Rating: 
Summary: Great Series but concerned about disks
Review: When you mention "Gilligans Island" most people immediately can identify the 1960s sitcom. Either you like it or you don't. I have been a fan of the show for many years and never get tired of the sight gags and stunts. This was a very unique program, unlike your typical sitcom set in someone's home. The show was written mostly for children but was enjoyable for adults as well. It is one of the few programs that is truly "family friendly". I had the honor of meeting three stars of the show: Bob Denver, Russell Johnson, and Dawn Wells. These actors are outstanding people who did the best job they could while on this series. I not only have great respect for them but for this little show that never dies. And that tells you how well the show was made. Most people expected the show to never be sold, much less lasting past one season. Instead it has been on the air since 1964.
The stories are fun to watch, all complete and uncut. The quality of the picture is excellent, for the age of the show. My only concern is the packaging. There are three disks, all double sided. Fortunately, it looks like right now the disks are fine, but I have had difficulties in the past with double sided disks because they scratch so easily. I also find it difficult to read which side I am on and which episodes I am watching. But it does keep it very compact and the package is handsome.
The extras are not much to speak of. Sherwood Schwartz gives a commentary during the pilot, which also has a short extra scene not shown in the original video version. This also has me wondering how much footage is around that we still don't get to see.
There is a "survival Guide" which is terrible, in my opinion. But I bought it for the episodes, not the extras. And the price is right, so that helps.
Overall, if you are a GI fan, then you will probably purchase this series right away. If not, well, then you probably don't even need to be reading this review. I hope this package sells in order to bring out seasons 2 and 3 so it's complete.
All in all, this is fun, family entertainment and I only wish today's television programming was like this so that I would feel comfortable having everyone watch the tube. In today's world of sex jokes, vulgar language, and explicit scenes dealing with everything from adultery to gay couples, I am glad Gilligans Island gives me something to laugh at, which is what a COMEDY is supposed to do, right?
Rating: 
Summary: The Seven Deadly Sins finally released on DVD!
Review: Thank the dark pits of Hell for finally releasing my favorite all time show, GILLIGAN's ISLAND. The seven deadly sins are personified as the castaways deserted on an island (purgatory). Here's a lowdown for those not familiar with the show....1. Pride - The Professor (Russel Johnson) is the smartest man alive. He made a working satellite out of bamboo once. His pride was his downfall. No matter how smart he was and proud of his acheivments, he never went anywhere. 2. Greed - The Millionaire (Jim Buckus) was the greediest man on the planet. He took millions of dollars and an expansive wardrobe with him on a three hour tour. But for all his money, he couldn't buy the island. 3. Envy - Mary-Ann (Dawn Wells) wanted to be Ginger so badly. One episode she gets knocked on the head and thinks she IS Ginger. Little farm girl could never be more than what she was. 4. Lust - Ginger Grant (Tina Louise) The Hollywood movie star was the walking, talking sin of lust itself. She was enough to make any mortal man fall to his knees with desire. 5. Gluttony - The Skipper (Alan Hale) Not only was he a fat dude to begin with, but he couldn't help but wof down every coconut and banana creme pie he could get his hands on. 6. SLoth - Mrs. Howell had no use or purpose. Rarely was she involved in the plot. She probably spent most of her time sleeping in the hut she shared with Thirston. 7. Wrath - Gilligan (Bob Denver) The angriest man to ever walk the planet. His rage was disguised as stupidity as his bumbling kept everyone on the island. He wanted them there, because he was evil. His hatred for mankind can best be remembered in the episode when they actually DID get off the island and ended up switching personalities in the lab of a mad scientist. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: I giggled all weekend and then watched them again!
Review: Horray.. They did not colorize them.. They left them in their true B & W original version and I am grateful for that. I loved watching this show as a kid and love it now... I can not wait until season 2 and 3... My ONLY complaint was the stupid survival guide with the spazy and annoying guy... please give me more facts, interviews, deleted scenes etc.. That would have made it Perfect beyond compare, but I am still giving it 5 stars because I going to go and watch them all again and giggle, giggle, giggle...
Rating:
Summary: WONDERFUL DVD RELEASE
Review: I am very pleased with this release. The episodes have never looked better. It's like watching a completely different show. I don't know what DVD set the reviewer below received "as a Christmas present," but the episodes on my DVDs are complete and unedited. There are NO missing scenes. In fact, as another reviewer mentioned, there is a scene with Bunny and Ginger washing clothes in the original pilot that I hadn't seen before. Again, there are NO missing scenes. The transfers are beautiful and I can't wait for Seasons Two and Three. I bet the color episodes will look incredible. The cheesy quiz should never have been included as it really has little to do with the show. I'm hoping that a future release might have interviews with the surviving cast members and Sherwood Schwartz. Buy this box set! I am so glad I did. Watching the unedited episodes gives me a new appreciation for the show and proves that it wasn't such an unsophisticated slapsticky show after all. It was very well written and acted.
Rating:
Summary: Thank you, Thank you. Now how about the Second Season!!!
Review: What a treat!!! I'm in my early forties and I am thoroughly enjoying these old episodes, which I grew up watching after school, like so many others. Also, I'm very pleased that my children can enjoy these classics, which are both a)way funnier than anything on the tube now, and b)wholesome and great for younger viewers. Thanks so much for this great DVD release. And I will be among the first to purchase Second Two when it's (hopefully) released soon!!! Thanks.
Rating:
Summary: It's about time!
Review: Like many of us, I have anticipated owning this box set for quite some time. Columbia house painfully released 2/3 of the episodes on VHS, and never promised to complete the set. This left fans of the show to their own devices - to own the missing episodes, one would have to buy second generation tapes, suffer through commercials (or worse, like editing), and pray for many quality viewings. Until now.
These remastered episodes appear to be complete and very clean - that's all I am qualified to say about the technical stuff. The packaging is pretty well done, and double sided discs mean fewer parts. Big deal, right? Packaging is for collectors. These episodes are for fans. The comic genius of Sherwood Schwartz can best be undersood through the eyes of a sociologist, Laurel and Hardy, or whatever reference to the real world. What appears to be a simplistic slapstic show tends to work on many levels. Does each castaway stand for one of the 7 deadly sins? Better to not think too hard - simply sit down and let go of the serious world - when Skipper and Gilligan try to sort themselves on their hammocks, prepare to laugh until you cry. Remember when gilligan bruised his nose, and insisted on surgery? Holding a straight face when he wanders around with the mud casting on his head simply cannot be done. This show is beyond genius. There are a few humorless souls out their who simply do not understand this show. Ignore them all and buy this sucker.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Disappointed
Review: I got the first season of Gilligans Island as a Christmas present. As a kid and as an adult it is one of my favorite shows of all time. It arrived yesterday and I put in the first episode only to find that whole scenes are missing. I can't believe it. If I wanted an edited version of the show I would just watch it on TNT. The quality is nice but missing scenes mean that I might not even watch it again.
Rating:
Summary: Slapstick GILLIGAN gets solid DVD treatment
Review: In 1963, the CBS television network first aired GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, a slapstick sitcom with an unusual premise. Set in a desert island with a group of castaways, this comedy turned off many of the TV critics, who savaged the show by calling it sophomoric and idiotic. Even the network wasn't all that thrilled with the show, having refused it three times before agreeing to air it. To the surprise of many, the show actually became a hit, winning its time-slot every year it was on, despite being moved to a different time and day each year. Eventually, the show was cancelled after its 3rd season to make room for another season of CBS favorite GUNSMOKE. Despite all the adversity, GILLIGAN'S ISLAND would go on to become a huge hit in syndication, where it still runs on many TV stations today......almost 40 years after it first aired. This DVD set collects the first season with all the classic black and white episodes. (The other seasons were in color.) Bob Denver, who previously was the beatnik Maynard G. Krebs in the Dobie Gillis shows, is charming as the accident-prone Gilligan. Alan Hale, Jr. matches him as the put-upon Skipper. Jim Backus definitely has his share of laughs as filthy rich Thurston Howell, III, while Dawn Wells and Tina Louise provide nice contrast as the wholesome Mary Ann and sexy starlet Ginger. Natalie Shaffer and Russell Johnson provide solid support as Howell's wife and the brainy Professor, respectively. The DVD transfer is very sharp and the special features are somewhat interesting, including the original pilot with a different Professor and Ginger, and a completely different character instead of Mary Ann, as well as commentary by series creator/producer Sherwood Schwartz. The episode 'Two on a Raft' has pop-up comments that cover some of the history surrounding the show's creation and run. Another feature highlights the seven castaways and offers brief comments on how they evolved. Finally is a tongue in cheek 'quiz' that really doesn't add all that much. GILLIGAN'S ISLAND wasn't TV art, so much as TV 'comfort food.' The slapstick humor and cardboard characters were fun to spend time with and helped cement the show's status as a popular TV icon. For fans of the show or TV historians in general, this is a set worth recommending.
Rating:
Summary: A Three hour tour lasting over 40 years
Review: The critics that despise this show were not intelligent enough to understand that sometimes in life the best reality is pure fantasy. There are those who give the tired arguement about unrealistic plots and a stupid premise. They need to understand it is a television comedy show we are talking about which is suppose to be an escape from reality.
The ensemble cast is superb , the comedy writing is top notch and the direction is right on the money. The reason why this is such a classic show is that it can be enjoyed by both children and adults on two different levels. Long live Sherwood Schwartz and his castaways , they will now live on forever on DVD.
Buy it now , and then just sit right back and enjoy !
Rating:
Summary: Watch out for faulty discs!
Review: Great release of a classic comedy series...a real nostalgia trip. However... be sure to watch ALL episodes since some of the discs appear to be faulty (pauses, freezes, fractalizations etc). Otherwise you may be stuck with bad discs which you may not be able to exchange or refund if you wait too long or lose your receipt.
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