. One wants to observe the sequence to be taught that the millionaires are named Thurston Howell III and Lovey Howell, and that the film star is Ginger Grant. Talked about much less typically are the actual names of the Skipper and the Professor, who’re usually referred to by their professions by the opposite characters. Additionally by no means clarified is that if “Gilligan” is the character’s first identify or final identify. Some early remedies listed Gilligan’s first identify as “Willy,” however that identify was by no means used on display or in any of the present’s scripts.
Within the present’s reworked pilot episode, nevertheless, each the Skipper and the Professor are given names. The castaways are in a position to snoop on a rogue radio sign, and listen to a report of their disappearance. The Professor is named Roy Hinkley and the Skipper is named, quite amusingly, Jonas Grumby.
My identify is Jonas
Nobody can say the place “Gilligan’s Island” creator Sherwood Schwartz got here up with the identify Jonas Grumby, apart from it was a silly-sounding identify for a broad, cartoonish sequence.
Observe that it was within the second pilot, “Two on a Raft,” that “Jonas Grumby” was heard for the primary time, and never the preliminary pilot. The unique pilot, “Marooned,” did not air to the general public till 1992 and featured a number of completely different characters, together with a unique professor performed by John Gabriel and two ladies named Ginger and Bunny, performed by Equipment Smythe and Nancy McCarthy. So, audiences probably knew that the Skipper was named Jonas Grumby, offered they have been maying consideration throughout “Two on a Raft.”
Recall that in 1964, there was no web and few locations to compile tiny items of TV trivia just like the Skipper’s actual identify. Additionally, as a result of audiences have been on the whim of TV programmers, it was uncommon that they may sit and watch all of the episodes of “Gilligan’s Island” in a row, noticing little particulars on their cathode ray tube TVs. Certainly, marathon programming was usually reserved for years-later vacation blocks; American youngsters of the Eighties probably bear in mind the “Twilight Zone” marathons that aired on Thanksgiving Day.
In different phrases, it was attainable to be a large “Gilligan’s Island” fan, and nonetheless miss having seen the pilot. It would not be till many years after the sequence aired that followers would be capable to purchase episodes of “Gilligan’s Island” on dwelling media. Solely upon repeat viewings would a wider viewers even start to note particulars like that. Certainly, one may credit score the advance of dwelling media expertise because the catalyst for contemporary fandom; small particulars within the unique “Star Trek” TV present or “Star Wars” movies, as an illustration, solely develop into apparent whenever you’ve seen them 50 occasions.
For years, although, “Jonas Grumby” was a mythic cult password, one thing solely “true” followers knew. Ditto Roy Hinkley. Due to streaming expertise, although, anybody with a telephone and a whim can now dip in to examine on what was as soon as thought of obscure.