TV Flash
All episodes Season 2 S02E21 1979-02-17 60 min 1970s ABC

The Love Boat

Tug of War / A Good and Faithful Servant / The Secret Life of Burl Smith / Designated Lover

TV Flash files “Tug of War / A Good and Faithful Servant / The Secret Life of Burl Smith / Designated Lover” as hour 46 of 245 in the TV Flash guide — The Love Boat (1977–1986) on ABC, season 2, episode 21, aired 1979-02-17, 60 min.

From the desk

How this hour is filed

This leaf is S02E21: listed hour 46 of 245 in the The Love Boat guide, hour 21 of 27 in season 2. It aired 1979-02-17 (60 min). The listed hour before it is “Dream Boat / Best of Friends / Aftermath” (S02E20). Next is “The Decision / Poor Little Rich Girl / Love Me, Love My Dog” (S02E22).

The Love Boat — Tug of War / A Good and Faithful Servant / The Secret Life of Burl Smith / Designated Lover (S02E21)

Catalog log

Broadcast listing — not a TV Flash recap.

Estelle Castlewood (Celeste Holm) begins to discover what a charming gentleman Bertram McDonald (Sir John Mills) is when she meets him as an equal aboard ship, in "A Good and Faithful! Servant," written by Bruce Howard. Poor Gopher is so clumsy and tongue-tied upon meeting the girl of his dreams (Hayley Mills) that he envisions himself as fascinating figures who could capture her attention in "The Secret Life of Burl Smith," written by Barry Blitzer. Young Lucas, given a cruise by his mother, Millicent Raleigh (Juliet Mills), for his birthday, is caught in a parental tug of war when his father. Sherman Raleigh (Hedison), boards the ship to share his birthday in "Tug of War," written by Ben Joelson and Art Baer, Reggie Jackson asks his old pal, Isaac, to help keep his identity a secret to avoid fan adulation, but changes his mind when he meets gorgeous Cleo (Telma Hopkins) in "The Designated Lover," written by Bob Fraser and Rob Dames (cq).

Viewer FAQ

Where does Tug of War / A Good and Faithful Servant / The Secret Life of Burl Smith / Designated Lover sit in the The Love Boat guide?

S02E21 is listed hour 46 of 245 — hour 21 of 27 in season 2, season 2 episode 21.

When did The Love Boat S02E21 air?

Tug of War / A Good and Faithful Servant / The Secret Life of Burl Smith / Designated Lover aired 1979-02-17 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

Filed by Lana Reyes · Red Carpet Reality · Show package

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…

Open the The Love Boat package · Season 2 hub

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Also in season 2

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