The Professor, played by Russell Johnson, was almost always called that nickname rather than his real name, Roy Hinkley Jr. His character on Gilligan's Island was a high school science teacher with several advanced degrees. In the backstory, The Professor had taken the three-hour tour to relax before he began writing a book, "Fun with Ferns." Similarly, the Skipper's real name, Jonas Grumby, is mentioned only twice in the series — in the episodes "Gilligan's Island: Two on a Raft" and "Home Sweet Hut." According to producer Sherwood Schwartz, the seven castaways were archetypes of the seven deadly sins: Gilligan, sloth; Skipper, wrath; The Professor, pride; Mr. Howell, greed; Mrs. Howell, gluttony; Ginger, lust; and Mary Ann, envy. Schwartz pitched the idea for the show to CBS executives multiple times and kept getting turned down because they thought it would be a huge failure. Finally, after much persistence, he was given the green light to film the pilot episode in 1963. Gilligan's Island grew to be a success and lasted for three seasons. © 2020 CBS Interactive. All rights reserved. ©2020 Cornerstone Publishing Group Inc. Trademarks: All brand names and product names used in this eNewsletter are trade names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Privacy Policy |