One Of The Best Sitcoms Is Being Turned Into A Dating Show
One of the most popualar sitcoms from the 1970s and 1980s is now being revamped and turned into a dating show for the CBS network.
This article is more than 2 years old
Does anyone remember the 1970s sitcom, The Love Boat? Well, chances are you weren’t alive when it first aired, so you likely don’t. The original scripted show saw a ton of guest celebrities coming together and finding love and getting into hijinx with one another aboard the MS Pacific Princess. The Love Boat ran from 1977 to 1986. This was also accompanied by four three-hour specials that aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. Quite honestly, the original show also had one of the best and most recognizable theme songs in the history of television. Now the sitcom is being turned into a real-life dating show called, The Real Love Boat. The new dating show has been ordered by CBS.
The difference between the original show and The Real Love Boat, is that this new dating competition show will not be scripted in any way. The reality show will feature singles attempting to find love while also engaging in challenges that incorporate cash prizes. The setting will still be aboard a Princess Cruise ship, and there is mention that a psuedo-Captain Stubing will also take part in the competition, while they attempt to guide the single folks into picking the right partner. Captain Stubing, Gopher, and Doc were three of the most notable characters from the original series. Though they have not been named as such, it has been revealed that a “captain” and “cruise director” will play a crucial part in the romance aspect of the new dating show. The show is said to take the single patrons on the cruise ship for a month, with one winning couple taking home a significant cash prize at the end. Finding love and winning cash is not a bad deal.
While The Love Boat was revived a couple of times without luck, this will be the first time that the series will feature a reality TV format and won’t rely on scripted jokes. The most recent attempt at revival was that of the failed The Love Boat: The New Wave, which aired on UPN from 1998 to 1999. The series lasted for two seasons and only contained 25 episodes before it was canceled. While the show’s revivals have certainly not gone over well, the new wave of television is that of reality shows, so it stands to reason that the new Love Boat will do just fine as a dating show. With how popular reboots seem to be and reality TV especially, it could have led to CBS wanting to pick up this series even quicker.
CBS is also said to be partnering with an Australian network known as Network 10, which will see both United States and Aussie versions of the show filmed at the same time during this summer so that both can air later on this year. When a dating show is a hit in the states, it usually gets turned into an international version that showcases the same exact format. The Real Love Boat will be airing on CBS sometime later this year, so keeps your eyes peeled and hope the newly revamped series will borrow that same epic intro theme song.
