Unlikely But Real TV Crossover Episodes - Baywatch – Gilligan’s Island

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The Baywatch / Gilligan’s Island TV crossover story, was a 1992 Baywatch episode called ‘Now Sit Down And You’ll Hear A Tale’ featuring a prolonged dream sequence in which some Baywatch lifeguards met characters from Gilligan’s Island, a show last aired in 1967. The episode was bound to baffle young Baywatch viewers who only tuned in to see the glamorous cast running and swimming round in tight-fitting sportswear. Many viewers would not have been born when Gilligan’s Island was first broadcast. The old show is clearly a favourite at Baywatch’s California beach HQ (though it was never mentioned before or after this episode). Mitch Buchanan (David Hasselhoff) had to threaten to have the TV sets removed to stop his staff watching it and going to their patrol towers late. The episode focused on Eddie (Billie Warlock) who accidentally knocked himself unconscious and dreamt that he and Shawni (Erika Eleniak) rescued Gilligan (Bob Denver) and Mary Anne (Dawn Wells) who reprised their original series roles. Their boat was in danger of sinking when the heroes turned up. The rescued mariners were brought back to Baywatch HQ just as Mitch’s boss, Captain Thorpe (Monte Markham) decided to use the millions he won on the lottery (in the dream) to finance a Gilligan’s Island movie, featuring the surviving cast members, with Baywatch lifeguards pressed into the roles of those no longer with us. The whole bunch then got stuck on a desert island while looking for locations to film in, before another knock to the head brings Eddie back to reality in time to see Mitch secretly, selfishly watching and enjoying Gilligan’s Island on the TV set he has confiscated. Travesty followed travesty. Neither Gilligan’s Island or Baywatch were ever any good, and this episode tried desperately to shoehorn one into the other twenty five years too late. The result lacks comedy or the more dramatic rescues that normally carry Baywatch and there is unusually little of the slo-mo running round in swimwear that made Baywatch a such guilty pleasure for many of its viewers. Youtube - Gilligan's Island theme song - Arthur Chappell