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| Not just any shipwreck – the SS Minnow |
Yesterday I put this image of a shipwreck on my Facebook wall, and instantly received a bunch of comments from friends who have the same fondness for Gilligan’s Island that I do. It was great fun.
Gilligan’s Island only ran for a few years – from 1964-67, but it made an impact on kids like me. The first year was black and white, then they switched to color. So they say… Everything was black and white to my family back then.
The purpose of this post is not to rehash old Gilligan plot lines, or reawaken the age old debate: Mary Ann or Ginger (Mary Ann- Duh.). Instead, I will relate a brief story as to how Gilligan stirred in me a sense of social activism and a desire to make the world a better place.
Note: The details are a little fuzzy, and if my mom were around, she could help clear it up, but the story is true. So, sit right back and you’ll hear a tale…
The year, 1967: I was in 1st Grade, and my ritual was to come home, have a snack, and then plop down in front of the TV. Captain Scotty showed the Bugs Bunny cartoons, followed by a Gilligan’s Island rerun. Every day. I loved Gilligan. I could relate to Gilligan. (Still do.)
The prime-time run of Gilligan’s Island had recently ended, but the reruns had been going for some time. I don’t remember ever watching it in prime-time on CBS, but I do remember the reruns.
One day, I came home from school, endured Captain Scotty as he would introduce the cartoons, and then waited for Gilligan. Nope. No Gilligan! There had to be some kind of terrible mistake. Gilligan was gone – replaced by some “less than” show like Gomer Pyle or Bewitched. I was confused. I was only six-years-old and had not been formally introduced to the cruelty that the world sometimes throws our way.
I went to my mom to find out what was happening. She got out the newspaper, and turned to the TV listings and handed it to me.
“What does it say?” she asked.
“It says Captain Scotty, 3:00, NOT Gilligan, 3:30.”
“So it looks like they changed the schedule – Gilligan isn’t on anymore.”
I was distraught.
The next day I came home, waited for Gilligan – with the hope that the previous day had merely been an aberration. To no avail. No Gilligan. Back to Mom.
She explained to me that TV shows come and go, but I wasn’t hearing it. Something needed to be done! This was unacceptable. Her reply was something along the lines of “What do you want me to do about it?”
Apparently I brought up the idea that there must be someone I could talk to about this. My mom got out the paper again, showed me the picture of a man who was the “TV Editor” and suggested I call him. (I wish I could remember his name..anyone?)
She dialed the number, asked for the man, and a minute later was speaking with someone. Then she handed me the phone.
“How can I help you?” Uh-oh. A grown-up.
I sucked it up and thought to myself, “This is your moment to do something to help your fellow man.” My mom was giving me nods of approval as I pressed forward.
I plunged forward: “Channel 5 stopped showing Gilligan’s island after school, and I watch it every day, and so do all my friends.”
“How old are you?”
“Six.”
I don’t remember much more about the conversation, I have a sense that he was chuckling as he asked me what I would like to see done. It was simple: I wanted Gilligan back where he was supposed to be: On his island, on my TV, after school, every day.
He then asked me if we read the Deseret News, or the Salt Lake Tribune. I told him the Tribune. He thanked me and we hung up.
My mom asked me if I felt better, and then asked me why I mentioned the Tribune. I told her, and she corrected me saying something mildly derogatory about the Tribune. Apparently the TV editor worked at both papers. (I would later come to accept that the Trib is evil, and God owns the Deseret News.)
The next day, I waited for the paper boy to come by on his bike. When he did, I took the paper inside to check the TV listings. Still no Gilligan. I had failed.
When my dad got home from work the next day, he had a copy of the Tribune. He gathered us around and we read the column by the TV editor where he described receiving a phone call from an upset six-year-old who demanded that he put Gilligan’s Island back on the air. He mentioned me by name, and wished me luck in my efforts. I couldn’t have been more proud. I think my mom was too.
I can only assume that my social activism was the driving force for what happened two weeks later: Gilligan reruns returned to the airwaves. I am sure that I took full credit when talking to my friends.
I am grateful to have had a mom that used an opportunity like this to teach me how to find, and use my voice at such an early age. Obviously I still use it. (Much to the chagrin of many since then.)
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Sorry, I know this post is already “old” but I had to say “thank you!” as well. Almost a decade later it was still on after school when I watched it (and then “Brady Bunch”) apparently thanks to you.
And YES, definitely Mary Ann!
Sadly, kids have to come home today and do piles of homework…
Sometimes I wish I could just write a note that they didn’t do their homework because a snack, show, and playing outside is a more appropriate use of their time at this age. Somehow I don’t think it’d be well received.
I have. I sent a note to a teacher letting them know that my son was involved in many good things, and didn’t have time to waste on something as ridiculous as a wordsearch puzzle – and if this grade was negatively impacted, we were OK with that. Never heard back.
We don’t have it over here and I’ve heard of it only in the context of Galaxy Quest, from which I gather it ended in tragedy. Anyone care to enlighten me?
I used to love Gilligan’s Island as a child also. Now, I live it…sort of. My wife’s name is Mary Ann, and I’m a college professor. I’m sure you can imagine what is carved into the piece of driftwood at the entrance to our home. 🙂
AuntSue
Thank you for righting a great wrong of the world!
“God owns the Deseret News” – you got that right 🙂
But Ginger rocked those evening gowns, not the woman-child who wore pigtails.
Loved taking the trip down memory lane with you!
That’s a great story, way to go! Thankfully, my favorite after school show, Matlock, is still on 😉
Nice. Good work!
I got a stop sign installed by the city on my street to stop people from speeding down the street and endangering my many small children. Does that count as social activism? If it helps, I got some flak from some of my speedier neighbors about it. Since I shared a social activism story, I also want to resurrect an old Gilligan plot line. I must have caught the show on Nick at Night. I just remember one about giant tarantulas that looks a lot like somebody hiding under a wheelbarrow. Good times.
Well now there’ll be no living with you! Wait to stick up to THE MAN!
I would make a wise crack about being grateful that you fought to have it put back on, but I was only a baby at the time….so…..there’s that.
Which then begs the question. If I can remember Gilligan after school myself, just how many years did those shows run?
Bewtiched
I Dream of Jeannie
M*A*S*H
Brady Bunch
Hogan’s Heroes
et al
M*A*S*H ran for 11 years. Ending in 1981, I was 1 year old but I now own the series on DVD because I love it.
MLK?
Yes. MLK?
Yes. MLK.
So cool. I hope that you still have the article somewhere. That is an awesome story.
What a great story!
Some will call evil good, and good evil. The Trib got it back on for you. Now who is evil?
The Trib.
Oh, yeah, and to you, I supppose… 😉
Kudos to your mom, and to that great editor.
Wow that’s awesome! Way to stick up for Gilligan! I was born a little after they stopped making Gilligan but when I was in elementary school they played it on Nick at Night at 5 am every week day. Much to my parents annoyance I religiously woke up early everyday to watch this show! I remember my dad coming in the room and asking me what the heck I was doing. He didn’t get it.
That’s great! What an awesome Mom!