The Real Gilligan's Island

The Real Gilligan's Island
Genre	Reality
Inspired by	Survivor Gilligan's Island
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	10
Production
Executive producers	Sherwood Schwartz Lloyd J. Schwartz
Producer	Fred Birckhead
Production companies	Next Entertainment Telepictures Productions
Original release
Network	TBS
Release	November 30, 2004 (2004-11-30) – 2005 (2005)

The Real Gilligan's Island is a reality television series that aired two seasons on TBS in 2004 and 2005. Contestants on the show were required to participate in challenges based on plots from the 1960s television show. Both editions of the show were recorded in the Mexican Caribbean on a location South from Cancun. Pop-punk group Bowling for Soup covered the original Gilligan's Island theme for the show and the show also featured music from the music producer and songwriter Brett Epstein.

Combination format

The format of the show was a combination of CBS's Survivor and the original show from the 1960s. Contestants were divided into two teams of seven to start the show (14 total contestants). Each team was composed of members that were expected to dress and act like their Gilligan's Island counterpart. Characters used were:

• Gilligan
• the Skipper, too
• the Millionaire and his Wife
• the Movie Star
• the Professor, and
• Mary Ann

Contestants were picked partly for their real-life resemblance to their characters—real-life millionaires, actresses, and boat owners played their counterparts.

Competitions of characters and teams

Initial round: paired competitions

In the first round, the teams would participate in a series of competitions that would pit one team's character against the other's (Team A's "Ginger" against Team B's "Ginger," for example) for the right to stay on the island and compete in the second phase of the show. The competitions were set up by having members from the teams venture to "Voodoo Village" to retrieve a chest that, when opened, would reveal a voodoo doll crudely done up to look like a character. The two contestants portraying that character would then compete.

Final round: prizes, immunity, and alliances

Once the seven finalists were set, the show became very similar to Survivor. Contestants first competed in a challenge for a prize and a chance at immunity from the day's voting. Alliances and strategy was common. The contestants would then all travel to Voodoo Village and engage in a voting ceremony.

Final challenge

Once only three contestants were left, the show wrapped up with a challenge pitting the remaining players against each other. The first season was won by the millionaire Glenn Stearns. The second season was won by the Skipper ("Crazy" Charlie Albert).

Notable contestants

The "Ginger" role was filled by professional actresses. In 2004, Nicole Eggert and Rachel Hunter competed. In 2005, Erika Eleniak and Angie Everhart competed.

In 2004, actress and television personality Mindy Burbano Stearns filled the role of "the Millionaire's Wife" along with her husband, Glenn Stearns, as "the Millionaire".

Zac Turney, who was competing to be Gilligan on season two, was previously a contestant on Legends of the Hidden Temple as a teen, and winning his episode.

The game

Season 1

Episode Titles	Challenges		Eliminated	Vote
	Reward	Immunity
Episode 1	Green Team		Skipper Bob1	None 2
	Gold Team		Professor Eric
Episode 2	Gold Team		Mary Ann Amanda
	Gold Team		Millionaires Donna and Bill
Episode 3	Gold Team		Ginger Nicole
	Gold Team		Gilligan Gooner
Episode 4	Mary Ann Kate Gilligan Chris	Millionaire Mindy	Professor Pat	4-3
	Mary Ann Kate Gilligan Chris	Millionaire Glenn	Ginger Rachel	3-2-1
Finale	All	Millionaire Mindy	Skipper Jim	3-2
	None	Mary Ann Kate	Gilligan Chris	2-1-1
	Millionaire Glenn		Millionaire Mindy Mary Ann Kate	None 3

^1 Skipper Bob was forced to leave the game for medical reasons.

^2 During the team portion, there were no votes cast.

^3 Instead of voting, the Final 3 castaways participated in a final rescue challenge, where the challenge winner would win the game.

Season 2

Episode Titles	Challenges		Eliminated	Vote
	Reward	Immunity
Episode 1	Green Team	Green Team	Skipper Ken	None 2
	None		Ginger Angie 4
	Orange Team		Millionaire Howie
Episode 2	Green Team		Miss Millionaire Donna
	Orange Team		Professor Andy
	Green Team		Mary Ann Mandy
	Orange Team		Gilligan Zac
Episode 3	Miss Millionaire Melissa Gilligan Shawn	Skipper Charlie	Millionaire Jim	4-3
	Gilligan Shawn Skipper Charlie Ginger Erika	Ginger Erika	Miss Millionaire Melissa	4-2
Finale	Skipper Charlie	Skipper Charlie	Mary Ann Randi	4-1
	None	Gilligan Shawn	Professor Tiy-E	2-2
	Skipper Charlie 3		Gilligan Shawn Ginger Erika	None

^4 Ginger Angie was forced to leave the game because of medical reasons. Therefore, there did not need to be a head-to-head for the Gingers.

External links

• Official site - Season 1
• Official site - Season 2
• The Real Gilligan's Island at IMDb