Highly Overrated But Still Good

an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Gilligan's Island was on the air about 20 years before I was born. I only ever watched the show on reruns, and even then I wasn't old enough to appreciate it. But after watching this special, I found myself wishing that I could watch the show on SuperStation once again. At the end of the special I was wishing that it wasn't over, that I had taped it so that I could show my friends and family. It was a really fun special, and I just had to watch it, even though it was on until midnight.

While seeming like a prospect of "Where are they now?" crossed with "Growing up Brady", this was an inventive format. Narrative with actors for some parts, presentations by the original actors for others, and vox populi for yet other parts, they all blended together to make for a trippy sort of special, especially when the staged narratives used original actors (Dawn Wells at Alan Hale Jr's funeral) and the presentations used the young actors (the questions about the professor getting off the island, why did they have so much clothing?). I won't say much about the actual content, but I was pleasantly surprised at the way they presented it.

The best thing that I can say about the tv movie "SURVIVING GILLIGAN'S ISLAND" is that the actors impersonating the original cast did an exceptional job ! In particular ERIC ALLAN KRAMER as 'Alan Hale Jr.', KRISTEN DALTON as 'Tina Louise', and although she doesn't resemble her much E.J. PEAKER (as 'Natalie Schafer) got her 'Lovey Howell' mannerisms down to an art. You can't pick on this tv movie for not being art, for the series on which it was based was ripped apart by critics from the beginning. It is, however, pure Americana, silly & fun. Reminds us of our childhoods or a (supposedly) simpler time. Interspersed with accounts by BOB DENVER, RUSSELL JOHNSON, (this)tv movie's co-producer DAWN WELLS and re-enactments to showcase what occurred regarding the original series of "GILLIGAN'S ISLAND", you just wonder why it was given so much build up and shown in a primetime spot on CBS on a Sunday night. Does the content belongs more to a 3 page spread in PEOPLE Magazine than in a 2 hour movie ? You be the judge. Some parts of the re-enactments are downright painful in their corniness. A scene where the late JIM BACKUS is supposedly accosted by a hooker in Rome in the late 60s ("See what ya get for 5 dollars !") has the feel of a lounge lizard's stand up routine. Quite a few times while watching, I had to remind myself that this wasn't some kiddie show on the FAMILY Channel. Apparently, aside from constant slighting by a (then)less than enthusiastic network, the 'castaways' had a good time doing the series. That is, minus TINA LOUISE, who comes off as something of a prima donna. The re-enactments have TINA LOUISE as less than accommodating to fans denying that she is indeed 'Ginger' from "GILLIGAN'S ISLAND", and generally being 'oh so superior'. LOUISE is also the only remaining cast member who wants nothing more to do with "GILLIGAN'S ISLAND", yet this is probably her best known role. Overall, I'd say that unless you are the most ardent of fans, "SURVIVING GILLIGAN'S ISLAND" is an unnecessary exercise in going behind the scenes.

I saw this special last night because i love Gilligan's Island and thought i was in for treat but boy was i wrong.This special was horrible.They had had ator's that didn't even look like the gilligan's island and it wasn't really even a story. They had these little known actor's played the Gilligan's Island cast offscreen as they were.Im pretty sure Alan Hale Jr. wasn't smacking Bob Denver around with his Hat outside the set. But i did like the Dawn Wells,Bob Denver and Russell Johnson did appear in this special.They talked about there experiences and then the actor's would act out a scene but very poorly done on the writer's part.Dawn Well's explained that she didn't know that Natalie Schafer had breast cancer for a long time and then there was a scene where a woman is saying she's scared about her operation of breast cancer and then the friend tells natalie schafer she doesn't know what she's talking about and then Natalie Schafer took off her shirt to show her she had the operation.What the ? But the only part worth putting in this Gilligan's island special was the end when it showed cast-mates of Gilligans Island behind the scene's footage while Louis Armstrong's "What a wonderful world played in the backround" Yes The original Gilligan's Island is a classic but this Cbs catrastrophe just drag's mud on the Gilligan's Island nameP.s bye the way Between Ginger and Mary-Ann i pick Mary Anne