It’s no secret just how competitive the landscape of television is, especially in the current age of streaming where there are far too many shows across multiple channels and services. This sense of competition between other series and networks even dates back to the early years of TV, when classics like The Twilight Zone and I Love Lucy ruled the airwaves. Oddly enough, this even applies to two of what are considered to be the most classic CBS series of the 20th century: Gunsmoke and Gilligan’s Island. While they couldn’t be more different in genre or tone, they happen to share quite a controversial connection. Many may not know it, but it turns out that Gunsmoke had quite a significant role to play in the unexpected cancelation of Gilligan’s Island.
Gunsmoke would go on to become one of the defining westerns and one of the longest-running live-action series of all time, while Gilligan’s Island was, in the eyes of many, unfairly canceled far too soon. Even though Gilligan would eventually see a return that would help bring closure to the series, the reason behind its cancelation was still quite a hot-button issue at the time. The sitcom was a hit with audiences who were expecting a fourth season. It was ultimately due to the politics and personal preferences of the network, however, that put a definitive end to those expectations.
The Difference Between Gunsmoke and Gilligan’s Island
Before getting into why one show played a part in the cancelation of another, it’s important to understand their appeal and why exactly both of them were so popular at the time. Despite their controversial connection, and the fact that they aired on the same network, Gunsmoke and Gilligans Island were two different shows of two completely different genres; yet somehow, they managed to appeal to all kinds of people. Premiering in 1955, Gunsmoke was considered by viewers to be a Western drama of far greater quality than the rest, and its high viewership numbers in the ratings certainly reflected that. It was one of the most beloved shows of its time, and gained the attention of viewers with its memorable characters, the thrills of its stories, and even the surprising number of celebrity guest stars, from William Shatner to Jodie Foster. Running for a total of 20 seasons and amassing a count of 635 episodes, it was a show whose popularity spoke for itself.
While Gunsmoke stood out from other shows as a Western thrill ride, Gilligan’s Island offered a break from the typical sitcoms that were being shown. Taking place on a desert island, the show follows the survival attempts of a tour boat’s two-man crew and five passengers after being shipwrecked in a storm. Premiering in 1964, its initial ratings rivaled even those of Gunsmoke, with audiences loving the show’s slapstick comedy and growing attached to its incompetent but rather lovable main characters and their dynamic. To the surprise of many, however, it only lasted a total of three seasons. It would continue to score high viewership in syndication throughout the rest of the 60s and well into the 70s, but what could’ve possibly happened for such a popular show to be canceled so soon?
How Exactly Was Gunsmoke Responsible For the Cancelation of Gilligan’s Island?
It may come as a surprise to learn that before CBS axed Gilligan‘s chances at a fourth season, it was Gunsmoke that they were looking to cancel instead. Even though overall viewership for Gilligan’s Island was gradually dropping as it progressed through Seasons 2 and 3, its ratings were still rather high in its time slot compared to other shows on other networks. Because of this, even though it was never officially renewed, CBS remained confident in the show’s future and had personally assured the show’s creator, Sherwood Schwartz, that it would live to see a Season 4. At this point, Gunsmoke had been running for over twelve years, much longer than the average TV show of the 1960s, and the network had been thinking that it was probably the right time to put an end to it. The network president of CBS, William S. Paley, on the other hand, is not going to stand for that.
As it turns out, both Paley and especially his wife, according to Looper, were massive fans of Gunsmoke. Combined with its ratings and fan base, both of which were still going surprisingly strong, this put a certain amount of pressure on the network to rethink its consideration of canceling it. With the slow but notable decline in ratings for Gilligan, it was ultimately decided that Gunsmoke would be taking over its time slot on Mondays. Of course, this came as a shock to Schwartz, but perhaps even more so to the show’s cast, some of whom had already bought houses to be closer to the set. The show’s final episode ended just like any other, and for over eleven years, had left its audience without any resolution or answer regarding whether they would ever make it off the island.
Gilligan’s Island Eventually Received a Proper Finale
Thanks to the show’s ongoing popularity in reruns, Gilligan’s Island eventually did make a return in the form of a TV movie; but it wouldn’t end up being the only time the cast would reunite to reprise their roles. Before any of that, however, the show ended up seeing a revival in the form of an animated series. The New Adventures of Gilligan’s Island ran for about as long as the original series did and saw most of the original cast come back to voice their characters, with the exceptions of Dawn Wells as Ginger and Tina Louise as Ginger. The following year saw the release of the first film, Rescue From Gilligan’s Island, which involved the castaways (with Ginger being recast once again) finally managing to make it off the island but facing personal difficulty in their attempts to reintegrate into society. While it paled in comparison to the series for many fans, it was still quite a success, which prompted a second film, The Castaways on Giligan’s Island, to be released only a year later.
The sequel more or less tried to keep in tune with the format of the series, as the cast ends up marooned on the island once again after the ending of the first film. A third film was released three years later, with a plot that centered around the Harlem Globetrotters and co-starred future Academy Award winner, Martin Landau in a supporting role. 1982 would be the last time that audiences would ever see new Gilligan’s Island media, with another animated series, this time with a sci-fi twist. Gilligan’s Planet, which once again had a majority of the original cast back behind the microphone, only wound up lasting a single season consisting of 12 episodes. While none of them were ever quite as fondly remembered or continue to be held in high regard as the original show that made them all possible, they most likely would not have been necessary had it not been for the interference of the initial plans for Gunsmoke‘s cancelation.
