Someone needs to create a
cable channel dedicated exclusively to shows perfect to nod off to; every night
around bedtime, they could run a mini-marathon of The Love Boat. The quintessential
repository for '70s kitsch, The Love Boat sets low-impact romantic plots amid the
sexy glamour of a cruise ship, casts aging movie stars and TV ingénues to
interact with the show's non-threatening regulars, then adds a laugh track so
viewers won't have to expend any energy laughing for themselves. The Love
Boat practically
whispers "relax" with every scene. It drifts in and out like a dream—the
kind of dream that leaves viewers feeling refreshed but slightly addled, and
muttering to anyone who'll listen, "So what happens is that Gary Burghoff, Jane
Curtin, and Phil Silvers are on a cruise to Mexico…"
The Love Boat: Season
One, Volume One
DVD set offers no context for one of the biggest hits of its era; it even
forgoes the three TV movies that served as backdoor pilots for the series.
Instead, it offers 12 standalone episodes, each with three distinct stories of
estranged couples renewing their love—or unlikely young pairs getting it
on—all watched over by The Pacific Princess' benevolent, surprisingly
idle crew. A lot of the show's sets were practical and its plots tied to cruise
culture, which in the '70s was still primarily a pastime for the rich. So much
of the appeal of the show comes from watching other people enjoy extravagant
luxury.
But it also matters who the cruisers are. The
Love Boat
brought well-known faces back into viewers' homes, in new contexts. Like the
game shows and talk shows of the era, The Love Boat was the TV equivalent of
baseball's designated-hitter rule, giving past-their-prime players a chance to
pad their stats. And as it happened, the likes of Polly Bergen and Steve Allen
fit right into The Love Boat's tableau of wood-paneled restaurants, polyester
pantsuits, and bushy-haired extras. Nothing about the show was meant to stand
out, because the audience wasn't expected to think about anything too hard.
Just let it flow. It floats back to you.
Key features: "Love" (in the tennis
sense).