Gilligan's Island: The Producer

Gilligan's Island: The Producer
CBS
October 3, 1966
Sitcom
DVD
A-

This is many people's favorite GI episode, mine included, and it's easy to see why.  You've got Phil Silvers's marvelous performance as the title character, and all the castaways reacting to him.  And you've got the fantastic musical version of Hamlet.  You've even got Gilligan driving around a little pedal-operated car!  And on an ordinary episode, Ginger's impressions of Sophia Loren and Marilyn Monroe would be worth tuning in of themselves.  There's little I can add to all that has been said by others, but I will note that the script is full of sharp little lines, like the throwaway reference to Steve Reeves and Hamlet's advice to Ophelia, "Hide anywhere but don't go near the water."  Note, there are two directors this time because Lupino had an injury on set but the episode is nonetheless seamless.

Gilligan's Island: The Return of Wrongway Feldman

No longer as primitive as can be.

Gilligan's Island: The Return of Wrongway Feldman
CBS
March 13, 1965
Sitcom
DVD
B-

As the title indicates, Feldman returns, this time trying to escape from civilization.  When the castaways pretend that they're going to "civilize" their island, he flies away, this time landing on an island where he's fawned over by native girls.  Note, this is the second episode where Mary Ann mentions her mother.  I'd always thought she was an orphan raised by her aunt and uncle (like Dorothy Gale).  Co-written by Lawrence J. Cohen and Fred Freeman, who did Feldman's previous episode, the director's is also a double credit, but I suspect the Lupino scenes are the ones recycled from before, while this is Gene Nelson's only GI credit.

Gilligan's Island: Wrongway Feldman

Gilligan's Island: Wrongway Feldman
CBS
October 24, 1964
Sitcom
DVD
B

Written by Lawrence J. Cohen and Fred Freeman, this is a definite step up from "Two on a Raft."  In fact, it's easily the best episode so far.  Director Ida Lupino does another fine job at the helm.  Special guest star Hans Conried plays the title character, who crashed his plane, The Spirit of the Bronx (a Lindbergh parody), on the island 33 1/2 years ago.  Not only is he wonderful to watch, but the impact of the first "outsider" is strong.  Gilligan hero-worships him, making the Skipper jealous, and he flirts with Mrs. Howell, making Mr. Howell jealous.  While mostly asleep, he withstands Mr. Howell's and Ginger's attempts to take each of them along as his passenger (one offering money and power, the other "glamorous moonlit nights"), although he does almost whisk Mary Ann on board after she kisses him goodbye.  Not a young man when he landed (he served in World War I), he's surprised to hear some of the technological and other changes in the past third of a century.  He finds his way back to the Bronx, but the authorities dismiss his tales of the island as just that, tall tales.  Fortunately, we haven't seen the last of him.

Gilligan's Island: Good Night Sweet Skipper

Gilligan's Island: Good Night Sweet Skipper

CBS

October 17, 1964

Sitcom

DVD
B-

The Skipper is walking in his sleep (with his eyes open) and recalls how to turn the radio into a transmitter.  So most of the rest of the episode is spent trying to put him back into a dream state where the Professor and/or Mary Ann can take notes on the procedure.  This leads to drug abuse, with the Skipper accidentally swallowing ten tranquilizers!  The best group scene is when the other castaways have to recreate battle noises.  Actress Ida Lupino directs her first but not last GI episode and, yes, that is June "Rocky" Foray providing the voice of the female pilot they try to contact.  Co-writers Dick Conway and Roland MacLane would return.

I think this is the first episode where Ginger sings.