The Love Boat and Fantasy Island on a 5” B&W TV

The most poignant moment in the original Love Boat, if you don't mind allowing me a moment to use "poignant' and "Love Boat" in the same sentence:

Gopher gets flowers for a new girlfriend, but from a distance he sees her enjoying the company of another man. His feelings are hurt, but the flowers are too nice to throw away. He gives the flowers to an elderly woman, a stranger, and says simply "beautiful flowers for a beautiful lady."

I haven’t seen that scene since I was probably 12 years old, but I remember his crestfallen countenance and noble gesture like it was yesterday.

I was very fond of that show, and of all the characters on it; my tween mind found a weekly suspension of disbelief that wouldn't have been possible a couple years earlier or later.

[2013-08-06]

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A Canadian friend of mine, many years ago when I was at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, discovered my shameless affection for The Love Boat and Fantasy Island, for which I set aside time with my 5” B&W TV every Saturday night.

He bought me a book, a paperback romance called  Love Island.

I still have it.

I also still have that 5" B&W TV. It's a JCPenney MCS Series VTR Component TV, first TV I ever bought with my own money. It also functioned as an oscilloscope.

 

[2014-01-03]

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