Ahoy There Maties! Welcome to Newsletter #70 of the Official Gilligan's Island Fan Club. We would like to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the sitcom that has never, ever, been off the air since its debut in 1964. Drum rolls please.... Gilligan's Island!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's the longest running syndicated tv show in the history of television and still holds the record. It's even been shown in over 30 countries! To celebrate this very special occasion, (if you are a fan club member), you can stay in Hawaii for 7 days and 7 nights including round trip air fare absolutely free!!! Just ask your Mom and Dad to pay for it! If that doesn't work, ask the in-laws.....they'll be happy to get rid of you for a week. On November 15, 1963 Bob Denver and crew arrived in Kauai, and from Nov 19 - 22 they shot all footage in beautiful Moloaa Bay. There is only one vacation house at the film site and YOU can stay there! It's a bit pricey, but everything in Hawaii is. It's only money, and how many people can say they've actually spent the night at the film site? Take a couple of rocks for souvenirs (but don't let the volcano gods see you do it) Once you go to the webpage below, view the photo's of this place. The beach should look very familiar to you. Check out the pictures at the top of this page: (especially Beach 2 & Beach 3) http://www.gilligansisle.com/tour.html and then compare them to this beach house at the link below. http://www.rfreedom.com/ Almost two months ago we first informed you that Gilligan's Island was heading to DVD. Now Warner has announced the full details for this long-awaited release. After a three-hour pleasure tour, the S.S. Minnow was washed ashore on an uncharted South Pacific island, leaving behind what would become TV's most famous castaways. Now join Gilligan, the Skipper too, and the rest for a 3 DVD tour of The Complete First Season. 916 minutes of black-and-white hilarity will be found over by the lagoon, and that's not all! The rare Pilot Episode is here, complete with commentary by creator Sherwood Schwartz. Tropical Tidbits trivia, the Gilligan's Island Survival Guide, and a "Before The Three-Hour Tour" featurette round out the supplements. As you can see from the shot of the cover art below (which Warner tells us is not necessarily final, and subject to change), the list price is $39.98. However, Amazon is selling them for only $27.99! The boat leaves the dock on this set on February 3, 2004. http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000WN1WW.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg Many thanks to everybody for voting on this DVD series. We've tried for years to get a DVD release and it always wound up in failure. With all of your votes we've captured the eyes of Warner Bros and you just can't beat the price. Depending on how much is sold, they will release the 2nd, and after that the 3rd season. Way to go everybody! You all deserve a pat on the back, or better yet, a coconut cream pie!!! And now off to other news. (it's kinda hard to top the DVD) Sherwood Schwartz said he was in Las Vegas unveiling his slot machine (he said he designed it) but he didn't say any cast members would join him. Maybe there will be an official ceremony coming up. We'll let you know if we hear of anything. Richard found Wrongway Feldman's plane! Here it is: http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/Brink/2291.htm http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/Brink/2418.htm Christmas is coming up and wouldn't it be great to get somebody a Gilligan shirt? You should probably order one now so that it arrives before Christmas. You can get your shirts here: http://www.gilligansisle.com/shirt.html Jim Backus (Thurston) has a CD coming out titled "The Jim Backus Comedy Classics"..a rare album/cd recorded in the early 70's by Jim Backus plus some rare tracks from the late 50's. The cd will be released nationally in the stores early next year but will be ready for sale by early December for the holidays. I'll let you know where to get it once it's released. ITP Records will be selling it on their website, but not sure when. http://www.itprecords.com/ Brian Bowen wrote to tell me that he joined the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology about 6 months ago. Who cares, right? Actually it's probably the best job in the world because this institute is on the most famous island in the world... Coconut Island. What? You've never heard of Coconut Island? If not then you are a new comer, because this is the island that is seen in the opening 3rd season credits. This IS Gilligan's Island! Brian is going to add us to the HIMB site. Many years ago I talked to an old fart at the HIMB and he told me that he didn't want his institute affiliated with such a silly show as the HIMB was a serious site. Well he's gone and Brian is taking over. We're back in business baby! http://www.gilligansisle.com/coconut.html TVLAND is only airing GIlligan's Island at 3:30 in the morning! What's up with that, huh? Anyway, if you really want to watch your favorite episode you can search for it here: http://www.tv-now.com/stars/bobden.html Just get your vcr manual out and learn how to set it up for timer record. (yuk) Even the Professor has a hard time with this one! Better yet, just buy the DVD in Feb. Yeah! BELL GARDENS, Calif., Oct. 13 -- Some of television's most famous faces will play in the Bicycle Casino's "Classic TV Poker Invitational" to be filmed as part of TV Land's new celebrity reality series entitled "LIVING IN TV LAND." Going for the $10,000 jackpot will be family show favorites Dick Van Patten (EIGHT IS ENOUGH), Barry Williams and Susan Olsen (THE BRADY BUNCH) and Tom Bosley (HAPPY DAYS). Also playing will be Traci Bingham (BAYWATCH), Adam West (BATMAN), Jack Klugman (THE ODD COUPLE), Dawn Wells (GILLIGAN'S ISLAND), Charles Durning (EVENING SHADE), Ted Lange (THE LOVE BOAT), Robert Heyges (WELCOME BACK, KOTTER), Sid Caesar (YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS), Dom DeLuise (HOLLYWOOD SQUARES), Frank Bonner (WKRP IN CINCINNATI), Steve Landesberg (BARNEY MILLER), Jeff Conaway (TAXI), Robert Mandan (SOAP) Mickey Rooney and Connie Stevens (LAUGH-IN). A family feud of sorts may also be part of the tournament as Vince Van Patten (co-host of THE WORLD POKER TOUR) faces off against not only his famous father but brother James Van Patten as well. "The Classic TV Poker Invitational" will air on TV Land in early 2004 as part of the network's new celebrity reality series "LIVING IN TV LAND." BradyBfan@aol.com Nick B. PAV REVIEW TIME I am writing about my experience of meeting Dawn Wells during the Adventurecon show in the Gatlinburg Convention Center in TN. My thanks to Tammi and Ray Sharp for the warm welcome we received and the free entry into the show, it was quite a blessing! We walked into the area of the show and right away I spotted Mary Ann (Dawn) across the room on the right side. She was interacting with fans and seemed very approachable and as beautiful as ever. After all these years there were a few items for sale on the table. There were several different photo's of Dawn Wells as Mary Ann and many other poses and because we represented the fan club we were given 1 of each autographed to me and my family (what a blessing!). I was then introduced to Dawn by Tammi Sharp as being from the fan club and Dawn asked many questions about the club and spoke as if she had never saw or heard of it before. [Editor note] Why does she always say that? Oh Dawn... you kidder... She asked directions of how to find it and we explained how to locate the fan club site. We were able to have a few conversations with her about her plans for the future, and I thanked her for her charity work that she so often does. I was really surprised and amazed how easy it was to talk to her. Even my 4 year old daughter enjoyed the experience. We took a picture with Dawn and she sat my daughter in her lap and we had the best time speaking with her in between other fans coming by and buying products or having pictures taken. I was also able to purchase a Surviving Gilligan's Island Dvd which Dawn Autographed for me and I have enjoyed it so much! I do missionary work in Africa and Dawn has also been in Africa and she asked me many questions about the work I do there. She is truly a gem of a person to talk to. She said that she had been there to see the gorillas in Rwanda ,so it seemed we had a lot in common. I took my wife and 2 kids, a 4 year old and a 1 year old, and she made them all welcome and I thank you so much for the opportunity to get me to this lady who played a wholesome girl named Mary Ann. It was a memory I will not soon forget... neither will my Kids!!! Thanks and God Bless!!! Blake Mullins Gilligan's Island Musical Review, Alabama http://www.ebhm.org/theatre/reviewsCenterStage.htm Our very own Alabama Promoter Frank Thompson play the part of Thurston! Wow! It opened Friday night to an enthusiastic audience, complete with Lloyd Schwartz (who wrote the script with Sherwood Schwartz), Hope & Laurence Juber (who wrote the 18 new songs for the musical) and Dawn Wells (does she really need an explanation?) I attended Saturday night, and the show is outstanding. It was being performed by CenterStage Productions in Birmingham at the Virginia Samford Theatre (seats about 350), and tickets were $20 each. There are some rehearsal pictures available at the company's website, but unfortunately, very few are in costume. There are a number of pictures with Mr. Schwartz, the Jubers and Dawn Wells there, though. http://www.centerstage-productions.org/Gilligan/index.html A couple showing some of the costuming: http://www.centerstage-productions.org/Gilligan/slides/DSCN1507.html (The Skipper & the Professor) http://www.centerstage-productions.org/Gilligan/slides/DSCN1506.html (Gilligan, the Professor) Enjoy! Darrell Cartwright Birmingham, Alabama There was a Gilligan's Island mention on Married.... With Children. Al, Peg, Marcy, Jefferson, Gilbert Gottfired, and some large lady were stranded on a raft in the middle of the ocean, so they needed someone to be in charge. Al suggests himself because he's "seen all 3,000 episodes of Gilligan's Island". T McD Off to bed I go. Thanksgiving is only a week away and I have to get up early to prepare the island for a party. The Professor said he saw a wild boar on the island and we've been tracking him for about 2 days now. We are getting close, I can just feel it. For Thanksgiving we are going to have BBQ spare ribs, honey baked ham, potato's, yams, seaweed salad and soup, wine (Ginger is stepping on the grapes tomorrow) and of course coconut cream pie. After this holiday I should reach my goal weight of 100 pounds. Unfortunately if the Skipper gets any fatter the island is going to sink and we'll all drown. I told the Professor about this problem and he assured me that this couldn't happen. It was barbaric, idiotic and incomprehensible. But then he went ahead and told me that Voodoo was a superstitious island myth. Wait Professor, weren't you hypnotized for 2 days??? Help! We're gonna sink! Willy Gilligan President/Webmaster Official Gilligan's Island Fan Club http://www.gilligansisle.com