Aired: 1977-86
DAD: Captain Merrill Stubing (Gavin MacLeod) / Divorced
DAD’S JOB: Your Ship’s Captain (according to the credits)
KIDS: Vicki Stubing (Jill Whelen)(10)
WHERE’S MOM?: Showgirl girlfriend – left when daughter was a baby.
STAND-IN “MOM”: none
Vicki, the near-invisible daughter on Captain Stubing’s Love Boat, was a throw-away, forgettable character. No probing episode focused on the relationship between Vicki and her dad was ever aired. Then again, when was any episode of this show “serious”?
Want to know something icky? On the last season of Love Boat, Captain Stubing married Emily Haywood – played by that ultimate mom, Marion Ross. Fortunately the series ended before Stubing was hit by the Mike Brady Rule and disqualified.
Update: Alert Viewer Dave Leifer has some insights on the captain’s wife: Merril Stubing’s first wife was Stacey Stubing played by Actress Bonnie Franklin. He was married but she wasn’t the mother of his daughter…go figure. I guess even the righteous Captain fooled around a little!
A snap of the Uncle Charley Memorial Dish Towel to Dave Leifer for the info. Thanks, Dave!