Gilligan

Gilligan is a fictional character from the American television series Gilligan's Island. Created by Sherwood Schwartz, the character is portrayed by actor Bob Denver. In the series, Gilligan is the first mate of the S.S. Minnow, a small charter boat that, during a three-hour cruise, is wrecked on a deserted island. The other castaways—the Skipper, the Millionaire Thurston Howell III and his wife Lovey, the film star Ginger Grant, the Professor Roy Hinkley, and Mary Ann Summers—must improvise to survive and attempt to escape. The show aired on CBS from 1964 to 1967 and lasted three seasons with 98 episodes.

Gilligan is characterized by his amiable, bumbling nature and is well-meaning but prone to clumsiness and accidental trouble. He often serves as the comic foil to more pragmatic characters, yet his enthusiasm and occasional ingenuity contribute to the group’s efforts to cope with life on the island. The character’s misadventures drive many plots, while occasional moments reveal a more resourceful side.

The character became a cultural icon of 1960s television and contributed to the enduring legacy of Gilligan's Island. The premise has inspired various revivals, stage adaptations, and continued syndication, keeping the character familiar to new generations. Bob Denver's portrayal remains the defining depiction of Gilligan, and the name itself is often associated with a hapless, good-hearted foil in popular culture.