 Backus reprised his role in the three spin-off movies of the original series, although in the last one ("The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan's Island") Backus's declining health only allowed him to make a three-minute appearance.Although the Howells never had any children in the original series, their son Thurston Howell IV (portrayed by David Ruprecht) is introduced in the last movie.The younger Howell's mannerisms are similar to those of his father.