Looking back now, you might think Gilligan's Island was always a hit. Since it aired, the concept and characters have gone on to become cultural touchstones. You'd be hard-presed to find anybody who doesn't recognize Gilligan by his red sweater and white bucket hat. However, this perception may just be tinted by technicolor glasses, as Gilligan wasn't always the smash viewers remember it to be. 

That red sweater, believe it or not, was not there from the very beginning. The first season of Gilligan's Island was filmed in black-and-white, and aired as such in 1964. However, those first 36 episodes were later colorized when they were re-broadcasted in syndication. Gilligan's sweater isn't the only thing fans remember differently.

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Gilligan's IslandZsa Zsa GaborGuest stars

How well do you remember the time Zsa Zsa Gabor appeared on Gilligan's Island?

Most of the folks that experienced Gilligan's Island caught the re-runs in syndication. That's becasue when the show arrived on CBS viewers' screens for the first time, it almost sank like the S.S. Minnow. In addition to some indifferent viewership numbers, the show was not exactly lauded by critics; contemporary writers often dismissed the show and its characters as one-dimensional.

"I think at first people didn't know what to make of the show," said Alan Hale (Gilligan's Skipper) to the Orlando Sentinel in 1966. "They soon caught on that it was a complete farce." In short order, the public caught onto what the series was going for, and the ratings began to steadily climb. 

Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann, echoed her co-star's sentiment. "It's a new approach," said Wells. "I think people discovered they were being entertained, which is a word that has become almost extinct." This makes sense when considering the lineup of television hits that same year Gilligan's Island debuted. Shows like Bonanza, The Fugitive, and Peyton Place drew audiences in with more, realistic, dramatic fare. When audiences were finally ready for slapstick shenanigans, Gilligan's Island was there to serve, and the historical perception of the show shifted with the times. By the time they were interviewed about it in the Orlando Sentinel in 1966, both Hale and Wells were proud of and happy with their time on Gilligan's Island, even though it really shouldn't have lasted for longer than their three hour tour.

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