I once saw an interview with Sherwood Schwartz where he mentioned how proud he was that every episode dealt with the group attempting to get off the island. That is totally false and I can think of many episodes that had nothing to do with attempting to be rescued.

I'd have to agree with that.

I once saw an interview with Sherwood Schwartz where he mentioned how proud he was that every episode dealt with the group attempting to get off the island. That is totally false and I can think of many episodes that had nothing to do with attempting to be rescued.

Like the one that was all about turtle-racing! Yes, the list would be long. We should do it. :)

Like the one that was all about turtle-racing! Yes, the list would be long. We should do it. :)

Mary Ann thinking she was Ginger.
The beauty contest.
The castaways being murder suspects.
The lion on the island.
The Skipper allergic to Gilligan.
The radioactive vegetables.
The Howells thinking they weren't married.
The meteor on the island.

I could name several more, but I'll give others here a chance to name some.

A few more:

Mrs. Howell plays matchmaker
The Skipper tries to make Gilligan in to a hero
Everyone thinks Gilligan has won the sweepstakes
Gilligan becomes a hi fi radio
Gilligan gets bitten by a bug
Gilligan tries to give everyone steamed heat
Gilligan thinks he's a vampire bat

I'd have to agree with that.

The S.O.L. episode was great though, when a Nasa mission was orbiting above the island.

The vitamin deficiency was another.

Mary Ann thought she was dying because she thought she ate posionous mushrooms.

Gilligan dreams he's Jekyll and Hyde.

A witch doctor puts the voodoo on the castaways

Giiligan finds a bush with edible seeds that allow people to become seers

Gilligan becomes President of the island, Gilligan falls out of a tree and thinks he broke his nose, Gilligan gets adopted by the Howells, The Gilligan double, The plastic explosive, Skipper pretends to be captured by headhunters so Gilligan gets a chance to be the leader, Gilligan sees everything upside down, double, quadrupal!

Mr. Howell rewrites his will to include the other castaways.
The Maritime Board blames the Skipper for the shipwreck and plans to court-martial him.
Gilligan gets struck by lightning and becomes magnetised.

Gilligan losing his hair, the goose that laid the golden organges, Skipper not being invited [or so he thinks] to the Howell's cotillion, Mary Ann getting amnesia about who she is, but recognizd the other castaways, but thinking that she's Ginger Grant.

Gilligan losing his hair, the goose that laid the golden organges, Skipper not being invited [or so he thinks] to the Howell's cotillion, Mary Ann getting amnesia about who she is, but recognizd the other castaways, but thinking that she's Ginger Grant.
A couple of those have already been mentioned, Steve.

A gorilla marches forward with some hand grenades.
Mrs. Howell acquires a secret admirer.

the one with Gilligan's Russian spy double
the one where Gilligan takes charge when the Skipper 'disappears'
the one where Mr. Howell changes his will and then thinks they're all trying to kill him
The one where they put on a play for Ginger and Lovey wants the lead role
The one where they're mean to Gilligan and he runs off to hide in his cave

Maybe it would be quicker to name the eps where they DID try to get rescued!

The Skipper thinks he's been cursed and calls for the witch doctor, Watubi, to cure him.

The islands freshwater supply dries up until Gilligan follows a frog to freshwater everywhere.

The one where Gilligan thinks he's won the lottery.

The one where Gilligan hooks an unexploded mine.

They discover hot water but it turns out to be the volcano erupting.

Gilligan digs up a treasure chest.

A gorilla takes Mrs. Howell's diamond brooch.

Bleach turns Gilligan's hair white.

Gilligan thinks he's turned into Mr. Hyde and murdered everyone.

Gilligan is made sheriff and throws everyone in jail. (one of my favourites :) )

Mrs. Howell loves music and organises a castaway symphony orchestra.

Gilligan catches a crate of magician's tricks from the lagoon.

I need to correct myself. Gilligan throwing everyone in jail is a rescue episode.

The Howell's join the labor force after they've been led to believe they're bankrupt.

The Professor and Ginger set up a hoax to improve the morale of the other castaways.

I actually PREFER the episodes in which a rescue is not part of the scenario. I like seeing them making themselves comfortable with life ON the island as opposed to trying to get off of it.

With:

A mad scientist has rings that turn the castaways in to robots.

and

The men find a totem pole with Gilligan's likeness on top.

I calculate just under half of the episodes were not rescue related.
Where Sherwood Schwartz got the idea that every episode dealt with the group attempting to get off the island is puzzling.