The Love Boat
The Inspector / A Very Special Girl / Until the Last Goodbye
TV Flash files “The Inspector / A Very Special Girl / Until the Last Goodbye” as hour 19 of 245 in the TV Flash guide — The Love Boat (1977–1986) on ABC, season 1, episode 19, aired 1978-02-11, 60 min.
From the desk
How this hour is filed
This leaf is S01E19: listed hour 19 of 245 in the The Love Boat guide, hour 19 of 25 in season 1. It aired 1978-02-11 (60 min). The listed hour before it is “Last of the Stubings / Million Dollar Man / The Sisters” (S01E18). Next is “Computerman / Memories of You / Parlez Vous?” (S01E20).

Catalog log
Broadcast listing — not a TV Flash recap.
In "The Inspector," Capt. Stubing, Doc Bricker, cruise director Julie McCoy, Isaac, the bartender, and the purser, Gopher, feel edgy when they hear that an efficiency expert, hired by the ship's owners, is watching their every move while posing as a passenger. Suspects include a note-taking fuddy duddy named Waterman (Jim Backus), little Mrs. Corwin (Patti MacLeod), who appears to be permanently confused, and Mr. Zidresczky (Jack Bernardi), who wanders around the ship asking the same question in a language no one understands. The script was written by Bruce Howard. Jane (Debralee Scott) is plain, but her friend, Melanie (Laurette Spang), is lovely. Mike (Bob Seagren), the best looking guy aboard, latches on to Melanie while his shy pal, Doug (Sal Viscuso), and Jane quietly take the love boat to paradise, in "A Very Special Girl," scripted by Jerry Winnick. Handsome, middle-aged Brian Sherwood (Paul Burke) and pretty young SarahLambert (Susan Blanchard) cherish every moment they spend together, but the loving relationship is not what it appears to be in "Until the Last Goodbye." Ben Joelson and Art Baer wrote the script. Roger Buchowny directed all episodes.
Viewer FAQ
Where does The Inspector / A Very Special Girl / Until the Last Goodbye sit in the The Love Boat guide?
S01E19 is listed hour 19 of 245 — hour 19 of 25 in season 1, season 1 episode 19.
When did The Love Boat S01E19 air?
The Inspector / A Very Special Girl / Until the Last Goodbye aired 1978-02-11 and is listed at 60 minutes.
Do I watch in order?
No. It is a multi-story guest-star anthology with a regular crew. Sample any cruise; Stubing's ship is the constant.
In the series
Why this series still plays
Gavin MacLeod's Captain Stubing hosts three guest-star storylines a week while Julie, Doc, Gopher, and Isaac keep the Pacific Princess meddling. Aaron Spelling cruise-ship anthology as comfort franchise: formula as feature, theme as furniture. Bon voyage, subtlety — the cameo sport still photographs.
The first image is white: uniforms, rails, Pacific soft-focus, and Gavin MacLeod's Captain Merrill Stubing hosting three guest-star storylines before the dessert cart. ABC's The Love Boat (1977–1986) turned cruise vacation into Aaron Spelling's floating hit factory — nine seasons, 245 episodes, formula as feature. Lauren Tewes's Julie McCoy, Ted Lange's Isaac, Bernie Kopell's Doc, and Fred Grandy's Gopher never age out of meddling. Jeraldine Saunders' nonfiction about cruise life inspired the premise; Wilford…
Filed against
- Gavin MacLeod as Capt. Merrill Stubing
Gavin MacLeod's Capt. Merrill Stubing hosted three guest-star storylines a week on The Love Boat while Julie, Doc, Gopher, and Isaac kept the Pacific Princess meddling. Aaron Spelling cruise-ship anthology as comfort franchise: formula as…
- Bernie Kopell as Dr. Adam Bricker
Bernie Kopell’s Dr. Adam Bricker kept The Love Boat meddling — Gavin MacLeod’s Captain Stubing, three guest-star storylines a week, Julie, Gopher, Isaac, Aaron Spelling cruise-ship anthology as comfort franchise. Formula as feature, theme…
- Fred Grandy as Burl 'Gopher' Smith
Fred Grandy kept the Pacific Princess meddling as Burl 'Gopher' Smith on The Love Boat — three guest-star storylines a week, Aaron Spelling cruise-ship anthology as comfort franchise, formula as feature. Bon voyage, subtlety. TV Flash…
- Ted Lange as Isaac Washington
Ted Lange poured The Love Boat as Isaac Washington — bartender as Greek chorus, three guest-star storylines a week, Aaron Spelling cruise-ship anthology as comfort franchise. Formula as feature, theme as furniture. TV Flash files him as…
- Lauren Tewes as Julie McCoy
Lauren Tewes's Julie McCoy kept The Love Boat meddling on schedule — Gavin MacLeod's Captain Stubing, three guest-star storylines a week, Aaron Spelling cruise-ship anthology as comfort franchise. Formula as feature, theme as furniture.…
Also in season 1
- S01E01 The Captain and the Lady / One if By Land / Centerfold
- S01E02 Oh, Dale! / The Main Event / A Tasteful Affair
- S01E03 Ex Plus Y / Graham and Kelly / Golden Agers
- S01E04 Message for Maureen / Acapulco Connection / Gotcha
- S01E05 Help! Murder! / Isaac the Groupie / Mr. Popularity
- S01E06 The Joker is Mild / First Time Out / Take My Granddaughter, Please