the rix mix

One of the most famous cruise ships of the modern era, the former Pacific Princess, is heading to the scrapyard, according to Italy's La Repubblica.


The news outlet says the 40-year-old vessel, recognizable to millions of Americans as the "Love Boat" of 1970s television, has been sold to a Turkish demolition company for just over 2.5 million euro -- about $3.3 million at current exchange rates.

The ship is tiny by today's standards. & contemporary, informal "free style" cruises on giant cruise ships don't encourage the busy-body, gossipy relationship situations that were the staple of plots on The Love Boat - there were three stories in every show.  Also, you're no longer expected to pack evening clothes to attend the final night Captain's Gala Dinner/dance. Or maybe you are, but hardly anyone thinks that's cool anymore & actually goes. One of the few reasons I wanted to be wealthy was so I could own a tux & have occasions to wear it. (On The Love Boat, formal attire was worn in the ship nightclub.)

But The Love Boat was sort of the era's Dancing With the Stars, a place where fading movie & TV stars & other assorted  celebrities gathered for paychecks - definitely easier than DWTS. The Love Boat signed up these guest stars literally  by the hundreds for cruises on The Pacific Princess  (although only the two TV movie pilots were actually filmed on cruise ships). So many stars (check out this one intro, Elke Sommer is a totally hot 40 year old), so much love, the disco beat & trumpet intro to the cool theme song that pulled everyone into the  living room to see  the guest star mug shots inside the porthole, & Ted Lange mixing tropical cocktails as "Your Bartender." I'm bereft.

Labels: culture, TV, video