How ‘The Real Love Boat’ Will Pay Homage to the Original Series
“Love, exciting and new/ Come aboard, we’re expecting you…” Those lyrics to the original Love Boat theme song are just one dose of nostalgia that fans can expect while tuning into CBS’s new reality series, The Real Love Boat. The show takes inspiration from the hit 1970s and ’80s romantic comedy, putting a real-life spin on the love that characters experienced on the original Love Boat. The Real Love Boat might look different from what some viewers know, but it will pay homage to the original series in a few ways.
‘The Real Love Boat’ turns ‘The Love Boat’ into a reality show
For the uninitiated, The Love Boat was a scripted series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986. Taking place aboard a cruise ship, the show featured a handful of recurring characters — Captain Stubing (Gavin MacLeod), purser Burl “Gopher” Smith (Fred Grandy), bartender Isaac Washington (Ted Lange), Dr. Adam “Doc” Bricker (Bernie Kopell), and cruise director Julie McCoy (Lauren Tewes). The crew members often witnessed blossoming romances between the passengers, played by guest stars like Betty White, Rita Moreno, Tom Hanks, and more.
Just like The Love Boat, The Real Love Boat stars a captain (Paolo Arrigo), a bartender (Ezra Freeman), and a cruise director (Matt Mitcham). With help from hosts Jerry O’Connell and Rebecca Romijn, the crew will play matchmaker for 12 singles aboard the cruise. As the singles pair off, they must complete chemistry and compatibility challenges. Each week, the ship will make stops at ports throughout the Mediterranean, bringing in some new faces — and leaving some behind.
Princess Cruises continue their connection to ‘Love Boat’ with ‘The Real Love Boat’
The original Love Boat was filmed on various ships in the Princess Cruises line, including The Pacific Princess, The Island Princess, and The Sun Princess. Since then, The Love Boat has been a huge part of the Princess Cruises brand. Gavin MacLeod even served as a spokesperson for Princess Cruises for over three decades. As such, it only made sense for The Real Love Boat to use another Princess Cruises ship: The Regal Princess.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to incorporate the iconic Love Boat television show — so closely associated with the Princess experience — into an exciting reality series for today’s audiences,” Princess Cruises president John Padgett told Travel Age West. “Each week, the Princess brand will be showcased to millions of Americans in CBS’ primetime lineup, with viewers getting a firsthand look at our beautifully appointed ships, our incredible destinations, and our amazing crew in a fun and creative way.”
‘The Real Love Boat’ will bring back stars from the original scripted series
The cruise ship isn’t the only connection between The Love Boat and The Real Love Boat. In addition to the new cast, fans will see some familiar Love Boat faces. For example, the original bartender himself, Ted Lange, visits the cruise in The Real Love Boat’s cold open, as seen above. Jill Whelan, who played Captain Stubing’s daughter, Vicki, will also have a cameo. Whelan has shared her excitement over seeing The Love Boat brought back to life in a new way.
“This is a cool way to bring back the essence of our show in a fresh and different way,” she said, per Los Angeles Times. “It’s a fun opportunity for me and Ted as elder statesmen to come and talk to these kids about what love and romance really looks like.”
The Real Love Boat premieres tonight, Oct. 5, at 9 p.m. ET on CBS. New episodes air every Wednesday, with next-day streaming available on Paramount+.
