First impressions aren't always accurate, whether you're meeting someone new or watching a television series for the first time.

Although Gilligan's Island is considered a staple in any nostalgic television fan's favorites list, the initial reception of the series from critics in 1964 was less than stellar.

Even with the critical reviews, series creator Sherwood Schwartz was positive that he had something promising on his hands with a show like Gilligan's Island.

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"The pilot was pretested three separate times before different audiences, and these people on the street liked it," Schwartz said during an interview with the Muncie Evening Press. "They couldn't be wrong."

Schwartz didn't just have faith in his audience; he had faith in himself.

"I had the conviction it would be a hit," the series creator said. "How? It's my business to know what people want. I've been associated with four shows in the past 15 years, which were never out of the Top Ten in ratings...And how do you know what people want? I'm commercial. I laugh at what people OUT of our business laugh at."

Schwartz wasn't phased by what others thought.

"I never worry about where story ideas will come from on our show," Schwartz said. "Originally, with this show, I made use of the fish-out-of-water circumstances. I don't like plain living room comedies with a mother, father, and three kids. So I try fresh approaches."

Likewise, the cast of Gilligan's Island never let negative press steer them away from the series. Actor Alan Hale Jr., who played the Skipper, argued that it simply spurred them on to do better.

"Sure, we were shattered by those first reviews," Hale said. "Who wouldn't be? We just resolved to try harder."