Rescue from Gilligan's Island

Fanservice hadn't changed
 much in a decade or so.

Rescue from Gilligan's Island
NBC
October 14, 1978
TV-Movie
DVD
C

First of all, I have to say, this was a big deal in '78, and not just to me.  It was a ratings smash, since a lot of people wanted closure for the castaways.  Unfortunately, the script in particular-- written by the three Schwartz brothers with five-time GI contributor David Harmon-- has not aged well.  There's too much emphasis on the slapstick side of GI, which feels weird with an older cast and no laugh track.  There are literally dozens of continuity errors from the original series, and that's not even counting 32-year-old Judith Baldwin as Ginger Grant.  The weakest aspect of the writing though is probably the totally unneeded thread about the Russian spies, Dimitri (Vincent Schiavelli, who'd make a memorable appearance as a creepy Motel Manager in a Who's the Boss? two-parter) and Ivan (Art LaFleur, who'd be an MP on M*A*S*H), which is wrapped up in seconds by previously unmentioned FBI men.  (Or was it CIA?)

There are moments when the cast, notably Johnson, rise above the material, and there's definitely warmth and camaraderie among the characters even after all this time.  It is good to see them.  But I almost wish that, since they were going to make this corny anyway, they'd gone full out into camp, like have Gilligan accidentally win a disco contest or something.  As it is, there are topical references but only the most obvious ones, like Watergate and R2D2.  Completists should watch and even own this, but others should probably stay away.

Snag Werris, who was on That Girl as well as four episodes of The Brady Bunch, is a Cameraman here.  Mario Machado, who played himself on BBunch, is an unnamed Reporter here, while Studio Guard John Wheeler had three roles on BBunch.  Barbara Mallory was Helen on What's Happening!!  and is Cindy Smith here.  Marcus K. Mukai is a Hawaiian Man here and would be on both M*A*S*H and Soap.

Note, this counts as the 100th tag for Gilligan's Island, although it's not an episode per se, and it's also Alan Hale's 100th credit on this blog.  I've seen but don't currently own the second movie, where they actually escape the island for good but then open a resort.  I do have the third and best/worst movie, Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island.