When he returned for his second season in September 1965, "Gilligan's Island" was broadcast in color for the first time. The show simply straddled the line between CBS' transition from black-and-white to color broadcast, and thus its first season is forever immortalized in monochrome, although attempts were made to colorize it in syndication. But color wasn't the only new addition to the show in its second season. The iconic "Gilligan's Island" theme, originally sung by band The Wellingtons, has been switched out for a brand new title track.

The Ballad of Gilligan's Island was written by executive producer and show creator Sherwood Schwartz and songwriter George Weil, and recorded by the Wellingtons (who actually played the band The Mosquitoes in a later episode of Gilligan's Island) in a mad rush at director Mel Shavelson's home studio. But for season 2, the song was supposed to include the names of "The Professor" and "Mary Ann", who were previously referred to as "the rest" in the original season 1 theme. This time, a band called the Eligibles took on the task and a new version of the classic sea shack was produced for the color debut of Gilligan's Island.

This is the version most fans are familiar with, its lyrics not only neatly summing up the entire premise of the show, but introducing each member of the ensemble to a marvel of catchy yet utilitarian songwriting. Since then, the Gilligan's Island theme has been a beloved piece of TV history that instantly evokes fond memories of the early 60s sitcom. Unless you happen to be a neighbor of billionaire Bill Gross. What does this one percent and its neighborhood feuds have to do with The Ballad of Gilligan's Island? Allow me to recount what remains an unseemly stain on the history of one of television's greatest sitcoms and its legendary theme song.

Gilligan's Island Theme Lyrics. are surely ingrained in the memory of an entire generation, inexorably linked to warm memories of gathering around the television to witness the hijinks of Bob Denver's Gilligan and the stuck-up crew of SS Minnow - so called about Federal Communications Commission Chairman Newton Minnow, who drew the ire of show creator Sherwood Schwartz by asking networks to take more creative control over their programming.

But for a tech entrepreneur and his wife, "The Ballad of Gilligan's Island" will forever leave us with traumatic memories of overcoming the hissing attacks of an entitled billionaire neighbor. That neighbor is Bill Gross. Described by CNN as a "billionaire, bond investor, philanthropist and avid stamp collector," Gross was the founder of Pacific Investments Management Co. (PIMCO), one of the largest mutual funds in the world. After retiring in 2019, Gross was seemingly free to enjoy his oceanfront Laguna Beach estate on an exclusive stretch of private coastline. However, how CNN According to reports, things changed after Gross and his partner, Amy Schwartz, decided to erect an art installation in their backyard.

Initially, the 22-foot-long sculpture, created by blown-glass artist Dale Chihuly, didn't cause any problems for Gross's neighbor, Mark Tofik, CEO of data center development company Nextfort Ventures. However, after Gross installed protective netting over the structure, Tofik and his wife, Carol Nakahara, complained that their view of the ocean was obstructed, eventually contacting the city of Laguna Beach to investigate. The city deemed the netting and lights that illuminated the sculpture to be in violation of city code and ordered Gross to obtain the necessary permits to keep the sculpture.

You might think that would be the end of it, but it was just the beginning, as Gross seemingly had plans to use the power of Sherwood Schwartz's immortal theme in his ongoing fight against Tofiq and his wife.

Recording the Gilligan's Island theme song was just like the show itselfwith Sherwood Schwartz and the Wellingtons having only an hour to tape the sea shack before they are kicked out of Mel Shavelson's home studio. When the second season version was created, things were much less rushed. But that updated iteration of "The Ballad of Gilligan's Island" would be at the center of some hilarious antics of its own when Bill Gross used it as part of his miserable little war against Mark Tofik.

According to ForbesGross is worth $1.7 billion, but being unreasonably rich doesn't seem to do much to improve pettiness. After Gross was told to take down the network covering his art installation and obtain the proper permits, according to Tofiq and his wife, the billionaire began retaliating by playing "loud music and bizarre audio recordings at excessive levels" at various times. of day and night. The lawsuit, filed by Tofik and Carol Nakahara, alleges that Gross would blast the "Gilligan's Island" theme song as part of their sonic offensive. How on The Wall Street Journalthe complaint also states that Gross and Amy Schwartz "began dancing on their balcony facing our property and making gestures to taunt us."

Tofik's lawsuit actually came on the heels of Gross & Schwartz's complaint, filed on October 13, 2020, which alleged Tofik "sneered" at Gross and Schwartz and sought an injunction against the Nextfort Ventures CEO. Tofiq and Nakahara then filed a countersuit on October 14, 2020, alleging that Gross and Schwartz had launched a "targeted campaign of harassment and abuse" that apparently had Gilligan and the gang as their battleground.

By the time Bill Gross and Mark Tofik sued each other, they apparently tried to settle the issue man-to-man, with Tofik asking his neighbor to turn down the music only to receive the following message: "Peace on all fronts or well (like) just have nightly concerts big boy." According to The Wall Street JournalGross' choice of the TV theme song to wage psychological warfare was influenced by Tofik's memories of Gilligan's Island, with the tech entrepreneur recalling, “We had a black-and-white TV. I remember that once a week, everyone line up to watch.

However, Tofiq mostly came out on top. As it is Los Angeles Times published in 2022, Gross issued a purported victory statement, claiming he was "delighted" by Laguna Beach's endorsement of his artwork, though the piece itself was never the issue—it was the web that clouded Taufik's view. Gross also couldn't help but lash out at his neighbors in a statement, writing, "The approval from the Laguna Beach Design Review Board and the City of Laguna Beach exposes (Tofic and Carol Nakahara's) true intent in this rather ridiculous situation . " The statement is as bizarre as the rest of this debacle, given that Tofiq and Nakahara actually came out on top. Not only was Gross forced to remove the mesh that caused the problem in the first place, but he withdrew his plans for a permanent cover of glass and steel.The billionaire was ordered not to illuminate the sculpture after 10 p.m

Moreover, an Orange County Superior Court judge found that Gross and his wife, according to the LA Times, were disturbing their neighbors with their offensive music and ordered the couple to abide by Laguna Beach's noise laws. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Gross and his wife did not comply with these provisions and were found in contempt of court, earning community service in the process.

Why did Gross choose the subject of "Gilligan's Island"? It remains unclear, but Sherwood Schwartz certainly didn't imagine his sea shack was at the heart of this embarrassing little affair when he wrote it. Fortunately, no matter how many billionaires try to use the theme for nefarious purposes, "Gilligan's Island" remains one of the best sitcoms of all time.