The Love Boat
The Return of the Captain's Lady / Love Ain't Illegal / The Irresistible Man
TV Flash files “The Return of the Captain's Lady / Love Ain't Illegal / The Irresistible Man” as hour 125 of 245 in the TV Flash guide — The Love Boat (1977–1986) on ABC, season 5, episode 17, aired 1982-02-06, 60 min.
From the desk
How this hour is filed
This leaf is S05E17: listed hour 125 of 245 in the The Love Boat guide, hour 17 of 29 in season 5. It aired 1982-02-06 (60 min). The listed hour before it is “Green But Not Jolly / Past Perfect Love / Instant Family” (S05E16). Next is “His Girls Friday / A Wife for Wilfred / The Girl Who Stood Still” (S05E18).
Catalog log
Broadcast listing — not a TV Flash recap.
An old flame of the Captain's returns for a cruise. As the captain prepares to propose, Doc and Isaac discovers some news, which will cause the Captain some distress. Two business partners and their secretary are on the cruise to celebrate winning a large contract. One partner is not as honest as he seems and tries to use his secretary's love for him to cover his underhanded tricks. In an attempt to get the attention of a woman he cares for, a passenger reports that he had been sexually attacked by an unknown female passenger in a...
Viewer FAQ
Where does The Return of the Captain's Lady / Love Ain't Illegal / The Irresistible Man sit in the The Love Boat guide?
S05E17 is listed hour 125 of 245 — hour 17 of 29 in season 5, season 5 episode 17.
When did The Love Boat S05E17 air?
The Return of the Captain's Lady / Love Ain't Illegal / The Irresistible Man aired 1982-02-06 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 5
- S05E01 The Expedition / Julie's Wedding / The Mongala / Julie's Replacement / The Three R's / The Professor's Wife (1)
- S05E02 The Expedition / Julie's Wedding / The Mongala / Julie's Replacement / The Three R's / The Professor's Wife (2)
- S05E03 Two Grapes on the Vine / Aunt Sylvia / Deductible Divorce
- S05E04 The Incredible Hunk / Isaac, the Marriage Counselor / Jewels and Jim
- S05E05 Country Blues / Daddy's Little Girl / Jackpot
- S05E06 Chef's Special / Kleinschmidt / Beginning Anew