Gilligan’s Island fue una comedia de situación que se emitió por primera vez en Estados Unidos durante los años sesenta.

With multiple reruns throughout the subsequent decades, the series has become a well-loved show for a few generations of viewers and something of a pop culture icon.

But not only in the US: la serie se emitió también en México y varios otros países del mundo hispanohablante, incluyendo España, donde TVE emitió algunos episodios en 1966, aunque con poca repercusión.

Como es habitual, el programa fue doblado al español, con el nombre de La isla de Gilligan. El doblaje incluía la famosa canción de los créditos iniciales. The ballad of Gilligan’s Isle (not Island) se convertía así en La balada de la isla de Gilligan.

The new Spanish lyric was both remarkably loyal to the original and effective as a piece of musical story-telling in its own right. It was crucial that this should be so; after all, one of the charms of the series was that theme song itself, and the way in which it gave viewers the entire premise of the show (including the famous, climactic rollcall of all seven characters at the end) before the start of each new episode.

The song gives us the chance to encounter, amongst other treasures, a good few Spanish terms related to ship trips and shipwreck... ¡Aquí, en la isla de Gilligan!

Episode art: In my dreams (detail) by Alison Stirling / @stirling.alison

*****

Sign up ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for the show's free Newsletter.

You can give us some love with a one-off donation at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Me a Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Your support is much appreciated and will help me keep creating new episodes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Check out also my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for comments, news and to see some of my artwork. (Yes, I do that too). If you would like to take Spanish lessons with me, send me a Direct Message there.

Finally, follow and rate us on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.