Lost Gilligan’s Island pilot: The surprising original cast you’ve probably never met
CBS didn’t air the original episode when the series debuted in 1964, leaving a few early castaways stranded before they even got a chance to be remembered.
In the original Gilligan’s Island pilot, the S.S. Minnow still set out on that fateful “three-hour tour,” but only four of the characters survived the transition from pilot to series. Bob Denver’s Gilligan, Alan Hale Jr.’s Skipper, and the Howells (played by Jim Backus and Natalie Schafer) were kept on board. The rest of the cast was quietly dropped after the pilot was filmed. That included two secretaries named Bunny and Ginger (played by Nancy McCarthy and Kit Smythe) and a first version of the Professor (played by John Gabriel).
Another major change came in the theme song. The pilot featured a Calypso-style tune, sung by show creator Sherwood Schwartz himself, with lyrics that didn’t quite have the staying power of the iconic “Gilligan’s Island” theme we know today. That catchy later version narrated the entire setup of the show in under a minute, while the pilot’s song leaned more into a generic tropical vibe, despite the story being set somewhere near Hawaii.
Filmed on location in Kauai, Hawaii, the pilot still featured many of the familiar beats that would define the series, but the cast shakeup made a big difference. The characters of the movie star Ginger, the farm girl Mary Ann, and the more scholarly Professor were introduced later, and those changes helped lock in the show’s enduring dynamic. When CBS launched the series on September 26, 1964, viewers never knew there had been an earlier version with three completely different characters.
It wasn’t until October 16, 1992, that the original pilot was finally aired for the public. By then, the show had long since finished its run and gone into syndication, and its legacy as a pop culture favorite was firmly in place. The lost pilot gave longtime fans a rare look at how the show started–and what might have been.
We’ve collected some rare photos and original articles about the Gilligan’s Island pilot, including production stills, behind-the-scenes notes, and a look at those early cast members who didn’t get past the first episode. See the faces of the first Ginger, Bunny, and the Professor who didn’t make it to the island you remember.
In the original Gilligan’s Island lost pilot produced for CBS, “Marooned,” filmed in November 1963, there were seven characters.
But just four — Gilligan (Bob Denver), the Skipper (Alan Hale), and Mr and Mrs Howell (Jim Backus and Natalie Schafer) — made it beyond that initial episode.
The three who were voted off the island were two secretaries — Bunny (Nancy McCarthy) and Ginger version 1.0 (Kit Smythe) — and the first professor (John Gabriel).
The pilot episode, shown below, opens with a Calypso-style tune — sung by showrunner Sherwood Schwartz and written by John Williams, as Johnny Williams. (The following decade, Williams became known around the world for composing the “Star Wars” theme, and went on to have a hugely-successful career that so far includes five Academy Award wins.)
And while the incongruously Caribbean-flavored “Gilligan’s Island” theme song was certainly catchy — despite the show being set near Hawaii — well, let’s just say wouldn’t ever make it on any kind of “Best of” album. (Sample line: “Tourist come, tourist go, tourist touring to and fro, these five nice tourists, they take this trip, relaxing on deck on this little ship.”)
MORE: About Gilligan’s Island – plus the TV show intro, theme song & lyrics (1964-67)
The TV series with the lineup we came to know and love debuted on September 26, 1964. The powers that be decided to skip the first episode — and it wouldn’t be seen by the public until 1992.
That meant that for decades, most people never realized that three people had already given back their torches and been sent back home.
But today, right here, we remember the lost — Bunny, Ginger the first, and the temporary Professor — in pictures and in video.
From the lost Gilligan’s Island pilot episode
L to R: Skipper, Professor, Ginger, Bunny, Mr Howell, Mrs Howell
Gilligan finally lands on Kauai
Moloaa, Kauai — Gilligan has finally landed on Kauai. It’s a good thing, too, because from the look of it, his boat could not have stood up much longer.
Gilligan — played by Bob Denver, the Maynard G. Krebbs of “Dobie Gillis” fame — is cast as the sole crew member of a charter boat which smashes upon a tropic isle with a party of six, including the captain.
The adventures of the group form the nucleus of a proposed television series called “Gilligan’s Travels.”
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The half-hour comedy series — which began a shooting schedule for the pilot film Tuesday — is the creation of Sherwood Schwartz, a writer and producer. Gladasya Production Co. is producing the series in conjunction with CBS and United Artists.
Besides Denver, who plays the wacky crew member of the beached Minnow, Alan Hale, a movie and television regular for many years, has the role of the skipper of the ill-fated ship.
Jim Backus — who is probably best known as the voice of “Mr. Magoo” — is cast as the millionaire, Mr Howell, who has chartered the boat.
The other four characters are played by Natalie Schafer, John Gabriel, Nancy McCarthy and Kit Smythe.
Meet the other original Gilligan’s Island castaways: John Gabriel, Kit Smythe & Nancy McCarthy
John Gabriel (as “The Professor”), Alan Hale Jr., Kit Smythe (as “Ginger”), Nancy McCarthy (as “Bunny”) / production still from the pilot of Gilligan’s Island TV show
Original Gilligan’s Island stars Kit Smythe (Ginger), Nancy McCarthy (Bunny)
Here, the girls are seen washing their clothes in the pilot episode
The Professor (John Gabriel)
Bunny & Gilligan
The original Gilligan’s Island pilot episode intro — “Marooned”
Filmed in November 1963 for the 1964 debut, the Gilligan’s Island pilot episode was never broadcast during the series’ run. It eventually aired many years later — on October 16, 1992.
Here, the opening credits are introduced by Bob Denver.
SEE MORE! About Gilligan’s Island – plus the TV show intro, theme song & lyrics (1964-67)
Watch Gilligan’s Island on Amazon Prime
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