"Birds Gotta Fly, Fish Gotta Talk" is the Christmas episode of the CBS sitcom Gilligan's Island, produced and aired as the twelfth episode of the show's first season. It is partially a clip show, although it uses footage from the unaired pilot episode "Marooned" as well as the actual series.
Synopsis[]
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As the castaways try and handle their first Christmas marooned on the island, flashbacks show many of their first moments after getting stranded, and they become even more depressed. They even blame Gilligan for their foiled rescue attempts and his efforts to cheer them up don't help. Finally, Santa Claus appears, though it is obviously the Skipper. He offers up hopeful insights into their predicament, the biggest of which is, while they may be stranded, they are all still alive, and with people they can for the most part get along with. Santa departs and the Skipper reappears, but he does so far too fast to have changed clothes. Further, he is wondering why everyone is so cheered up now. The implication of course is that the real Santa came to see them and give them a gift of hope. The ringing of sleigh bells and something that the Skipper and Gilligan see (but the others don't) seems to give further credence to this idea.
Notes[]
- The episode, filmed originally in black and white, is among the ones from the show's first season that was eventually colorized.
- The show had no other Christmas episodes, but the 1978 made-for-TV movie Rescue From Gilligan's Island featured the former castaways having a Christmas reunion cruise aboard the Howells' yacht, only for a storm to promptly maroon them on the same island once again (till the next reunion movie).
Availability[]
The episode was included on the Gilligan's Island: The Complete First Season DVD set, released by Warner Home Video on February 3, 2004.
Cast[]
| Actor/actress | Character |
|---|---|
| Bob Denver | Gilligan |
| Alan Hale Jr. | "The Skipper" |
| Jim Backus | Thurston Howell III |
| Natalie Schafer | Mrs. Howell |
| Tina Louise | Ginger Grant |
| Russell Johnson | Professor Hinkley |
| Dawn Wells | Mary Summers |
| Uncredited | |
| Charles Maxwell (voice) | Radio Announcer |