Sherwood SchwartzRezensionen

A benign little book, easy to read and full of sweet recollections by the Schwartzes. No real dirt is dished here, and some well known stories are even refuted as incorrect by the younger Schwartz. I'm not crazy about the Bradys, but I did grow up watching the show. Most interesting to me was the censorship of those days.

I liked this book because it told the story about the Brady Bunch from the inside by the creators. Any other book is shaded by time or second-hand knowledge.

Interesting view of behind the scenes, not only of Gilligan's Island, but of making TV shows in the 1960's. From the interfering executives that wanted to make Ginger a housewife and keep them all on the boat sailing around from episode to episode, to having to defend providing backstory in the themesong, to the eventual cancellation (it was very popular and getting great ratings, and they'd already been told they were obviously renewed when the decision was made to cancel it for an astoundingly stupid reason).
It's well-written and entertaining, even as he's describing his frustration with the various obstacles and critics.
Spurred enough interest for me to go out and buy the complete series on DVD -- my family is half-way through the second season now.

This books offers Schwartz's personal recollections of his fight to get Gilligan's Island on the air as well as keeping it on the air. That, in of itself, is highly interesting but I would have liked to have read more recollections of behind-the-scenes stories regardings the cast and crew of the series. However with that being said, I recommend this book for fans of Gilligan's Island.

I was excited to get Inside Gilligan's Island by Sherwood Schwartz and started reading right away. The back cover promises that Schwartz "...provides wonderful illustrations from his personal collection" and "...a special treat...". I was expecting to learn how the show came to be, what making the show was like when it was on the air, some anecdotes about filming, the actors, and behind the scenes stories.

What I got was a dry, if informative, look at the process of getting a series to television in the 60 s. Mr. Schwartz wrote a very detailed account of his fight to get Gilligan's Island on the air and while it was interesting, for the first couple of chapters, the rest of the book may have been better spent talking about what it was like behind the scenes while the show was on the air.

The anticipated Appendix of plot lists is made up of Episode Synopses stating who wrote and directed each show, a short description of the plot, and the Theme for that show. I was expecting to hear some story of the episode about what kind of shenanigans the cast got up to behind the camera.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys in-depth biographies. If you're looking for anything else, I'd give it a pass.

A fascinating behind the scenes look at a classic television program. This book is a fun and entertaining read that will increase any Gilligan's Island fan's appreciation of the show.

I enjoyed Inside Gilligan's Island much more than I thought I would. I caught the show occasionally while in syndication, but I can't say that I was ever a fan. The inside politics of how a television show is written, pitched, put together, and ultimately put on the air (or not), on the other hand, was pretty fascinating. Schwartz had to deal with moody, power hungry executives and their lackeys, an agent who was undermining him and making deals behind his back, and critics who trashed the show at every possible instance, even while admitting they had seen nothing other than the first five minutes of the pilot. He saves most of his vitriol (which is mild, coming from the writer and producer of Gilligan and The Brady Bunch) for the executives, which he has nothing but bad things to say about, but in a humorous and and non-ascerbic manner.

I'd have given this four stars except for the last couple chapters. They were meant to be a contemporary 'state of the industry' and it was jarring that contemporary was 1988. This was an Early Reviewer book? I had not bothered to read the date on the copyright page, so I did not realize that the book was 24 years old when I started it, and when I was done I thought that those chapters were wildly out of place.½

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,
A tale of a fateful trip
That started from this tropic port
Aboard this tiny ship.

The mate was a mighty sailing man,
The skipper brave and sure.
Five passengers set sail that day
For a three hour tour, a three hour tour.

The Ballad of Gilligan's Island by George Wyle and Sherwood Schwartz

Sherwood Schwartz created two of the most iconic and influential TV series with Gilligan’s Island (1964 – 1967) and the Brady Bunch (1969 – 1974). Prior to his work as a show-runner, he worked on My Favorite Martian, the Bob Hope Radio Show, and the Red Skelton Show. Inside Gilligan’s Island: from creation to syndication chronicles the trials and tribulations of creating a TV series during the reign of the Big Three (NBC, ABC, and CBS). Schwartz recreates a radically different time, both in terms of production, broadcast, and sensibilities. It is hard even for this reviewer, raised on the variety of cable programming and the immediate accessibility of the VCR, to conjure a world where a viewer only had three choices.

To put things in perspective, CBS finally broadcasts Gilligan’s Island on page 161 of a 313-page book. (That’s counting the two appendices.) Prior to the network debut, Schwartz assembles a writing crew, the cast, and produces a pilot. Cue inevitable executive meddling. The altered pilot gets rejected by CBS. Schwartz then re-cuts, re-edits, and re-submits the pilot. In an unprecedented move, CBS accepts the pilot they initially rejected. At this time in network history, CBS stood at the top of the ratings battle with fourteen out of fifteen shows. A ratings record that has never been repeated.

William Paley plays a small but pivotal role in Gilligan’s conception and annihilation. During the first meeting, Schwartz explains the series as a “social microcosm.” The word confuses Paley, Chairman of the Board at CBS. Schwartz takes it all in stride, since the title of Chapter 1 is “The Importance of Being Illiterate.” Schwartz, a veteran writer for Bob Hope and Red Skelton, peppers the tale of Inside Gilligan’s Island with a fair share of groaners, puns, and jokes for the country club. Paley plays a part in the show’s demise because he didn’t want to see Gunsmoke cancelled. Despite Gilligan’s Island receiving the top ratings for three years in a row (after having its time slots switched year after year) and a study exhibiting the power of the urban consumer over the rural consumer, Paley persisted in keeping Gunsmoke on the air.
Gilligan’s Island made TV history with Rescue from Gilligan’s Island. Airing on October 14 and 21, 1978, it became one of the first “reunion shows” on network TV. It also received a 52 share in the ratings. It was one of the highest rated shows in TV history, made bittersweet since its abrupt cancellation denied Gilligan’s Island a proper season finale. By way of comparison, the finale of Seinfeld received a 58 share.

Gilligan’s Island remains in syndication and has been in repeats on various channels since its initial airdate. It is also a TV show that remains within the American consciousness, a stand-by pop cultural reference in everything from the Simpsons to Space Ghost Coast to Coast. Schwartz achieved the timeless with his melding of social commentary with broad humor. The Gilligan character, a hapless loveable dope, is the template viewers see in far-ranging characters like Matthew from Newsradio and Michael Scott from the Office.

Inside Gilligan’s Island is a fascinating piece of TV history. Schwartz came of age during a simpler time, at least in terms of business and sensibility. He wrote the book in 1988, prior to the conglomerates taking control of the three networks and the rise of cable TV. Out of the trials and tribulations, Schwartz created two iconic TV series. Gilligan’s Island is one of them.

http://driftlessareareview.wordpress.com/2011/06/05/inside-gilligan%E2%80%99s-is...

Sherwood Schwartz is a comedy writer and creator of "Gilligan's Island" and the "Brady Bunch." In this book he relates the trials and tribulations involved in bringing "Gilligan's Island" to television. His background in comedy makes this an entertaining read. Where most people would have been driven insane by the stress caused by C.B.S. executives, Mr. Shwartz found humor in the endless meetings and backstabbing.

What I found fascinating is that the people in charge of Hollywood still have the same attitudes that they had back in the 1960's. No one wants to back a new idea, even if test audiences prove it will be a hit. C.B.S. didn't have faith in "Gilligan's Island" even when it continually landed in the ratings top ten. Television executives don't want to take chances with a new concept. They want shows taken from already proven source material such as movies, books, and other shows.

Some of the references in this book are a bit dated, as it is a reprint of a text that was originally published in 1988. Television has changed significantly since the 1980's. The sitcom is basicly dead and reality television rules the air waves. This book would have benefited from a new introduction by Mr. Schwartz. I am sure he would have much to say about the state of television today. Instead we have a foreword made up of comments by the original cast. This is rather creepy since only three of the "castways" are still alive; Russ Johnson, Tina Louis, and Dawn Wells.

There is a very useful episode synopsis at the back of this edition. I enjoyed skimming through the descriptions and picking out my favorite episodes. This book is a must for die hard "Gilligan's Island" fans and those who long for the family friendly television shows they grew up watching.

Inside Gilligan's Island: from Creation to Syndication
Sherwood Schwartz
Mcfarland & Company, Inc.
1988 (2011 reprint)

A Librarything Early Reviewer book.
Wow! It has been 47 years since Gilligan's Island premiered, and not only did I read a book about it, but I really enjoyed it. Mr. Schwartz, the creator of the show, wonderfully tells the story of Gilligan's Island; from the first idea, to pitching the show to the studio, to filming, to cancellation, and beyond. Most of the chapters are humorous vignettes that captured the attention of this reader. Towards the end of the memoir, Mr. Schwartz does drift off topic and discusses modern television (1988) and the dangers of sex and violence. This section seems not to belong with the rest of the memoir and makes him sound like a cranky old man talking about "those crazy kids of today".

4 stars. The writing is compelling and the stories are fun. If you enjoyed Gilligan's Island, you'll love this behind the scenes look at the show.

This book was an interesting look into the inner works of Gilligan's Island. It takes you through the tv show production aspect without slogging you down with too much in terms of politics. It is always interesting to get a glimpse at the actors and actresses you see on television from a different light.½

Inside Gilligan's Island: From Creation to Syndication is an interesting book. Sherwood Schwartz is good at distilling the essence of the behind the scenes wrangling with the networks without bogging down the pacing of the prose. From his tales, it's a wonder the series ever got made, or that it made it with the cast we all know and love. It's easy to see why network programming is all the same based on this glimpse at the behind the scenes (even if it was in the 60's) wrangling that goes on to get a TV show on the air. I would have preferred to have more of an inside view of the actual shows themselves, but the title does indicate that it's about the creation.

It really shows that it's not so much whether a show is a hit or not, it all depends on what the network brass wants. It was interesting to learn of how Gilligan's Island was thrown off the network schedule despite being a hit show for CBS.

Gilligan’s Island is one of my all time favorite TV shows. I found the actors to be perfectly cast and the show to be extremely funny. This book written by Sherwood Schwartz is a reprint of the original book published in 1988. The book’s main focus is how the show was created, submitted to the networks and basically how the whole process works. I found the book very interesting and I learned a lot about the behind the scenes of a TV show. However, I was hoping for more stories on the cast than were actually in the book. Still I found the stories that were told fun and informative. My main disappointed was that the book was not updated to the present time. I feel that publishers missed the opportunity to make this old book better.

If you're a fan of Gilligan's Island or interested in the how a TV show is made (albeit in the 60s) this book is a great read. Sherwood Schwartz tells great stories of the trials and tribulations to bring this show to TV. Through luck and perseverance it made it to air and practically on a whim it was cancelled, despite always winning its time slot and becoming a worldwide success.

The book also covers and the animated and movie projects after the show's run and ends with appendices describing each episode, include each one's theme (example: "Near misses don't count; the result does").½

There is not much that I can add to the previous review; To do so would only be including specifics that the reader would more delightfully discover for her/him self. as Sherwood covers a LOT of ground in this easily read book. However, I can say that his description of the hotel "Hanalei Bay", where they stayed while shooting the pilot brought back fond memories, as I was there in the 80's.

A most enjoyable book. If you ever wanted the real story behind the TV show Gilligan's Island, this is the book for you. Brushed off as a silly comedy by early critics, the show has proven to be much more. Gilligan's Island is now become part the collective culture of the world. Its characters are iconic and instantly recognizble. Who can't recite or sing its theme song? The show has never left the air-ways sinceit first aired in 1964 and continues to be enjoyed by millions. Sherwood Schwartz was the creator of the series and well suited to discuss its history. The book is well written and a joy to read. It is a must for anyone who loves the show.½