BURBANK, CA - (December 16, 2003) - On February 3, the SS MINNOW washes ashore on an all-new DVD from Warner Home Video (WHV). Take a nostalgic island journey with your favorite castaways Gilligan, the Skipper, the millionaire and his wife, the movie star, the Professor and Mary Ann as the popular television series marks its 40TH anniversary with a debut on a collectible 3-disc box set. This special collector's DVD includes a cargo of special features such as the rarely seen pilot episode, tropical trivia tidbits, a Gilligan's Island survival guide and more. Gilligan's Island: The Complete First Season will be available on DVD for $39.98

A three-hour tour? No way! Not when you have all 36 digitally re-mastered Season One episodes of Gilligan's Island and the lost-at-sea Pilot episode with different cast members! The SS Minnow first sailed into living rooms on September 26, 1964, and from there, steered into legend. Certainly much credit for the show's three-year run and amazing afterlife goes to the remarkable cast whose characters managed to endure life on the island while never losing their comic timing. Why did the Howells, Ginger and Maryann take all their luggage on a three hour tour? Which episode features a very young Kurt Russell? What were Gilligan and the Professor's first names? Bravo to Bob Denver, Alan Hale, Jim Backus, Natalie Schaefer, Tina Louise, Russell Johnson and Dawn Wells. It's a joy to be stranded with them time and again - here on Gilligan's Isle.

Smooth-sailing DVD special features include:

* Rare pilot episode with commentary by creator Sherwood Schwartz.

* Tropical Trivia Tidbits.

* Gilligan's Island Survival Guide - a funny look at how not to survive on an island.

* Before the 3 Hour Tour - profiles on your favorite castaways.

* All episodes digitally re-mastered exclusively for DVD.

"Warner Home Video is thrilled that we're not only releasing our first classic episodic title on DVD but that it's Gilligan's Island, a pop culture icon and one of the greatest television series of all times," said Rosemary Markson, WHV Executive Director TV Marketing. "Who wouldn't want Gilligan's Island in their DVD collection? It's a timeless series that has been watched and enjoyed by all generations and it's a title that all consumers, young and old can relate to."

The enduring comedy of Gilligan's Island has appealed to fans of all ages since the first episode aired in 1964. The beloved characters have gone on to capture the hearts of millions, providing audiences with entertaining family programming during its initial run on CBS and now as a highly rated program on cable television. In 2004, Gilligan's Island will celebrate its 40TH anniversary and still remains one of the finest examples of classic American television to date.

GILLIGAN'S ISLAND: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON{@@@newline@@@}{@@@newline@@@}EPISODE SYNOPSES

Pilot: Ginger, Maryann and the Professor are different people. Mary-Ann's name is Bunny and her character is more like the current Ginger. Ginger is more like Mary-Ann but still called Ginger. The Professor is very much a ladies man. Since the episode never aired, the show was drastically altered, characters were replaced and so was the now, unforgettable theme song.

Episode 1: "Two on a Raft" - This is the episode that started it all. The castaways find themselves marooned on the island. Gilligan and the Skipper set sail on a home-made raft in an attempt to find help. After sailing for days and battling obstacles such as sharks and Gilligan's unending hunger, they land back on Gilligan's island without realizing it. When they see signs of life, they assume they are unfriendly natives. When the rest of the castaways realize there are visitors on the island they also assume they are unfriendly natives. This show introduced viewers to the hilarious mayhem that only Gilligan's Island could provide.

Episode 2: "Home Sweet Hut" - A hurricane is coming, so the Castaways must quickly build one large community hut in which to weather the storm. However, they soon get on each-others nerves, so they later decide to branch out and build individual huts.

Episode 3: "Voodoo Something to Me" - The Skipper fears that the island is full of 'voodoo' when he thinks that Gilligan has been turned into a monkey.

Episode 4: "Goodnight Sweet Skipper" - The castaways hear on the radio that a plane is going to be flying over their island, but they will be unable to contact them because their transmitter is broken. Gilligan overhears the Skipper dreaming about repairing a transmitter as he sleeps. The Skipper is unable to remember how he fixed the transmitter from his Navy days, so he attempts to have the dream again, but is unable to fall asleep. Each castaway attempts to help by sneaking two tranquilizers into Skippers mango juice. When Gilligan hits the transmitter out of frustration, it suddenly works! However, when he hits it again in an effort to show the other castaways how he fixed it, it falls completely apart just as the plane flies overhead.

Episode 5: "Wrongway Feldman" - When Gilligan finds an old airplane hidden in the jungle, the Castaways discover a long-forgotten aviator living on the island.

Episode 6: "President Gilligan" - The castaways decide that they need someone to be the leader on the island, and so they hold elections. Both Mr. Howell and the Skipper imagine themselves to be the natural choice to lead the Castaways in their island society. However, when the votes are counted Gilligan is elected president of the island! Just as we learned in Florida, every vote counts!

Episode 7: "The Sound of Quacking" - The Castaways are faced with running out of food, when a blight threatens to destroy many of their plants. When Gilligan finds a duck in the lagoon, a difficult decision must be made. Should they eat the duck, or tie a rescue note to it and let it fly away?

Episode 8: "Goodbye Island" - Gilligan discovers a special tree sap that can be used to make a good tasting pancake syrup. Then the professor discovers that the same tree sap also makes a super glue, that may allow the castaways to repair the Minnow. Could it be that the Castaways may finally escape from the island?

Episode 9: "The Big Gold Strike" - Mr. Howell discovers a gold mine on the island. He then hires Gilligan to work in the mine. When gold fever strikes the castaways and Mr. Howell is unwilling to share the gold, they begin to charge outlandish prices for the supplies and food that Mr. Howell needs. When the professor repairs the life raft from the Minnow, they all climb in hoping to reach civilization. However, the combined weight of the gold that everyone smuggles on-board the raft causes it to sink. Another rescue foiled!

Episode 10: "Waiting for Watubi" - While digging, the Skipper uncovers a carved statue of a Tiki God. He then believes a curse has fallen on him for disturbing the resting-place of Watubi, and that his days are numbered. Gilligan dresses up as Watubi, and performs a special ritual dance that the Skipper believes will lift the curse. It is an earth-shaking experience!

Episode 11: "Angel on the Island" - Mr. Howell decides to put on a play, staring Ginger, after she begins to suffer from home sickness. Trouble begins, however, when Mrs. Howell decides she wants to play the starring role. Mel Blanc is the voice of the parrot.

Episode 12: "Birds Gotta Fly, Fish Gotta Talk" - During Christmas, the Castaways get homesick and remember the first day they were shipwrecked. When Santa Claus "appears" on the island, many suspect he is the Skipper in costume. However, just as Santa departs while wishing the Castaways a Merry Christmas, the Skipper appears from the other direction.

Episode 13: "Three Million Dollars More or Less" - Mr. Howell loses $3 million to Gilligan in a golfing contest. Mr. Howell then tricks Gilligan into trading for a worthless oil well that he owns. When the radio announces that the oil well is a gusher, Mr. Howell sets his sites on winning it back. However, just as he succeeds in wining it back, the radio announces that the gusher was a mistake!

Episode 14: "Water Water Everywhere" - Talk about a painful irony: though surrounded by water, the Castaways suddenly discover that their supply of fresh drinking water is running out. When they pool all available drinking water together and decide to ration it, they discover that they will each receive only a few drops per day. Of course, most of the castaways sneak water from the community supply when Gilligan is standing watch, but return it when the Skipper catches them. Just when all seems lost, Gilligan saves the day!

Episode 15: "So Sorry, My Island Now" - The Castaways are captured by a Japanese sailor who thinks that WWII never ended. When the other castaways are captured, it is up to Gilligan to save them.

Episode 16: "Plant You Now, Dig You Later" - While working for Mr. Howell, Gilligan unearths a chest. The castaways think it must contain a pirate's treasure. When ownership of the chest is disputed, the case goes to court, with the Professor presiding as judge

Episode 17: "Little Island, Big Gun" - A mob leader and his henchmen, fleeing from the police, land on the island.

Episode 18: "X Marks the Spot" - In a test of a deadly new missile, called "Operation Powder Keg," the Air Force chooses an "uninhabited island" which just happens to be Gilligan's Island. When the rocked lands and does not explode, Gilligan is chosen to crawl inside to defuse it, because he is the only one that can fit inside.

Episode 19: "Gilligan Meets Jungle Boy" - Gilligan discovers a jungle boy living on the island. He shows them a hole in the ground that causes objects to float, and the professor theorizes that it is expelling either helium or hydrogen. He immediately sets to work building a large balloon, with the hopes of carrying one of them back to civilization. Kurt Russell is the guest star.

Episode 20: "St. Gilligan and the Dragon" - Angry because the men haven't kept their promise to build them private houses, the women decide to move to the other side of the island in protest. Gilligan and the Skipper dress as a monster, in an attempt to frighten the girls and cause them to come running back.

Episode 21: "Big Man on Little Stick" - Handsome surfer Duke Williams rides a giant tsunami to the island. At first, the castaways are excited as Duke thinks he will turn around and surf back to Hawaii (and send help). However, after seeing Mary Ann and Ginger, he decides he may want to stay for a while. The castaways must come up with a plan to make him want to leave for Hawaii.

Episode 22: "Diamonds Are an Ape's Best Friend"- A gorilla is enchanted by Mrs. Howell's perfume and kidnaps her. After Gilligan accidentally spills the perfume all over his shirt, the gorilla decides to release Mrs. Howell and exchange prisoners.

Episode 23: "How to be a Hero"- After Gilligan is unable to save Mary Ann from drowning in the lagoon, the Skipper must jump in and rescue both of them. The Castaways then devise schemes to boost Gilligan's ego, and help him feel like a hero.

Episode 24: "The Retune of Wrongway Feldman" - The castaways are revisited by 'Wrongway' Feldman.

Episode 25: "The Matchmaker" - Mrs. Howell decides to engineer a romance between Gilligan and Mary Ann.

Episode 26: "Music Hath Charm" - Mrs. Howell decides to form a symphony orchestra, to make up for the lack of culture on the island. Gilligan's drum beats, as they drift across the water, hold special meaning to angry natives on a nearby island.

Episode 27: "New Neighbor Sam" - The Castaways overhear the voices of gangsters discussing buried treasure and threatening their lives. The voices turn out to belong to a parrot, who then leads the castaways to the "treasure" .... a box of crackers!

Episode 28: "They're Off and Running" - Mr. Howell wins all of the Skipper's possessions betting on turtle races. Even when he feels bad and switches the turtles so that Skipper will finally win, he still wins!

Episode 29: "Three to Get Ready" - The Skipper insists a stone found by Gilligan will grant the finder three wishes before sundown. The professor, of course, insists it is just superstition. Two gallons of ice cream later, Gilligan has only one wish left.....and the sun is going down!

Episode 30: "Forget Me Not" -The Professor tries to cure the Skipper's amnesia by hypnotizing him and taking him through time.

Episode 31: "Diogenes, Won't You Please Go Home" - The Castaways discover that Gilligan has been keeping a secret diary. When they read it, they all seem to disagree with how certain events unfolded and tell their side of the story.

Episode 32: "Physical Fatness" - Gilligan and the Skipper plan to join the Navy when they are rescued. However, when weighing themselves, they discover that Gilligan must gain weight, while the Skipper must diet.

Episode 33: "It's Magic" - Gilligan finds a raft, oh wait, no, the Great Raftini's magic trunk. Ginger knows how to use the magical tricks and the castaways plan to use the magic to scare away angry natives if they ever got to their island again. But Gilligan overhears the castaways saying he was bad luck, so he takes advantage of the disappearing trunk trick to leave and live alone in a cave.

Episode 34: "Goodbye Old Paint" - A famous painter who has renounced civilization, Dubov, visits the island (with a short-wave radio, of course). The castaways are hopeful that Dubov will give them his transmitter, but soon discover he does not wish to go back to civilization. They must come up with a scheme to make him change his mind, and attempt to make him jealous by pretending Gilligan is an artistic genius.

Episode 35: "My Fair Gilligan" - After Gilligan saves Mrs. Howell's life, Mr. Howell decides to make him his son. He immediately puts Gilligan through basic training to be a millionaire's socialite son (dream sequence), changing the way he walks, talks and dresses. However, Gilligan and the rest of the castaways miss the "old Gilligan."

Episode 36: "A Nose By Any Other Name" - A fall from a coconut tree gives Gilligan an inflated nose and a deflated ego. When Gilligan decides he wants the Professor to perform plastic surgery on his nose, the Professor pretends to perform the surgery, and instead, relies on the recuperation time behind the bandages to allow the swelling to go down. When the bandages are finally removed, Gilligan decides he is happy with his old nose! NOTE: This is the final episode filmed in black and white.