Surprising Stories from the Set of Gilligan’s Island

Sherwood Schwartz had to pitch Gilligan’s Island over and over before CBS finally caved. Executives were convinced the idea would sink fast—they thought a sitcom about castaways sounded too weird to work. Schwartz’s persistence finally paid off when he got the go-ahead to film the pilot in 1963.

Even after the show premiered, critics weren’t impressed and kept handing out low ratings. The audience, however, absolutely loved it. Viewers tuned in week after week, making the series a hit despite the skepticism. It’s a perfect example of fans knowing a good thing long before the critics ever catch on.