The Gilligan's Island Radio
Dec 03, 2024 05:48 PM Filed in:
Histoy | Did You Know?
Has there ever been a more famous radio in TV Land than the white radio on Gilligan's Island? I mean there were a few radio stations that were well known, like WKRP from WKRP in Cincinnati and WENN from Remember WENN. There were characters on the radio, like Frasier, Johnny Fever, or Alan Partridge. There were even famous radio shows that were turned into TV shows, like Gunsmoke, Dragnet, and The Lone Ranger. But few radios themselves have become stars.
The closest I can dig up are these contenders:
- The 1939 Zenith 12S232 from The Waltons. The family would gather around the tombstone-style radio and "watch" it while listening to important news.
- The police radio in Adam-12. Though that changed over the series run, it wasn't commercial radio.
- The 1957 General Electric 862 "Atomic Dial Beam" tube radio in the kitchen on Leave it to Beaver. Other radios played a role in the TV family's lives.
- Dan Mathews' car radio in Highway Patrol. A police radio again, not commercial. The show, and radio, inspired the annual "10-4" parade in Los Angeles - always on 10/4.
- The "Bat Radio" from the 1966 Batman series. Not a commercial radio receiver, but man was it cool.
- The police radios mounted on the motorcycles in CHiPs. Multiple radios, non-commercial.
- The Realistic TRC 219 walkie-talkies used in Stranger Things. CB radios, not commercial radios.
- The communicators in Star Trek. Handheld electric razors turned props in the original series, com-badges in The Next Generation. Again, two-way communicators. I bet they could pick up some still traveling transmissions of old radio shows from 1030s Earthlings if they traveled out far enough.
- The exploding radio in Monty Python. "And now, Radio Four will explode." (radio explodes). I hardly knew ye.
I don't think any of these hold a candle to the Gilligan radio. After all, the radio itself was a character, much like the Starship Enterprise on Star Trek, the TARDIS in Dr. Who, or the red phone in 24. When it talked, people listened.
And speaking of talk, let's talk about the radio itself. It was a Packard Bell AR-851 8-transistor radio, first released in 1964. There was also an Aiwa AR851 that was very similar. The Packard Bell version was likely made by Aiwa and rebadged for them. The radio operated on four D-cell batteries that fit into two battery tubes in the back. The radio received the AM band only, and only had controls for volume and tuning.
The first actual white radio used (there may have been more than one used during the series) belonged to the show creator Sherwood Schwartz. He liked to listen to Dodgers games on it in his office. Which character owned it is debated. Early on, it was implied that the Skipper owned it. In a later episode, Mr. Howell declared that he had provided it. Isn't it amazing how much stuff everyone brought for a three hour cruise (🎵 A three hour cruise 🎵. LIGHTNING BOLT!!!)?
There was another radio before the Packard Bell however. In publicity pictures taken before filming began, the cast is pictured with a Magnavox Celestial model FM-97. This is further proof that the radio was thought of as an additional character (🎵 and the rest 🎵). That radio had four bands, two telescoping antennas, and stood upright with a big black grill. (Hands down this would be the radio I would have brought on a three hour cruise on a dodgy boat with a questionable crew. And by the way, I would have turned it on before we left dock to check if any hurricanes were coming.) But the producers preferred the white radio because it would stand out better. Remember, this was black-and-white television in the mid-1960s – picture detail was almost nonexistent. There was a Hallicrafters S-40A radio in one episode disguised as a transceiver. It was repainted black by the props department.
Speaking of the prop department, they altered the Packard Bell radio a bit. They stuck a handle on top (which I think we had on our kitchen cabinets) and installed a telescoping antenna. The handle was a nice touch. I couldn't find if a leather carrying case with handle was ever optional, but this unit was designed as a movable tabletop radio. The antenna is visually nice, but completely unneeded. AM radios usually come with a loop antenna installed inside the cabinet. For better reception, a larger external AM antenna would have a loop design resembling a hoop or diamond. A vertical telescoping antenna found on the white radio prop is best for FM reception. And remember, our little white radio doesn't have an FM band.
Let's talk about reception. AM radio signals, which often bounce off the atmosphere, usually travel many times farther than FM, but at the cost of fidelity and noise. On water FM radio waves, which travel in straight lines, is quite good – until the curvature of the earth and the laws of physics get in the way.
And speaking of great distances, how far away from Hawai'i is Gilligan's Island? In one episode, a pilot calculated 250 miles away. Over at SlashFilm, they've posited 876 miles at the most, considering the model of boat, departure harbor, rate of travel, blown by typical hurricane force winds, time adrift, and ocean currents. That's the distance from Lexington to Miami, or in nautical terms from Miami to Puerto Rico. On a clear day, it's possible Gilligan could have heard one of sixteen AM radio stations from the main land, although I doubt they would have been really clear at that distance. On a summer night however, I believe they would be able to pick up not only multiple Hawai'i stations, but some from southern California, Mexico, Cook Islands, and perhaps New Zealand and Australia.
The big elephant in the room is how can a radio run three years (and counting) on one set of batteries? In one episode, the Professor figured out how to recharge them using coconut shells and seawater. This, by the way, is a real thing. In fact, in a 2022 breakthrough, researchers at Cambridge University built a supercapacitor using coconut shells and seawater that absorbs CO2 as it charges. +1 for the Professor – now fix the damn boat.
How about a radio that doesn't need batteries? Not a crystal radio, but a Gilligan radio. After a blow to the head, Gilligan's tooth fillings become a radio. There's no telling what will come out of little buddy's mouth.
Speaking of mouth, the radio announcer for the first season (uncredited) was Charles Maxwell. A prolific charactor actor, Maxwell may be best known to Star Trek fans as Virgil Earp in the episode "Spectre of the Gun." This native Long Islander had a "cowboy" face, and was thus cast in many westerns of the time.
Want one of these radios for yourself? Well be ready to pay up, modified original radios in mint shape go for nearly $2,000. Unmodified ones are still several hundred dollars, no matter what condition they're in. Some enterprising sellers are marketing replicas, and others are using 3D printers to make their own replicas (hollow of course, they have to supply their own broadcasts).
Maybe you could spring for a Funko Pop vinyl figure. One "action figure" from the Gilligan's Island set is Professor holding the radio. Curious as to what the castaways listened to? One person with way too much time on their hands has compiled every radio broadcast. That's two and a half hours worth! Or get a laugh (and maybe a fright from the too weird clown on screen) of an excellent mashup of the Gilligan's Island theme and Led Zepelin's "Stairway to Heaven."
Catchy lyrics, huh? I'd only alter one phrase:
No phone, no lights no motor cars,
Not a single luxury, (except for a radio...and money...and lots of clothes and jewelry)
Like Robinson Crusoe,
As primitive as can be
Tags: Radio, TV, Television
