Captain Picard’s Love Boat

Actor Chris Pine recently appeared on an episode of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, as a very Shatner-esqe version of Captain James T. Kirk. The segment ignited discussion on social media of past SNL Star Trek skits, including Shatner’s iconic 1986 “Get A Life” sketch. However, one that seemed to go somewhat unnoticed was 1994’s Next Generation–Love Boat mashup, featuring Patrick Stewart himself as Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

“And love… life’s sweetest reward. Let it flow, it flows back to you!” – The Love Boat theme song

In the 1970’s, one Hollywood TV producer nearly single handedly dominated the television broadcast airwaves. Aaron Spelling, one time actor – appearing in bit parts on shows such as I Love Lucy – became one of the most popular and prolific TV show creators around. Leave it to the master of the hit series TV landscape, Aaron Spelling, to have a connection to Star Trek – however accidental.

Mar 10, 2012  Two decades ago ABC scrapped its Love Boat sitcom. Now, the owners are doing the same to the eponymous vessel. But before you shed a tear for the years spent following the follies of Captain Stubing and Gopher aboard the ship, the Love Boat’s cruel end might be for the best. This short-lived remake of the classic '70s/'80s series The Love Boat followed the adventures of the crew of the cruise ship Sun Princess and the romantic entanglements of the passengers on each.

Iconic shows like Charlie’s Angels and Fantasy Island were must watch TV back in the day, and regular viewers of the boob tube simply couldn’t warp away from Spelling’s creative spell even if they had a Starfleet transporter. If visionaries such as Rod Serling and Gene Roddenberry ruled as TV’s “golden age” sci-fi gurus, then Aaron Spelling ruled in his era as an equal master of pop culture escapism.

Crime fighting and fantasy fulfillment aside, Spelling also liked to just have laughs on his shows. That search for chuckles gave television viewers Spelling’s masterpiece of campy, ocean trekking fun – The Love Boat.

The Love Boat was a one hour ABC sitcom, chock full of familiar faces from yesterday’s silver screen. The mighty Pacific Princess, a luxury cruise liner, led by Captain Stubing, a paternal, take charge, bald commander – captivated viewers for nine seasons.

Set a course for… LOVE!

Snl Generation X Skit

Wait a minute… sounds familiar. Bald Captain – a massive, luxury vessel which would ferry an eclectic mix of passengers of all manner and description to exotic destinations… Let’s see. What other TV series does it remind me of? Hmmm…

Watch the classic 1994 Saturday Night Live skit – complete with guest host Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, as he sets a course for romance and love, along with Chris Farley playing Number One and Rob Schneider as ole yellow eyes himself, android Mr. Data.

Did Roddenberry pattern his Jean-Luc Picard after Spelling’s Stubing? Decide for yourself, but the parallels between the legendary shows make for a wonderful parody. Maybe subconsciously Roddenberry’s push for a bigger, prettier more luxurious starship design for his Enterprise D – complete with those nifty ‘hotel like’ furnishings of carpets and plants in the corridors – came after watching Spelling’s opulent creation.

More from Will Stape’s series on TrekNews.net celebrating the 30th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation:

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Will is an Emmy Award nominated screenwriter, book author and content producer. He’s written for magazines, the web and for several highly respected TV shows, most notably for the Star Trek franchise.

The Love Boat The Next Generation

Will penned episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, and he was one of the few freelancers to work on episodes for both landmark Hollywood series, born of visionary Gene Roddenberry. He’s pitched to Star Trek: Voyager, Deep Space Nine & for USA Network’s show, Stephen King’s The Dead Zone.

His articles & celebrity interviews appear in national magazines, websites, newspapers and he’s written extensively for publications such as: Yahoo! News, McCall’s Quilter’s Home, American Chronicle, Bayonne Style, OMG, Shine, Hudson Reporter, The Last Reel & Sci-Fi Pulse.

His new book, Star Trek Sex: Analyzing The Most Sexually Charged Episodes Of The Original Series, is published by Bearmanor Media.

You can follow Will on Twitter @willstape and @LaughTrek.

Related

• Report: 'Love Boat' cruise ship sold for scrapFox News
• Love Boat, viale del tramonto sarà demolito il mito delle crociereLa Repubblica
• Report: Famed 'Love Boat' cruise ship headed to scrapyardUSA Today

Two decades ago ABC scrapped its Love Boat sitcom. Now, the owners are doing the same to the eponymous vessel. But before you shed a tear for the years spent following the follies of Captain Stubing and Gopher aboard the ship, the Love Boat’s cruel end might be for the best. The 550-foot cruise liner has sat idle at a marina in Genoa, Italy for two years, awaiting payment on a repair bill. According to Italian newspaper La Repubblica, the San Giorgio del Porto shipyards are owed a €6 million restoration bill for asbestos removal. As a result of the default, the court of Genoa seized the ship and had been trying to auction it off since late 2010, with little success. This week, however, Turkish scrapper Cemsan purchased the boat for €2.5 million ($3.3 million).

(PHOTOS: Bon Voyage to the Queen Elizabeth 2)

Though it’s the final cruise for the celebrated ship, it’s had a long run even since its days of stardom. The ship was built in the 1960s and first set off from port in 1971 under the name “Sea Venture.” In 1975, the ship was sold to Princess Cruises, who dubbed it “Pacific Princess.” But all monikers aside, it sailed into our hearts in 1977 as the “Love Boat” when ABC decided to use it as the backdrop for the weekly television show.

Since the sitcom’s run ended in 1986, the “Love Boat” remained its old self, an actual cruise ship, and reclaimed its original “Pacific Princess” name. Only able to hold 640 passengers, the ship is tiny by today’s cruise ship standards. A new Pacific Princess, one that could hold nearly 800 passengers (still a small capacity; most Princess cruise ships hold between 1,500 and 3,000 people), took to the seas in late 2002 to replace the ailing Love Boat. But the television star was not officially out of work – the boat was stripped of the “Princess” title and sold to Spanish cruise line Pullmantur, embarking on Caribbean jaunts. But in 2009, it was brought to Italy for repairs and wasn’t unmoored. It’s a grim end for a piece of television history, but its legacy will float on: Cruise experts credit the ship for glamorizing and popularizing the cruise industry.

MORE: $2.6 Million Chinese Yacht Sinks Immediately After Launch