11 Best Movies & TV Shows Like Gilligan's Island

"Gilligan's Island" was a sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz (who also created other iconic shows like "The Brady Bunch"), which aired on CBS for three seasons from 1964 to 1967. The show starred Bob Denver as the titular Willy Gilligan (his first name is never given on the show), the gangly first mate of the ill-fated S.S. Minnow alongside the (understandably) irritable Captain Jonas "Skipper" Grumby (Alan Hale, Jr.). One fateful day, the Minnow sets sail and runs into a violent storm, with the ship, Gilligan, the Skipper, and all its passengers — including, as the famous theme song states, "the millionaire and his wife, the movie star, the professor, and Mary Anne" — finding themselves stranded on a deserted island in the middle of the ocean.

Every week, the cast would attempt to escape the island, but were always thwarted in their attempts ... usually due to Gilligan's ineptitude. (Why they even kept Gilligan alive is still a point of contention among fans.) Worse, despite the island being supposedly deserted, there were various guest stars (such as Don Rickles) who would appear for an episode and then find their way off by the end, making Gilligan's blunders even more egregious. Admittedly, however, the show's reality was campy and often cartoon-ish to begin with ... such as the professor being able to make radios out of coconuts, but not a boat.

If you enjoyed the show — and in fact it's a beloved cult classic decades later — here are some other shows and movies that either share similar plots, tones, or are even extensions of Gilligan's adventures.

Almost a decade after the last episode of "Gilligan's Island" — which, by the way, ends with them still stuck on the island — ABC decided to produce a Saturday morning cartoon series called "The New Adventures of Gilligan," which aired for two seasons from 1974-1975. It was animated by Filmation Associates, at that time most famous for "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids" and "Star Trek: The Animated Series" (another animated sequel series to a canceled show from the '60s), and which would later do the animation for "Masters of the Universe."

Surprisingly, everyone from the original live-action "Gilligan's Island" returned to voice their cartoon counterparts — that is, except for Tina Louise and Dawn Wells, who played Ginger and Mary-Anne respectively. They were replaced by the same voice actress, Jane Edwards (she's credited separately for each character, one with her married name, and one with her maiden name, "Jane Ebbs"). Furthermore, due to likeness rights, Ginger's iconic red hair (hence the name) was turned blonde, similar to Egon in "The Real Ghostbusters" cartoon.

As mentioned above, they're all still stuck on the island, and since the original live-action show was already over-the-top and cartoon-y, the transition to animation didn't really change the plot or scripts that much. The biggest difference was Gilligan also has an anthropomorphic monkey named Snubby ... which was a popular trope at the time, following shows like "Scooby-Doo" and, to a much lesser extent, "Jabberjaw."

A few years later, with the kitschy nostalgia of "Gilligan's Island" still alive, CBS produced the animated series "Gilligan's Planet" for two seasons in 1982-1983. This time, instead of simply being stuck on a deserted island on Earth, "Gilligan's Planet" — as can be surmised by the title — is set on an alien planet in space. The premise is that the professor builds a rocket out of wood to escape the island; however, like the ill-fated Minnow before it, the wooden rocket crash-lands on the eponymous planet. 

After that, it's basically the same show, just with more alien stuff, with the plots barely being updated. "Gilligan's Island," both the live-action show and previous cartoon, sometimes contained sci-fi elements — such as the Harlem Globetrotters playing against evil robots — but "Gilligan's Planet" included things like a little green alien sidekick named Bumper (replacing the monkey Snubby as the obligatory cartoon mascot).

Unlike the previous cartoon, actress Dawn Wells, aka Mary-Anne, returned to voice her character. Wells even voiced Ginger, the movie star, since actress Tina Louise refused once again to reprise her role. Everyone else returned as well, although "Gilligan's Planet" was the last time Alan Hale, Jr. played The Skipper, as he passed away in 1990. Fun fact: Paul Dini, known for "Batman: The Animated Series" (where he penned classic episodes like "Joker's Favor"), wrote for "Gilligan's Planet."

Similar to "Gilligan's Planet," the sci-fi adventure series "Lost in Space" — which ran from 1965-1968 — follows the Robinson family (an allusion to "The Swiss Family Robinson"), whose ship is sent off-course into deep space. Along for the ride are their trusty robot, pilot Don West (Mark Goddard), and the treacherous stowaway Dr. Smith (Jonathan Harris). Smith – like Gilligan — is the reason for the ship being lost in the first place, and fans often wondered why the characters keep Smith alive too. There was also a 1998 feature film and 2018 Netflix reboot based on the show.

Unlike the "Gilligan" shows, the Robinson family can travel to various planets around the cosmos; however, the family is still stranded in a very real way. Their only real home is their ship, and instead of being stuck on an island with only a slight chance of rescue, they are trying to locate Earth but have only a slim hope of finding it. The show also had a very similar campy '60s tone as "Gilligan's Island" — at least eventually. It initially began with a more serious tone, before it delved into complete camp. In fact, like "Gilligan's Island," the first season of "Lost in Space" was filmed completely in black and white before moving to color (though the early black and white seasons of "Gilligan's Island" were eventually colorized for syndication.)

"Swiss Family Robinson" is a classic, critically-acclaimed 1960 Disney live-action movie based on the novel of the same name, written by author Johann David Wyss and published in 1812. As mentioned in the previous entry, it was a big influence for the sci-fi show "Lost in Space" (specifically the family's "Robinson" surname).

Both the novel film are about the Robinsons, a Swiss family who are traveling on a ship to escape war; however, they eventually get shipwrecked on a deserted tropical island after being attacked by pirates. Afterward, they struggle to survive on said island, but eventually build their iconic tree house, which itself became the basis of a Disneyland attraction a couple years later in 1962, where guests walked through a recreation of it. The attraction shut down in the '90s, but came back in 2023. The film was also mostly faithful to the book, though there are some differences, most notably the decision to excise one of the Robinson sons.

The similarities between "Gilligan's Island" and the "Swiss Family Robinson" film are obvious and numerous, including the aforementioned shipwreck and a group of people working together to survive on an island. Furthermore, Gilligan and the crew of the S.S. Minnow similarly create shelters from objects on the island ... even if they aren't built in trees or as impressive visually as the Robinsons' tree house.

The 1997 adventure film "Robinson Crusoe" is based on the classic Daniel Defoe novel of the same name from 1719 (itself the inspiration for "The Swiss Family Robinson," which in turn inspired "Lost in Space"). The story itself follows the title character as he becomes stranded on a tropical island, and tries to find a way to escape off of it.

There have been many film adaptations of this novel, with the first being released in 1902, but we're going to focus on the 1997 version starring Pierce Brosnan ... if for no other reason than seeing him shirtless for most of the runtime. He gives a pretty good performance as well, we suppose.

Many survivalist tropes often found in these kinds of stories were popularized, if not originated, in "Robinson Crusoe." This includes characters using objects found around the island to create makeshift shelters, clothes, and tools, scrounging for food, battling the elements ... all of which "Gilligan's Island" would emulate at one point or another. Unfortunately, there is problematic indigenous representation, with the natives either violent or subservient. The racism is slightly better than the book, but not by much. This is also a problem seen in "Gilligan's Island" as well — something else they have in common.

Like "Robinson Crusoe," the 2000 film "Cast Away" is about a man (Tom Hanks) who finds himself stranded on a deserted island alone (unless you count Wilson, the volleyball with a bloody handprint for a face). The film was directed by renowned filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, reuniting with Hanks after "Forrest Gump" six years prior.

The plot follows Fed-Ex employee Chuck Noland (Hanks), who lands on the island in a terrifying plane crash sequence in which he uses Fed-Ex packages to survive. Four years then pass, and Hanks was rightfully praised at the time for his willingness to lose a massive amount of weight for the role, although he arguably took that process way too far.

Like "Gilligan's Island," "Cast Away" is yet another "stuck on an island" story, where those who are stranded have to use their wits, ingenuity, and environment to survive. It also has humor: The idea of Chuck talking to Wilson like a friend is funny, but the brilliance is that when Wilson is swept away while Hanks' character escapes on a raft, Hanks' performance is so heart-wrenching that the audience is also heartbroken by the loss. Also, there are luckily no culturally-insensitive depictions of natives, which is a major plus.

"Triangle of Sadness" is a biting satire from 2022 that begins on an upper-class yacht carrying models, influencers, arms manufacturers, a drunk Communist captain (Woody Harrelson), and, of course, the endlessly beleagured staff. When the ship is destroyed by pirates (similar to "Swiss Family Robinson"), the survivors end up on a deserted island and the power dynamic shifts: one of the former staff, Abigail (Dolly de Leon) — lowest in the social hierarchy on the yacht — becomes the most valuable person on the island, due to her being the only one with any survival skills.

Class commentary was integral to some extent in "Gilligan's Island" as well, but "Gilligan's Island" — besides having broader and sillier humor — also had a far more hopeful outlook on humanity. While Gilligan and the Skipper were more working class than the millionaires, the professor, or the movie star, everyone ultimately worked together to solve problems in the end, despite their differences. 

Class divisions, however, provide the core conflict in "Triangle of Sadness." The film posits that exploitative power structures are often upheld, since Abigail, the former lowly staff member, gains power on the island over others through her survival expertise and then exploits her power in similar ways (or worse) to how she herself was exploited on the yacht.

If you like "Gilligan's Island," then "Lost" is a no-brainer since it can basically be seen as a gritty reboot of that show. All the elements are there: people from all walks of life get stranded on an island, they then have to work together to survive, and they even have to contend with goofy sci-fi elements, which "Gilligan's Island" didn't shy away from either (see: robot basketball players).

"Lost" is essentially a mystery about a group of strangers on a flight to Australia whose plane crashes on the show's enigmatic island. The survivors initially explore the island (doing normal "Robinson Crusoe" things, such as collecting food, making shelters, etc.), but the two-part pilot ends with the sighting of a polar bear. The mysteries unravel from there, including a hatch that controls the fate of the world, time travel, an evil Smoke Monster, and even the island's own god and devil figures. There are also many flashbacks for most of the characters, where it is revealed they're more connected than initially believed.

There's even a subplot in the middle of the series where the characters finally escape the island, but are then convinced to go back for various reasons. Similarly, in the 1979 TV movie "The Castaways on Gilligan's Island," Gilligan and the crew finally leave their island too ... but are dissatisfied with their life in the normal world, and go back to make the island a resort home.

Premiering in 2000, "Survivor" is a reality competition show in which a group of contestants are flown to an island to compete against each other until there's just one person left, who then collects a $1 million dollar grand prize at the end. It is based on a Swedish series from a few years earlier called "Expedition Robinson" — which, again, is another callback to "Robinson Crusoe" and "Swiss Family Robinson." Despite not being as popular as it once was, "Survivor" is still somehow going strong, currently on its 48th season.

As for the game itself, initially the contestants begin working together in multiple teams, or "tribes," to collect food, build shelters, and survive on the island. They also compete in challenges; however, since there can only be one winner per season, that means any cooperation is always temporary. This is why teams will vote someone off the island — unless they win a previous challenge, granting them temporary immunity — despite working together. This, of course, leads to a lot of backstabbing, politicking, and drama.

If you enjoy "Gilligan's Island," there's a lot to love here. "Survivor" is also about disparate people from all walks of life and socioeconomic backgrounds stuck on a tropical island, needing to work together to overcome challenges ... but who also bicker and fight. There are always some colorful, eccentric characters every season to provide unpredictability and comedy to the proceedings as well.

Speaking of reality shows, there was actually one based on "Gilligan's Island." In fact, the show — called "The Real Gilligan's Island," which aired on TBS for two seasons from 2004-2005 — copied "Survivor" almost to a tee. The similarities were numerous: Both shows are about contestants competing to get off an island, while participating in "Survivor"-esque elimination challenges until there's only one winner left.

One wrinkle, however, is that "The Real Gilligan's Island" auditioned people as contestants who fit the descriptions of the fictional characters from the original series. For instance, the millionaire couple were actual millionaire couples, the Skippers were actual ship captains, the Gingers were aspiring actresses, and the Gilligans were real screw-ups.

There was some real promise to that premise, which makes its failure to capitalize on that potential so disappointing. Instead of being a "Survivor" clone, it could have been more like "The Real World" and chronicled the lives of these people on the island — who were for all intents and purpose, the same characters from the show — and how these archetypes would have really reacted in that situation. Nonetheless, with a number of "Gilligan's Island" reboots failing to get off the ground, "The Real Gilligan's Island" is the most recent (relatively) official show in the franchise to date. So if you're a completionist, we suppose you should give it a shot.

The title of the 1952 comedy "Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla" kind of says it all, really. The film follows two entertainers, Sammy Petrillo and Duke Mitchell — playing fictionalized versions of themselves — who are stranded on an island, eventually seeking help from the evil scientist Dr. Zabor (Bela Lugosi, somehow not playing himself, despite what the title suggests), who at one point transforms Duke into the titular Brooklyn gorilla. Petrillo and Mitchell themselves were playing imitations of the far more popular Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin, respectively, who were not thrilled when they found out about Petrillo and Mitchell's act.

Nonetheless, it's a film about bumbling buffoons, not too dissimilar to Gilligan, stuck on a fictional tropical island, getting into what are supposed to be funny, ridiculous situations. Essentially, if you don't mind the broad, goofy, and campy nonsense that is the "Gilligan's Island" show, then you'll probably have a higher tolerance for the nonsense in this film.