20. There Was Originally Going To Be A Fourth Season
19. The Coast Guard Reported Receiving Letters From Viewers Asking Them To Rescue The Cast
I can’t make this stuff up! When ‘Gilligan’s Island’ was originally airing, people would write in requesting the Coast Guard rescue the castaways. Apparently, the show seemed a bit too real!
18. Gilligan’s First Name Was Willy
Creator Sherwood Schwartz said he planned on ‘Willy’ as Gilligan’s first name, however, it was never actually used in the show. According to Snopes, it’s up for debate whether or not Gilligan was the first mate’s name. “To this day, almost every time I see Bob Denver (Gilligan) we still argue. He thinks Gilligan is his first name, and I think it’s his last name. Because in the original presentation, it’s Willy Gilligan. But he doesn’t believe it, and he doesn’t want to discuss it. He insists the name is Gilligan,” Schwartz said.
17. Actor Jerry Van Dyke Turned Down The Role Of Gilligan To Star In ‘My Mother the Car’
16. The S.S. Minnow Was Named After The Head Of The FCC, Who The Creator Strongly Disliked
Creator Sherwood Schwartz reportedly named the shipwrecked boat after the 1961 FCC chairman Newton Minow, who he strongly disliked. Schwartz credited Minow with “ruining” television as the chairman was notorious for calling TV a “vast wasteland” during a speech.
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