What is “The Love Boat”?
A: The Love Boat is an American romantic comedy/drama television series.
When did it air?
A: It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986.
How many three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and
1990?
A: Four.
The series was set on what?
A: The luxury passenger
cruise ship MS Pacific Princess.
The show revolved around the what?
A: The ship's captain Merrill Stubing and a handful of his crew, with
passengers played by guest actors for each episode, having romantic and
humorous adventures.
What actor played the part of Captain Stubing?
A: Gavin MacLeod.
What were the ship's regular ports of call?
A: Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco and Mazatlán.
The series was part of ABC's popular Saturday-night
lineup of the time, which also included what?
A: Fantasy Island until 1984.
The original 1976 made-for-TV movie on which the show
was based (also titled The Love Boat) was itself based on what?
A: The nonfiction book The Love Boats by Jeraldine Saunders, a real-life
cruise director for a passenger cruise-ship line.
Saunders was also partly inspired by what?
A: The German cruise ship MV Aurora.
The TV movie was followed by what?
A: Two more (titled The Love Boat II and The New Love Boat).
All of TV movies aired before what?
A: Before the series began in September 1977.
Who was the executive producer for the series?
A: Aaron Spelling, who produced several television series for Four Star
Television and ABC from the 1960s into the 1990s.
Another made-for-TV movie, titled The Love Boat: A
Valentine Voyage, starring four of the original cast members, aired when?
A: In February 1990.
Bernie Kopell played what part?
A: Ship's Doctor, Adam "Doc" Bricker
Kopell played a different character, Dr. O'Neill, in
what?
A: The second pilot film, Love Boat II.
Fred Grandy played what part?
A: Yeoman Purser, Burl "Gopher" Smith (seasons 1–6).
Ted Lange played the part of what character?
A: Bartender, Isaac Washington (seasons 1–9, four specials).
Lauren Tewes played the part of whom?
A: Cruise Director, Julie McCoy (seasons 1–7, four specials, plus a guest
appearance in season 9)
MacLeod, Kopell and Lange are the only cast members to
what?
A: Appear in every episode of the TV series as well as the last three
made-for-TV movies.
Grandy appeared in every episode throughout the run of
the series but what?
A: Did not appear in the last of the TV movies, as he was campaigning for
the first of his four consecutive terms in the U.S. House of
Representatives.
Among the series' attractions was the casting of
well-known actors in guest-starring roles, with many famous film stars of
prior decades making what?
A: Rare television appearances.
The series was followed on Saturday nights on ABC by
what?
A: Fantasy Island, which was also produced by Aaron Spelling and had a
similar format.
In all, how many past and future Academy Award winners
guested on The Love Boat?
A: 32, including the Best Actress from the first Oscar ceremony in 1929,
Janet Gaynor.