The S.S. Minnow was a less than subtle shot at an FCC chair.
Gilligan’s Island was never meant to be an Emmy-winning show, but it achieved its goal of making people laugh and forget about life for a bit.
Newton Minow, former FCC chair, criticized television for its bad elements and called it a “vast wasteland.” This resulted in creator Sherwood Schwartz naming the ship in the show the S.S. Minnow.
Despite the criticism, both Sherwood Schwartz, creator of Gilligan’s Island and The Brady Bunch, and Newton Minow came out on top, with Schwartz having a successful career and Minow’s speech serving as a touchstone moment in television history.
Which old television series’ do you still enjoy watching?