• Gilligan's Island is a true TV classic
  • It ended over 50 years ago!
  • Here are five pretty surprising facts

Gilligan's Island, with a cast of Bob Denver, Dawn Wells, Alan Hale Jr., and Tina Louise, among others, was one of the most successful series of the '60s—becoming a classic of classics.

Although it's been over 50 years since the castaway sitcom ended, it still holds a special place in the hearts of many TV fans young and old. Gilligan's Island also has some secrets of its own, which we'll explore here.

Gilligan's Island: 5 Surprising Facts

  • Bob Denver played the title character, "Gilligan," but actor Jerry Van Dyke was actually first considered for the role.
  • The images of the island shown at the beginning and end of the show are real: it's located in the Kaneohe Bay, near Hawaii.
  • The Gilligan's Island theme was voted the Best TV Theme Song ever in an extensive Yahoo! vote in 2013
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Gilligan's Island facts: cast members Dawn Wells and Bob Denver
  • While on the air, Gilligan's Island once intended to introduce a new character: a little pet dinosaur! But due to high costs, the idea was scrapped.
  • Initially, the characters drank out of real coconut "glasses." Later, they were switched to props made of ceramic.

Also interesting:

How many of these facts did you know? You can also click here to see which of the Gilligan's Island stars are still around today.