Product Details

• Actors: Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Tina Louise
• Directors: Abner Biberman, Alan Crosland Jr., Anton Leader, Christian Nyby, Gary Nelson
• Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Black & White, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Turner Home Ent
• DVD Release Date: February 3, 2004
• Run Time: 916 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (102 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000WN1WW
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,905 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  #1 in	Movies & TV > Comedy > Television > Gilligan's Island
  #16 in	Movies & TV > Television > Classic TV
  #55 in	Movies & TV > Classics > Kids & Family

• For more information about "Gilligan's Island - The Complete First Season" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

• This is item 1 in The Gilligan's Island Series.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Despite critical barbs as sharp as a Maroobi spear, Gilligan's Island has proven unsinkable. Its first season was 1964's top-rated show. The expository theme song is one of television's most quoted, and its characters--the Skipper (Alan Hale Jr.), first mate Gilligan (Bob Denver), the millionaire (Jim Backus) and his wife (Natalie Schaefer), a movie star (Tina Louise), "and the rest" (Russell Johnson and Dawn Wells, as the Professor and Mary Ann, wouldn't get their opening credit props until season two)--are pop culture icons. Revisiting the first season's 36 episodes is a not-guilty-at-all pleasure. Some sure and surprising hands piloted these inaugural episodes, including Ida Lupino, Jack Arnold (The Creature from the Black Lagoon), Christian Nyby (The Thing), and Richard Donner (who went on to direct Superman and Lethal Weapon).

The "seven stranded castaways" from the ill-fated S.S. Minnow (slyly named for former Federal Communications Commission head Newton "vast wasteland" Minow) received memorable visits from the likes of Hans Conreid as errant pilot Wrong Way Feldman, a young Kurt Russell as Jungle Boy, and Larry Storch as a Cagney-esque bank robber. But these were mere diversions from the heart of the series; the no-man-is-an-island social microcosm that creator Sherwood Schwartz conceived as an anti-war parable (this courtesy of his optional commentary during the fabled unaired series pilot). In the Christmas episode "Birds Gotta Fly, Fish Gotta Talk," Santa Claus himself drops in to lift the disheartened castaways' spirits. "You could have been enemies," he tells them, "instead of a family group who all learned to get along." This is they key to this series' enduring popularity. That, and the unending debate: Ginger or Mary Ann? --Donald Liebenson

Product Description
EPISODE SYNOPSES Pilot: Ginger, Maryann and the Professor are different people. Mary-Ann's name is Bunny and her character is more like the current Ginger. Ginger is more like Mary-Ann but still called Ginger. The Professor is very much a ladies man. Since the episode never aired, the show was drastically altered, characters were replaced and so was the now, unforgettable theme song. Episode 1: "Two on a Raft" - The castaways find themselves marooned on the island. Gilligan and the Skipper set sail on a home-made raft in an attempt to find help. After sailing for days and battling obstacles such as sharks and Gilligan's unending hunger, they land back on Gilligan's island without realizing it. Episode 2: "Home Sweet Hut" - A hurricane is coming, so the Castaways must quickly build one large community hut in which to weather the storm. However, they soon get on each-others nerves, so they later decide to branch out and build individual huts. Episode 3: "Voodoo Something to Me" - The Skipper fears that the island is full of 'voodoo' when he thinks that Gilligan has been turned into a monkey. Episode 4: "Goodnight Sweet Skipper" - The castaways hear on the radio that a plane is going to be flying over their island, but they will be unable to contact them because their transmitter is broken. Episode 5: "Wrongway Feldman" - When Gilligan finds an old airplane hidden in the jungle, the Castaways discover a long-forgotten aviator living on the island. Episode 6: "President Gilligan" - The castaways decide that they need someone to be the leader on the island, and so they hold elections. Episode 7: "The Sound of Quacking" - The Castaways are faced with running out of food, when a blight threatens to destroy many of their plants. When Gilligan finds a duck in the lagoon, a difficult decision must be made. Episode 8: "Goodbye Island" - Gilligan discovers a special tree sap that can be used to make a good tasting pancake syrup. Then the professor discovers that the same tree sap also makes a super glue, that may allow the castaways to repair the Minnow. Episode 9: "The Big Gold Strike" - Mr. Howell discovers a gold mine on the island. He then hires Gilligan to work in the mine. When gold fever strikes the castaways and Mr. Howell is unwilling to share the gold, they begin to charge outlandish prices for the supplies and food that Mr. Howell needs. Episode 10: "Waiting for Watubi" - While digging, the Skipper uncovers a carved statue of a Tiki God. He then believes a curse has fallen on him for disturbing the resting-place of Watubi, and that his days are numbered. Episode 11: "Angel on the Island" - Mr. Howell decides to put on a play, staring Ginger, after she begins to suffer from home sickness. Trouble begins, however, when Mrs. Howell decides she wants to play the starring role. Mel Blanc is the voice of the parrot. Episode 12: "Birds Gotta Fly, Fish Gotta Talk" - During Christmas, the Castaways get homesick and remember the first day they were shipwrecked. When Santa Claus "appears" on the island, many suspect he is the Skipper in costume. However, just as Santa departs while wishing the Castaways a Merry Christmas, the Skipper appears from the other direction. Episode 13: "Three Million Dollars More or Less" - Mr. Howell loses $3 million to Gilligan in a golfing contest. Mr. Howell then tricks Gilligan into trading for a worthless oil well that he owns. Episode 14: "Water Water Everywhere" - Talk about a painful irony: though surrounded by water, the Castaways suddenly discover that their supply of fresh drinking water is running out. Episode 15: "So Sorry, My Island Now" - The Castaways are captured by a Japanese sailor who thinks that WWII never ended. When the other castaways are captured, it is up to Gilligan to save them. Episode 16: "Plant You Now, Dig You Later" - While working for Mr. Howell, Gilligan unearths a chest. The castaways think it must contain a pirate's treasure. Episode 17: "Little Island, Big Gun" - A mob leader and his henchmen, fleeing from the police, land on the island. Episode 18: "X Marks the Spot" - In a test of a deadly new missile, called "Operation Powder Keg," the Air Force chooses an "uninhabited island" which just happens to be Gilligan's Island. Episode 19: "Gilligan Meets Jungle Boy" - Gilligan discovers a jungle boy living on the island. He shows them a hole in the ground that causes objects to float, and the professor theorizes that it is expelling either helium or hydrogen. Kurt Russell is the guest star. Episode 20: "St. Gilligan and the Dragon" - Angry because the men haven't kept their promise to build them private houses, the women decide to move to the other side of the island in protest. Episode 21: "Big Man on Little Stick" - Handsome surfer Duke Williams rides a giant tsunami to the island. At first, the castaways are excited as Duke thinks he will turn around and surf back to Hawaii (and send help). However, after seeing Mary Ann and Ginger, he decides he may want to stay for a while. Episode 22: "Diamonds Are an Ape's Best Friend"- A gorilla is enchanted by Mrs. Howell's perfume and kidnaps her. After Gilligan accidentally spills the perfume all over his shirt, the gorilla decides to release Mrs. Howell and exchange prisoners. Episode 23: "How to be a Hero"- After Gilligan is unable to save Mary Ann from drowning in the lagoon, the Skipper must jump in and rescue both of them. The Castaways then devise schemes to boost Gilligan's ego, and help him feel like a hero. Episode 24: "The Return of Wrongway Feldman" - The castaways are revisited by 'Wrongway' Feldman. Episode 25: "The Matchmaker" - Mrs. Howell decides to engineer a romance between Gilligan and Mary Ann. Episode 26: "Music Hath Charm" - Mrs. Howell decides to form a symphony orchestra, to make up for the lack of culture on the island. Gilligan's drum beats, as they drift across the water, hold special meaning to angry natives on a nearby island. Episode 27: "New Neighbor Sam" - The Castaways overhear the voices of gangsters discussing buried treasure and threatening their lives. The voices turn out to belong to a parrot, who then leads the castaways to the "treasure." Episode 28: "They're Off and Running" - Mr. Howell wins all of the Skipper's possessions betting on turtle races. Even when he feels bad and switches the turtles so that Skipper will finally win, he still wins! Episode 29: "Three to Get Ready" - The Skipper insists a stone found by Gilligan will grant the finder three wishes before sundown. The professor, of course, insists it is just superstition. Episode 30: "Forget Me Not" -The Professor tries to cure the Skipper's amnesia by hypnotizing him and taking him through time. Episode 31: "Diogenes, Won't You Please Go Home" - The Castaways discover that Gilligan has been keeping a secret diary. When they read it, they all seem to disagree with how certain events unfolded and tell their side of the story. Episode 32: "Physical Fatness" - Gilligan and the Skipper plan to join the Navy when they are rescued. However, when weighing themselves, they discover that Gilligan must gain weight, while the Skipper must diet. Episode 33: "It's Magic" - Gilligan finds a raft, oh wait, no, the Great Raftini's magic trunk. Ginger knows how to use the magical tricks and the castaways plan to use the magic to scare away angry natives if they ever got to their island again. Episode 34: "Goodbye Old Paint" - A famous painter who has renounced civilization, Dubov, visits the island (with a short-wave radio, of course). The castaways are hopeful that Dubov will give them his transmitter, but soon discover he does not wish to go back to civilization. Episode 35: "My Fair Gilligan" - After Gilligan saves Mrs. Howell's life, Mr. Howell decides to make him his son. He immediately puts Gilligan through basic training to be a millionaire's socialite son (dream sequence), changing the way he walks, talks and dresses. However, Gilligan and the rest of the castaways miss the "old Gilligan." Episode 36: "A Nose By Any Other Name" - A fall from a coconut tree gives Gilligan an inflated nose and a deflated ego. When Gilligan decides he wants the Professor to perform plastic surgery on his nose, the Professor pretends to perform the surgery, and instead, relies on the recuperation time behind the bandages to allow the swelling to go down. When the bandages are finally removed, Gilligan decides he is happy with his old nose!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for Gilligan fans, February 13, 2004

By	T O'Brien (Chicago, Il United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Gilligan's Island The Complete First Season is a must have for fans of the 1960's comedy. Everything you could want is here. The 3-disc set includes all 36 episodes from the first season presented in standard black and white. The episodes look great in black and white rather than that awful color that was inserted into them while on TBS. The DVD also includes the lost pilot episode with three different cast members alongside Gilligan, the Skipper, and the Howells. Also on the DVD are tropical tidbits about certain episodes, profiles on how the cast was selected, and a tropical island survival guide.

The excellent cast really made this show what it was. Bob Denver as Gilligan, Alan Hale JR as the Skipper, Jim Backus as Thurston Howell III, Natalie Schaefer as Lovie Howell, Tina Louise as Ginger, Russell Johnson as the Professor, and Dawn Wells as Mary Ann made up one of the best ensemble casts in television history. Fans of this much loved show should run out and buy Gilligan's Island The Complete First Season. You will not be disappointed!

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's funny precisely because it's so incredibly ridiculous, May 11, 2006

By	Kai Lu (Beverly Hills, CA) - See all my reviews

Gilligan's Island has often been an object of ridicule for both professional critics and self-annointed intellectuals alike, most of whom point out the various implausibilities in the show (i.e., the Professor is an "idiot" because he can cause nuclear fission using coconuts but can't build a raft, the unliklihood of the Howells taking a "three hour tour" on an obviously inexpensive charter boat, let alone taking along three season's worth of wardrobe and costumes with them, ad nauseum), but chances are these same critics have also seen many -- if not all -- the show's episodes, and have enjoyed at least a few guilty laughs for their trouble.

One of the reasons why Gilligan's Island is such a great show (it is the most re-run show in the history of television, and that INCLUDES I Love Lucy) is precisely because it is so wacky, nonsensical, and flat-out ridiculous.

In Gilligan's Island -- The Complete First Season, viewers are treated to 34 original episodes, uncut, including the rare pilot episode that contains three castmembers not included in the actual show as seen on television. The episodes are in black and white, but this doesn't detract from the fun.

The complete list and brief synopsis of each episode have already been written by other reviewers so I won't waste your bandwith in repeating them, however I will say one thing: seeing these episodes brings back many fond memories for me, and I didn't even realize how much of a fan of the show I was until I watched this 3-DVD set.

I remember coming home from school in eigth grade each day and seeing Gilligan's Island on TV, and that was over ten years ago. I hadn't seen an episode of Gilligan's Island in the intervening years until I bought the DVD set. It's amazing, but I -- and probably countless other people -- could actually remember everything about the episodes, and my memory comes flooding back with the viewing of each one, right down to the manner in which a character pronounces certain words, and the way the Skipper cries out "Aeuph!" whenever Gilligan accidently hits his captain in the breadbasket, or inadvertantly drops something on his vulnerable feet, or the way Tina Louise's mouth twitches in an oddly fascinating way when her picture is shown on the program's opening credits.

Gilligan's Island is one of those shows that you can watch today and enjoy, even if you've never seen it, as long as you don't expect it to make sense or follow any logic. It's one of those show's you can LOVE if your viewing of that show is connected to fond memories of your own past -- as for me, it includes summer vacation, playing Sega Genesis, playing nerf football with my best friends Howie and Art, and watching Gilligan's Island.

My friend Art has since become a lawyer, and Garth became an architect. I teach in a middle school. We all grow up, but Gilligan stays with us all along the way. It's wise to pick this set up, especially if you're a fan of the show, because it's one way you can relive and continue to live a pleasant part of your own history.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reviews, November 29, 2006

By	Jim Nobody (No place) - See all my reviews

The only reviews necessary for this product are the ones regarding the quality of the DVD's. I doubt seriously that anyone would order this having never seen the show(As if anyone has never seen Gilligan's Island).
The reviews regarding the condition of the cases are helpful, as are the reviews regarding edited scenes and the quality of the DVD's. I agree that one would not expect scenes to be edited from a DVD set, it's bad enough to miss them watching T.V.
I really don't understand why someone would give a low rating based on the entertainment value. Did they order this not knowing what it was about? Some say they never liked the show, did they buy it and then decide they had made a mistake?
That being said, I'm glad to see much admiration from the fans about the show. Anyone thinkng that the plot should have made more sense clearly missed the point.
Gilligan's Island is a cult classic, appealing to a certain(but a broad demographic. It was fun to watch as a kid becuase things didn't have to make sense to be entertaining, the very reason why we never questioned the endurance and immortality of Wile E. Coyote.
As adults this show brings back memories of times when we didn't have as much to worry about, when we didn't take things so seriously. Of if we did have worries, the show took away our troubles for a while. A time when prepubescent boys first fell in love with Mary Ann or Ginger(Mary Ann by the way). We watched the show knowing that the rescue would inevitably be messed up by Gilligan because that's what happened the last time we saw the same episode.
Many of us that grew up watching this would like to watch it again with our kids, making it like seeing it for the first time.
The black & white episodes from season 1 have an endearing and nostalgic quality about them. If you aren't old enough to remember B&W television, then think of it as going back in time and experiencing the show more like it was, which is almost impossible because any on DVD will look better than any broadcast on and old B&W.
So if there are reviewers trying to turn fans off from buying this merely based on reviews of the show, that is surely a waste of time.
As long as Gilligan's Island is available in some format, there will always be fans.