The ‘Murder on Gilligan’s Island’ Storyline That Never Made It to TV

Gilligan’s Island only ran for three seasons, from 1964 to 1967. But the show’s pop culture staying power wasn’t just due to it being incredibly popular in syndication — it was also the subject of frequent sequels and spinoffs, including three made-for-TV movies in the ’70s and ’80s, as well as two animated series, all of which involved the majority of the original cast members. But there was one spinoff that creator Sherwood Schwartz was never able to get off the ground: a special where one of the castaways was murdered, and famous TV detectives convened on the island to find out whodunnit.