Brady Bunch / Gilligan's Island creator Schwartz passes away

[CycloneRulzzz]

Heard this morning about the passing of Sherwood Schwartz who created both Brady Bunch and Gilligan's Island. Not a huge fan of BB but thanks to syndication was able to see Gilligan's Island as a kid. Question for guys on this board, Mary Ann or Ginger. My vote is for Mary Ann.

Also love the theme

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YYzvstgX3g&NR=1[/ame]

[isucyfan]

I saw someone on Twitter this morning say that he went on a 823,987 hour tour.

[CRcyclone6]

Heard this morning about the passing of Sherwood Schwartz who created both Brady Bunch and Gilligan's Island. Not a huge fan of BB but thanks to syndication was able to see Gilligan's Island as a kid. Question for guys on this board, Mary Ann or Ginger. My vote is for Mary Ann.

Also love the theme

‪gilligan's island intro‬‏ - YouTube

Shenanigans!! That theme didn't even have Mary Ann in it. She is classified as the "rest". So if you haven't figured it out, I'm with you: Mary Ann. Of course, on a desert isle......Mrs. Howell would start to look good.

[ferdnand1]

Heard this morning about the passing of Sherwood Schwartz who created both Brady Bunch and Gilligan's Island. Not a huge fan of BB but thanks to syndication was able to see Gilligan's Island as a kid. Question for guys on this board, Mary Ann or Ginger. My vote is for Mary Ann.

Also love the theme

‪gilligan's island intro‬‏ - YouTube

Definitely Mary Ann. A homespun hot chick who wasn't high maintenance like Ginger. I think their persona's on that show carried over in their personal lives too.

Anyone growing up watching those two iconic (albeit 'campy') shows always remembered "Sherwood Schwartz" , prominantly displayed on the opening and closing credits

[CycloneRulzzz]

Shenanigans!! That theme didn't even have Mary Ann in it. She is classified as the "rest". So if you haven't figured it out, I'm with you: Mary Ann. Of course, on a desert isle......Mrs. Howell would start to look good.

I was in a hurry so threw in the first theme that popped up. Will edit to find a better theme version. Was so excited when I got to go to Hawaii where it was filmed and see the harbor scene from the beginning of the theme and see the actually island that the show was filmed on.

[CRcyclone6]

I was in a hurry so threw in the first theme that popped up. Will edit to find a better theme version. Was so excited when I got to go to Hawaii where it was filmed and see the harbor scene from the beginning of the theme and see the actually island that the show was filmed on.

That would be cool to see. Gilligan's Island and Brady Bunch were two of my fave shows growing up.

[Clone83]

There were a lot of great TV shows when I was growing up.

I still recall many specific instances, including seeing Gilligan's Island once at my grandparent's house, because it was is on this new fangled . . . . ooooooo . . . color TV! I also remember seeing the very first episode of the Brady Bunch.

And of course many syndicated episodes from the late 1960s though the 1970s.

It's amazing, but the last two weeks I started watching episodes of The Rifleman on Hulu. Chuck Connors played the Rifleman, and carried a custom Winchester rifle instead of a pistol. I might barely remember some of the original ones, but I definitely remember when it was syndicated, right away, when I would have been 2 to 4 years old. I think it was on about 4 or 4:30, just before my dad got home from work. I used to watch it with my brothers, and remember specifically the opening and closing, the firing of the rifle at the beginning, and the pose at the end. But watching the actual episodes for the first time in 45+ years, it ALL came back, the fighting, the shooting, inside the Marshall's office, the bad guys, etc. Until I was old enough to work (like the Rifleman and his son Mark, we also raised cattle and horses later), it's what my brother and I used to do virtually ALL the time outside in the yard, playing Cowboys and Indians. It is actually a decent show, with a lot of action, a moral, a story, and just a half hour, if anyone is interested (again, free on Hulu):

The Rifleman - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I also recall eating oatmeal watching My Favorite Martian once (when I was maybe 2 or 3). I figured it was on a Sunday, and figured it had to be a Sunday because of the meal (and watching at the kitchen table would have been highly unusual). In verifying this, I came across this interesting site, which gives TV listings back in time:

TV Listings for - September 29, 1963 - TV Tango

Sure enough it was on a Sunday, right after Lassie. I don't recall seeing it a lot, but it looks like the Wonderful World of Disney might have been on at the same time, which would probably explain that.







I'd also have to go with Mary Ann. I like to think I'd have had my way with Ginger. A quick Google search though suggests Mary Ann's looks held up better over time IMO.

[CycloneRulzzz]

The girl who played Ginger did have a sexy voice, but I'm still partial to Mary Ann. I wish some of these retro stations would start re-airing Gilligan because I could sit down and watch that show for hours on end.

[kilgore_trout]

did you know that you can sing Amazing Grace to the tune of the Gilligan's Island theme?

Useless bar thing...

Heard this morning about the passing of Sherwood Schwartz who created both Brady Bunch and Gilligan's Island. Not a huge fan of BB but thanks to syndication was able to see Gilligan's Island as a kid. Question for guys on this board, Mary Ann or Ginger. My vote is for Mary Ann.

Also love the theme

‪Gilligan's Island Original Opening 3rd Theme‬‏ - YouTube

[Clone83]

Interesting op-ed (please no one make this political):

What ‘Gilligan’s Island’ creator Sherwood Schwartz was saying about democracy
What ‘Gilligan’s Island’ creator Sherwood Schwartz was saying about democracy - The Washington Post

Sherwood Schwartz, who died Tuesday at the age of 94 , will not be remembered as one of television’s innovative geniuses. But he did create two of the most popular shows in TV history, “Gilligan’s Island” and “The Brady Bunch.” And he did something rare: He made people laugh, even in reruns.

But what did the sitcom king have in common with the French thinker Alexis de Tocqueville? Answer: They both were interested in democracy in America.

In 2001, I published a book called “Gilligan Unbound: Pop Culture in the Age of Globalization.” I wrote that “Gilligan’s Island” reflected the political confidence of 1960s America in the midst of the Cold War. A representative group of Americans could be dropped anywhere on the planet and they would rule, creating a small-scale model of U.S. democracy and fending off a sampling of its enemies, from Soviet cosmonauts to a Japanese soldierstill fighting World War II to a Latin American dictator.

Gilligan is the perfect democratic hero because he has no claims to superiority. The Professor has wisdom; the Millionaire has money and social status; the Skipper has a kind of military authority as captain. Gilligan is the pure common man. And, of course, the only time the castaways hold an election, he is chosen as president. Throughout the series, Gilligan represents the triumph of the ordinary over the extraordinary.

Schwartz learned about my book and wrote to me to get a copy. He explained that he had always thought of “Gilligan’s Island” as a show about democracy. . . . . .

. . . . . . . Once Schwartz had read the book, he wrote me another long letter explaining that it had always bothered him that people criticized “Gilligan’s Island” for being silly; they didn’t understand it, he said. “Not a single critic got it, with the basic concept of democracy staring them right in the face.” . . . . . .

Of course, based on the results here, it seems clear that Mary Ann would be president.

Watching those Rifleman reruns, I was also thinking how the storyline there also seems to be related to the time period, the Cold War. In it Lucas McCain, the Rifleman, makes clear, often in conversations with his son, that he isn't looking for a fight - but he will defend himself if necessary.

[AlexW52]

This really bummed me out. I loved his shows as a kid. I'm working at an event in Los Angeles that Florence Henderson will be performing at and I'm hoping that she will do some kind of a tribute. If anyone is interested in more info, you can check out the website at: Michael Feinstein and the Singing Stars of TV|Hollywood Bowl Presented by LA Phil. Here are more details from the website:

LA Phil Presents Michael Feinstein and the Singing Stars of Television
Friday & Saturday, July 29-30, 8:30pm at the Hollywood Bowl

Artists:
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Jack Everly, conductor
Michael Feinstein, host, vocals and piano
Wayne Brady, special guest
Florence Henderson, special guest
Cheyenne Jackson, special guest
Dick Van ****, special guest

A dazzling parade of classic and popular songs from the Great American Songbook – from Gershwin and Berlin to New Orleans jazz and Broadway musicals – led by the ambassador of this beloved genre, Michael Feinstein, and sung by some of your favorite television stars of all time.

I'm hoping to see some fellow fans there. Should be fun and kitschy!