Gilligan's Planet
Encyclopedia
Gilligan's Planet is a Saturday morning cartoon
produced by the Filmation
animation
studio and MGM/UA Television
which aired during the 1982-1983 season
on CBS
. It was the second animated spin-off
of the classic television program Gilligan's Island
(the first being 1974's The New Adventures of Gilligan
), as well as the last cartoon that Filmation produced for Saturday mornings; afterwards, they produced cartoons exclusively for syndication. It was also the first Filmation series to feature the Lou Scheimer
"signature" credit (as opposed to the rotating Lou Scheimer/Norm Prescott
"wheel" credit which had been used since 1969).
had managed to build an operational interplanetary spaceship
to get the castaways of the original series off the island. True to form of the castaways' perpetual bad luck, they rocketed off into space and crash-landed on an unknown planet that supported human life. In many ways the planet was like the island but with a strangely colored and cratered surface with more land to get around. The rocket was severely damaged in the crash, thus the castaways were still stranded, and the Professor resumed his attempts to repair their only way home.
Overall, Gilligan's Planet re-presented the source material of the original live-action series with "space" and "alien" themes. Encounters with "headhunters" and other shipwrecked people became encounters with alien creatures. A new character named Bumper was added, who appeared as a cute, reptilian alien pet/sidekick for Gilligan and company.
(who played Ginger Grant
, "the movie star"). Dawn Wells
took over Louise's role for Gilligan's Planet, as well as continuing to perform her own character, Mary Ann Summers
. Backus was already an accomplished voice actor himself, as he also played Mister Magoo for UPA.
Saturday morning cartoon
A Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated television programming that has typically been scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the 1960s to the present; the genre's peak in popularity mostly ended in the 1990s while the popularity of...
produced by the Filmation
Filmation
Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live action programming for television during the latter half of the 20th century. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1963...
animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
studio and MGM/UA Television
MGM Television
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television is an American television production/distribution launched in 1955 and a subsidiary of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Inc....
which aired during the 1982-1983 season
1982-83 United States network television schedule (Saturday morning)
This was the United States broadcast television schedule on all three commercial television networks on Saturday mornings for the season beginning in the fall of 1982 and ending in the spring of 1983. All times are Eastern and Pacific. - Fall 1982 :...
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. It was the second animated spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of the classic television program Gilligan's Island
Gilligan's Island
Gilligan's Island is an American television series created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz and originally produced by United Artists Television. The situation comedy series featured Bob Denver; Alan Hale, Jr.; Jim Backus; Natalie Schafer; Tina Louise; Russell Johnson; and Dawn Wells. It aired for...
(the first being 1974's The New Adventures of Gilligan
The New Adventures Of Gilligan
The New Adventures of Gilligan is an animated series produced by Filmation and was aired on ABC during the 1974-1975 season. It was based on the 1964-1967 CBS television series Gilligan's Island and featured almost all the actors from the show, except for Tina Louise, who was determined to distance...
), as well as the last cartoon that Filmation produced for Saturday mornings; afterwards, they produced cartoons exclusively for syndication. It was also the first Filmation series to feature the Lou Scheimer
Lou Scheimer
Louis Scheimer is an Emmy and Grammy Award–winning American producer, one of the original founders of Filmation, an animation company, and also an executive producer of many of its cartoons .-Career:Early in Filmation's history, Scheimer also contributed...
"signature" credit (as opposed to the rotating Lou Scheimer/Norm Prescott
Norm Prescott
Norman "Norm" Prescott was co-founder and executive producer at Filmation Studios. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he began his radio career in the Hub, becoming program director at station WORL in the late 1940s. He went to work for Joseph E. Levine's Embassy Pictures Corp. in 1959, serving as...
"wheel" credit which had been used since 1969).
Premise
Gilligan's Planet is based on the premise that the ProfessorThe Professor (Gilligan's Island)
- External links :*...
had managed to build an operational interplanetary spaceship
Starship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....
to get the castaways of the original series off the island. True to form of the castaways' perpetual bad luck, they rocketed off into space and crash-landed on an unknown planet that supported human life. In many ways the planet was like the island but with a strangely colored and cratered surface with more land to get around. The rocket was severely damaged in the crash, thus the castaways were still stranded, and the Professor resumed his attempts to repair their only way home.
Overall, Gilligan's Planet re-presented the source material of the original live-action series with "space" and "alien" themes. Encounters with "headhunters" and other shipwrecked people became encounters with alien creatures. A new character named Bumper was added, who appeared as a cute, reptilian alien pet/sidekick for Gilligan and company.
Cast
The entire cast of Gilligan's Island returned to voice their characters for Gilligan's Planet, with the exception of Tina LouiseTina Louise
Tina Louise is an American actress, singer, and author. She is best known for her role as the "movie star" Ginger Grant on the television situation comedy Gilligan's Island .-Early life:...
(who played Ginger Grant
Ginger Grant
Ginger Grant is a fictional character in the 1964 to 1967 television sitcom Gilligan's Island.-Career:...
, "the movie star"). Dawn Wells
Dawn Wells
Dawn Elberta Wells is an American actress known for playing Mary Ann Summers on the sitcom Gilligan's Island during its run from 1964 until 1967.- Early life :...
took over Louise's role for Gilligan's Planet, as well as continuing to perform her own character, Mary Ann Summers
Mary Ann Summers
Mary Ann Summers is a fictional character in the television sitcom Gilligan's Island which ran on the CBS network from 1964 to 1967, and has run more or less continuously since in reruns.- Role :...
. Backus was already an accomplished voice actor himself, as he also played Mister Magoo for UPA.
Episode list
- "I Dream of Genie" / 1982·09·18
- "Turnabout Is Fair Play" / 1982·09·25
- "Let Sleeping Minnows Lie" / 1982·10·02
- "Journey to the Center of Gilligan's Planet" / 1982·10·09
- "Amazing Colossal Gilligan" / 1982·10·16
- "Bumper to Bumper" / 1982·10·23
- "Road to Boom" / 1982·10·30
- "Too Many Gilligans" / 1982·11·06
- "Space Pirates" / 1982·11·13
- "Invaders of the Lost Barque" / 1982·11·20
- "Wings" / 1982·11·27
- "Super Gilligan" / 1982·12·04
(Also the same title as a New Adventures of GilliganThe New Adventures Of GilliganThe New Adventures of Gilligan is an animated series produced by Filmation and was aired on ABC during the 1974-1975 season. It was based on the 1964-1967 CBS television series Gilligan's Island and featured almost all the actors from the show, except for Tina Louise, who was determined to distance...
installment) - "Gilligan's Army" / 1982·12·11