Dr. Boris Balinkoff

Bio
Dr. Boris Balinkoff is a eccentric crazy scientist who lives in a castle on an island somewhere near the Castaways. His only companions are his manservant, Igor, and his pet parrot, Timothy. He has twice has tried to involve the castaways in his crazy schemes and experiments. The first time he appears, he reveals that he has discovered a way to put the mind of one animal into the body of another one with an invention, and that he is now ready to try it on human subjects, switching the minds of the Castaways, Mr. Howell with Gilligan, Mrs. Howell with the Skipper, Mary Ann with the Professor and possibly Ginger with his assistant Igor, although he seems unaware of this last transference. In the end, everyone gets their own personality back, except for Balinkoff who exchanges minds with a cat, and Igor exchanges minds with a dog. The second time, the Doctor hypnotizes the castaways into becoming robots using mind control rings so he can rob Fort Knox until the Castaways drive him away with coconuts and smash his remote control by chance. This time, Igor reappears replaced by a pet monkey!



Trivia

 * Dr. Balinkoff was played by actor Vito Scotti, who also guest starred as a Japanese Sailor, who lands on the Island and doesn't realize that World War II is over in So Sorry, My Island Now. He reprised the role in fantasy segments in Diogenes, Won't You Please Go Home?. He makes the most appearances in the series over Hans Coreid (2), Eddie Little Sky (3), Russ Grieve (3), Denny Scott Miller (2) and George A. Neise (2).
 * In the first episode, the castaways are shown escaping in Dr. Balinkoff's boat back to the Island, where it promptly sinks and strands them again!
 * Goofs - Balinkoff is puzzled to find out Igor changed places with Ginger, yet he was the only one who could have operated the machine, while his two subjects are imprisoned in the machine! Likewise, how can Balinkoff (cat), Igor (dog), cat (Balinkoff), and dog (Igor) escape from the machine, when the lock is on the outside?
 * In Ring Around Gilligan, Balingkoff also mentions a gamma laser invention which can supposedly immobilize weapons.
 * The second time when Balinkoff tries to turn the castaways into human robots and is speeding away, Gilligan tries to catch him in the Bamboo Island Taxi and promptly drives it into the lagoon!

Episode(s)

 * The Friendly Physician
 * Ring Around Gilligan