TV Flash
All episodes Season 4 S04E02 1980-11-01 60 min 1970s ABC

The Love Boat

The Promoter / The Judges / The Family Plan / Forever Engaged / May the Best Man Win (1)

TV Flash files “The Promoter / The Judges / The Family Plan / Forever Engaged / May the Best Man Win (1)” as hour 82 of 245 in the TV Flash guide — The Love Boat (1977–1986) on ABC, season 4, episode 2, aired 1980-11-01, 60 min.

From the desk

How this hour is filed

This leaf is S04E02: listed hour 82 of 245 in the The Love Boat guide, hour 2 of 28 in season 4. It aired 1980-11-01 (60 min). The listed hour before it is “Friends and Lovers / Sergeant Bull / Miss Mother” (S04E01). Next is “The Promoter / The Judges / The Family Plan / Forever Engaged / May the Best Man Win (2)” (S04E03).

The Love Boat — The Promoter / The Judges / The Family Plan / Forever Engaged / May the Best Man Win (1) (S04E02)

Catalog log

Broadcast listing — not a TV Flash recap.

A man organizes a "marriage-a-thon" cruise, with special prizes to be given to the couple found to be the most compatible. At the same time, he tries to save his own crumbling marriage. Doc tricks Gopher into taking his place as one of the judges, but comes to regret it when the two attractive female judges constantly try to make time with Gopher. The single parents of one of the engaged couples come aboard with the hopes of breaking up their kids, who they think are too young to be tying the knot. A couple tries to finally get married after ten years together--and nine broken engagements. A groom decides to dump his fiancée, but skips the cruise and leaves his best man to break the news to the bride. The best man is Marv, the young man who befriended Julie when he was best man for another wedding on the Alaska cruise. He cannot bring himself to tell the bride the truth, particularly because he also has feelings for her.

Viewer FAQ

Where does The Promoter / The Judges / The Family Plan / Forever Engaged / May the Best Man Win (1) sit in the The Love Boat guide?

S04E02 is listed hour 82 of 245 — hour 2 of 28 in season 4, season 4 episode 2.

When did The Love Boat S04E02 air?

The Promoter / The Judges / The Family Plan / Forever Engaged / May the Best Man Win (1) aired 1980-11-01 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 4 hub

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Also in season 4

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