The cruise classic! Back in 1977, the Love Boat first set sail - and lasted for over 9 years. The crew was friendly and fun - and those guest stars!
The main characters in the series were played by Gavin MacLeod ("Captain Stubing"), Fred Grandy ("Gopher"), Bernie Kopell ("Doc"), Ted Lange ("Isaac"), and Jill Whelan ("Vicki"). None were big-name actors, but they were truly a great group. You really got the sense that these people had worked together through numerous disasters and had the patience to get through them. Of course the stories always worked out well, but that's TV for you :)
The Love Boat didn't just spring out of the ether. There was a real book written by Jeraldine Saunders. Jeraldine had been a cruise director for 10 years, and knew all of the secrets of shipboard life. Of course, many things had to be tamed for TV showing! One legend says that all scripts that involved non-married sex had to at least have the characters pledge their love before they hopped into bed.
When the original Love Boat ended, there was an attempt at revival. This was The Love Boat: The Next Wave. In the lead was one of my favorite actors (because of Spenser for Hire) - Robert Urich. Unfortunately, that one didn't last very long.
While a lot of the Love Boat was filmed on Hollywood sets, there were of course parts that had to be filmed on a boat :) The boats used were the Pacific Princess and the Island Princess, both with Princess Cruise Lines, as they went back and forth to either the Virgin Islands or Alaska. As you might imagine, those cruises were booked far in advance, as everybody wanted to be an extra on the show and meet the actors!
Buy The The Love Boat Series on DVD at Amazon.com
