A Gilligan's Island fantasy plays into the season finale, which finds Dan torn between pleasing Roseanne and building a boat for a future adventure. Dan becomes the Skipper, Leon becomes Mr Howell, Bev becomes Mrs Howell, Jackie becomes Gilligan, Darlene becomes Maryanne, and Roseanne becomes Ginger.
The show portrayed a working-class family struggling to get by on a limited income in the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois. Many critics considered the show notable as one of the first sitcoms to portray an American family in which economics necessitated two parents working jobs outside the home.