Gilligan's Planet

Not even the Professor can provide a believable explanation for this reincarnation of "Gilligan's Island." I was one of those people who never tried to make sense of the original live-action series (I realized it was an inside joke). This time, however, even I have to break down and ask the Professor the infamous question, "How can you build a spaceship but you can't fix a..." Okay, okay, I know we all know the end of THAT punch line.

I'm not sure, but I think the only reason so few episodes were made was because Filmation went out of business. Filmation also did those "new age Popeye" cartoons with what I'll call "PSAs" to kids about health and safety. Otherwise, there may have been another 2-3 year run of "Gilligan's Planet."

Nevertheless, I'm willing to admit that I found it entertaining as a kid simply from its sheer ridiculousness. Why not? I found "Rubik, the Amazing Cube" quite mesmerizing, too!

Believe me when I say this,but I am not making this up. This was one of the worst animated shows in the history of Saturday Mornings. It was the network's biggest colossal ratings failure in the history of CBS,which was second to "U.S. of Archie",and not to mention "Josie And The Pussycats In Outer Space". This was in fact the second animated installment to the classic 1960's CBS-TV series "Gilligan's Island",which ran on the network for three seasons from 1964 until 1967. The first animated installment for the series based from the original show was called "The New Adventures of Gilligan",which was part of ABC's Sunshine Saturday Morning schedule from 1974 until 1977.

In this animated installment,which ran for one season on CBS-TV from 1982 until 1983,and again executive produced by Sherwood Schwartz,the short-lived animated series "Gilligan's Planet" consisted of the characters of the S.S. Minnow,and this time around they take parts of their hut and other items off the island,including using papaya trees and a coconut(for a satellite)to built a rocketship and from there somehow takes off from the planet Earth into the vast unknowns of outer space,and from there veers off course from a unchartered island to an unchartered planet,fill with strange creatures and other things that the castaways encountered. Yeah,it was that stupid. As for the voice characterizations,let me say this....the ONLY one that was not associated with this fiasco or to put it mildly with this animated series or anything else to do with "Gilligan's Island" period was none other than Tina Louise,who basically stayed far away from this as possible. Do you blame her? The others.....actress Dawn Wells(who played Mary Ann)was brought back here for this show,not only doing her own character of Mary Ann,but also the character of Tina Louise's character of Ginger....in other words two opposite characters played by one actress. Again Bob Denver supplied the voice-over for Gilligan,as well as cast regulars Alan Hale,Jr.(The Skipper),Russell Johnson(The Professor),and Jim Backus(Mr. Howell),not to mention Natalie Schafer(Mrs. Howell).

It amazing that "Gilligan's Island" is still going strong these days,and its about time for it to just go. "Gilligan's Planet" was the last draw and rightfully so.

Okay, who hasn't wondered what a cross between Gilligan's Island and Lost in Space might be like? Me neither.

The whole idea of this show is absolutely baffling! The word "why" comes to mind more often than any other.

It breaks down like this: Gilligan, the skipper, the millionaire and his wife, the movie star, the professor and Mary Anne get tired of living on that island with or without Richard Hatch on it, so they decide to escape by building a space ship that will carry them to freedom. Instead, predictably, it carries them to a different planet where they are doubly screwed, because as far as their friends and family are concerned they were lost at sea years before. Who would look for them in space? Now they have to find a way to get back to Earth, not to mention the mainland!

So we get to see fun stuff like Gilligan becoming a lieutenant in the military of a star-spanning conqueror and bossing around evil robots (no, Lord help me, I am not kidding!).

Don't get me wrong, the show wasn't that bad. Rather funny at times, but it made about as much sense as, say, Three's Company in Space might! How about Mr. Belvedere's Planet, or Inter-stellar Family Affair? The Beverly Moonbillies maybe?

Rest assured, the idea of building a fully functioning spaceship to get from an island in the South China Sea to San Diego is never looked on as odd at all, nor is the thought that the technology to build a rocket would pretty much suggest the technology to build a boat, or a radio for goodness sake is already existing ever addressed at all.

It is a funny show, though, and certainly was a hit with it's target audience. I suppose it doesn't have to make sense to be a hit! I mean... look at Exorcist II!

I wished Gilligan was on for 10 years instead of just 3. The spin offs are odd, to say the least. It does have the original voices except for Ginger. Its sad though knowing 3 of the original cast members are due to die. Ginger is up to her old tricks though. Turned on by even a robot, but she had been marrons for quite awhile. Mr. Howell is up to his old tricks too, money and power. Bumper the alien is really cute. The episodes can be almost aggravating though. Their ships crashes on a planet - really? Sorry, rocket. It was very different but tolerable. Kooky music sounded like Planet of the Dinosaurs. I liked that.

I was 14 years old when this cartoon first came out and I loved it! Of course, it's predecessors "New Adventures of Gilligan" and "Gilligan's Island" already had me hooked. I couldn't get enough of the whole Gilligan's Island experience, and being a child of the sixties - anything to do with space was a sure hit with me, as well. So, it only made sense that this one would. Personal taste, I guess. I can't wait to be able to get the whole series on DVD, so that my kids may enjoy it as much as I did. It sure is / was better than what's on TV Saturday mornings in this day and age. We live on DVD's. But, if you like the most recent show "Real Gilligan's Island" - don't bother with these originals. Absolutely, no comparison and an insult to the original cast of the previous shows.