The Unaired Gilligan’s Island Pilot Marooned Remained Hidden For 29 Years

The theme song for “Gilligan’s Island” was written by executive producer and show creator Sherwood Schwartz and songwriter George Wyle. It remains, without contest, one of the best TV theme songs of all time, efficiently communicating the show’s premise and all seven of its characters, wrapped in one of the most insidious earworms ever recorded. Only the theme to “The Brady Bunch” can rival its cultural power. Only Jack Marshall’s theme to “The Munsters” and Danny Elfman’s theme to “Tales from the Crypt” can surpass it musically. 

It may be shocking to learn, then, that the sea shanty version we all known and love was the second theme attempted. The original theme song had a calypso beat and different lyrics. Incidentally, the original was penned by music legend John Williams. Schwartz himself sang the theme song, although one would be forgiven for thinking it was voice luminary Mel Blanc.

The original lyrics also describe several new characters that “Gilligan’s Island” fans may not be familiar with. “Two secretaries from U.S.A.,” the lyrics say, “‘they on the Minnow this lovely day. A high school teacher is next aboard, all taking trip that they cannot afford.” The lyrics do describe the Millionaire and his Wife, at any rate, and Gilligan and the Skipper are still there piloting the S.S. Minnow. There is no mention of Ginger the movie star, the Professor, or the farm girl Mary Ann.

The calypso song was used for “Marooned,” the original “Gilligan’s Island” pilot, and it wouldn’t be heard by the public until October 16, 1992. “Marooned” would finally air for the first time during a “Gilligan’s Island” anniversary event, and some of the changes were a little surprising to old-school “Gilligan’s Island” fans.

The basic premise of “Gilligan’s Island” remained the same from “Marooned” to its secondary, more familiar pilot, “Two on a Raft.” In brief, five passengers set sail from a tropical port for a boat tour, only to hit bad weather and crash-land on an uncharted desert isle. The seven mismatched people must then comedically learn to survive. It seems, however, that the magic wasn’t quite there yet, and Sherwood Schwartz felt that he could rework the seven characters a little better. Notably, three of them were replaced.

The aforementioned two secretaries were named Ginger and Bunny, and were played by actresses Kit Smythe and Nancy McCarthy, respectively. Unlike the movie star Ginger that was to eventually be played by Tina Louise, the first Ginger was a wry, sarcastic character. Little else is known about the first Ginger, as her role wasn’t very big in “Marooned.” She and Bunny were secretaries, and they were likely from Los Angeles. Apart from the name, she shares no personality traits with the Tina Louise Ginger.

The first Ginger and Bunny were already close friends going into the show, and Bunny was presented as a traditionally upbeat, “ditzy” character. Incidentally, some footage from “Marooned” made its way into the “Gilligan’s Island” episode “Birds Gotta Fly, Fish Gotta Talk” (December 19, 1964), and a sharp-eyed viewer will be about to briefly see McCarthy on screen. Bunny eventually became Mary Ann, as played by Dawn Wells. 

There are three main female characters on “Gilligan’s Island,” and it was wise for Schwartz to give them all different personalities and backgrounds for his secondary pilot. Two secretaries seemed like a lazy bifurcation of a single character type. Ginger and Mary Ann are better than Ginger and Bunny.

Schwartz clearly wanted a “straight man” and scientific expert on the series, and his first vision was the unnamed high school teacher character played by hunky young actor John Gabriel. The Gabriel character, like the Professor that would eventually be played by Russell Johnson, also provided exposition and plot details, although his character was decidedly different. Gabriel was more of a “stud” character, providing all of the show’s sexual energy. Schwartz clearly didn’t like the chemistry, and felt that the Professor should be more of a “stuffed shirt” type. Instead, Johnson was brought on, and he was able to provide a handsome face, but also more professorial authority. 

It could certainly be argued that the Gabriel Professor and the Johnson Professor are actually the same character played by different actors. 

“Marooned” began with a scene of all the characters waking up on the crashed S.S. Minnow, and followed them as they explored the island and looked for food and supplies. The Professor attempts to fix a transmitter on board the ship. A radio introduces each character, as they get to listen to a report on the fact that they’re missing. No background information was given about any of their personal lives. Comedically, Gilligan’ accidentally flings the radio and transmitter into the water while fishing. Luckily, the radio is rescued from the belly of a fish later in the episode.

When it came time for Schwartz to make “Two on a Raft,” he recut a few short portions of “Marooned,” careful not to include footage of Gabriel, Smythe, and McCarthy. The same music cues and canned laughter were used for both pilots. 

“Marooned” was directed by Rod Amateau, an experienced TV and movie veteran who worked on films like “The Bushwhackers” and TV shows like “Mister Ed.” Meanwhile, “Two on a Raft” was directed by John Rich who worked in TV starting in 1951 and continued to direct various episodes of many hit TV shows until 1999. He did four episodes of “Gilligan’s,” 26 episodes of “Gomer Pyle, USMC,” and 81 episodes of “All in the Family.” 

The original pilot wasn’t meant to be seen by the public, and remained an obscure “first draft” for many years. Fans of “Gilligan’s Island” likely passed around rumors about “Marooned,” but only industry insiders had been able to actually see it. 

After “Gilligan’s Island” went off the air in 1967, and entered into eternal syndication, new generations of fans glommed onto the show. Kids of the 1980s grew up watching “Gilligan’s” reruns, and the series — for however much it was critically lambasted for its silliness — became a legitimate cultural presence. By mid-1980s to early 1990s, “Gilligan’s Island” was accepted as a keystone in TV history, and retrospectives began appearing regularly. The cast appeared on “Family Feud,” and they would make guest appearances on TV shows like “ALF.” 

By 1992, Turner Classic Movies found they still had the original footage of “Marooned” in its archive and decided, as a celebration of the series, to air it. Bob Denver, Gilligan himself, recorded a special introduction, and fans could finally see the original pilot in all its glory. Luckily, the pilot was cared for in the TCM archive, and it didn’t require any major restoration. The airing was a big enough event to warrant a story in the Los Angeles Times. 

Curiously, no one had rebooted “Gilligan’s” in the last 57 years.