Who's the Boss?: All in the Famiglia

Who's the Boss?: All in the Famiglia
ABC
January 12, 1988
Sitcom
DVD
B

Tony's relatives visit from Italy: Uncle Aldo (Vito Scotti again); his sister, Tony's Aunt Rosa (Antonia Rey, in a role she'd repeat a couple years later); and two cousins whose relation to the others is unclear, 20ish Maurizio (a pre-21-Jump-Street Richard Grieco) and college student Laura.  Since Rosa is referred to as Tony's great-aunt, and everyone's last name is Micelli, I guess Aldo and Rosa are the brother and sister of the grandfather who helped raise Tony.  (We'll see him in a flashback later.)

Rosa, who doesn't speak much English, although Aldo is now relatively fluent, at first doesn't warm up to Angela, but she soon matchmakes her with Tony, Maurizio, and then Tony again.  Maurizio does develop a crush on Angela, who's flattered.  Tony tells Maurizio that he and Angela have a "warm and confused relationship" he'd like to keep that way.  And he tells Aldo to tell Rosa that he'll marry Angela someday.  Angela looks quite pleased to hear this, even though Tony just said it to make peace.

Who's the Boss?: Tony the Nanny

Who's the Boss?: Tony the Nanny
ABC
December 17, 1985
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Ellen Guylas wrote this story where Tony's Uncle Aldo Micelli (Vito Scotti in his first of two appearances, although he'd be referred to in a third) sends Ana, his youngest daughter of eight, from Italy to America for an arranged marriage.  Angela disapproves but Tony says his parents had an arranged marriage.  He comes around to Angela's viewpoint when he hears how old-fashioned the prospective groom is.

Note that Aldo is worried who will take over his business, which suggests that, one, he has no sons, and two, none of the older daughters are married.  Also, at this point he can't speak English and Tony's Italian is very rusty.  (Ana is bilingual.)  Oh, and, yes, Jonathan's line, in reply to Sam's wish to marry a man like her dad (which won't happen), "I want to marry a wife like your dad," is ironic in retrospect.

Helmond shares the directing credit with Gail L. Bergmann, who would direct five more.

Gilligan's Island: Ring Around Gilligan

Ginger has worn this swimsuit before, but it's not unlike Ann's
"skimpy" outfit in the "That Girl" episode that aired a few days before.

Gilligan's Island: Ring Around Gilligan
CBS
November 7, 1966
Sitcom
DVD
C+

This is the first of two GI episodes written by John Fenton Murray, as well as Vito Scotti's fourth and last appearance.  This time mad scientist Boris Balinkoff has magic rings that turn people into robots, and he plans to use the castaways to rob Fort Knox.  There's no explanation of how he got turned back from a cat, or why his assistant Igor is now a monkey.

Gilligan's Island: The Friendly Physician

The Professor has a plan.

Gilligan's Island: The Friendly Physician
CBS
April 7, 1966
Sitcom
DVD
B-

When I was a little kid, I thought this episode was hilarious, with the way people and animals switch voices and personalities around.  It's still entertaining, although as an adult I can't help wondering logistics, like just how close this island is to Gilligan's.  And, yes, Vito Scotti is back, as a completely different character than the Japanese sailor, although also one that he'd reprise.

This is, by the way, the 100th sitcom episode I've reviewed, about two-thirds of them GI.

Gilligan's Island: Diogenes, Won't You Please Go Home?

Gilligan's Island: Diogenes, Won't You Please Go Home?
CBS
May 1, 1965
Sitcom
DVD
C+

Well, this is better than the other "Japanese sailor" episode that David P. Harmon wrote.  This time Scotti appears only in the castaways' highly biased "flashbacks."  Gilligan is keeping a diary, so the Skipper, Mr. Howell, and Ginger each write their own version of the encounter.  When everyone is trying to get Gilligan to let them read what he wrote about them, Ginger of course vamps him, promising hugging and kissing scenes in the movie based on his diary, and he of course knocks himself out.  And good luck to anyone trying to work out a chronology.  I think "Three to Get Ready" was set, according to Mr. Howell, in July (again an "oyster" episode in a month with no R), while this one is supposed to be in November.

Gilligan's Island: So Sorry, My Island Now

Ginger of course vamps the sailor, in hopes of escape.

Gilligan's Island: So Sorry, My Island Now
CBS
January 9, 1965
Sitcom
DVD
C

The first of five episodes written by David P. Harmon and the only episode directed by Alan Crosland, Jr., this gets marked down not only for the obvious racism but also for the fact that, like the submarine, it doesn't really go anywhere.  A Japanese sailor, who doesn't know the War is over, captures the five passengers one by one.  Then Gilligan and the Skipper go to rescue them.  The sailor is unable to leave in his sub because Gilligan has "storen his grasses."  That's it, the entire plot.  If it were at least funny, I could forgive some of this.  But it's the weakest episode since the pilot.  I will note that Mrs. Howell says there may be a Thurston Howell IV, like she's pregnant or at least hoping to be.  (The case of TH4 will be addressed later.)  And somehow both Wrongway Feldman and the sailor overlapped each other on the island for two decades, apparently without running into each other.  (And like Conried's, Scotti's character would return.)