The Harlem Globetrotters, a traveling troupe of merry basketball players, are on a plane ride over the Pacific Ocean when it suffers engine trouble and is forced to make an emergency landing onto Gilligan's Island.

Mr. Howell forces Pierson to agree to tear up the fraudulent contracts if the Globetrotters play his team, the New Invincibles, which has robot players.

NBC executives brought the idea to have the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders appear in a Gilligan's Island special to original series creator Sherwood Schwartz.

[1] At the time of filming Jim Backus was unable to reprise his role due to ill health from Parkinson's disease.

Sherwood Schwartz refused to recast Thurston Howell III with another actor, feeling it would hurt Backus too much.

Sherwood Schwartz and Dawn Wells both recalled how emotional it was on set that day as Backus filmed his short scene.

He was weakened and very shaky as he said his lines, but he still dominated his character as before; after he finished his scene, he asked Wells, "Was I funny?".

As Backus left the set with his longtime wife Henny and his caretaker, there was an emotional round of applause for him, from the cast and crew, many of whom were in tears.

This was the final performance together of Martin Landau and Barbara Bain, the husband-and-wife team best known for their starring roles in Mission: Impossible and Space: 1999.

It received a 26 share in the ratings, which was not an improvement on the previous TV movie The Castaways on Gilligan's Island.