TV-on-DVD 08.07.09: The Love Boat and Everybody Hates Chris
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 THE LOVE BOAT: SEASON TWO, VOL. 2 (Paramount)
I simply can't ignore it: This second volume of The Love Boat's sophomore season is ho-hum as a whole, but this writer can't resist the swooning beauty and talent that is...Charo. Yeah, yeah - I know, this confirms my status as a blowhard weirdo of the utmost order, but for some reason in this goofy life of mine, I've found myself the owner of a distnct and fairly comprehensive Charo-love. I've seen the singer/performer live in concert a handful of times, I've driven past what was at one time her restaurtant on Kaua'i, I am even the proud owner of an 'I Break For Charo' t-shirt (yeah, I made it myself). I love this woman. So when she turns up on the second-to-last episode of this DVD set, I nearly fainted. No, she doesn't have a ton of screen time, but her turn as April Lopez just about made my day. As for the rest of the series? Eh. There's a lot of camp and cheese to mention in terms of The Love Boat - which is a good thing - but a little LB goes a long way. The main cast - featuring Jill Whelan and Gavin MacLeod - is amiable enough, but The Love Boat depends almost entirely on the status of its guest stars, and that's a mixed bag here. Abe Vigoda is always a hoot, and any cameo turns from Hayley Mills and Ethel Merman are solid cameo turns. But Sonny Bono performs a 'heavy metal' song on his episode that will likely make the paint peel off your living room walls (R.I.P., Sonny, but seriously - haevy metal? With full-blown KISS makeup? Really?), and the aw-shucks crossover of Bob Denver and Tina Louise from Gilligan's Island is kind of a gimme (more could have been done here). But for me, The Love Boat: Season Two, Vol. 2 is all about April Lopez, personified with Castilian bravado by Miss Charo herself. And when she breaks into a patently Charo-esque version of the show's hit theme song, it goes without saying that I wish I was on that boat with her...
Video/Audio Quality: The Love Boat actually looks and sounds pretty darned strong here. The 1.33:1 transfers have a worn quality, due to their age, but color accuracy is surprisingly strong (both in terms of skin tones and the deep blue of the seas around these guys), and black levels (while not air-tight) are definitely consistent. The mono sound mixes also serve their purpose - dialogue and music have been cleaned up a bit, and the show sounds... well, it sounds just fine. You won't be doing backflips over ecstatic sonic presentation here, but you'll be satisfied, at least. A Spanish mono track is included, as are Spanish subtitles and English Closed Captions.
Supplements: We get some episode promos, but that's it. Final Thoughts: Viva Charo! This Love Boat: Season Two, Vol. 2 set isn't quite mandatory viewing, but for those with a sweet tooth for cheesy 70s TV, there's some magic here. A couple bonuses might have been nice (I get weak in the knees at the thought of a Charo commentary), but as it stands, this set looks and sounds just fine. Not for everyone, to be sure, but for those who know what they're getting into here, there's fun to be had with this set.
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