The Love Boat: Difference between revisions

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{{quote|''The Looooooooove Boat soon will be making another run
{{quote|''The Looooooooove Boat soon will be making another run
''The Love Boat promises something for everyone...''|Theme song}}
''The Love Boat promises something for everyone...''
|Theme song}}


Jeraldine Saunders, a real-life cruise director, wrote about her experiences in a book called ''The Love Boats''. A trilogy of [[Made for TV Movie]]s followed, and then it finally became an [[Aaron Spelling]]-produced series airing on [[ABC]] from 1977 to 1986.
Jeraldine Saunders, a real-life cruise director, wrote about her experiences in a book called ''The Love Boats''. A trilogy of [[Made for TV Movie]]s followed, and then '''''The Love Boat''''' finally became an [[Aaron Spelling]]-produced series airing on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] from 1977 to 1986.


The show was an hour-long comedy, with several intertwining plots about the guests and the crew. As the title implied, people were falling in love all over the place. And, of course, went further than that.
The show was an hour-long comedy, with several intertwining plots about the guests and the crew. As the title implied, people were falling in love all over the place. And, of course, went further than that.
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Now, even if you never watched the show, you've probably heard [http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=m_wFEB4Oxlo the theme song], one of the most well-known TV themes ''ever'', and a favorite for [[Lounge Lizard|fictional lounge acts]]. This was sung by Jack Jones and written by [[Paul Williams]]. Yes, the man who wrote [[The Muppet Movie|"The Rainbow Connection"]] also wrote this.
Now, even if you never watched the show, you've probably heard [http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=m_wFEB4Oxlo the theme song], one of the most well-known TV themes ''ever'', and a favorite for [[Lounge Lizard|fictional lounge acts]]. This was sung by Jack Jones and written by [[Paul Williams]]. Yes, the man who wrote [[The Muppet Movie|"The Rainbow Connection"]] also wrote this.



----
{{tropelist}}
{{tropelist}}
* [[Cool Boat]]: Nearly all the action took place aboard the ''Pacific Princess''.
* [[Cool Boat]]: Nearly all the action took place aboard the ''Pacific Princess''.
* [[Crossover]]: A couple with ''[[Fantasy Island]]'', another Aaron Spelling show which immediately followed ''The Love Boat'' on ABC Saturday nights.
* [[Crossover]]: A couple with ''[[Fantasy Island]]'', another Aaron Spelling show which immediately followed ''The Love Boat'' on ABC Saturday nights.
** Yet another Spelling show, ''[[Charlie's Angels|Charlies Angels]]'', had an episode where the title characters pursue art thieves on a ''Pacific Princess'' cruise and encounter Capt. Stubing and his crew.
** Yet another Spelling show, ''[[Charlie's Angels]]'', had an episode where the title characters pursue art thieves on a ''Pacific Princess'' cruise and encounter Capt. Stubing and his crew.
* [[Did Not Do the Research]]: On cruises, crew members are not allowed to mingle with guests quite as freely as happened on ''The Love Boat''. In fact, "fraternizing" with a guest can get the crew member put off the ship at the next port, and "fraternizing" is pretty broadly defined.
* [[Did Not Do the Research]]: On cruises, crew members are not allowed to mingle with guests quite as freely as happened on ''The Love Boat''. In fact, "fraternizing" with a guest can get the crew member put off the ship at the next port, and "fraternizing" is pretty broadly defined.
* [[Framed Face Opening]]: Utilized for the guest passengers on each episode, from Season 2 onward. The standard credit sequence had the port window motif over the Princess backdrop while the final season (1985-1986) used a wave motif over a panoramic montage of sights from around the world.
* [[Framed Face Opening]]: Utilized for the guest passengers on each episode, from Season 2 onward. The standard credit sequence had the port window motif over the Princess backdrop while the final season (1985-1986) used a wave motif over a panoramic montage of sights from around the world.
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* [[Popcultural Osmosis]]: The theme song.
* [[Popcultural Osmosis]]: The theme song.
* [[Potty Dance]]: Isaac does this when forced to share a cabin (and a bathroom) with the other male crew.
* [[Potty Dance]]: Isaac does this when forced to share a cabin (and a bathroom) with the other male crew.
* [[Product Placement]]: The Love Boat itself. Essentially the series was a weekly one-hour commercial for Princess Cruises.
* [[Put on a Bus]]: Julie McCoy, after Lauren Tewes' cocaine addiction made her unable to do her job.
* [[Put on a Bus]]: Julie McCoy, after Lauren Tewes' cocaine addiction made her unable to do her job.
** [[The Bus Came Back]], however. She made a guest appearance (as a passenger) in a Season 9 episode, then returned as cruise director for the three Season 10 movies.
** [[The Bus Came Back]], however. She made a guest appearance (as a passenger) in a Season 9 episode, then returned as cruise director for the three Season 10 movies.
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*** [[Titanic]] [[Soundtrack Dissonance|Love]] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaXQfSNLG4I&list=FLEB-PezNbIeQMisMK52Y5Kw&index=2&feature=plpp_video Boat].
*** [[Titanic]] [[Soundtrack Dissonance|Love]] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaXQfSNLG4I&list=FLEB-PezNbIeQMisMK52Y5Kw&index=2&feature=plpp_video Boat].
** ''[[South Park]]'' did one called "The Catholic Boat", making fun of the priest sexual predator scandals.
** ''[[South Park]]'' did one called "The Catholic Boat", making fun of the priest sexual predator scandals.
** ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' also made a parody on an episode guest starring Patrick Stewart: ''The Love Boat: [[Star Trek: The Next Generation|The Next Generation]]'' (complete with surprise cameo by Bernie Kopell).
** ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' also made a parody on an episode guest starring Patrick Stewart: ''The Love Boat: [[Star Trek: The Next Generation|The Next Generation]]'' (complete with surprise cameo by [[Bernie Kopell]]).
** ''[[Sesame Street]]'' did a sketch with Ernie and some Anything Muppets, called "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr35dJYt54E I Love This Boat]".
** ''[[Sesame Street]]'' did a sketch with Ernie and some Anything Muppets, called "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr35dJYt54E I Love This Boat]".
** The 1979 animated special ''[[Scooby Doo|Scooby Goes Hollywood]]'' had Shaggy and Scooby on ''The Love Ship''.
** The 1979 animated special ''[[Scooby Doo|Scooby Goes Hollywood]]'' had Shaggy and Scooby on ''The Love Ship''.
** In the middle of a jailbreak in ''[[Airplane!]]! II'', Jack Jones appears in the light of a searchlight singing the theme.
** In the middle of a jailbreak in ''[[Airplane!]]! II'', Jack Jones appears in the light of a searchlight singing the theme.
** ''[[Phineas and Ferb]]'' of all things had a parody with [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF9qkAsHkpY Boat of Romance].
** ''[[Phineas and Ferb]]'' (of all things) had a parody with [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF9qkAsHkpY Boat of Romance].
** One of the girls at the Catholic school in ''[[Sister Act|Sister Act 2]]'' auditions for the chorus by singing the first few words of the theme.
** One of the girls at the Catholic school in ''[[Sister Act|Sister Act 2]]'' auditions for the chorus by singing the first few words of the theme.
* [[Third Line, Some Waiting]]: Every episode featured three interwoven plot lines. Usually they were independent of each other, but on occasion they would intersect.
* [[Third Line, Some Waiting]]: Every episode featured three interwoven plot lines. Usually they were independent of each other, but on occasion they would intersect. If an episode had a comedic plot line, it would be the third line.
* [[Woobie of the Week]]: There was almost always ''somebody'' who was unlucky in love... until the final reel of the episode.
* [[Woobie of the Week]]


{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:The Seventies]]
[[Category:The Seventies]]
[[Category:American Series]]
[[Category:American Series]]
[[Category:The Love Boat]]
[[Category:Works by Aaron Spelling]]
[[Category:Aaron Spelling]]
[[Category:TV Series]]
[[Category:Live-Action TV of the 1970s]]
[[Category:Live-Action TV of the 1980s]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Love Boat, The}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Love Boat, The}}

Latest revision as of 13:26, 20 February 2023

And Liberace as the engineer.

The Looooooooove Boat soon will be making another run
 The Love Boat promises something for everyone...

—Theme song

Jeraldine Saunders, a real-life cruise director, wrote about her experiences in a book called The Love Boats. A trilogy of Made for TV Movies followed, and then The Love Boat finally became an Aaron Spelling-produced series airing on ABC from 1977 to 1986.

The show was an hour-long comedy, with several intertwining plots about the guests and the crew. As the title implied, people were falling in love all over the place. And, of course, went further than that.

Now, even if you never watched the show, you've probably heard the theme song, one of the most well-known TV themes ever, and a favorite for fictional lounge acts. This was sung by Jack Jones and written by Paul Williams. Yes, the man who wrote "The Rainbow Connection" also wrote this.


Tropes used in The Love Boat include:
  • Cool Boat: Nearly all the action took place aboard the Pacific Princess.
  • Crossover: A couple with Fantasy Island, another Aaron Spelling show which immediately followed The Love Boat on ABC Saturday nights.
    • Yet another Spelling show, Charlie's Angels, had an episode where the title characters pursue art thieves on a Pacific Princess cruise and encounter Capt. Stubing and his crew.
  • Did Not Do the Research: On cruises, crew members are not allowed to mingle with guests quite as freely as happened on The Love Boat. In fact, "fraternizing" with a guest can get the crew member put off the ship at the next port, and "fraternizing" is pretty broadly defined.
  • Framed Face Opening: Utilized for the guest passengers on each episode, from Season 2 onward. The standard credit sequence had the port window motif over the Princess backdrop while the final season (1985-1986) used a wave motif over a panoramic montage of sights from around the world.
  • Insatiable Newlyweds: A series Running Gag, starting from the pilot.
  • Mad Magazine: Lust Boat.
  • The Movie: Besides the pilots, there were a number of special two-hour movies throughout the show's run, including three which aired in 1986-87 in lieu of a tenth season.
  • Pilot Movie: Three of them, in fact.
  • Popcultural Osmosis: The theme song.
  • Potty Dance: Isaac does this when forced to share a cabin (and a bathroom) with the other male crew.
  • Product Placement: The Love Boat itself. Essentially the series was a weekly one-hour commercial for Princess Cruises.
  • Put on a Bus: Julie McCoy, after Lauren Tewes' cocaine addiction made her unable to do her job.
    • The Bus Came Back, however. She made a guest appearance (as a passenger) in a Season 9 episode, then returned as cruise director for the three Season 10 movies.
  • Reunion Show: A Valentine Voyage, in 1990.
  • Revival: Love Boat: The Next Wave, which ran on UPN in 1998-99 and involved an entirely different ship and crew (although several members of the original show's cast did appear in one episode, where they got together for the wedding of the now-grown Vicki Stubing).
  • Shipping Tropes: Let's just put this here and save ourselves the puns.
  • Special Guest: Lots of them. Including, of all people, Andy Warhol.
  • Stunt Casting: Popular singer Charo played the recurring character "April Lopez" eight times.
  • Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Judy McCoy, for Julie McCoy.
  • Theme Tune: Is a subject for a lot of parodies.
  • Third Line, Some Waiting: Every episode featured three interwoven plot lines. Usually they were independent of each other, but on occasion they would intersect. If an episode had a comedic plot line, it would be the third line.
  • Woobie of the Week: There was almost always somebody who was unlucky in love... until the final reel of the episode.
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/The_Love_Boat?oldid=2002924"