Scrapping the Love Boat

It's a very sad day for those of us that are TV watchers.  A report from Fox News indicates that the "Love Boat," also known as the Pacific Princess, has been sold for scrap.

The ship originally went into service as a cruise ship in the early 70's, but then served as the inspiration for Aaron Spelling's effort at comedy, drama and love on the high seas, with a liberal dash of Charo, who appeared on the show as a special guest star 8 times (although to those of us that watched, it seemed like she was there every third week).

Call it the end of an era, call it what you will, when you say that the ship that formerly carried the name "Pacific Princess" is about to be scrapped, it proves to me that time really flies by when you're having fun.  How many of us remember watching Love Boat and the show that followed it, Fantasy Island on Saturday nights.  Now the ship that so many said they wanted to take a cruise on will be split up and used for heaven only knows what.

I know that there have been other classic shows out there that were far better and even without the ship around, we can still check out reruns of this show from time to time.  Still, it shows me that time marches on.  Would such a show thrive on television today?  I highly doubt it.  Even if you think it might be possible, think no further than the sequel series "Love Boat: The Next Wave"

What will they think of next for television?  Hopefully not a Munster's remake.  But, wait...they are.  Still, television is not near as fun as it used to be when Captain Stubing and his crew, including a future member of Congress in Fred Grandy, hit the seas.