Were there any big names of the day that were asked to appear on The Love Boat that refused?

Well, I don't know whether he was asked or not but I do know William Shatner was never on The Love Boat.

As time went on,it seemed that those who guested on Love Boat were stars who had seen their heydey and had this as a chance to appear on television again.

An old magazine cartoon had an agent visiting a retired actors' home and asking,"Is there anyone here who hasn't appeared on Love Boat?"

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Richard Ranke

William Shatner, Carol Burnett, Alan Alda, Bea Arthur, Mary Tyler Moore, Ed Asner...
Actually, there's too many to count!

i dont know but damn there were alot that were.

:eek: that's odd that Gavin's old pals from MTM weren't on an episode! i know Ed Asner was on "Lou Grant" from 1977-1982 but he could've made an appearance after 1982? well, i never thought of it, but Ed might've hated Aaron Spelling. you never know! in Spelling's book he stated that he purposely wanted legends of "old" Hollywood to mix with the "new" stars. he felt that it was wrong fr Hollywood to turn their back on proven greats and risk a fortune on an unknown and that's why all of his shows have at least one or two established actors among the new-comers. anyway, as the show became more and more popular, you know the old story... a backlash occurs and people who've never watched a single episode staight through feel that they've got the right to bash it. then, before you know it, people are making so much fun of the show actors and agents get a little nervous not knowing what an appearance might do to a career! some actors, like the ones who never made an appearance, were scared that they would be made fun of. others, like the older celebs, who were shrewd enough to know a guest spot on the show would keep their name/image in the spotlight, were thrilled to have a chance to be exposed to the younger audience watching it. that's my theory as to why certain people never did the show.

correct me if i'm wrong
but i don't think ron howard was ever on the love boat.
i don't think micheal landon was ever on the love boat.
how about lucille ball? jackie gleeson or dick van dyke?
of course i did'nt see every episode of the love boat.
so correct me if i'm wrong

:( Michael Landon hated TV...that's why he did "Little House on the Prairie" and "Highway to Heaven". i think i saw an episode with Dick Van Dyke-he played an ex-clown? i think that Ron Howard was too hot as Richie Cunningham to make an appearance...but Marion Ross and Tom Bosley frequently made trips on the boat!

that's odd that Gavin's old pals from MTM weren't on an episode!

Well, a few were. Ted Knight was on the episode "Pride of the Pacific", where he played Captain Stubing's rival in a contest in Alaska. Betty White was on two that I can think of - "Aunt Sylvia" and "Gopher and Isaac Buy a Horse", and Georgia Engel was on two I think. But it's too bad that we never got to see Ed Asner, Valerie Harper, Cloris Leachman, and ESPECIALLY MARY!! Can't you just picture the look on Gavin MacLeod's face if she came up to him in the lobby and asked, "Excuse me, can you help me find Aloha 123?"

Danny Bonaduce was never on Love Boat. Neither was Susan Dey! Nor Jerry Van Dyke. Nor Russell Johnson. Nor Tim Conway. Nor Larry Hagman or even Barbara Eden! Nor old time Hollywood legend James Cagney.

And Burt Ward (Robin) was never on there. Nor Paul Peterson (but tv sister Shelly Fabares was), nor Fred MacMurrey, nor any Star Trek TOS regulars, nor Gary Conaway (Land of the Giants), nor Billy Mummy, nor June Lockhart, nor Fred Gwynne and the list goes on and on. Happy now?

Cloris Leachman did appear on "Love Boat". However, it was in the first pilot, in which Gavid McLeod did not appear.

Most "big stars" did NOT appear on "Love Boat", since it was regarded as a haven for has-beens. "Love Boat" did get some stars on their way up (like Michael J. Fox), but caught most of them on their way down (like Ethel Merman).

I'm very glad that many, many actors didn't think of The Love Boat as something that was below them. If all actors thought of this show as just for "has beens or "no talents" we wouldn't have seen all the actors that DID appear on The Love Boat. The guest stars helped to make the show, but the regular cast helped make the show so popular. JMO. :wave: