The Love Boat
Aquaphobiac / Humpty Dumpty / The Starmaker
TV Flash files “Aquaphobiac / Humpty Dumpty / The Starmaker” as hour 98 of 245 in the TV Flash guide — The Love Boat (1977–1986) on ABC, season 4, episode 18, aired 1981-02-07, 60 min.
From the desk
How this hour is filed
This leaf is S04E18: listed hour 98 of 245 in the The Love Boat guide, hour 18 of 28 in season 4. It aired 1981-02-07 (60 min). The listed hour before it is “Lose One, Win One / The $10,000 Lover / Mind My Wife” (S04E17). Next is “Return of the Ninny / Touchdown Twins / Split Personality” (S04E19).
Catalog log
Broadcast listing — not a TV Flash recap.
Isaac recruits three cabin stewardesses to sing with him so he can win the attention of a talent scout; Julie has a bittersweet reunion with her college sweetheart; An aqua-phobic man deathly afraid of water causes havoc among the crew and passengers as he tries to overcome his fear.
Viewer FAQ
Where does Aquaphobiac / Humpty Dumpty / The Starmaker sit in the The Love Boat guide?
S04E18 is listed hour 98 of 245 — hour 18 of 28 in season 4, season 4 episode 18.
When did The Love Boat S04E18 air?
Aquaphobiac / Humpty Dumpty / The Starmaker aired 1981-02-07 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 4
- S04E01 Friends and Lovers / Sergeant Bull / Miss Mother
- S04E02 The Promoter / The Judges / The Family Plan / Forever Engaged / May the Best Man Win (1)
- S04E03 The Promoter / The Judges / The Family Plan / Forever Engaged / May the Best Man Win (2)
- S04E04 Target Gopher / The Major's Wife / Strange Honeymoon / The Oilman Cometh
- S04E05 The Mallory Quest / The Offer / Julie, the Vamp (1)
- S04E06 The Mallory Quest / The Offer / Julie, the Vamp (2)