On This Date in TV History: "Gilligan's Island" Was Canceled - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 09-04-2010, 01:24 AM

September 4th, 1967 - "Gilligan's Island" aired for the last time on CBS-TV. It ran for 98 shows

Marvo301 · 09-04-2010, 01:56 AM

It's a shame how Gilligan's Island got canceled at the last minute like this long after the cast had been told there would be a fourth season. They left for hiatus believing they would reunite for season four and then found out during hiatus they were canceled. They never got to say a proper good-bye to each other.

AaronHandy3 · 09-04-2010, 06:34 PM

And to think they sank the S.S. Minnow was in favour of Gunsmoke!

sixfingers · 09-30-2010, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AaronHandy3

And to think they sank the S.S. Minnow was in favour of Gunsmoke!

Certain people at the network were looking for an excuse, and that's what they gave. Gilligan's Island ran in three different time slots and was the top show in each. If they really wanted to they could have shown both, they just didn't want to!

Today such a show would be picked up by another network or would go independent, but things were different back then.

biffbronson · 10-01-2010, 06:28 AM

I'm a fan of both shows, and I think the Gunsmoke angle tends to be overplayed. It wasn't Gunsmoke that killed GI, it was scheduling glitches or whatever you may call them.

Gunsmoke had been on for years and continued for many more, and most of my favorite episodes are from the years after GI was gone. It was a shame to lose GI, but I wish people would stop blaming Gunsmoke, a very compelling series.

lm · 06-02-2011, 11:18 AM

Yes, I know this may be blasphemy but I always had a little question about that also. Maybe this is in Schwartz's book, but I've forgotten. Why did they keep switching GI's time slot in the first place? Don't they usually do that in response to ratings? Aren't successful shows usually kept in prime slots? Was 7:30 perhaps a more prime slot than today (were people in bed earlier back then?) Anyway, didn't the fantastic ratings (overall, not number 1 in the time slot) go down in number over the years? Schwartz says it is because of the shifting time slot. Also, despite "Babe's" preferences--would a network really get rid of an extremely popular show--isn't that what the tv industry is all about? In any case, wouldn't a network executive still be able to find a place for his wife's favorite show (and would he keep it if it were a bomb?) and another successful show? I would like to hear people's opinions on this. The "canon" explanation is always that GI was a blockbuster hit that got a stroke of bad luck because of the network executive's wife and her favorite tv show. That being said, with all due respect to "Gunsmoke," which I don't know enough about and trust was a good show, I, of course, still choose GI!!!

comedyfreak · 06-04-2011, 09:41 AM

I still don't get why they couldn't have saved the show by having it come back mid-season.

Teebs · 06-06-2011, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

September 4th, 1967 - "Gilligan's Island" aired for the last time on CBS-TV. It ran for 98 shows

Hahaha, I love the picture you chose. Even Gilligan's like "WTF????"

glickmam · 06-13-2011, 04:59 AM

Well, maybe William S. Paley just didn't like what he was seeing on Gilligan's Island. Maybe he felt that the episodes were too campy and too lowbrow for what he considered to be a high quality network.

09-04-2010, 01:24 AM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	On This Date in TV History: "Gilligan's Island" Was Canceled September 4th, 1967 - "Gilligan's Island" aired for the last time on CBS-TV. It ran for 98 shows Attached Images
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09-04-2010, 01:56 AM	#2
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,456	It's a shame how Gilligan's Island got canceled at the last minute like this long after the cast had been told there would be a fourth season. They left for hiatus believing they would reunite for season four and then found out during hiatus they were canceled. They never got to say a proper good-bye to each other.
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09-04-2010, 06:34 PM	#3
AaronHandy3 Classic TV Buff Forum Regular Join Date: Nov 21, 2001 Location: New Orleans, LA Posts: 859	And to think they sank the S.S. Minnow was in favour of Gunsmoke!
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10-01-2010, 06:28 AM	#5
biffbronson Sentimental Fool Forum Star Join Date: Aug 22, 2009 Location: Near Notre Dame Posts: 10,502	I'm a fan of both shows, and I think the Gunsmoke angle tends to be overplayed. It wasn't Gunsmoke that killed GI, it was scheduling glitches or whatever you may call them. Gunsmoke had been on for years and continued for many more, and most of my favorite episodes are from the years after GI was gone. It was a shame to lose GI, but I wish people would stop blaming Gunsmoke, a very compelling series.
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06-04-2011, 09:41 AM	#7
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,060	I still don't get why they couldn't have saved the show by having it come back mid-season.
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06-02-2011, 11:18 AM	#6
lm Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 29, 2006 Location: New York Posts: 469	Yes, I know this may be blasphemy but I always had a little question about that also. Maybe this is in Schwartz's book, but I've forgotten. Why did they keep switching GI's time slot in the first place? Don't they usually do that in response to ratings? Aren't successful shows usually kept in prime slots? Was 7:30 perhaps a more prime slot than today (were people in bed earlier back then?) Anyway, didn't the fantastic ratings (overall, not number 1 in the time slot) go down in number over the years? Schwartz says it is because of the shifting time slot. Also, despite "Babe's" preferences--would a network really get rid of an extremely popular show--isn't that what the tv industry is all about? In any case, wouldn't a network executive still be able to find a place for his wife's favorite show (and would he keep it if it were a bomb?) and another successful show? I would like to hear people's opinions on this. The "canon" explanation is always that GI was a blockbuster hit that got a stroke of bad luck because of the network executive's wife and her favorite tv show. That being said, with all due respect to "Gunsmoke," which I don't know enough about and trust was a good show, I, of course, still choose GI!!!

06-13-2011, 04:59 AM	#9
glickmam Member Forum Regular Join Date: Mar 03, 2007 Posts: 661	Well, maybe William S. Paley just didn't like what he was seeing on Gilligan's Island. Maybe he felt that the episodes were too campy and too lowbrow for what he considered to be a high quality network.