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For many of us growing up in the 70s and 80s our first cruise experience was on the Pacific Princess whilst watching popular sit-com The Love Boat.
From 1977 to 1987, the amiable, lovable Captain Stubing and his crew would take us away from our sad, chilly existences and expose us to a world full of adventure, fun and possibility. The Love Boat really did promise something for everyone.
Continue down the page to relive some wonderful moments filled with canned laughter, elevator music, political incorrectness and some of the best sit-com humour on the high seas. It was, and still is, the ultimate TV viewing guilty pleasure!
This moment with the late Sonny Bono or is it Deacon Dark?
Or this scene with Robert Reed, or is that Mr Brady?
And the Heather Locklear scene that got every young man's heart racing.
Not to mention all of Gopher's romantic interludes. (not for the faint of heart)
And the all important.....where are they now?
The excellent news is all of the original cast are still with us.
Gavin MacLeod as Captain Merrill Stubing - He appeared in some musicals, co-hosted an airline safety video (“Safety Old School Style”) with Betty White for Air New Zealand, was the honorary mayor of Pacific Palisades for five years, and even got a chance to conduct the Colorado Symphony. He remarried his second wife, Patti, and has recently wrote his memoir, This Is Your Captain Speaking: My Fantastic Voyage Through Hollywood, Faith, & Life.
Bernie Kopell as Dr. Adam "Doc" Bricker, ship's doctor - Since TLB he has had guest spots on other shows like Fantasy Island, The Six Million Dollar Man, Kojak, and Chico and the Man. He also got a chance to focus on his tennis game competing in charity celebrity tournaments. He continues to do TV appearances and guest spots, most recently appeared on Raising Hope with Cloris Leachman, who was also a guest on TLB.
Fred Grandy as Burl "Gopher" Smith, Yeoman Purser - After TLB Fred jumped into a life of politics, and from 1987-1995, Grandy was a member of the US House of Representatives. From 1995 -2000, he served as the President and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. Grandy was also a political commentator on NPR and a visiting professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. He also co-hosted a conservative radio talk show up until 2011.
Ted Lange as Isaac Washington, bartender - Apart from being an accomplished director, Ted lost 28 pounds on Celebrity Fit Club in 2006, guest starred on Psych, The King of Queens, 227, Evening Shade, and Scrubs, and did a bunch of Bud Light commercials. He has written 23 plays and currently, he’s directing some sitcoms for Byron Allen’s production company, and still writing plays.
Lauren Tewes as Julie McCoy, Cruise Director (Seasons 1-7) - It was the 70s and cocaine was the choice of Hollywood and Lauren Tewes. A few years before The Love Boat finished its run, she was replaced after too many no-shows. Pat Klous replaced her as Julie’s younger sister Judy. Since then, though, she ditched the coke habit and went back to work. She still does some acting when she can, and does voice work for video games. She also went to culinary school to become a cheese specialist, and when she’s not acting, she works as a sous chef in Seattle, for a catering company
Jill Whelan as Vicki Stubing, the captain's daughter (seasons 3–10) - Bad business ventures by her first husband wiped out the money she saved from TLB. She went back to work as an investigative reporter, an events producer, an associate producer, and a journalist. She kept up some acting and some cabaret work, and hosted a podcast with her friend Brian Phelps called The Brian and Jill Show.
Sorry Lauren, I think we mentioned the drug problem again.