Surprising Stories from the Set of Gilligan’s Island

Sherwood Schwartz first dreamed up the idea back in college, after a class exercise where everyone shared what they’d bring to a desert island. The wildly different answers stuck with him and sparked the concept of throwing contrasting personalities together to see what happens when survival depends on cooperation.

His original plan was much more political and satirical—a commentary on how silly it is for people to view one another as “different” when circumstances force unity. Though he softened the concept for TV, the undertones remain. Beneath the coconut gags and slapstick, the castaways are really a mini society learning to work together.