Editing Gilligan's Island (section)

=== Pilot episode ===
The [[television pilot|pilot episode]], "Marooned," was filmed in November 1963. The pilot featured seven characters (as in the series), but only four of the characters—and their associated actors—were carried forward into the series: Gilligan (Denver), the Skipper (Hale), and the Howells (Backus and Schafer).

Because of the three significant character and casting changes between the pilot episode and the first series episode, the pilot was not shown before the series first aired on September 26, 1964. The original pilot eventually aired over 29 years later on [[TBS (American TV channel)|TBS]].

The three characters who did not carry forward from the pilot were two secretaries and a high school teacher. In the pilot, the scientifically inclined Professor was instead a high school teacher played by [[John Gabriel (actor)|John Gabriel]]. Ginger, the movie star, was still red-haired, but she worked as a secretary and was played by Kit Smythe. She was more sarcastic than the later incarnation. Mary Ann, the Kansas farm girl, was instead Bunny, Ginger's co-worker, played as a cheerful "[[Blonde stereotype#Dumb blonde|dumb blonde]]" by [[Nancy McCarthy]].

The pilot's opening and ending songs were two similar [[Calypso music|calypso]]-styled tracks written by [[John Williams]] and performed by Sherwood Schwartz impersonating singer [[Sir Lancelot (singer)|Sir Lancelot]]. The lyrics of both differ from those of the TV series, and the pilot's opening theme song is longer. The short scenes during this initial music include Gilligan taking the Howells' luggage to the boat before cast-off and Gilligan trying to give a cup of coffee to the Skipper during the storm that would ultimately maroon the vessel.

After the opening theme song and credits end, the pilot proper begins with the seven castaways waking up on the beached SS ''Minnow''. It continues with them performing various tasks, including exploring the island, trying to fix the transmitter, building huts, and finding food. Contrary to some descriptions, the pilot contained no detailed accounts of the characters' backgrounds. It concludes with the ending theme song and credits. The background music and even the [[laugh track]]s of the pilot appear nearly identical to those used during the series.