President Gilligan

President Gilligan is the Sixth episode of the First season of "Gilligan's Island." it first aired October 31, 1964.

Synopsis
Skipper and Professor are digging a well. Gilligan is visiting with the Howells getting a tour of the Howell Hills estate. Skipper calls for Gilligan but Thurston discourages him from going. Skipper argues with Thurston over who's in charge of the island. Skipper thinks that because he is captain of the ship that he's in charge. While Thurston thinks that because he has the most money, he should be in charge, Ginger suggests a vote. It's Thurston vs. Skipper for President of the Island.

Professor tries to keep everything ethical. Thurston and Skipper are preparing their speeches and trying to convince voters. Thurston offers Mary Ann a job. He promises Ginger a big career in Hollywood. He even tries to promise Gilligan a job as secretary of the Navy.

It's time for the castaways to vote. The ladies vote first. When it's Gilligan's turn to vote both candidates try to get his vote. He enters the voting booth/shower but pulls the wrong cord. Instead of closing the curtain a bucket of water dumps on him. The Skipper drains out the ballot box while the Professor reads the votes. Lovey voted for Gilligan along with Mary Ann and of course Gilligan. Unbelieveably Gilligan is the new President of the island.

Skipper stops Gilligan from sweeping the hut claiming it's not a job for the president to do. He warns Gilligan about the "power seekers," people who only claim to be your friend for a high position in your administration. Skipper declares himself Vice President. Thurston wants to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and he is granted the job, after stating that "The goverment has convicted me six times on anti-trust suits, and I've been investigated every year for income-tax evasions." beacuse, as stated by Skipper "Any man who can stay out of jail with a record like that has to know something about the law!" Right after being granted the job, it is revealed a plot to over through Gilligan was started by Mister Howell quickly after the election.(Joke or not?) At his inaugural dinner Gilligan suggests digging a well but no one listens to him. Eventually everyone else leaves and he's not even done talking. In his office Gilligan is bored. Lovey is his secretary. Everyone else keeps going over his head while no work is getting done. He goes to visit Skipper. Skipper makes Gilligan move boxes. When Gilligan sees Thurston he gets a legal mumbo jumbo answer for why no work is getting done. Next he sees Ginger who's washing her hair.

Poor Gilligan is forced to dig the well himself while everyone else is fighting. Gilligan quits as president throwing the shovel into the ground. Water starts gushing. The water problem is solved.

Gilligan is holding a cabinet meeting with everyone in attendance. He suggests building a lookout tower but as usual no one wants to work to build it.

Credits
Main Cast
 * Bob Denver as Gilligan
 * Alan Hale Jr. as The Skipper
 * Jim Backus as Mr. Howell
 * Natalie Schafer as Mrs. Howell
 * Tina Louise as Ginger
 * Dawn Wells as Mary Ann
 * Russell Johnson as The Professor

Guest Cast
 * None

Trivia

 * When Gilligan is giving a speech during dinner, he is asked to pass a plate of food. If the plate is so hot, why did the Skipper and the Professor have no problem holding it for a considerable amount of time?
 * The election serves no purpose. According to United States law, the Skipper is the castaways' leader.
 * After Gilligan becomes President, no one seems very interested to expedite their rescue as much as they are more interested in dumping all the hard work on Gilligan.
 * The air date makes it apparent that this was intended as an Election Day episode. Lyndon Johnson won the election on November 3, 1964.
 * The fact that Gilligan was voted the President of the island is never mentioned again. Nor is it explained how everybody suddenly decided that the Skipper would continue to be in charge, even though it is brought up throughout the series that he shouldn't really be since they are all on dry land now.
 * Mr. Howell says when he's president, Gilligan will be Secretary of the Navy, but in a later episode "Forward March" he gives the job to the Skipper ( In reality, the position doesn't mean anything since as the Skipper pointed out "they don't even have a boat")
 * Ironic note to last bit of trivia; when Gilligan dreams of becoming a South American President in The Little Dictator, the Skipper becomes Secretary of the Navy, Mr Howell is Secretary of the treasury and the Professor is evidently Secretary of the Science?
 * In the Physical Fatness episode, the Castaways do build a Lookout tower