The Love Boat
The Crew's Cruise Director / What a Drag / Doc's Slump
TV Flash files “The Crew's Cruise Director / What a Drag / Doc's Slump” as the first listed hour of season 8 — The Love Boat (1977–1986) on ABC, season 8, episode 1, aired 1984-09-22, 90 min.
From the desk
How this hour is filed
This leaf is S08E01: listed hour 194 of 245 in the The Love Boat guide, first listed hour of season 8. It aired 1984-09-22 (90 min). The listed hour before it is “Best Ex-Friends / All the Congressman's Women / Three Faces of Love” (S07E27). Next is “Vicki and the Fugitive / Lady in the Window / Stolen Years / Dutch Treat (1)” (S08E02).
Catalog log
Broadcast listing — not a TV Flash recap.
A bevy of beauties, including a stunning new cruise director (Patricia Klous), board the Pacific Princess for an all-woman voyage to Alaska. Then, two men get in touch with their feminine side to try and spy on the female festivities. Meanwhile, Doc rethinks his womanizing ways when he's forced to juggle too many stunners.
Viewer FAQ
Where does The Crew's Cruise Director / What a Drag / Doc's Slump sit in the The Love Boat guide?
S08E01 is listed hour 194 of 245 — first listed hour of season 8, season 8 episode 1.
When did The Love Boat S08E01 air?
The Crew's Cruise Director / What a Drag / Doc's Slump aired 1984-09-22 and is listed at 90 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 8
- S08E02 Vicki and the Fugitive / Lady in the Window / Stolen Years / Dutch Treat (1)
- S08E03 Vicki and the Fugitive / Lady in the Window / Stolen Years / Dutch Treat (2)
- S08E04 Ace Meets the Champ / Why Justin Can't Read / Call Me A Doctor
- S08E05 Only The Good Die Young / Honey Beats The Odds / The Light Of Another Day
- S08E06 Soap Gets in Your Eyes / A Match Made in Heaven / Tugs of the Heart
- S08E07 And One to Grow On / Seems Like Old Times / I'll Never Forget What's Her Name