‘The Real Love Boat’ Producers on Turning the Series Into a Dating Competition Show — Without Charo (Yet)
Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Paolo Arrigo was giving the producers behind CBS’ “The Real Love Boat” a tour of the Princess Cruises ship he oversees when the creative team fell in love with the captain. They then asked Princess if they could borrow Arrigo for a few weeks — and that’s how, in addition to being a real-life ship captain, he now plays one on TV. “We were scouting the ship and met Captain Paolo, who was the designated captain of the ship at that time,” executive producer Jay Bienstock tells Variety. “When we met him, we thought, ‘Wow, you are so charming and so interesting. We’d love to have you be on the show, as opposed to being the captain while we’re filming.’ And then Princess graciously gave him to us.”