The Love Boat
Country Blues / A Matter of Taste / Frat Brothers Forever
TV Flash files “Country Blues / A Matter of Taste / Frat Brothers Forever” as hour 207 of 245 in the TV Flash guide — The Love Boat (1977–1986) on ABC, season 8, episode 14, aired 1984-12-08, 60 min.
From the desk
How this hour is filed
This leaf is S08E14: listed hour 207 of 245 in the The Love Boat guide, hour 14 of 27 in season 8. It aired 1984-12-08 (60 min). The listed hour before it is “Paying the Piper / Baby Sister / Help Wanted” (S08E13). Next is “Santa, Santa, Santa / Another Dog Gone Christmas / Noel's Christmas Carol” (S08E15).
Catalog log
Broadcast listing — not a TV Flash recap.
A cute country girl who aspires to be a singer falls for a young country music star, but his manager knows that his star can only write songs when sad; two interior designers, former lovers, compete to redecorate the ship and eventually end up together again; one of Doc's womanizing fraternity brothers from his college days arrives on board, but with his male lover secretly in tow.
Viewer FAQ
Where does Country Blues / A Matter of Taste / Frat Brothers Forever sit in the The Love Boat guide?
S08E14 is listed hour 207 of 245 — hour 14 of 27 in season 8, season 8 episode 14.
When did The Love Boat S08E14 air?
Country Blues / A Matter of Taste / Frat Brothers Forever aired 1984-12-08 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 8
- S08E01 The Crew's Cruise Director / What a Drag / Doc's Slump
- 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