User Reviews

For some reason, I always thought that the character of April Lopez (played by the iconic Spanish singer Charo) was introduced in a later season of The Love Boat. But this very early Season 1 episode actually marks her introduction to the show. Charo was a pop culture sensation in the 1970s who appeared in a bunch of sitcoms and variety shows. Her hook was her distinctive Spanish accent and interesting spin on the English language that was played for laughs at a time when you could make fun of anything. Including this first appearance on the long-running series, Charo guest starred in 10 episodes, average of 1 per season the show was on the air. My guess is that this is a record for the most appearances of a guest star, but I could be wrong. In this particular episode, there are several hilarious moments where Charo butchers certain words and characters openly mock her but in a friendly, funny way. The timing from the main cast was pretty spot on and April fit right in. Charo plays a stowaway who sneaks on the ship during it's first Mexican stop in order to get to the United States for better opportunities. Comic chaos ensues as Stubing and Julie find April hidden in a laundry cart, then Gopher and Doc make arrangements to put her up in the medical bay before Stubing demands that April must leave the ship at the next stop. After embarking at stop #2, April sneaks back on ship for a second time and so the quartet of Doc, Julie, Isaac, and Gopher put their heads together to figure out a way to trick Stubing into helping her. Their solution? Have April do a surprise performance wow-ing the passengers with her singing and guitar skills. The plan works as Stubing ends up getting April a job as an entertainer with the cruise line. Retroactively, it makes me think Charo could have just become a semi-regular on the show instead of just making the random guest appearance. The second subplot of the episode involves a sports journalist (played by none other than Bill Bixby of The Incredible Hulk fame, the greatest comic book superhero series ever, in my opinion) who banters with and romances a wheelchair-ridden tennis star (played by Brenda Benet, an actress who looks familiar from that era) that is scheduled for a surgery that will allow her to walk again. The remaining subplot involves a middle-aged married couple played by the iconic comedian Milton Berle and Audra Lindley (Mrs. Roper from Three's Company) as the husband is an insufferable practical joker that goes one step too far and needs to be taught a lesson by his wife and a couple that he's been playing pranks on. But the April subplot dominates this one with nonstop wit and humor. Very entertaining early episode.

It's early, but I'm here. Life is busy. I have to get in my The Love Boat when I can. I always quite enjoyed Bixby as Bruce Banner. In real life, Benet and Bixby were married. Her life ended tragically. This is our fourth episode and our third featuring a member of the Three's Company cast (Audra Lindley.) She looks younger here than the character she played there. Milton Berle would enjoy something of a comeback in the 1980s. Here he gets to say 'plastic doodie.' I mean, that's edgy for The Love Boat. In reality, no adult could ever act like Berle behaves. We like The Love Boat for its pure fantasy. This is the first of Charo's many appearances. Don't bother asking me to explain Charo. No one can explain Charo! "America, here I come," she says. We could do a lot worse than Charo. No, this is not a topical comment on the immigration crisis. 'I am the captain of the ship, not Soupy Sales,' Stubing says. Mary Grace Canfield from Green Acres is a housekeeper here. We get our first look at Gopher's cabin, with his Humphrey Bogart posters. I love the early silly Gopher before he became dull. "I have an uncle who's a midget,' he says. The floral dress Julie wears at the show is hideous. Britt Leach is one of those super familiar faces. (He made three appearances on Three's Company.) The Bixby/Benet story is rather rote. I don't mind Charo though. Berle and Lindley are okay too. On Kafka's Love Boat Scale, this gets 3 * out of a possible 4 *.