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The similarities between Lost In Space and Gilligan's Island

posted 9 years ago by Metafizzypop
30 replies | jump to latest

For those of you familiar with both shows, have you ever thought about all the things they have in common? I thought it was pretty striking. I doubt it was done intentionally, but it's interesting. I made a list of the things I noticed, and I'd love to hear what people think. I'd also like to hear about similarities that other people find.

What the two shows have in common:

1. Both shows are about castaways. On one, the people are stranded on an uncharted island. On the other, it's an uncharted planet.

2. It was a storm that caused their vessel to go off course, which brought them to their planet/island. On GI, it was a storm at sea, a hurricane or similar. On LIS, it started off where the uninvited Dr. Smith had his extra weight affect the ship, which steered them into a meteor storm. This subsequently put them off course.

3. There are seven castaways on both shows. And in both cases, it's four men and three women. (I don't count the robot on LIS because even though it has a personality and a role, it isn't human.)

4. The plot lines of most episodes revolve around a visitor to the
planet/island. Sometimes the visitor is in a position to help the
castaways get home, but they never do it. The castaways never get any help, even though they have countless beings coming and going.

5. There's lots of discussion about how much they'd like to get back home.

6. Both shows have one character that is constantly screwing things up. On GI, it's Gilligan. On LIS, it's Dr. Smith.

7. There are no hardships regarding food or clothing. Even though they are stranded and cut off from everything, they live fairly well. Both programs even show washing machines.

8. Everyone is perfectly groomed. The men are all consistently clean shaven, and the women's hair is always perfectly done.

9. On both shows, the women consisted of a blonde, brunette, and redhead.

10. More of a technical issue than one about content: both shows shot the first season in black and white, and the rest in color.

That's what I have so far. Please let me know if you found any mistakes! And if you find more similarities!

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[–] blcmitchell 9 years ago

Both shows introduced a new mode of transportation in the third season. GO had the bamboo car, and LIS had the Space Pod.

As an aside, the Professor actually mentions the Robinsons original destination, Alpha Centuri, once.

[–] magolding 9 years ago

I once read that the cast of Lost in Space would joking call the show "Gilligan's Planet".

[–] Metafizzypop 9 years ago

Gilligan's Planet? Lol, that's too funny.

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[–] TheSolarSailor 9 years ago

Wasn't there a cartoon called Gilligan's Planet?

Ah yes, here we go...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sGOfWP2bWk

- - - - - - -
I am not a fan. I just happen to enjoy movies. Fans are embarrassing.

[–] Metafizzypop 9 years ago

Both shows introduced a new mode of transportation in the third season. GO had the bamboo car, and LIS had the Space Pod.

Oh yes, the transportation gizmos! But the car on GI looked like it would have been a hassle to peddle around. Big and cumbersome, it probably weighed a lot. It was very cool, though.

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[–] Andthatismytwocents 9 years ago

Both were on CBS AND both were NOT William Paley's favorite shows

[–] Metafizzypop 9 years ago

I recall both shows being on CBS, but I don't know for sure who William Paley is. The name sounds familiar, though. President of CBS at the time?

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[–] CoriSCapnSkip (2751) a year ago

Speaking of William Paley, both shows were unjustly canceled. Gilligan's Island was showing no signs of losing popularity, but for some reason it was down to it or Gunsmoke having to be canceled. Gunsmoke was the network executive's wife's favorite show so Gilligan's Island was canceled.

Lost in Space was canceled because the network would not give Irwin Allen the amount of money he wanted to do it better.

Both cancellations were sudden and brutal. Lost in Space had no wrap party.

Both shows had no closure/resolution. Gilligan's Island at least got some TV movies. My friend Jimmy and I deserve credit for coming up with the idea for Rescue from Gilligan's Island while watching reruns no later than 1973. It wasn't stolen from us, though, as we never told anyone about it.

[–] Galactus03 (4406) a year ago

How was it stolen?

[–] CoriSCapnSkip (2751) a year ago

It was a case of different people coming up with the same idea, but none of the people involved in the movie can have known we thought of it years earlier.

[–] lobomensch 9 years ago

Both shows were tonally different in their black and white first seasons from their later color ones -- having much more life-threatening/darker-themed story-lines versus camp later on.

[–] paulfreed 9 years ago

Both shows had Kurt Russell as a guest.

[–] catjoescreed 9 years ago

Actually there were a couple of actors that appeared on both shows.

[–] paulfreed 9 years ago

I am racking my brains out, can you give me another.

[–] catjoescreed 9 years ago

Oh, I'm sorry - I'm wrong. I was thinking of Vito Scotti.

[–] dreamcurse 9 years ago

Hans Conried was on both.

[–] wardkendall 9 years ago

Both series had cast members who performed in The Twilight Zone:

In Lost In Space, Jonathan Harris, Billy Mumy, and Marta Kristen all did TZ episodes. In Gilligan's Island, actor Russell Johnson did.

[–] sevenlilxenos 9 years ago

Pretty sure I've seen all the TZ eps once or twice. I don't recall Judy in any of them.

[–] wardkendall 9 years ago

You're correct - it was a case of "look-alike" actors, whereby I mistook actress Pamela Austin for Marta Kristen. This is why: www.imdb.com/name/nm0042487/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t3

There's actually a website devoted to posting all of Hollywood's look-alike actors, whom audiences often mistake one for the other. I found it searching for actors Skip Homeier and Keith Andes, two who are often confused for each other. Both these actors appeared in episodes of the original Star Trek and even appeared together in an episode of the original The Outer Limits. In the case of Marta Kristen, I should have double-checked IMBD first. My error.

[–] wearetheborg-1 9 years ago

If "Lost In Space: The Journey Home" had ever been produced, then both shows would have had a made-for-TV movie that involved having the castaways being rescued.

[–] wombraider-73865 9 years ago

Both shows received various amounts of plot points and exposition from electronic devices.
Lost in space had the Robot.
Gilligans Island, the Radio.

I believe both shows had used simians as guest props.

Each show had one episode featuring "The Most Dangerous Game" storyline.

Various other TV tropes, ie
A cast member plays a dual role in an episode.

Character gains a superpower for an episode.

I'm sure there's others like dream sequences, mistaken identities etc.

[–] ElRaisuli 9 years ago

Both shows had a character who was addressed as "Professor."

Strother Martin appeared on both shows.

Both shows featured a Jet Pack.

G.I. has "Two on a Raft" in which a raft is built and two characters use it to escape, only to return to the same place without knowing it. Lost in Space had "The Raft" in which the same thing happens, only this "raft" is a space ship they built from spare parts.

Wrongway Feldman's anachronistic air hero could be considered a pretty similar concept to Jimmy Hapgood, Lost in Space's anachronistic space cowboy.

[–] wilfoster 9 years ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM_Xu-54ak8