User:Kevillips/sherwood

Sherwood Schwartz

Evil Genius and overlord of Island inhabitants, Suburban wastelands and more

A Twentieth Century Bard

Schwartz created some of the most enduring televised literature of the twentieth century and beyond. His stories have been on television 24 hours a day since they were first aired. Since the advent of Cable and Satellite Television they have been airing 25 hours a day.

Bunches of Brady

His chief talent has been to capture the reality of the everyman's situation. What world citizen has not been thrust into a blended family with three children of their own? With that marriage, so creating a bunch.

It is not unusual for Dr Schwartz to reinvent his stories to suit the televsion sensibilities of the times. After the idealistic period of the late, early to mid seventies, during the hey days of the variety show, the Brady Bunch Hour was developed. That homage to swimming pools was sponsored by the people behind the above ground pools. It is no coincidence the pool fad took place after the release of the movie Jaws.

Like all true genius, Schwartz often works under a variety of pen names. He produced this under the guise of Sid & Marty Kroft. This is a well known pseudonym of displaced citizens of Puppetomia and were unable to get work due to the black list. Schwartz lent his considerable talent to pave the way for "them" to be able to get more work.

As time passed, the Brady characters grew up and got married. When one hour dramas were the rage in the early mid to late eighties, the enduring drama, The Bradys premiered. This piece of work proved the depth of the characterization of the Brady Canon. Movies, TV Movies, Books, novels based on TV Movies, novels based on books, cartoons, cartoons based on comic books, bubble gum trading cards, lunch boxes, soft core porn were all part of the prodigious Brady related output.

Famed Nobel Prize winner, Lucifer Pyle, was quoted to say "If I knew as much about Shakespeare as my students do about the Brady's I should be so lucky".

Isle d' Gilligan

Another popular franchise of Schwartz is the Complete Gilligan Saga. Started under the guise of a three hour cruise, the thematic use of three was carried out to many extremes. The show ran for three seasons on one of the three networks. Three television movie sequels were aired. Three reunion shows were created, and three seasons of the "real life reality version" of the show on cable. Three Women, Three Men, One Gilligan: themselves representing the three genders.

Mortal Sins

The seven characters of Gilligan's Island are said to represent the seven deadly sins.

• Pride - The Professor Roy Hinkley
• Gluttony - Mr. Thurston Howell III
• Covetousness - Mrs. Lovey Howell
• Lust - Ginger Grant (nee Tina Louise's stage name}
• Envy - MaryAnn Summers
• Anger- The Skipper, Jonas Grumby
• Sloth - Gilligan (His last name, no official first name, but reportedly should have been Willy)

It was through these 7 virtues that Schwartz was able to weave so many plots. The various visitors to the island represented various studio salarymen that needed some screen time and were often inconsequential to the true plot. It should be noted the true plot of every Gilligan's Island episode was remade in every episode of Threes Company. Again following the theme of the sacred trinity.

..And the Rest!

Bibligraphy

• The Brady Bunch Takes the Love Boat to Gilligan's Fantasy Island (in the works)
• The Brady Bunch in the White House (2002)
• "Pop-Up Brady" (2001)
• A Very Brady Sequel (1996)
• The Brady Bunch Movie (1995)
• "The Bradys" (1990) TV Series
• A Very Brady Christmas (1988)
• The Invisible Woman (1983)
• Gilligan's Planet (1982)
• Scamps (1982)
• Harper Valley P.T.A. Gets Married to Joan (1982)
• The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island (1981)
• The Brady Girls Get Married (1981)
• "Harper Valley P.T.A." (1981)
• The Castaways on Gilligan's Island (1979)
• Rescue from Gilligan's Island (1978)
• The Brady Bunch Variety Hour (1977)
• The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West (1975)
• "Dusty's Trail" (1973)
• The Brady Kids in Outer Space (1973)
• The Brady Kids (1971)
• "The Brady Bunch" (1969)
• "It's About Time" (1966)
• "Gilligan's Island" (1964)
• Mr. and Mrs. (1964) ... aka The Lucille Ball Comedy Hour
• Gilligan's Island: Marooned (1964)
• Al Jolson Marries Joan (1956)
• Cab Calloway Marries Joan (1954)
• "I Married Joan" (1952)
• "The Red Skelton Show" (1951)