1.5h on Sunday, probably 1.5h before too. Do final read.Few shows captured romance and escapism quite like the long-running TV series The Love Boat. The weekly show ran in the popular Saturday night lineup for nine seasons from 1977 to 1986, and it still ranks among the best romantic comedy TV series today.
According to the Ranker list of "The 70+ Best Romantic Comedy TV Series Of All Time," fans currently rank The Love Boat as No. 40, beating out shows such as the '80s series Remington Steele and the mid-2010s favorite Schitt's Creek. The Love Boat also remains popular enough to be ranked on JustWatch Daily Streaming Charts. As of May 5, 2026, the show ranks at No. 2,324 on the daily charts from JustWatch, which collects data from >60 million movie and TV show fans per month and includes information for 4,500 streaming services.
On May 5, 1977, exactly 49 years ago today, The Love Boat first premiered on ABC as a series of three, made-for-TV movies. The success of the movies helped launch the popular romantic comedy-drama series, executive produced by Aaron Spelling, about the crew of the Pacific Princess cruise ship and their weekly interactions (and shenanigans) with an array of cruise ship guests. Longtime fans will remember that the show aired in that popular two-hour Saturday block, along with Fantasy Island, which came on right after. The weekly series officially ran from September 24, 1977 to May 24, 1986.
Related: 1979 Movie’s Opening Scene Still Haunts a Generation—Now It’s Ranked One of the Most Terrifying Ever
Fans couldn't stop "coming aboard" The Love Boat every week and escaping into each episode's multiple storylines that were filled with romantic comedy, loads of camp, and even a wee bit of good drama.
The cast who played the beloved core crew also kept fans coming back week after week. The regular cast of actors who playedThe Love Boat crew characters, included:
Gavin MacLeod as Captain Merrill StubingBernie Kopell as Dr. Adam "Doc" BrickerFred Grandy as Burl "Gopher" SmithTed Lange as Isaac WashingtonLauren Tewes as Julie McCoyJill Whelan as Vicki StubingTed McGinley as AceThe other huge success driver for The Love Boat? The show included an extraordinary number of celebrity guest appearances—new ones every week and, quite often, an appearance from their regular guest, singer, comedian, and actress Charo.
Some of the major stars who came aboard for at least one episode of The Love Boat included:
Iconic Hollywood legends
Ginger Rogers: Legendary dancer and actressOlivia de Havilland: Classic Hollywood starGene Kelly: Famed dancer and actorEthel Merman: Broadway legendFamous TV stars
Betty White, The Golden GirlsSherman Hemsley, The JeffersonsJohn Ritter, Three's CompanyJohn Amos, Good TimesFlorence Henderson, The Brady BunchMarion Ross and Tom Bosley, Happy DaysGary Coleman, Conrad Bain, Todd Bridges, and Dana Plato, Diff'rent StrokesLoni Anderson, WKRP in CincinnatiCatherine Bach, Dukes of HazzardDebbie Allen, FameMelissa Gilbert and Melissa Sue Anderson, Little House on the PrairieRichard Dean Anderson, MacGyver and Stargate SG-1Joan Collins, DynastyJudith Light and Tony Danza, Who's the Boss?Mark Harmon, St. Elsewhere and NCISFuture stars and pop culture icons
Tom HanksMichelle PfeifferJanet JacksonMichael J. FoxKathy BatesBilly CrystalVanessa WilliamsAndy WarholKirstie AlleyTori SpellingLinda BlairJamie Lee CurtisCourteney CoxDonny OsmondDecades later, The Love Boat remains classic TV favorite, and fans still rank the show among the best because it invokes all the necessary comforts of a good nostalgia viewing (it's truly like stepping back into the late '70s and early '80s). It's light. It's easy. There's a laugh track, and it holds wide appeal with its cross-generational list of guests and storylines.
The Love Boat defined an era of TV and became a pop culture staple. It also went onto inspire future ensemble cast shows. In other words, before there was White Lotus, there was The Love Boat. Even The Simpsons took a page out of The Love Boat guest star handbook.
Step back in time and watch the Season 1 opening for The Love Boat:
Watch a clip from Tom Hanks' episode on The Love Boat:
Love Boat: The Next Wave, the short-lived sequel to the original show, ran for two seasons from 1998-1999. In 2022, there was also an unrelated reality dating series called The Real Love Boat.
The Love Boat original series is currently available for streaming via Pluto TV (Seasons 1-7, currently free), as well as Paramount+, where subscription fees apply.
?SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox?
Hence then, the article about long running 1977 romantic comedy tv series still ranks among the best ever was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Long-Running 1977 Romantic Comedy TV Series Still Ranks Among the Best Ever )
Also on site :
- Think 2026: IBM Makes Digital Sovereignty Operational with General Availability of IBM Sovereign Core
- ‘The Young and the Restless’ Legend Eileen Davidson Reveals How One ‘Topical’ Storyline Literally Saved Fans’ Lives (Exclusive)
- Iran war live: Washington, Tehran trade threats over Strait of Hormuz