It took three tries, but they finally got it right. Not good, mind you (The Love Boat could never be "good."). But taken on its own terms, this pilot hits the right notes.
Kopell, Grandy and Lange were all wisely held over from The Love Boat II, while Gavin MacLeod and Lauren Tewes are piped aboard as the third captain and cruise director. As cruise director Julie McCoy, Tewes provides the same level of acting ability as Diane Stilwell from The Love Boat II (that is, they're both good actors), but she has real chemistry with the rest of the cast, something Stilwell couldn't manage. MacLeod nails the captain role. Ted Hamilton (captain number one) is too stiff, while Quinn Redeker (captain number two) is too serious and dramatic. MacLeod is the only one of the three who seems to understand that he's in a situation comedy. So while the basic outlines of the role are the same (tough ex-naval officer), MacLeod brings some real warmth to the part, along with an always present twinkle in his eye. He makes all the difference.
As for the rest of it, pretty much the same in tone and structure as the second pilot, but ABC didn't put as much money into this one so it's only 90 minutes long (including commercials) and has no real cruise location footage, just a few shots on the deck of the (docked) Queen Mary and a few on and around the (docked) Pacific Princess.
Kopell, Grandy and Lange were all wisely held over from The Love Boat II, while Gavin MacLeod and Lauren Tewes are piped aboard as the third captain and cruise director. As cruise director Julie McCoy, Tewes provides the same level of acting ability as Diane Stilwell from The Love Boat II (that is, they're both good actors), but she has real chemistry with the rest of the cast, something Stilwell couldn't manage. MacLeod nails the captain role. Ted Hamilton (captain number one) is too stiff, while Quinn Redeker (captain number two) is too serious and dramatic. MacLeod is the only one of the three who seems to understand that he's in a situation comedy. So while the basic outlines of the role are the same (tough ex-naval officer), MacLeod brings some real warmth to the part, along with an always present twinkle in his eye. He makes all the difference.
As for the rest of it, pretty much the same in tone and structure as the second pilot, but ABC didn't put as much money into this one so it's only 90 minutes long (including commercials) and has no real cruise location footage, just a few shots on the deck of the (docked) Queen Mary and a few on and around the (docked) Pacific Princess.