As the filming of the third season was winding down, Gilligan’s Island creator Sherwood Schwartz was told that by CBS execs that the sitcom had been renewed for a fourth year. This didn’t come as much of a surprise since the show was well-rated, despite being aired opposite the popular Monkees series. Though the critics hated Gilligan’s Island and the network was embarrassed by it, the public loved it.
According to his book, Schwartz called his cast with the good news and took Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Tina Louise, Russell Johnson, and Dawn Wells to lunch to celebrate. With higher salaries in their future, the actors made various plans and Wells and Johnson even purchased houses.
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Gilligan's Island,
Gilligan's Planet,
The New Adventures of Gilligan
