Summer Fun: Remembering Gilligan’s Island

Cancellation

During its three-year run on television, Gilligan’s Island never saw itself in the top ten rankings. By 1967, it was struggling against another 1960s sitcom, The Monkees. Although CBS had assured everyone that they would pick up Gilligan’s Island for a fourth year, it was canceled at the last minute when the network decided to keep the western Gunsmoke on the air. The series was canceled while the cast members were on vacation.