CREDIT: UNIVERSAL TELEVISION
Watch the Harlem Globetrotters join the cast of Gilligan’s Island on an island that’s sure to a laugh and perhaps turn into a three-hour tour.

The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island (1981)

Basketball fever is sweeping over North America. The ongoing NCAA basketball tournament has everyone talking. It is after all the time of year when everyone all of a sudden becomes an expert on the rebounding skills of University of Toldeo Old English Sheepdogs and the three-point shooting abilities of the Topeka St. University Fighting Seahorses.

The roundball madness is particularly fervent in London these days, as the London Lightning chases its third straight National Basketball League of Canada title.

But the b-ball teams of the NCAA, NBL Canada, hell even those squads of the crown jewel of basketball leagues, the WNBA all get upstaged when one team comes into their market. I am of course referring to the Harlem Globetrotters, a team with over 22,000 wins, and only 345 losses. The Globetrotters will be making a trip to London April 17 for an exhibition game at Budweiser Gardens. For their sake, I hope that this trip runs smoother than one they took back in 1981, when they ended up on Gilligan's Island.

Gilligan's Island was a sitcom that ran for three seasons in the 1960's. The show detailed the wacky adventures of a group of seven castaways who were shipwrecked during what was supposed to be a three-hour tour. Bob Denver portrayed Gilligan, who can be described as a goofball, doofus, or goofus. Joining Gilligan was the Skipper, who was the captain of the vessel, millionaire Thurston Howell III and Roy Hinkley, a.k.a. The Professor. Actress Ginger, farm girl Mary Ann and the millionaire's wife, Eunice Lovelle Wentworth Howell rounded out the cast of characters.

Fourteen years after the show went off the air, most of the original crew returned for the made-for- TV movie, The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island. The film premiered on May 5, 1981, which happened to be my third birthday. I apologize to my family if the birthday festivities interfered with their ability to enjoy the broadcast. Hopefully they just plopped me in front of the TV and put a cake beside me.

This time around, Gilligan and friends are not castaways. An earlier TV movie established that they got off the island, but had difficulties adjusting to the world outside. So it was kind of like The Shawshank Redemption, but with less sodomy. So they all moved back, and opened up a resort, known as The Castways.

The regular crew is joined by the aforementioned Harlem Globetrotters, whose plane goes down while they were in the midst of trotting around the globe. The Castways staff have a great time hanging out with the talented and hilarious athletes. Then things turn serious… well, as serious as a movie containing a laugh track will allow when Gilligan and friends get duped out of their island.

J.J. Peirson (portrayed by Academy Award winner Martin Landau) believes that the island is host to a wealth of valuable energy resources, and manages to trick most of the staff into signing away their ownership. Now at this juncture the film could have gone in two different directions. It could have turned into a courtroom drama, with lawyers arguing the validity of the land transaction. Or, it could have led to a winner takes all basketball game between the Harlem Globetrotters and a team of robots. Thankfully the latter occurred.

The Globetrotters versus robots game contains some of the most thrilling moments ever captured in a sports film. If the Harlem Globetrotters game on April 17 at Budweiser Gardens is half as good, then I dare say everyone in attendance will be witness to the greatest moment in London, Ontario's history.

Before the big game, I suggest you sit right back, and enjoy the tale of a Harlem Globetrotter's fateful trip. It has a running time of 90 minutes, but you'll likely want to watch it twice, making it a three-hour tour.