A priest on Gilligan's Island ...

[Prince Michael]

In a previous thread, somebody asked the question "What would you take if you had to be stranded on a tropical island" . Six people said they'd bring their Bible . One person wanted to bring his pastor .

When most people need spiritual guidance, they can go to the nearest church . Not necessarily the nearest church, but at least the one they belong to . The characters on Gilligan's Island didn't have that chance .

I've often imagined a Catholic priest getting stranded on Gilligan's Island . He would've been taking a cruise on his vacation, the ship he was on sank, and he washed up on the island . If I had my way, he would've first appeared on episode # 50, he would've been on Gilligan's Island for the rest of its run, and he would've been on The New Adventures of Gilligan, Gilligan's Planet, Rescue From Gilligan's Island, The Castaways on Gilligan's Island, and The Harlem Globetretters on Gilligan's Island . When Mr . Howell established a hotel on Gilligan's Island, this priest could have offered church services to the guests . The theme song would have been rewritten to mention "the Professor, Mary Ann, and the Priest" and "eight stranded castaways here on Gilligan's Isle !" .

I know I could write a fan fiction based on this idea, but it's common for TV fans to have their ideas about "What they should've done differently", and this one is mine . What do you think of this idea ? Don't make any comments about a child molester, because most priests aren't like that . Along that line, Father Mulcahey on M*A*S*H was a Catholic priest, and he wasn't always rubbing everybody's noses in religion .

[GeorgeWBushGOP]

Not sure many shows then implied "faith" much..

It's funny you bring this up..

While no refereces to god on GI the Skipper was going to marry the Howells under "Holy" Matrimony.. And I recall the Proffessor of all people telling the group to pray "casually of course"...

I think in the seventies shows came that were more based on faith.. In the fifties and sixties church was mentioned here or there.. But nothing too far..

But it would be interesting to see the castaways praying to Jesus Christ every now and then.. Or getting ready for church...

Perhaps an episode where Ginger is born again???

Or Gilligan thinks he saw Jesus..??

Or Mary Ann wants to join the convent and we have a dream sequence where the circumstances change her mind..

I remember family members of mine discussing the movie "Castaway" and I do have this religious nut Uncle you screamed "You can't tell me that a man would be stuck on an island for five years and not break down and pray to Jesus Christ"?? While radical to me.. It did seem logical..

again JUST SAYING!!

[Prince Michael]

Your response got me to thinking, George . I remember the Cleavers on Leave It To Beaver went to church every Sunday . There was one episode of Leave It To Beaver where Ward Cleaver gave Wally and the Beaver a lecture and said "We all have to do the best we can with what God gave us !" . By the same token, Mr . and Mrs . Wilson on Dennis the Menace were regular churchgoers .

A Catholic priest on Gilligan's Island would have been along the same lines as the nuns on The Flying Nun . Real -- life nuns approved of The Flying Nun because it made nuns look like normal human beings .

There was one episode of The Love Boat where Gopher Smith got hurt and knocked unconscious, and Captain Stubing led his crew in praying that he'd recover . Imagine an episode of Gilligan's Island where Gilligan got hurt and knocked unconscious, and the Skipper led the castaways in praying for his recovery . Of course, a Catholic priest could do the same thing .

Your idea of an episode where Gilligan thinks he saw Jesus gave me an idea . He could be a visitor to the island who LOOKS like Jesus . My priest character could tell him "Gilligan, Jesus is in Heaven !" .

Your remarks got me to wondering -- can anybody name a religious character on a TV show from the 1950s or the 1960s ? I can name a few from the TV shows of the 1970s . Ward Cleaver of Leave It To Beaver and the nuns in Sister Bertrille's convent on The Flying Nun certainly count, but are there any others ? I like your ideas, George . Happy New Year to everybody .

[Smilings]

Originally Posted by Prince Michael

Your remarks got me to wondering -- can anybody name a religious character on a TV show from the 1950s or the 1960s ? .

Remember the pilot?

Mary is applying for the job and Lou Grant asks her what her religion is.

Mary says "Mr. Grant, you can't ask me that!"

So he moves on and asks her other, more intrusive questions.

To which she replies "Presbyterian."


Of course Mary Tyler Moore Show was the 1970's. Laura Petri was 1960's.

[GeorgeWBushGOP]

Originally Posted by Prince Michael

Your response got me to thinking, George . I remember the Cleavers on Leave It To Beaver went to church every Sunday . There was one episode of Leave It To Beaver where Ward Cleaver gave Wally and the Beaver a lecture and said "We all have to do the best we can with what God gave us !" . By the same token, Mr . and Mrs . Wilson on Dennis the Menace were regular churchgoers .

A Catholic priest on Gilligan's Island would have been along the same lines as the nuns on The Flying Nun . Real -- life nuns approved of The Flying Nun because it made nuns look like normal human beings .

There was one episode of The Love Boat where Gopher Smith got hurt and knocked unconcscious, and Captain Stubing led his crew in praying that he'd recover . Imagine an episode of Gilligan's Island where Gilligan got hurt and knocked unconcscious, and the Skipper led the castaways in praying for his recovery . Of course, a Catholic priest could do the same thing .

Your idea of an episode where Gilligan thinks he saw Jesus gave me an idea . He could be a visitor to the island who LOOKS like Jesus . My priest character could tell him "Gilligan, Jesus is in Heaven !" .

Your remarks got me to wondering -- can anybody name a religious character on a TV show from the 1950s or the 1960s ? I can name a few from the TV shows of the 1970s . Ward Cleaver of Leave It To Beaver and the nuns in Sister Bertrille's convent on The Flying Nun certainly count, but are there any others ? I like your ideas, George . Happy New Year to everybody .

I really can't think of any in the sitcom genre.. I recall on a "Munsters" episode it was implied Herman went to church one day..

I guess GOD was a no no in comedy.. Although he was mentioned in the fifties and in the seventies.. I guess with all the upheaval of the times anything contraversial was off limits...

[Isaac Horvath]

I think it would be a little too risky to have a religious authority on the island, or even any of the castaways expressing devout religion. It was and still is a bit of a touchy subject and having a Catholic priest could have alienated non-Catholic and especially non-Christian watchers a little.

[GeorgeWBushGOP]

Originally Posted by Isaac Horvath

I think it would be a little too risky to have a religious authority on the island, or even any of the castaways expressing devout religion. It was and still is a bit of a touchy subject and having a Catholic priest could have alienated non-Catholic and especially non-Christian watchers a little.

Yeah, but it is fun to play the "what if?" game anyway isn't it??

[Prince Michael]

I think it would be a little too risky to have a religious authority on the island, or even any of the castaways expressing devout religion. It was and still is a bit of a touchy subject and having a Catholic priest could have alienated non-Catholic and especially non-Christian watchers a little.

Possibly . Religion CAN be a touchy subject, but there are a number of religious characters on television . There were a lot of characters on TV who were members of "a church", and they mentioned God or talked about going to church . The Flying Nun was on during the same time as Gilligan's Island, and non -- Catholic and non -- Christian viewers managed to stand it . Father Mulcahey on M*A*S*H was a Catholic priest, and non -- Catholic and non -- Christian viewers managed to stand him .

McLean Stevenson played a Catholic priest ( In the Beginning ), Have Faith was also about Catholic priests, and Sister Kate was about a nun . The main character of 7th Heaven was a minister . He had a wife and seven kids, so I know very well he wasn't a Catholic priest, but he was a minister, and he belonged to "a church" . However, we all know we're only discussing these elements of our classic TV shows for fun .

On the subject of religious character from TV shows, you have Olivia Walton on The Waltons and the Reverend Alden on Little House on the Prairie . By the same token, Darrin and Samantha Stephens on Bewitched were also depicted going to church . There was also an episode of Diff'rent Strokes where Mr . Drummond was injured, Arnold and Willis Jackson talked about praying, and Arnold prayed for Mr . Drummond's recovery .

[Teebs]

I can't remember the exact episode (it's in Season 1), but there's a scene with Skipper and Gilligan on a raft in the lagoon. Gilligan appears to walk across the surface and Skipper says in amazement, "Gilligan! You can't just walk on water!"

To which Gilligan replies, "I'm not, I'm using this plank." Which is slightly submerged so you don't see it.

I always wondered if that's a veiled reference to Christ, or just a simple joke.

[McGillicuddy]

Residents of Mayberry went to church on The Andy Griffith Show, in the '60's. Aunt Bee sang in the choir. I guess everybody was of the same denomination!

[Prince Michael]

If a Catholic priest had become the eighth castaway on Gilligan's Island, there would have been a scene in Rescue From Gilligan's Island where Gilligan and Captain Jonas Grumby ( the Skipper ) visit him to get his signature . Most of this scene would depict the priest's disappointment with American society in the late 1970s .

I don't mean to be "Captain Obvious", but it would have been an interesting scene .

[Prince Michael]

Originally Posted by McGillicuddy

Residents of Mayberry went to church on The Andy Griffith Show, in the '60's. Aunt Bee sang in the choir. I guess everybody was of the same denomination!

I wanted to throw this one in before anyone else did . The residents of Springfield all go to Reverend Lovejoy's church on The Simpsons .

[GeorgeWBushGOP]

Originally Posted by Prince Michael

I wanted to throw this one in before anyone else did . The residents of Springfield all go to Reverend Lovejoy's church on The Simpsons .

Yes.. but that is today's television..

[GeorgeWBushGOP]

Not for nothing but the natives that appeared now and then were certainly religious..

I can't recall but was Gilligan considered a "god" or an "Idol"??

Anyway it might have made fun of what was considered to be wacky faith..

But it did save their lives a few times so maybe some devine intervention was implied..

who knows??

[Prince Michael]

I started this thread and I added a few comments, and there was one thing I forgot until recently -- the song "Amazing Grace" can be sung to the tune of "The Ballad of Gilligan's Island" . It can also be sung to the tune of "House of the Rising Sun" .