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| Available at Amazon.com |
The Love Boat has been an emotional rollercoaster for me over the years. As a kid, the series was a dream boat filled with stars finding romance on an hour long cruise. As a college student, it was an annoying ship of the damned filled with washed up stars bound for infomercials. In my current state, The Love Boat is a nostalgic journey filled with beloved character actors. For fans of ‘70s TV, The Love Boat: Season One, Volume Two rekindles the crazy passion for mindless tales from the sea.
At this halfway mark on the virgin voyage season, the Pacific Princess locked onto the course it would steer for nine seasons. The five crew members became more than background characters. They instigated, investigated and evaluated the numerous romantic hook ups. The trio of Gopher (Fred Grandy), Doc (Bernie Kopell) and Isaac (Ted Lange) prowled the passenger manifesto for unsuspecting females. Cruise Director Julie McCoy (Lauren Tewes) kept them from running around the Lido deck in their boxers. Captain Stubing (Gavin McLeod) appeared serious, but came off as a dork. The production settled down. In the early episodes, they dragged the cast onto a real cruise ship for various scenes. This came off as awkward when they shot the real ship’s swimming pool and switched to the soundstage pool later in the show. The normal hour long episodes remained landlocked at the studio to reduce the confusion and tighten up the budget.
What makes The Love Boat so much fun is the familiar faces boarding the ship. It’s an all star game of actors. “Family Reunion/Too Hot to Handle/Cinderella Story” is historic since it features the final TV performance of Bob Crane (Col. Hogan). He’s a slacker working on the boat. He’s hiding a dark secret from the crew and a certain passenger. There’s also the thrill of seeing Mr. B from Hazel (Dom DeFore) mixing it up with Bewitched‘s Larry Tate (David White). You’ll be astonished to see a young Kathy Bates (Misery).
“Hollywood Royalty/The Caper/The Eyes of Love/Masquerade” was a two hour special episode that allowed them to shoot footage on the real Pacific Princess. While the show is far from Titanic, the plot does revolve around a necklace with a giant jewel. Larry Storch (F Troop) and Karen Valentine (Room 222) are part of a crime ring want to heist the rock. Dan Rowan gets a treat when both his wife (Juliet Mills) and mistress (Maude‘s Adrienne Barbeau) roam the promenade. He’s a man who wouldn’t mind an iceberg busting up his stress.
Scatman Crothers was at the top of his game when he appeared in “Isaac’s History Lesson.” He had voiced Hong Kong Phooey and would soon star in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. When this episode aired, Scatman became a cultural sensation by re-introducing the world to Hambone. It swept a nation gripped by disco fever. Kids at bus stops would attempt to hambone. Why isn’t Scatman on a postage stamp?
Fans of the Beach Party movies will be delighted and confused as Frankie and Annette book passage on separate cruises. Frankie Avalon is “Computerman.” He shows up with a massive mega-computer that matches the single folks on a Valentine’s Day trip. Pretty much everything he does on his computer can be performed on an iPhone. Annette Funicello has her relationship lightened up with the help of The Dick Van Dyke Show‘s Rose Marie and Morey Amsterdam in “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again.” Morey also appeared in Beach Party.
The episodes on The Love Boat: Season One, Volume Two are packed with so many amazing celebrities. Leslie Nielsen gives one his last semi-serious performances before Airplane turned him into a fart joke king. It would be easy to rant about how The Love Boat lowered TV’s IQ with its light plots and hammy acting. But this is pure comfort entertainment like video bowl of mac and cheese with a healthy heaping of cheese. The Love Boat is a mini-vacation for the mind although you’ll be constantly pondering if certain actors are still alive.
The Episodes
“Family Reunion/Too Hot to Handle/Cinderella Story,” “Isaac’s Double Standard/One More Time/Chimpanzeeshines,” “Hollywood Royalty/The Caper/The Eyes of Love/Masquerade,” “The Congressman Was Indiscreet/Isaac’s History Lesson/Winner Take Love,” “The Last of the Stubings/The Million Dollar Man/The Sisters,” “The Inspector/A Very Special Girl/Until the Last Goodbye,” “Computerman/Parlez-Vous/Memories of You,” “Taking Sides/A Friendly Little Game/Going by the Book,” “Parents Know Best/A Selfless Love/The Nubile Nurse,” “Musical Cabins,” “The Business of Love/Crash Diet Crisis/I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” and “Gopher the Rebel/Cabin Fever/Pacific Princess Overture.”
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The transfers are as sharp and clean as Gopher’s uniform. The audio is Dolby Digital mono. There’s a Spanish track for folks who like their romance with a little caliente action. The subtitles are in English and Spanish.
The New Love Boat (1:12:29) is the third movie of the week about the cruise ship. This was the first one to feature the iconic TV crew with the addition of Captain Stubing at the helm. The big stars include Phil Silvers (Sgt. Bilko), Pat Harrington (One Day at a Time) and Stella Stevens (The Silencers).
Promos (0:31) for each episode.
The Love Boat: Season One, Volume Two is a show that has aged like a fine cheddar. How can you resist the charm of Isaac when he shakes that perfect fruity drink? While the show is all about hooking up at sea, there’s less double entendres in this box set than a single episode of Two and a Half Men. There’s an innocence to this round trip to Mexico. For people stuck on a staycation, this is your ticket to exotic fun.
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CBS DVD presents The Love Boat: Season One, Volume 2. Starring: Gavin McLeod, Fred Grandy, Ted Lange, Bernie Kopell & Lauren Tewes. Boxset Contents: 12 Episodes on 4 discs. Originally Broadcasted: Jan. 7 to May 20, 1978. Released on DVD: August 12, 2008. Available at Amazon.com
About Joe Corey
