TBS revealed the first of several twists for its upcoming The Real Gilligan's Island series today -- that despite this week's earlier announcement that former model and actress Rachel Hunter would play the show's Ginger role, not one but two sets of castaways who personify the original Gilligan's Island characters will initially be "stranded" on the island.
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"It's Ginger versus Ginger, Mary Ann versus Mary Ann, Professor versus Professor and so on until we have our final seven," executive producer Mike Fleiss told The Associated Press. "Then the game changes."
Many of the challenges that the contestants will face are modeled after some of the situations that occurred in the original series, such as building a seaworthy raft or knocking coconuts out of trees to get the milk. Other challenges will include the millionaire couple eating a gourmet meal of mysterious island items and the first mate proving he has “sea legs.” And as with any reality series, TBS promises that there will be a number of additional surprises thrown at both the contestants and viewers.
As part of its revelation of the program's first twist, TBS also revealed the full identities and biographical information of the contestants appearing on the program. The contestants competing are:
The Gingers
• Rachel Hunter is an actress and model originally from New Zealand who has appeared in such movies as Best Actress, Rock Star, Sydney and MacArthur Park. An international cover model, she has posed for Sports Illustrated, Playboy and numerous other publications worldwide. Rachel has also starred in several music videos, including "Stacey’s Mom" by Fountains of Wayne.
• Nicole Eggert is an actress from Los Angeles. Acting since age 5, the blonde beauty is probably best known for her starring roles on Charles in Charge and later Baywatch. Nicole has also had recurring roles in such shows as Boy Meets World, Clueless, Who’s the Boss and T.J. Hooker. Her feature film credits include Rich and Famous and Omega Syndrome and she was featured on the cover of Sugar Ray’s Lemonade and Brownies album.
The Gilligans
• Chris O’Malley is 20 years old and works at a marina while attending the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Friends in his hometown of Boston have called him Gilligan for years because of his clumsy, easygoing and accident-prone nature. He once crashed a million-dollar boat into another million-dollar boat because he was distracted by a pretty girl.
• Mark Groesbeck, a.k.a. “Gooner,” is a 31-year-old from Weedsport, New York and is the ultimate goofball. Standing 6’7” tall, he sees the humor in everything and does not take life too seriously. He enjoys spending time training his dog and is very proud of finding a wife who actually puts up with him.
The Mary Anns
• Kate Koth is a 21-year-old farm girl from Manchester, Missouri. Her mom, Survivor: The Amazon's Janet Koth, taught her how to make coconut cream pies from scratch. She loves nature and being adventurous. She is in the “Have You Seen This Girl?” section of the December issue of Maxim magazine.
• Amanda Dodson is a 21-year-old farm girl from Elsmore, Kansas. She is a college student and enjoys herding cattle, fishing, attending rodeos and baking in her spare time. She is an animal lover and has a pet cow. She has won county fair awards for horseback riding, baking, modeling and ceramics.
The Professors
• Pat Abbott is a 64-year-old geology professor at San Diego State University. He has a Ph.D. in geology from the University of Texas. He also makes videos about earth science, frequently appears on newscasts as an expert on natural disasters and lectures on cruise ships. He enjoys athletics and traveling. As a historian of the earth and humanity, science is not only his career but also his continuous life passion.
• Eric Anderson is a 36-year-old sociology professor at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He has four degrees, has authored four books and is an avid reader, writer and researcher. He prides himself on being a logical thinker, broadly intellectual, a problem solver, well-versed in earth science, as well as very handsome. He can be seen in the December issue of The Advocate, due out Nov. 23.
The Millionaires and Their Wives
• Glenn and Mindy Stearns are 40 and 35 years old, respectively, and live in the Los Angeles area. Glenn owns 26 companies and is resourceful in spending and making money. Mindy is a television personality who previously co-hosted "DVD Weekend" on KTLA’s News at 10 and was a former correspondent for Entertainment Tonight. Their net worth is over $500 million.
• Bill and Donna Beaven are 47 and 45 years old, respectively, and hail from Kentucky. They own three companies in the fields of flooring supply distribution, real estate and recycling. They enjoy offshore powerboat racing and playing volleyball. Donna sees herself as an extravagant, competitive, loud and opinionated woman who enjoys bubble baths and jewelry. Their net worth is around $2 million.
The Skippers
• Bob Fahey is a 52-year-old Plum Island, Massachusetts, resident. He has been a skipper for 30 years and owns a small business. He is not terribly concerned with getting off the island, because he enjoys secluded tropical settings.
• Jim Murray is a 55-year-old Massachusetts native who has spent time as a captain and first mate. Formerly in the US Navy, he has a vast knowledge of the mechanics and construction of boats. He is a natural leader and owns a stonemason business.
The "Green Castaways" team consists of Nicole, Mark, Amanda, Eric, Bill, Donna, and Jim. Rachel, Chris, Kate, Pat, Glenn, Mindy, and Bob will form the "Gold Castaways" team.
The Real Gilligan's Island is produced for TBS by Telepictures Productions in association with Next Entertainment.
