First, let me say kudos to Ben Franklin and his public library system. And thanks to our socialist Mid Continent Public Library System here in the KC area, I gave up Dish Network a year ago and haven't looked back. I can log onto my account, browse for DVD and VHS movies and tv shows (in addition to all their wonderful books) and have them delivered to my local branch where I can check them out FOR FREE and keep them for 30 days, even longer if no one else has a hold on it. This is how we watched the entire run of Lost and the last four Harry Potter movies (I'm #11 on the waiting list for the final installment when it's released).
That said, this week we're enjoying the first season of Gilligan's Island. I used to watch this after school every day, giggling over milk and cookies, never realizing the social significance of these very different people having to work together to survive. Last night we watched an episode where a blight had affected the crops and until the Professor could cure it, the castaways were rationing food. They were all hungry and naturally Mr Howell thought he was special and deserved somebody's olive, willing to pay up to $1000 for it. Ultimately, nobody sold their olive and the Howells made due with their fair share (all is forgiven Jim Backus and Natalie Schafer, you were both so adorable!).
I then remembered having seen a special about GI some years ago, produced by Dawn Wells, where the show's creator, Sherman Schwartz, was interviewed - a real sweetheart of a guy. He dreamed up the show's plot to demonstrate how people need to adapt and cooperate to survive. I couldn't help but wonder how the Mr. Howells of the world would survive on Gilligan's Island if there were no little people to carry their golf clubs, cook their meals and pedal them around in a funky, bamboo car. Yea, I'd watch that.