The 'Gilligan's Island' Quiz

Estimated Completion Time
6 min
The 'Gilligan's Island' Quiz
Image: CBS

About This Quiz

Don't get lost. Take this "Gilligan's Island" quiz and test your castaway knowledge.

Here's a blast from the past! "Gilligan's Island" was a sitcom that ran from September 26, 1964 to April 17, 1967, although it seems like it ran longer. The show ran for three seasons and a total of 98 episodes, 99 if you count the pilot. The show ran in black and white in 1964 and 1965 9the first season) and in color for the remainder of the show. But, whether the castaway's adventures were in black and white or color, the show was entertaining and engaging. Viewers couldn't wait for the next week's episode.

The show was about the SS Minnow, but you knew that. You probably also know that the Skipper, played by Alan Hale Jr., and First Mate Gilligan, played by Bob Denver, tried their best to keep the Minnow from running aground on an uncharted island, but thank goodness that bit of land was there or they all would have drowned. Of course, since the island was uncharted, rescuers would never know where to find them... at least for three years. Still, even after all that time, the castaways were in good shape because of their diverse talents of finding food, making shelter, and developing technology well enough to survive.

If you think you know all there is to know about "Gilligan's Island," take this quiz now.

How did The Skipper affectionately address Gilligan?
Bumble Head
Little Buddy
Skipper would call Gilligan “Little Buddy”.
Boo boo
Gilman
When frustrated, what did the Captain use to hit Gilligan?
His hand
His foot
His towel
His cap
In moments of exasperation, the Skipper would swat Gilligan on the head with his cap.
What was the name of The Skipper’s boat?
The Hungry Fisherman
The SS Minnow
The SS Minnow is the The Skipper's boat.
The SS Skipper
None of the above

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Bamboo-made items where often featured on the show. Which of these is an example?
A bamboo pedal-powered car
Bamboo pipes for Gilligan’s hot water
Bamboo stethoscope for the Professor
All of the above
Other great inventions included a washing machine and a battery charger.
The pilot episode, titled "Marooned", was filmed in November 1963, although it aired later. What happened during filming that the cast and crew will never forget?
Ginger had a wardrobe malfunction
Mr. Howell forgot the names of the crew members
The Beatles released "Love Me Do" in the U.S.
John F. Kennedy’s assassination
On November 22, the day of the John F. Kennedy assassination, filming continued despite the shocking news.
What is Gilligan’s full name?
Gilligan Smith
Sean Gilligan
John Wesley Gilligan
No one ever called him anything but Gilligan
Gilligan’s full name was never said in the TV series. He was simply known as “Gilligan”.

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Gilligan’s Island aired between September 26, 1964 and April 17, 1967, what interesting changes happened during the airing of the entire series?
Mary Ann’s shorts became shorter
The sponsors of the series changed
Mrs. Howell kept adding more rings, bracelets and necklaces to her outfits
It went from being filmed in black and white to color
The first season was filmed in black and white. The second and third season were filmed in color.
What foods did the castaways subsist on?
Wild boar and wild onions
Monkey meat
Fish and coconut cream pie
Fish and coconut cream pies were staples for the castaways. They also had citrus fruit and fresh water available.
Rations left in a WWII airplane on the island
As Thurston Howell III, Jim Backus used some of the voice inflections and mannerisms of another role he played. What role was that?
The Riddler from Batman
Mr. Magoo
Jim Backus reused some of the voice inflections and mannerisms of Mr. Magoo.
Mister Peabody
Penguin from Batman

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One more easy one: which answer is NOT correct:
Jim Backus = The Professor
Only Russell Johnson, as The Professor, had the intelligence to help the castaways survive (but not get off the island).
Alan Hale Jr. = The Skipper
Jim Backus= Thurston Howell III
We’ll start out easy. Which answer is NOT correct:
Edith Louise = Ginger Grant
The beautiful Ginger was played by Tina Louise.
Dawn Wells = Mary Ann Summers
Natalie Schafer= Eunice Lovelle Wentworth Howell
Bob Denver = Gilligan
Who was offered the role of Gilligan first?
Bob Denver
Jerry Van Dyke
Jerry Van Dyke was first offered the role as Gilligan but turned it down. Too bad; he could have been an American cultural icon.
Alan Hale, Jr.

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And now the big debate, Ginger or Mary Ann? One way to answer this is: who got the most fan mail?
Ginger
Mary Ann
According to Bob Denver in a 2001 interview, Mary Ann had more fan mail than Ginger by a more than 2 to 1 ratio.
Gilligan!
Even split between the two ladies
Which one of these statements about the Professor is true?
The Professor was in fact a high school science teacher, not a university professor
The Professor was in fact a high school science teacher, not a university professor.
The Professor saw himself as a ladies’ man
The Professor did not have any degrees, he just looked smart
From what location did the “three-hour tour” leave?
San Diego
Grenada
Honolulu
According to fans, most of the clues within three of the TV shows pointed to Honolulu, Hawaii, however in one episode, "Big Man On Little Stick," the clues point to Acapulco. In this quiz, the majority rules.
Los Angeles

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Everyone knows the Gilligan’s Island theme song, right? Which of these is NOT part of the lyrics to the song:
Just sit right back, and you'll hear a tale
A millionaire and his wife, a movie star
They'll have to make the best of things, it's an uphill climb
To make the others comfortable, in a way that they do best
“To make the others comfortable, in a way that they do best” is incorrect lyric. The correct lyric is “To make the others comfortable, in the tropic island nest."
Tina Louise, who played Ginger, was the only cast member who refused to return for any of the post-series TV movies. What was the cause of the conflict between her and producer Sherwood Schwartz?
She believed that she was hired as the central character, but her character played a secondary role.
Her character was originally written as a sharp-tongued temptress, but she argued that this portrayal was too harsh and refused to play it as written
She felt the role had killed her career as a serious actress
All of the above
Louise clashed with producer Sherwood Schwartz because of all of the above.
Three of the seven castaways are plagued by evil twins. Who are they?
Gilligan, Ginger and Mr. Howell
Gilligan, Ginger and Mr. Howell all had doubles show up on the island, wreak havoc and leave the island without rescuing the others.
Ginger, Mr. Howell and the Skipper
Mary Ann, Mrs. Howell and the Skipper

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As the saying goes, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” Are you aware of all the clones and parodies there have been of Gilligan’s Island? If so, which of these sound familiar?
The Gilligan Ninja Warrior Show
Gilligan’s Island: The Musical
Gilligan’s Island: The Musical was first produced in the early 1990’s. Since 2001, after extensive revisions, it has been seen at various theaters across the U.S.
Deserted Islands for Sailors and Captains
The Best Of: Coconut Contraptions
Which of these is NOT the title of a Gilligan’s Island sequel?
Rescue from Gilligan’s Island
The Castaways on Gilligan’s Island
Gilligan’s Island Bloopers
Gilligan’s Island was popular even when made into spin-offs and film sequels.
The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island
There were three spin-offs of the show. Which of these is one of them?
Gilligan goes to Europe!
Gilligan’s Planet
All of the above are spinoffs of the popular TV series.
Gilligan travels the oceans

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Gilligan’s Island enjoyed solid ratings during its original run, but then what happened during the following decades of syndication?
The show grew in popularity
Gilligan’s Island grew in popularity during syndication, especially when the show aired after school hours.
Many of the cast members ended their acting careers
So many people tried to find Gilligan’s Island, they had to stop airing the show
One of the many themes that ran through the series included strangers appearing on the island and getting back home without rescuing the others. Which one of these characters was discovered by the castaways?
The President of the United States
Jungle Boy
In :Gilligan Meets Jungle Boy," featuring a young Kurt Russell, lil’ Tarzan gets off the island but no one else does.
The Globetrotters
Last question, where did the castaways end up in the final episode?
On the SS Minnow
On the same deserted island
The show was cancelled at practically the last minute, so the writers did not know that they had written the final episode in the third season. Hence, the castaways never made it home.
On a new deserted island
They were rescued

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Although the series entertained so many, there are always a few people who had issues with it. Which of these are true?
Hate mail was sent to Ginger
The coast of Honolulu became flooded with tourists trying to find the island
The United States Coast Guard received telegrams pleading for them to rescue the people on the deserted island
The United States Coast Guard occasionally received telegrams pleading for them to rescue the people on the deserted island. The Coast Guard would simply forward these telegrams to producer Sherwood Schwartz.
Over a million men sent marriage proposals to Mary Ann
The castaways called him “Captain” and “Skipper,” but what was his real name?
Captain Russell Johnson
Captain Skipper Sunday
Captain Jonas Grumby
The Skipper is lovable but is irritated continually by the clumsiness and ineptitude of his "little buddy" Gilligan.
The actress who played Mrs. Howell had some quirks. What was one of them?
She required at least two close-ups per scene
She hated the heat and required air conditioning in the Howell’s on-screen hu
She had it written in her contract that there would be no close-ups of her
The actress who played Mrs. Howell had it written into her contract that there were to be no close-ups of her.

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In the 1966-67 season, the sitcom’s rating had fallen out of the top 30. What show aired at the same time on another channel, pushing down its popularity?
Green Acres
The Monkees
The Monkees aired at the same time on NBC.
The Lawrence Welk Show
I Love Lucy
Where did the character Mary Ann grow up?
Topeka, KS
Fargo, ND
Appleton, WI
Winfield, KS
Mary Ann was a simple farm girl from Winfield, Kansas.
Which of the spin-offs used the voices of the original castaways, at least most of them?
The New Adventures of Gilligan and Gilligan’s Planet
For the New Adventures of Gilligan, the voices were done by the original cast except for Ginger and Mary Ann (both were voiced by Jane Webb). Gilligan’s Planet used the voices of the original Gilligan's Island cast, except for Tina Louise (Dawn Wells voiced both Mary Ann and Ginger).
Gilligan’s Planet and Dusty’s Trail
Dusty’s Trail and The New Adventures of Gilligan
Only the New Adventures of Gilligan

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Which of these is another example of the show's inventiveness?
A gramophone
An alarm clock
A hot air balloon
Still more inventions: a lie detector machine, a roulette wheel, and a pool table!
Although it seemed as if they were shipwrecked forever, how many episodes of Gilligan’s Island were aired?
25
63
72
98
98 episodes aired during the three seasons of the show.
You Got:
/32
CBS