Summer of MeTV Blogathon: The Love Boat

It's that time of the year again! This retrospective is part of the Summer of MeTV Classic TV Blogathon hosted by the Classic TV Blog Association. Click here to check out the blogathon's complete schedule! Guaranteed good times!









In Aaron Spelling’s wonderful autobiography A Prime-Time Life, the producer extraordinaire comments that he owes a lot to O. Henry, whose short stories were an inspiration for many of Spelling's projects. “We didn’t steal from O. Henry,” Spelling writes, “but we did use his form.” Shows like The Love Boat, Fantasy Island and Hotel (and earlier Dick Powell’s Zane Grey Theater) were “short O. Henry-style tales with a twist at the end.”

O. Henry must have been an inspiration for Douglas S. Cramer too, who worked behind the scenes at Love, American Style as Executive Vice President in Charge of Production. He loved the romance anthology format and it spurred Cramer to find another venue to use this type of short form relationship-driven storytelling. He had acquired the rights to Jeraldine Saunders tawdry and fun novel The Love Boats and created two pilots based on the book. The TVMs garnered OK ratings but were not picked up for a series. Cramer asked Spelling to help him get a third pilot off the ground and they fine-tuned the cast, which included bringing aboard the beloved Gavin McLeod who’d recently found himself out of work with the cancellation of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Both Cramer and Spelling also agreed that they would produce the pilot film under a much tighter budget. The third time was a charm, and as romance on the high seas set sail, the rest as they say, is television history.

Behind the scenes on The Love Boat: Bernie Kopell prepares for his closeup.

Love Boat ran for ten glorious seasons, experienced their share of casting ups and downs and even a few real life calamities (Fred Grandy suffered burns to his hands and face after and odd balloon accident!), but as far as the viewers’ 60 minute dose on Saturday nights were concerned, all that could be seen was magic (well, minus the Love Boat Mermaids… sorry ladies).

Apparently, John Ritter had just seen Tootsie right before he boarded The Love Boat!

Despite the critical disdain, the nickname the “Sex Barge,” and the fact that it originally ran against the highly rated Carol Burnett Show, audiences turned up in droves, and surprisingly enough, the show was a family favorite. Although Love Boat was seen as a response to the sexual revolution, the series exuded an air of innocence, most likely because it concentrated on romance and the stories upheld a very traditional boy-meets-girl-boy-gets-girl way of storytelling. Fred Grandy once said that the show resonated with audiences because, “Love was more than a stateroom and a Do Not Disturb Sign.” Grandy was right, the Love Boat featured young and old, rich and poor, divorced, widowed and single on equal footing in the game of love.

A promo still for The Love Boat: Joanie Loves Chachi Loves Isaac and Gopher

And it was Spelling’s respect and admiration for old Hollywood that brought a lot of the classic stars to the small screen, making high seas amore all the more tender and tangible. In fact, it was Spelling’s desire to showcase actors who had, for lack of a better phrase, been thrown out to sea, that has made the series undeniably timeless, despite some other dated elements (although I do love a good bell bottomed pantsuit any day of the week). Commenting on ageism in Hollywood, Spelling wrote, “It’s criminal the way they’re treated. The moment a woman’s breasts droop one inch, they don’t work anymore, as opposed to countries like England, where the Margaret Rutherfords work forever and are revered. But in our crazy country, once you reach a certain age, you’re dead. It’s a very sad statement. So if we can use an established star who’s not working, it’s a privilege.”

Olivia de Havilland and Joseph Cotten find romance and yellow shirts on The Love Boat

Boy, did Love Boat fill the roster with great Hollywood stars! Everyone from Kaye Ballard, Ethel Merman, Vera Miles to Joan Fontaine signed up for comedy, hijinks and a little light petting on the way to exotic locales (piece o’ Love Boat trivia: Lana Turner was the show’s 1,000 guest). And there were many handsome older men to accompany these fine ladies, including Fernando Lamas, Harold Gould, Joseph Campanella and even Allan Ludden (!), among many others. The friendly faces of Norm Crosby and Milton Berle could be seen, along with oddball casting stunts that came in the form of celebrities like Andy Warhol, and even some animals got porthole billing, like Tiny the Kangaroo (playing himself in two episodes, no less!). But it was really the way The Love Boat featured cross-generational romance, where anyone could find their soul mate, despite their age, finances, past mistakes or bad marriages, and audiences tapped into this equal opportunity lovefest.

Eleanor Parker = Perfection

The two-part episode Alaska Wedding (aka Buddy and Portia's Story/Julie's Story/Carol and Doug's Story/Peter and Alicia's Story - got that?) is one of my favorite examples of featuring actors of different ages and experience sharing the small screen. Alaska Wedding originally aired on September 15th, 1979, during season three, as two hour special. It features two well off families renting out the ship for the extravagant wedding of Doug Bradbury (a blonde Mark Harmon) and Carol Bowers (Lisa Hartman). The families are a variety of old and new money, with Carol’s grandfather Buddy (Lorne Greene) having acquired his wealth during his own lifetime while Doug comes from old money, where these types of luxurious vacations are more the norm. Unfortunately, Doug’s mother Alicia (the ridiculously glamorous Eleanor Parker) has squandered most of the fortune and hopes to keep that a secret until after the wedding, to save her son the embarrassment. Her ex-husband Peter (Ray Millland), and her sister Portia (Audra Lindley looking at home in her oh-so-gorgeous frocks) are also on board and know bits and pieces of the secret.

Boy, did she get the wrong number!

And that’s just the beginning! Natalie (Caren Kaye) is ga-ga for Doug’s money and hopes to thwart the upcoming nuptials. But romance is blossoming elsewhere, mostly for Portia and Buddy who both had personal promises to never make a later-life trip down the aisle for various reasons. Also, Alicia doesn’t know that her black sheep ex-husband wants to reconcile with Doug because he’s dying. And while Peter might not have set out to reconnect with Alicia, the couple start to remember what it was like to be happy together.

Julie wonders why her love life is so doomed

But wait, I’m not done yet! Doug’s best man, Marv (Donny Most) has set his sights on Julie but she’s hoping to reunite with Jack (Tony Roberts) who’d proposed to her in the previous season’s Julie Falls Hard (OAD 12/16/1978). However, as many of us know, Julie’s doomed love life sees no bright lights at the end of this Alaskan voyage, and unfortunately, romance is not in the cards for either her or Marv on this trip. But a thoughtful friendship blooms in its place. Awwww...

Buddy and Portia share a laugh

Alaska Wedding is an episode I tend to revisit for a few reasons. For one, it’s opulent in that way that only Aaron Spelling could deliver. We’re talking fur coats (although I do prefer my pelts to be of the faux variety), sequined dresses, up-dos galore and enough costume jewelry to fill a small U-Haul. The scenery is spectacular, and is every bit as lush as the cast. And honestly, I’m a little obsessed with Julie’s constant misfire at love. Of the regular cast, she definitely had the most tragic love life and I’m sure in my more formative years, I related with the melodrama that always followed her around. Also, where else can you see Donny Most as a potential romantic love interest? And you know what? He’s great. Julie, ahem, missed the boat on that one!

You guessed it, Julie is still wondering about her tragic love life!

However, I think the most important element that keeps drawing me back to this episode is the way it depicts these older actors with such dignity. Yeah, Alicia made some horrible mistakes, and basically drives her family fortune into the ground, but her desire to keep the secret comes from protecting her son, not from any personal humiliation. Likewise, Peter hides his illness because he doesn’t want to upset anyone.

Looking good Lorne!

Nevertheless, Alaska Wedding is really about Portia and Buddy’s love affair. The best moments in this two-hour special come from their sweet flirtations, and the fact that they make each other laugh... a lot. I adore Love Boat because it says we can be vital, important, and desirable at any age, and despite all the critical flack the show has endured, this message has never wavered. I thought the line was silly at the time, but when Jack Jones croons, “Love won’t hurt anymore,” I believe him.

Young love is also welcome on this cruise

Love Boat is currently airing six days a week on MeTV. They have a fantastic summer schedule, so you should come aboard… we’re expecting you.

And check out my post on the Love Boat episode that pits Robert Mandan against Randolph Mantooth in the game of love. 

You can also Smash It with Deacon Dark here.

The USA World Premiere Movie Project: Running Against Time (1990)

This review has been posted in conjunction with the Daily Grindhouse's year long tribute to the USA World Premiere Movie.

It didn’t take too long after the assassination of John F. Kennedy Jr. for television to jump in the ring. Aside from the myriad of news stories and profiles on that fateful day, the made for TV movie joined in with The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald (1977), which takes a look at what may have happened had Oswald lived and faced his day in court. In the 1980s, America was looking at the 20th and 25th anniversary of JFK’s death and a number of specials were released. On the fictional side, one of the most interesting productions was a 1985 Twilight Zone segment titled Profile in Silver, which shows what may have happened if Kennedy had survived. A few years later, the USA Network took that grain of an idea and turned into a full length TVM called Running Against Time.

Robert Hays is David Rhodes, a college professor and historian who is interested in how time and history repeats itself. He is also obsessed with his brother, who died in Vietnam, and many of David’s studies/obsessions are about how the world may have been different if JFK had lived and pulled the troops out of the war (assuming of course, that he was intending to). Mostly, David is stuck in the past and although he has a gorgeous, smart and caring girlfriend (Catherin Hicks as Laura), he can’t seem to move past the loss of his sibling. Laura is also a topnotch reporter and she’s just landed an interview with a Nobel prizing winning scientist named Dr. Hendryk Koopman (Sam Wannamaker). Dr. Koopman is working on time travel and has secured funding for a major project. Of course, as you can guess, the kindly Dr. and professor’s paths cross and before you know it, David is on his way back to 1963 to stop the Kennedy assassination.

Wut the what? Yup, David believes that he can save his brother and thousands of other lives and he convinces Dr. Coopman to let him be the first human time travel experiment. Unfortunately, the whole thing gets started on the wrong foot and while David is successful in meeting up with Oswald during the fateful moment, he is not quick enough to stop the assassination, and is also pegged as Kennedy’s killer! Oops. This changes history, of course, and now Laura must go back to fix things, but it gets all kinds of messy once again and we start to see that history refuses to not repeat itself, even before it’s history.

Running Against Time is an extremely economical production, with fine actors, but silly SPFX and a bare bones recreation of Kennedy’s assassination. Aside from the three leads, the other factor working for the TVM is that it’s an interesting concept played out as earnestly as possible. Like, Profile in Silver, the protagonist has an emotional tie to history (although the character in The Twilight Zone is a few hundred years removed from the relative in question). David’s deals with a loss that was, tragically, not all that uncommon, so it’s easy to feel for him, despite the numerous bad decisions he makes. Further, Laura loves David and that connection brings her story some resonance. Although we keep watching a sort of whirlpool of mistakes, Running manages to never slip too far into the sentimental, and always manages to pull out something smart before it gets too silly.

That is until the ending. My biggest quibble with the fantastical tele-film is how it concludes. No spoilers here, but I thought it gave in to the saccharine it was trying to hold at bay. I should probably also note that I’m no time travel expert, and the science in Running looks clunky. I mean, even by 1990 small screen standards. So, if you are a sci-fi nut and a stickler for proper terminology, etc, this movie might be annoying (but then again, how would I know?). However, there is this really cool plot device that shows how time travellers can communicate through the personals! Who cares if science can’t back that up? It’s neat!

Based on the novel A Time to Remember by Stanley Shapiro (who also wrote the teleplay), Running premiered on the USA Network on November 21st, 1990. While it didn’t garner a huge amount of press, it did get mostly positive reviews. USA aired two encores on November 25th and December 1st. And, like so many other USA movies, it’s available on VHS.

TV Spot Tuesday: Then Came Bronson (1969)

Like the character Jim Bronson, Then Came Bronson's creator, Denne Bart Petitclerc was a newspaperman, and someone who enjoyed observing people. And also like the enigmatic Bronson, Petitclerc was a bit of nomad (although he had a full family in tow), and dropped journalism to work in film. Bronson became Petitclerc’s way of expressing how youthful late 60s America was in a desperate search for itself, and for many the character spoke to young people in ways no other series had (one commenter on IMDb said that the show symbolized what it was like to be free).

NBC, along with the other two networks, were quickly becoming aware of a new demographic. The audience to attract came between the ages of 10 – 31, and the networks were trying out a variety of shows, including The Mod Squad and The New People in the hopes they could create hip programming that spoke to a generation in the middle of a war, the hippie movement and other late 60s issues that were particularly youth orientated.

And, not only was this type of with-it prime time scheduling something new, the TV movie pilot was also a fairly novel phenomena (1966’s Fame is the Name of the Game was the first pilot TVM, spawning The Name of the Game in 1968) and, indeed, tele-films in general were still a fairly revolutionary device. Bronson, which originally aired on March 24th, 1969, was unique in other ways too - it was quiet and almost plot-less, featuring a handsome Michael Parks as Bronson, a man ripped apart by his friend's suicide (Martin Sheen in an early role). Bronson realizes that living in a 9-to-5-monkey-suit-world is not for him, and he hits the road with the mysterious young woman who refuses to give her name (Bonnie Bedelia in an intriguing early role). Starting in San Francisco, there are lots of overhead shots of winding roads and roaring oceans. The couple was at home sleeping in the wild and although Bronson had a general destination (New Orleans), the trip seemed to be about getting lost in nowhere and enjoying the ride. At points the TVM even takes on a documentary vibe.

Then Came Bronson was hard to categorize in a pithy synopsis, but critics and audiences loved it, as it marked a departure from the regular programming. To give it a bite-sized promotion, some called it Route 66 for a new generation. Parks, who was already a well-established character actor, also provided some music for the series as well (he was a recording artist, and also did a bit of singing in the 1977 TVM Escape from Bogen County).

Because the pilot TVM was so well received, NBC dug deep into their pockets with high hopes for the series. They ran an encore performance of the pilot on August 2nd, to remind audiences what they fell in love with earlier that year. Producer Robert Justman (who had previously worked on the more overtly symbol-ridden Star Trek) said that despite the gorgeous camera work, the goal of the series did not have much to do with technical prowess, and commented that it didn’t matter if the sound was off or something didn’t work out. Bronson was about life, and that’s what they were trying to capture. Unfortunately, Bronson could not sustain its audience and was cancelled after one season. Ironically, part of the problem was that the audience they wanted to attract were actually living outdoors, some much like Bronson, and not watching much television. It was considered a disaster for NBC because of the expense of the gorgeous cinematography and on-location shoots. But many still recall the series fondly, and the pilot movie has aged amazingly well (I have yet to see the series). It's definitely worth a watch or re-watch.

NBC put together this stunning promo for the TVM:

Mandan vs Mantooth on The Love Boat! A Summer of MeTV Blogathon Teaser

It's that time of the year again, folks. The kids are out of school, your smoothie recipe guide gets pulled out of the drawer, and MeTV fine tunes their incredible schedule to bring you lots of classic television joy!

Last year I wrote about Columbo and Rhoda and this year I'm taking on The Love Boat and Happy Days. There are several blogs participating, via the Classic TV Blog Association. Check out the schedule here. My posts will appear on June 3rd (Love Boat) and 5th (Happy Days), so please tune in.

I actually wanted to make the following my Love Boat post, but decided to use it for a teaser. As you know, the show was all about the guest stars, and something I totally adored about this series was some of the casting match-ups. May I present the Love Boat episode Second Chance/Don't Push Me/Like Father Like Son (Season 2, episode 17, OAD 1/271979), featuring two of my favorite dudes...

...duking it out over this lovely blonde:

It is indeed an intriguing, albeit melodramatic love (boat) triangle. Who will be the victor in this Man(dan) vs. Man(tooth) fight-to-the-death-match?

Things start off pleasantly enough, but before you know it, this is going to turn into a full fledged battle of wits and will, where only one will walk away with love and romance. 

Before the gloves come off, each man stakes his claim. Mandan throws the first punch - however innocent - with his charm and his interest in the young lady's art (something Mantooth neglected to pay attention to).

But Mantooth swiftly fights back, sharing a laugh with his love interest in front of her cabin door.

Alas, Crosby politely declines any offers or opportunities for romance with either Mandan or Mantooth, and the score remains 0-0.

After a good (if somewhat frustrated) night's sleep, the challengers move to their respective corners, with Mantooth anticipating an early morning strike. Mandan's subtle play works and Crosby agrees to spend the day with him, although Mantooth had just invited her to his cabin.

If looks could kill. 
Sorry Mantooth, it's Mandan 1 - Mantooth 0.

Our challengers reconvene for Round 3: 
Mandan is still using his charm tactics, trying to lower Mantooth's defenses...

But I think we can see that the gloves are off. 
Mantooth hits below the belt, reminding Mandan that he's almost twice Crosby's age. 
Ye-ouch.

Yes, Mantooth is not showing a good sporting attitude, and quickly apologizes. But some wounds don't heal as quickly as others. 
Still it was a bit of smackdown and the score is now Mandan 1 - Mantooth 1.

Although it looked like Mandan was forfeiting the match, the unwitting referee (i.e. Crosby) has ultimately decided that this is Mandan's game (and obviously her decision), much to chagrin of increasingly agitated Mantooth. 
Now we're looking at Mandan 2 - Mantooth 1.

And just when it looks like everything has been decided, the match goes into extra rounds...

And it looks like it's going to turn into a real round of fisticuffs...

Mandan quickly sizes up the competition...

... and comes in for the kill...

It's a stunning knockout...

Holy cow!

High drama on the high seas.

Mandan, may be the physical agitator, but he's a much better sport than Mantooth and offers to forfeit one more time.

But Mantooth knows it's futile to keep up the fight...

And takes a dive... 
(and let's face it, I think there will be more beautiful woman in his future)

Once again,  all is right with the world...

And if you don't believe me, you can double check with Gopher.

MeTV is currently airing Love Boat six days a week (you can check out their schedule here). I really do hope you'll come aboard... we're expecting you!

And if that's not enough, why don't you check out my post on the Deacon Dark episode here.

Also, Kindertrauma put together this incredible list of horror stars who took at cruise on The Love Boat. 

Don't forget to check out next week's MeTV Blogathon!