Why did this show only last 3 seasons? - Page 2 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

tommy b · 08-28-2013, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samme

What's also strange is it seemed like more episodes than that and the reruns usually skipped the episodes from the first season. But it was a good cast and a fun show. And better than other shows that didn't get knocked as much.
I think CBS was looking for a reason to get rid of it. Seems it could've lasted a couple more seasons, but if Tina was gonna leave it was probably better it didn't. But she might have been talked out of that with more money or the promise of being featured in more episodes. In those days, people who left shows were often seen as ungrateful troublemakers.
And in this case, it might have been seen as an attempt to ruin the show. Whatever, the show did deserve more seasons.
It was a good fun show and has withstood the test of time.

I thought it funny the story that she was enticed to take the part because she would be the star.... Hello Tina, it wasn't called Ginger's Island

treky · 08-29-2013, 03:08 AM

it was cancelled because Bill Paley-the CBS president in the 50s and 60s-found out that they had cancelled GUNSMOKE so he had them renew it. That meant 2 half-hour shows had to get the axe so they picked GI and another show called RUN BUDDY, RUN.

jehobden · 09-09-2013, 03:02 PM

As much as GI fans hate the idea, and I'm certainly no Gunsmoke fan myself, renewing Gunsmoke at the expense of GI was probably a good programming move on the part of CBS, since it lifted Gunsmoke back into the Nielsen Top 20, where it remained another 6 years. GI had fallen to #49 by the end of S3, which was probably borderline for cancellation back then. GI had a total of 98 episodes in 3 seasons, S1 (B&W) had 36, S2 32, and S3 30.

GI also had to contend with being broadcast 3 different nights of the week, Saturday (S1), Thursday (S2), & Monday (S3), so it did ok considering that the network moved it around so much. M*A*S*H was another show that CBS moved around a lot, as it was regularly broadcast on 5 different nights of the week, all except Wednesday (and it aired there once) and Thursday.

James28 · 04-29-2014, 08:06 PM

How many more seasons would Gilligan's Island have realistically lasted for if Gunsmoke had stayed cancelled after 1967?

Samme · 04-29-2014, 08:32 PM

I think most good sitcoms can comfortably run five seasons before they start running short of good ideas. So, they probably had had lots of workable ideas left. They only thing that would have messed that up was if Tina insisted they write her out of the show. Then it starts to feel like its run is over.

James28 · 04-29-2014, 08:41 PM

IMHO, Gilligan's Island's original run probably wouldn't have gotten past 1969 or 1970. Sorry if it meant Tina having to leave, but how would they have written Tina off the show?

Samme · 04-29-2014, 09:21 PM

I agree with the show ending in '69 or '70. It was a '60s show. The supposed idea was for Ginger to climb aboard a rowboat (Titanic Jr.) and get rescued in the second episode of the fourth season. Though I wonder if Tina would've stayed if they offered her a nice raise and a few more stories. Wish someone would ask her, if she'd now answer even a few questions about the show.

Prof Gal · 04-29-2014, 10:56 PM

In response to Sherwood Schwartz saying he'd consider having a couple on Gilligan's Island marry and have a baby if the ratings slipped,

I would have loved seeing the Professor and Ginger marry and have a baby! Now THAT would have made for great TV!! Maybe that would have enticed Tina to stay! lol

Teebs · 04-30-2014, 03:03 PM

I read somewhere, it could be Bob Denver's book, I'll have to check- that Sherwood had an idea for a TV movie where the Professor and Ginger and also Mary Ann and Gilligan would get married and have kids. Bob was keen on the idea. "Let Gilligan's son fall in the lagoon for a change!"

Prof Gal · 04-30-2014, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teebs

I read somewhere, it could be Bob Denver's book, I'll have to check- that Sherwood had an idea for a TV movie where the Professor and Ginger and also Mary Ann and Gilligan would get married and have kids. Bob was keen on the idea. "Let Gilligan's son fall in the lagoon for a change!"

I would have loved it if that movie had been made! I would think all the fans of GI would have loved that! I found myself wishing something like that would have happened on the series. Always thought the Prof & Ginger made such a beautiful couple, and seemed to have great chemistry on the show.

Teebs · 05-01-2014, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prof Gal

I would have loved it if that movie had been made! I would think all the fans of GI would have loved that! I found myself wishing something like that would have happened on the series. Always thought the Prof & Ginger made such a beautiful couple, and seemed to have great chemistry on the show.

Prof and Ginger had great chemistry. You can see in season one that Sherwood intended to pair Prof/Ginger, and Mary Ann/Gilligan. But the censors wouldn't allow it. Unchaperoned young couples cavorting around on an island. Mary Ann couldn't even show her navel! Even the Howells slept in separate beds.

I do wish the TV movies hadn't been so dumbed down!

Sidebar: I also read a quote from Russell Johnson somewhere, that whenever Ginger had to kiss the Professor, Tina Louise would try to stick her tongue in his mouth!

Prof Gal · 05-01-2014, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teebs

Prof and Ginger had great chemistry. You can see in season one that Sherwood intended to pair Prof/Ginger, and Mary Ann/Gilligan. But the censors wouldn't allow it. Unchaperoned young couples cavorting around on an island. Mary Ann couldn't even show her navel! Even the Howells slept in separate beds.

I do wish the TV movies hadn't been so dumbed down!

Sidebar: I also read a quote from Russell Johnson somewhere, that whenever Ginger had to kiss the Professor, Tina Louise would try to stick her tongue in his mouth!

I totally agree with you about the TV movies being so dumbed down! They could have been SO much better!

Your sidebar comment is HYSTERICAL! Just wondering how Russell Johnson felt about Tina doing that! lol I always thought that they're kissing scenes were pretty intense for that show! Remember the "silent movie" kiss between them that lasted forever? So funny!

Makes me wonder about the comments supposedly made by Bob Denver in his book about hearing Tina having "loud sex" with someone in her dressing room during a lunch break(s), (I have not read the book); and I've seen Russell Johnson's name mentioned on some sites as the guy she was with. Even Howard Stern asked Tina about her and the Professor and the dressing room story on his show quite a few years ago...and they DID bring up Bob's book, so that must have been their source...I don't know.

visaman666 · 05-02-2014, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James28

IMHO, Gilligan's Island's original run probably wouldn't have gotten past 1969 or 1970. Sorry if it meant Tina having to leave, but how would they have written Tina off the show?

Ginger would have been rescured by a TV producer who got shipwrecked on the island. She promised to send a rescue ship, but of course she was lying.

Teebs · 05-02-2014, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prof Gal

I totally agree with you about the TV movies being so dumbed down! They could have been SO much better!

Your sidebar comment is HYSTERICAL! Just wondering how Russell Johnson felt about Tina doing that! lol I always thought that they're kissing scenes were pretty intense for that show! Remember the "silent movie" kiss between them that lasted forever? So funny!

Makes me wonder about the comments supposedly made by Bob Denver in his book about hearing Tina having "loud sex" with someone in her dressing room during a lunch break(s), (I have not read the book); and I've seen Russell Johnson's name mentioned on some sites as the guy she was with. Even Howard Stern asked Tina about her and the Professor and the dressing room story on his show quite a few years ago...and they DID bring up Bob's book, so that must have been their source...I don't know.

Oh my Gosh! Scandal! I have Bob's book but he doesn't mention who she was with. He says that she had the dressing room next to his and she was having loud sex while he was trying to take a nap so he banged on the wall to get her to pipe down but she just carried on

I have never heard the rumour that she was with RJ, but OMG! Imagine if it was true! I mean, there have been rumours over the years, there were rumours about Bob and Dawn, but I stress these were rumours, and they've always been strongly denied. They were all married at some point so it would not be good for any of them to have hooked up while they were wed to other people.

Apparently Russell 'hated it' when TL tried to put her tongue in his mouth- or so he said. :wink: Maybe she shoved it in like a big slug

Prof Gal · 05-03-2014, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teebs

Oh my Gosh! Scandal! I have Bob's book but he doesn't mention who she was with. He says that she had the dressing room next to his and she was having loud sex while he was trying to take a nap so he banged on the wall to get her to pipe down but she just carried on

I have never heard the rumour that she was with RJ, but OMG! Imagine if it was true! I mean, there have been rumours over the years, there were rumours about Bob and Dawn, but I stress these were rumours, and they've always been strongly denied. They were all married at some point so it would not be good for any of them to have hooked up while they were wed to other people.

Apparently Russell 'hated it' when TL tried to put her tongue in his mouth- or so he said. :wink: Maybe she shoved it in like a big slug

Teebs: This is part of the archives of the day Tina was on Howard Stern. Thought you might be interested in reading it. Yep, it WAS several years ago! lol

Tina Louise Comes In. 12/11/97. 8:50am

Tina Louise is probably best known for her role as Ginger on ''Gilligan's Island''. She came in today to plug her book ''Sunday, A Memoir''. It's not a big book and Howard said that you can read it in about 20 minutes or so. It's written from a child's point of view so even idiots can understand it. Surprisingly, Tina is into Howard. She said that she thinks they're ''kindred spirits''. She saw ''Private Parts'' and could relate to the way Howard was treated by his father. Her childhood sucked and that's basically what her book is about. She and Howard talked about her strange life and about ''Gilligan's Island''. She said that the stories written by Bob Denver (Gilligan) about hearing her having sex with co-star Russell Johnson in her dressing room were false. She said that Bob must have a very vivid imagination."

I've read a few times that Bob always stood by what he said about Tina regarding this story. I guess we will really never know the truth!

08-29-2013, 03:08 AM	#17
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	it was cancelled because Bill Paley-the CBS president in the 50s and 60s-found out that they had cancelled GUNSMOKE so he had them renew it. That meant 2 half-hour shows had to get the axe so they picked GI and another show called RUN BUDDY, RUN.
	__________________ the Clampetts are in a fancy Beverly Hills jewelry store. Granny points to a tray of rubies. Granny: "How much fer one o' them red diamonds?" clerk: "Madam, those are rubies." Granny: "OK ask her kin we buy one offa her." clerk: " The ruby I am talking about is not a lady." Granny: "Lissen, how she got them diamonds is her business. I'm just sayin' ask her kin we buy one from her."

04-29-2014, 08:06 PM	#19
James28 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 14, 2007 Posts: 3,984	How many more seasons would Gilligan's Island have realistically lasted for if Gunsmoke had stayed cancelled after 1967?
	__________________ "When the run of a network TV show has ended, some go out with a bang, some with a whimper, but all are...Future Endeavored." "Stay Safe"? More like "Stay Sad". #2020Hurts

09-09-2013, 03:02 PM	#18
jehobden Member Senior Member Join Date: Jan 06, 2002 Location: DFW Area, TX Posts: 2,005	As much as GI fans hate the idea, and I'm certainly no Gunsmoke fan myself, renewing Gunsmoke at the expense of GI was probably a good programming move on the part of CBS, since it lifted Gunsmoke back into the Nielsen Top 20, where it remained another 6 years. GI had fallen to #49 by the end of S3, which was probably borderline for cancellation back then. GI had a total of 98 episodes in 3 seasons, S1 (B&W) had 36, S2 32, and S3 30. GI also had to contend with being broadcast 3 different nights of the week, Saturday (S1), Thursday (S2), & Monday (S3), so it did ok considering that the network moved it around so much. MAS*H was another show that CBS moved around a lot, as it was regularly broadcast on 5 different nights of the week, all except Wednesday (and it aired there once) and Thursday.

04-29-2014, 08:32 PM	#20
Samme Member Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 01, 2001 Posts: 679	I think most good sitcoms can comfortably run five seasons before they start running short of good ideas. So, they probably had had lots of workable ideas left. They only thing that would have messed that up was if Tina insisted they write her out of the show. Then it starts to feel like its run is over.

04-29-2014, 08:41 PM	#21
James28 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 14, 2007 Posts: 3,984	IMHO, Gilligan's Island's original run probably wouldn't have gotten past 1969 or 1970. Sorry if it meant Tina having to leave, but how would they have written Tina off the show?

04-29-2014, 09:21 PM	#22
Samme Member Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 01, 2001 Posts: 679	I agree with the show ending in '69 or '70. It was a '60s show. The supposed idea was for Ginger to climb aboard a rowboat (Titanic Jr.) and get rescued in the second episode of the fourth season. Though I wonder if Tina would've stayed if they offered her a nice raise and a few more stories. Wish someone would ask her, if she'd now answer even a few questions about the show.

04-29-2014, 10:56 PM	#23
Prof Gal Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Mar 06, 2014 Posts: 56	In response to Sherwood Schwartz saying he'd consider having a couple on Gilligan's Island marry and have a baby if the ratings slipped, I would have loved seeing the Professor and Ginger marry and have a baby! Now THAT would have made for great TV!! Maybe that would have enticed Tina to stay! lol

04-30-2014, 03:03 PM	#24
Teebs Dusty nut Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 30, 2011 Location: Are we there yet? Posts: 454	I read somewhere, it could be Bob Denver's book, I'll have to check- that Sherwood had an idea for a TV movie where the Professor and Ginger and also Mary Ann and Gilligan would get married and have kids. Bob was keen on the idea. "Let Gilligan's son fall in the lagoon for a change!"