Saturday 9: The Love Boat (1977)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) The Love Boat ran from 1977 to 1987. It was in the Top 10 for seven of those 10 seasons. Are you familiar with the show? Were you a fan? I was a huge fan! Every week my friends and I would watch it and then hang out for Fantasy Island.
2) Every week, viewers followed The Pacific Princess as she set sail to a glamorous destination. Have you ever taken a cruise? If so, where did you go? Just one. My husband and I went on our first cruise last summer. In fact, I think it we were on it exactly a year ago. Sigh...what a difference a year makes, huh? Anyway, we boarded in Baltimore and sailed up the New England coast making stops in Boston and Maine before cutting over to St. John's Bay and Halifax.
3) Gavin MacLeod played Captain Steubing. Born Allan See, he came up with the stage name by combining the first name of a fictional character he admired, and the last name of a teacher who influenced him. Using his formula, give yourself a stage name. For example, Sam would be Hermione Hart (Hermione from Harry Potter; Hart for her Kindergarten teacher). Jo Giotto would be my name. Jo for Jo from Little Women and Giotto for my homeroom teacher all through high school.
4) After the series ended, Fred Grandy (aka "Gopher") went on to become a Congressman from Iowa and then CEO of Goodwill Industries. If you had a bag of gently-used items to donate, where would you take them? I usually donate to either Goodwill or St. Vincent de Paul. We only have those and the Salvation Army in our town.
5) Ted Lange is best known for his role as the ship's bartender, Isaac. But he began his career performing the classics, and appeared at Colorado Shakespearean Festival and London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Let's class up this joint. Give us a little Shakespeare.
‘If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?’ ~ The Merchant of Venice
6) Bernie Kopell played the ship's doctor, Adam Bricker. Kopell first appeared on TV in 1961 and was a regular on Get Smart and That Girl, and he's still acting today. But Love Boat was, by far, his favorite role. Working on the show was "absolute heaven" because he was paid to travel the world and meet his acting idols, like Oscar winners Greer Garson, Joan Fontaine and Eva Marie Saint, who appeared on the show. When you think of the best job you have ever had, what made it so good: the pay, the location, the people you met, or the work itself? Definitely the people I met.
7) Lauren Tewes played Cruise Director Julie McCoy. Today she lives in Seattle, appearing in local theater and -- between acting assignments -- working as a chef for a catering service. Have you hosted dinner for more than 8 people? If yes, do you remember what you served? I have. Many times. I've nearly always hosted our family holidays since getting married. Back in the early days before everyone had their own families and grandchildren started coming along, 15 or 20 wasn't an unusual number for a holiday dinner. Usually we would have a traditional ham or turkey dinner, though once I decided to do an English Christmas dinner and cooked a goose and another time I made manicotti.
8) For the first nine seasons, the theme was sung by Jack Jones. The Grammy-winning singer says one of his career highlights playing Sky Masterson onstage in Guys and Dolls. In his late 50s at the time, had had to go outside his comfort zone, dancing and acting as well as singing before a live audience. Tell us about something new you tried recently. I can't really think of anything new I've done lately.
9) Random question -- Which would you rather receive as a gift: one $500 wristwatch, or five $100 wristwatches? Depending on what it looked like, probably the one $500 wristwatch. **Fun thing...it's nearly impossible to say Irish wristwatch. Go ahead and try. And no saying it super slow. Say it normally.
First of all, thank you for linking and posting at the same time. It confuses/frustrates me when I do my rounds of everyone who has linked up and their posts don't exist. This makes it easier for me to actually see and respond to your post!
ReplyDeleteJo Giotto has a nice ring to it. It's going to be fun to see everyone's stage names.
Oops, sorry! I have done that a time or two, but decided it just isn't worth the effort of scheduling the post. Plus, I think I was missing some people who visit early and don't come back.
DeleteFunny thing, the high school teacher I took Giotto from was named Joe.
I would take the $500 watch if it was an Apple Watch. I really want to get one of those. I watched The Love Boat for years. Have a good weekend.
ReplyDeleteI didn't even think of high tech watches! I was thinking of fancy ones with diamonds or something that would double as fine jewelry.
DeleteI loved the Love Boat too. The cruise you took sounds really nice.
ReplyDeleteI think you would like that one, Ann. It was (in the world of cruises) a smaller ship with only about 4000 onboard, passengers and crew included. There were kids, but it wasn't overrun. It was mostly middle aged folks and very relaxed. My friend and I felt safe wandering the ship at night without our husbands...I've heard that's not a good idea on the huge party ships.
DeleteLooks like we both went on the New England Cruise. I hope to go on another cruise in the future.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to do another cruise one day, too. My husband would vote for Alaska. I'd love to take one to Australia and/or New Zealand.
DeleteGreat Shakespeare quote! I took an overnight cruise from Portland to some place in Nova Scotia (not Halifax, but I can't recall where) and it was a lovely time!
ReplyDeletePortland is one of the places we stopped on our cruise! It was a lovely town, but we didn't actually have time to explore the town itself, just the waterfront. I'd love to visit it again.
DeleteThat sounds like a really nice cruise. I would enjoy that one. My only cruise is around my pond on my kayak, and that would also be the "new thing" I've done lately. Your big dinners sound wonderful!! Do you do all the cooking, or do people bring side dishes? I usually do the potluck style of dinner, although I prepare the main course/meat and other basics. I never really watched "The Love Boat". I guess I was too busy raising my family at that time.
ReplyDeleteIf I had my own private pond where no one could witness my efforts I'd give kayaking a try. The dinners? Back in the day I did do all the cooking myself with maybe a hand from guests getting it all ready to go on the table. These days we have our holidays at my daughter's home, but I still do the main bit of cooking. I usually get her and my mom to cook a side dish each.
DeleteAaaargh, I'm trying to say Irish Wristwatch and spitting and cackling. I've not worn a watch in probably 30 years ... but would probably take the $500 one and sell it. I think coworkers can either make or break a workday. Fortunately, I enjoyed more of the former.
ReplyDeleteHa! I used to love to get the kids on the bus working on saying that. It would keep them busy for a while. Actually, the dementia residents found it entertaining sometimes, too.
DeleteMerchant of Venice ...Shylock. Great character, great quote
ReplyDeleteSomething new you did was go meet your birth family. That is brave. I would be scared to death. Loved your answers! Have a nice weekend.
ReplyDeletehttps://lorisbusylife.blogspot.com/
Yes, that was new...but the question was worded "tried" so I guess I just didn't think of it that way. I might have been scared if I hadn't been writing back and forth for a while first. I was certainly shaking in my boots during that first phone call with my sister last August!
DeleteI hadn't thought of the Love Boat in years so this was a fun! Stephanie Giotto doesn't sound as good as Jo Giotto! I agree with Lori... meeting your bio-fam was certainly new during these more difficult times.
ReplyDeleteNope, no ring to it at all! lol Yes, that was new. I don't know why, I just didn't think of it as an answer to the question.
DeleteYour made up name made me think of a song from elementary school: Senior Don Gato, the cat. I know, I know. My brain goes to strange places sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI love your stage name very snazzy!!!You know what, somehow in my whole life I ahve never roasted a turkey. I roasted a chicken or did just turkey breast.. Anytime I was among a large family group I was a guest, and brought the otaotes or a dessert!
ReplyDelete