Four interrelated comedic stories of the adventures and misadventures of the passengers and crew aboard a cruise ship en route from California to Mexico.
Segments:
"Are There Any Real Love Stories?" by Dawn Aldredge & Marion C. Freeman
"Mr. and Mrs. Havlicek Aboard" by Bob Illes & James R. Stein
"Mona Lisa Speaks", "Till Death Do Its Part" by Carl Kleinschmitt
Based on the book by Jeraldine Saunders
"Love Boat" spins three tales by as many writers during its maiden voyage to various Mexican ports.
Miss Franklin plays a nasty, domineering woman wed to a director of the company owning the ship. As she boards, Grandy makes a big fuss over her. Sneers she: "Lord, I love an obsequious runt."
She also is harsh with Captain Stubing, MacLeod, but for reasons that are too personal.
Miss Baxter-Birney is on the cruise with her fiance, a handsome young congressman. She is worried he'll find out she is the centerfold lady in a Playboy-like magazine called "Kitten."
Seems that while an impoverished law student, she put on a black wig and posed in her birthday suit to raise funds. Now the picture has turned up in an edition of "Kitten" sold on the ship.
She's embarrassed and ashamed and spends most of her time on a belated cover-up.
Walker, meanwhile, plays a free spirit who has lived with a pretty passenger (Brenda Sykes) for two years. She wants to get married. He doesn't. So she takes a cruise. He doesn't.
The cruise lets her get advice on fun and meeting men from a blond divorcee (Miss Somers). It also lets Walker pursue her from port to port with cries of undying love, buttressed by dying jokes.
A Tasteful Affair (Smith & Cole)/Oh, Dale! (Ritter & Feldshuh)/The Main Event (Hemsley & Page)
A married lady is followed by a detective who falls in love with her; a guy boards ship in drag to be with a girl who can't stand him; a middle aged couple try to save their marriage.
Ex Plus Y (Lorettya Swift & Richard Mulligan)/Graham and Kelly (Kristy MacNichol & Scott Baio)/Goldenagers (Charles Frank & Lauren Tewes.)Tonight's vignettes are: newlyweds distracted by the appearance of the bride's ex-husband, thirteen year olds experience first love; a touring group of senior citizens thwart romance Guests Include Loreiia Swit, Richard Mulligan. Robert Reed. Kristy McNichol, Scott Baio
Vignettes include confined to a wheelchair, a former tennis pro (Brenda Benet) becomes involved with a sporswriter (Bill Bixby), a stage-struck stowaway (Charo) creates havoc, a long-suffering wife (Audra Lindley) deals with her practical joker husband (Milton Berle).
Vignettes include a wife expecting to be dumped at sea; a faded star pursued by an admirer, celebrity-chasing passengers mistake a bore for a jewel thief.
Vignettes include: a young man (Robert Hegyes) trying to lose his innocence, a woman (Ruth Gordon) plays matchmaker for her sptnster granddaughter (Patty Duke Astin) and the ship's doctor, a has-been comic (Phil Foster) tries for a comeback.
Vignettes are: Identical twins pose as one person (Diana Canova); a girl (Lauren Tewes) falls for a guy (David Hedison) she once dumped; an older couple (Ray Bolger, Harriet Nelson) seem to cause accidents.
A retired sea captain (Phil Silvers) makes life miserable for his working son Stubing, until romance (Judy Canova) enters his life; a man (Gary Burghoff) is trapped in his cabin by an overtrained German shepherd; three eager young women (Jane Curtin, Susan Heldfond, Joanna Kerns) play games with two men (David Landesberg, Vince Baggetta. )
"Lonely At The Top" Dick Sargent - "Divorce Me, Please" Florence Henderson. Shecky Greene - "Silent Night" Donna Mills, John Gavin
An aging purser (Bob Crane) serves the daughter (Dori Brenner) he deserted as a child; a honeymooning couple (John Rubinstein and Kathy Bates) are plagued by unromantic calamities, wealthy phonies (Don Defore, Rosemary Decamp, David White) shower attention on a grocery clerk (Bruce Solomon) they believe to be a supermarket tycoon.
A jaded pair of entertainers (Nanette Fabray, Don Adams) mellow while at sea; a possessive mother (Pearl Bailey) resents the intrusion of her son's (Ted Lange) girlfriend (Tracey Reed); a thieving chimp almost wrecks Gopher's love life.
A Selfless Love (Leslie Nielsen and Linda Day George)/The Nubile Nurse (Elaine Joyce)/Parents Know Best (Janis Paige, Monty Hall)
"The Business of Love" written by Howard Albretch & Sol Weinstein
Jill Williams, a call girl (Caren Kaye) tries to reform and he meets Bill Wainwright, a handsome and affluent passenger (Christopher George) but a shadow from her past, a fromer client (Jack Carter) steps in to cause trouble;
"Crash diet Crisis" written by Ray Jessel
The Captain tries to lose weight to win Jocelyn Hyde, an old flame (Jessica Walter);
"I'll Never Fall in love Again" written by Ann Gibbs and Joel Kimmel
Nate and Roberta, two singles (Michael Callan, Annette Funicello) whose partners have died vow never to fall in love again.
Moe and Dottie Price, a mature couple, (Morey Amsterdam, Rose Marie) have fun with a new business.
1. A Japanese industrialist ( Pat Morita) uses his suave sales manager (Gary Collins) to wheedle a rich widow into selling her factory. 2. Gopher rebels against the Captain's constant barking of orders. Isaac and Doc try a bit of matchmaking on Gopher's behalf, but their well-meant plan backfires. 3. A mistress comes down with cabin fever when her boy friend (Antonio Fargas) puts a quietus on their affair because of snoopy friends on board (Kaye Ballard).
The captain and crew of the SS Pacific Princess are held captive on an island by a hermit.
The world's greatest illusionist (Vincent Price) risks losing his fiancee when he successfully mystifies some of the female passengers.
"Accidental Cruise" Soupy Sales, Joanne Worley; "The Song Is Ended" Richard Dawson, Juliet Mills; "A Time For Everything" Jill Whelan, Melendy Britt; "Anoushka" Loretta Swit.
"Folks From Home" John Mclntire, Jeanette Nolan; "The
Captain's Cup" Pat Harrington, Florence Henderson; "Legal
Eagle" Bert Convy, Leigh Taylor-Young.
"Isosceles Triangle" Connie Stevens; "El Kid" Robert Urich. Heather Menzies; "The Last Hundred Bucks" Rue McClanahan. Dabney Coleman.
Gopher's friend offers him a dream job; a widow takes up residency aboard the ship; a magician gets romantically involved with his new assistant.
"Like Father. Like Son." A charming widower and his son fall in love with the same girl. "Don't Push Me." An easygoing bachelor becomes allergic to the idea of marrying his aggressive girlfriend. "Second Chance." Isaac and an influential passenger help an ex-shoplifter.
In ''Sounds of Silence," Phil Backstrom/Deacon Dark (Bono), who performs hard rock in garish makeup and attire as the creation of his manager, Marty Austin (Arte Johnson), is a gentle man who wants only to sing as himself, especially after he meets beautiful Sara Nichols (Ms. Lenham) who has been deaf from birth. This is Lenham's first major television role. Mitzi De Risi (Ms. St. John) is unhappily married to Vinnie De Risi (Carras) until Doc helps him find a way to express his love in "Cyrano de Bricker." In "Murder On The High Seas," crew members don't realize that Lillian and Teddy Smith (Ms. Wynter and Lawford) are best-selling murder mystery writers when they overhear them discussing ways of doing in the captain.
In ''Super Mom," Margaret Hanrahan (Ms. Meara) has so little time for anything but her children (Katy Kurtzman and Corey Feldman) on a second honeymoon that her husband seeks other companionship. In "I'll See You Again," Eve Mills (Ms. Charisse), traveling with handsome escort Francois (Stephen Schnetzer) is reintroduced to Frank Pearse (Stevens). She assumed that he was killed in the war when she didn't receive any letters from him, but now they have been reunited. In "April's Return," Capt. Stubing is proud of his ex-stowaway, now the top singer of the shipping line and his "discovery." However, he does not realize that she is led up with entertaining and wants Julie to train her as a cruise director.
In "Third Wheel," who has never been close to his conservative father, Elliot Smith (Cummings), asks his mother, Ros (Ms. Merman), to perform a musical number with him for the crew show. Later they both realize they have hurt Elliot, who used to do the number with Ros in college. Maggie O'Brien (Ms Fabray) learns from Doe that she is pregnant and dreads breaking the news to husband Mac (Nelson), who is elatedly planning a future for just the two of them now that the last of their grown children has left home, in "Grandmother's Day." In "Second String Mom," Lee Noble (Ms. Howland) is beginning to lose hope of winning the affection of her stepdaughters when they make a forbidden shone trip and suddenly need hen help.
A cast of stars get aboard when the Love Boat makes its first Alaskan tour in this two-hour episode. The Pacific Princess makes port at VAncouver, Juneau and Skagway in this chance-of-pace outing .
In CAROL AND DOUG'S STORY, the future bride and groom, Carol Bowers and Doug Bradbury (Ms. Hartman and Mark Harmon) are off for a blissful journey to the wedding site until a jealous girl (Caren Kaye) hampers the festivities by trying to get the groom-to-be in her clutches. In PETER AND ALICIA'S STORY, Alicia Bradbury (Eleanor Parker), the groom's wealthy, snobbish mother, learns that her financial situation is not what she expected. When she meets her ex-husband (Ray Milland), Alicia learns that they cannot buy everything in life. In JULIE'S STORY, Julie becomes caught up in wedding fever and decides to find her old flame, Jack Chenault (Tonyi Roberts), when the ship docks in Sitka to tell him that she will marry him. Also on board is Mary Prine (Donny Most), who has a crush on Julie as well as being the groom's best man. In BUDDY AND PORTIA'S STORY, Alicia's devil-may-care sister, Portia (Audra Lindley), strikes up an unusual friendship-with Buddy Bowers (Greene), and the two end up quite close once they reach the wedding destination.
In OLDIES BUT GOODIES, when the woman and her man-hunting daughter arrive on the ship, the mother is attracted to a disabled man but their relationship is hampered by his snobby and obnoxious aide. In THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER, Julio thinks she's opted for the wrong career when she meets her happily married friend who took the cruise director course with her especially when she feels that Capt. Stubing is overly friendly to the woman. In THE STAGES OF LOVE, written by Tom Dunsmuir, a man believes men and women have relationships in three stages, but is in for a surprise when his last stage is supposed to occur.
In DOC, BE PATIENT, flirtatious Doc comes down with a bad case of the flu and must follow the instructions of a beautiful female doctor. Predictably, he falls for her, but can't leave his bed to make a pass. In DANCE WITH ME, Marcy McGuire has given up being a prima ballerina to run her own school in Germany. When she sees her old partner and his protege4 she tries to get him to join her school as a choreographer to save his health. In GOING MY WAY, a wacky woman who has been given the heave-ho by her boyfriend impulsively asks her Oddball cab driver to forget about driving and take the cruise with her. They find out they have a lot in common.
"Crew Confessions" Isaac has trouble on the high seas when the Love Boat crew discovers he has included some racy tales about them in his new novel. "Haven't I Seen You" A man (Don Knotts) who closely resembles a celebrity starts to enjoy his new identity when a strikingly beautiful passenger showers him with love, and "Reunion" A husband and wife (Jane Wyatt and Jean Pierre Aumont) are reunited after being separated during World War II.
Melissa Sue AnÂderson, of "Little House" guest stars as a modern-day CinÂderella hassled by a mean stepmother. Other skits involve Chris George, as a chauvinistic sportscaster, and Patrick Wayne, as disÂabled man who unfairly dominates his brother.
In a poignant episode, captain Stubing is reunited with his love child, Vicki.
Gopher tries to keep the unmarried daughter of Captain Steubing's boss from sharing the honeymoon suite with her boyfriend.
Julie helps a brilliant, but plain-looking woman become a glamor queen. Vicki and a young passenger try to help out a stowaway and a man accuses crew members of making passes at his wife.
Betty Layton boards the ship with her husband whose huge wad of cash makes the crew suspicious. Captain and his crew try to impress a welfare worker.
Vicki, the captain's young daughter, gets her first taste of love when she flips for a famous singer and has to face competition from older women; two people who were in a car accident and who can't stand each other, discover each other is on board; and a young man, a recent victim of the Marvin Law, has a hard time trying to swear off women.
Isaac finds himself in a precarious position when he meets a beautiful former school chum and her macho husband. Peggy Cass, here with Gordon Jump, play a middle-aged couple trying to swing a little.
"Jealousy" Vicki sees green when her father falls for a beautiful woman; "The Trigamist" A judge finds herself attracted to a man she ha placed on probation for being married to three women at the same time.
Gopher and Doc battle for the affections of a gorgeous pen pal (Marie Laurin); and man (Paul Burke) whose wife (Dana Wynter) is too busy for him finds another love; a woman (Trish Stewart) refuses to share quarters with her boyfriend (Patrick Wayne).
A new female cook (Easterbrook) arrives to lend a hand to the busy chef (Jay Johnson). A bumbling German detective is hired to watch a lady's (Noble) jewels. An old sea dog (Basehart) is embittered by his memories and the fact of bring crippled.
In "New York A.C.," three men (Byrnes, Fabian and Sherman) who are members of the New York Alimony Club board for a fun-filled cruise without worries of getting serious about any women. However, once they meet a lovely woman (Ms. Funicello), they are in for a big surprise. When Capt. Stubing begins to change his behavior patterns after a close friend dies, he learns an important lesson, in "Live it Up." In "All's Fair in Love and War," the girlfriend (Jill St. John) of a married man (Ely) gives him an ultimatum that gains surprising results.
In "The Musical," the crew puts on the First Annual Cruise Show, including the combined musical talents of Gopher's mother (Ethel Merman), who rekindles a romance with a former movie star (Van Johnson); one of Doc's ex-mother-in-laws (Ann Miller) who tries to steal the show away from the other women; Isaac's mom (Della Reese), who is being chased by an ardent suitor (Cab Calloway);and Julie's eccentric Aunt Sylvia (Carol Channing). In "My Ex-Mom," Doc's flamboyant former mother-in-law (Ann Miller), the belle of Broadway, brings along her daughter, Trish (Tracy Bregman), who causes friction between Doc and Gopher when Gopher becomes attracted to Doc's former sister-in-law. Carol Channing, as Julie's rich and eccentric Aunt Sylvia, causes Julie to want to jump ship when Sylvia constantly worries about her wealthy husband's whereabouts while she is rehearsing for the talent show, in "My Aunt, the Worrier." Isaac's mother (Della Reese) must make an important decision concerning their future while she is being wooed by an insistent - and very rich - man (Cab Calloway), in "The Pest."
A skipper (McLean Stevenson) hoping to replace Capt. Stubing boards the Pacific Princess, two men compete for the same woman (Shelley Fabares), and the fiancee (Jenilee Harrison) of a wealthy young man is afraid of revealing her background to his parents.