Aloha Paradise

Last updated
Aloha Paradise
Genre Comedy
Created byTom Greene
Written by
Directed by
Starring
Composer Charles Fox
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
Producers
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time48 minutes
Production company Aaron Spelling Productions
Original release
Network ABC
ReleaseFebruary 25 (1981-02-25) 
April 22, 1981 (1981-04-22)

Aloha Paradise is an American comedy series that aired on ABC on Wednesday night from February 25, 1981, to April 22, 1981. [1] The series stars Debbie Reynolds and was created by Tom Greene.

Contents

Aloha Paradise was executive produced by Douglas S. Cramer and Aaron Spelling, the same team that produced The Love Boat to which the series bore a resemblance. [1]

Plot

The series follows the lives of the staff and guests at The Paradise Village resort, located on the coast of Kona, Hawaii. Debbie Reynolds portrayed Sydney Chase, Paradise Village's manager. [2] Bill Daily portrayed the resort's assistant manager Curtis Shea. Other staff members included Fran (Pat Klous), the resort's social director, Mokihama as bartender Evelyn Pahinui, and Stephen Shortridge as lifeguard Richard Bean. Each episode tells three or four stories about people either in love, out of love, or looking for love.

Cast

Guest stars

Aloha Paradise featured many weekly guest stars including:

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"Alex and Annie / Honeymoon Blues / Everything Else" Richard Kinon Tom GreeneFebruary 25, 1981 (1981-02-25)
Guest stars: Laurette Spang (Unknown), Grant Goodeve (Unknown), Dean Jones (Alex), Connie Stevens (Annie St Clair), Lorne Greene (Unknown), Jayne Meadows (Unknown), Louis Jourdan (Unknown), Dana Wynter (Unknown), Van Johnson (Mr. Chase), Louanne (Robin), Misty Rowe (unknown), Jim Nabors (Himself)
2"The Star / The Trouble with Chester / Fran's Worst Friend" Herbert Kenwith UnknownMarch 4, 1981 (1981-03-04)
Guest stars: Randolph Mantooth (Unknown), Lisa Hartman (Katie), Nanette Fabray (Unknown), Nicki Armstrong (Miss Sedley), Bert Convy (Larry Sedley), James Gregory (unknown), Penny Fuller (unknown)
3"The Kid Who Would Be a Daddy / Make Me a Match / Treasure Hunt" Bob Sweeney Jonnie Johns,
Tom Chehak,
Rick Lenz
March 11, 1981 (1981-03-11)
Guest stars: Larry Storch (Dave Peal), Jonathan Winters (Stan), Samantha Eggar (Unknown), Larry Linville (Unknown), Rachel Jacobs (Margaret), Arlene Golonka (unknown), Ken Berry (Sid), Sparky Marcus (unknown)
4"Fantasie Impromptu / Engaged to Be Dumped / Fiona"Bob Sweeney Lew Gallo March 25, 1981 (1981-03-25)
Guest stars: Joan Fontaine (Herself), Brad Savage (Scott), Joanna Pettet (Fiona), Ralph Bellamy (Horace), Pat Klous (Fran), Karen Montgomery (Miss Abel), Dick Sargent (Jim), Olivia Barash (Fredi)
5"The Best of Friends / Success / 9 Carats" Bruce Bilson Pablo Dickey,
Rick Lenz
April 1, 1981 (1981-04-01)
Guest stars: Mark Shera (Matt Shaw), Harriet Hilliard (Unknown), Michael Lembeck (Unknown), Jessica Walter (Unknown), Christopher Norris (Darcy), Gene Rayburn (Jerry), Robyn Blythe (Liza), Ray Bolger (Roy), Phil Harris (Harry)
6"Sydney's Old Flame / Everett and the Wolf / Lurp's in Love"Bruce BilsonUnknownApril 8, 1981 (1981-04-08)
Guest stars: Audrey Landers (Heather Dawson), Leslie Nielsen (Grant Culbertson), Don Most (Lurp), Dori Brenner(Unknown), Bob Seagren (unknown), Pat Crowley (Sondra Culbertson), Leslie Easterbrook (unknown), Hermione Baddeley (unknown)
7"Letter from Broadway / Letter from Cyrano / Letter from a Secret Admirer"Bruce BilsonJane Elizabeth RichmondApril 15, 1981 (1981-04-15)
Guest stars: Pat Morita (Dr. Nakamura), Louis Nye (Unknown), Ruth Buzzi (unknown), Jared Martin (Chris), Dick Shawn (Cyrus), Debbie Reynolds (Carlotta)
8"Catching Up / Wambling Out to Yon / Black Day at Bad Rock"Howard MorrisMichael Norell,
Barbara Allyn,
Alan Foster Friedman
April 22, 1981 (1981-04-22)
Guest stars: Rosey Grier (Unknown), Martha Nix (Sharon), Red Buttons (Nick), Denise Nicholas (Carrie), Gene Barry (Unknown), Pat Crowley (Unknown), Dori Brenner (Unknown), Chris Barnes (Danny)

Production notes

Aloha Paradise was produced by Aaron Spelling Productions. The series' two-hour pilot episode was shot on location on the Kona Coast in Hawaii. The remaining episodes were shot on a replica beach at Universal Studios in Los Angeles. [3] [4]

Reception and cancellation

Aloha Paradise was largely panned by critics who compared it to the more successful and long-running comedy series The Love Boat. [3] Scheduled on Wednesdays opposite NBC's popular sitcoms Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life , ratings for the series were low. As a result, ABC decided to cancel the series after eight episodes. [5] Series star Debbie Reynolds later said Aloha Paradise had "...the worst scripts ever. That's why it failed. They didn't even advertise that I was in it. I totally disliked every script and they didn't like me interfering." [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debbie Reynolds</span> American actress and singer (1932–2016)

Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds was an American actress, singer, entrepreneur and film memorabilia collector. Her acting career spanned almost 70 years. Reynolds performed on stage and television and in films into her 80s.

<i>Charlies Angels</i> American crime drama television series (1976–1981)

Charlie's Angels is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, airing for five seasons consisting of 115 episodes. It was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions. The show follows the crime-fighting adventures of three women working at a private detective agency in Los Angeles, California, and originally starred Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Jaclyn Smith in the leading roles and John Forsythe providing the voice of their boss, the unseen Charlie Townsend, who directed the crime-fighting operations of the "Angels" over a speakerphone. There were a few casting changes: after the departure of Fawcett, Cheryl Ladd joined; after Jackson departed, Shelley Hack joined, and she was subsequently replaced by Tanya Roberts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lorne Greene</span> Canadian actor (1915–1987)

Lorne Hyman Greene was a Canadian actor, musician, singer and radio personality. His notable television roles include Ben Cartwright on the Western Bonanza and Commander Adama in the original science-fiction television series Battlestar Galactica and Galactica 1980. He also worked on the Canadian television nature documentary series Lorne Greene's New Wilderness and in television commercials.

Aloha Airlines was an airline in the United States that operated passenger flights from 1946 until 2008. It was headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, operating from its hub at Honolulu International Airport.

<i>The Love Boat</i> American romantic comedy drama television series

The Love Boat is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Wilford Lloyd Baumes that originally aired on ABC from September 24, 1977, to May 24, 1986. In addition, three TV movies aired before the regular series premiered and four specials and a TV movie aired after the series ended. The series was set on the cruise ship MS Pacific Princess, and revolved around the ship's captain Merrill Stubing and a handful of his crew, with passengers played by guest actors for each episode, having romantic, dramatic and humorous adventures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Boone</span> American actor (1917–1981)

Richard Allen Boone was an American actor who starred in over 50 films and was notable for his roles in Westerns, including his starring role in the television series Have Gun – Will Travel.

<i>Hotel</i> (American TV series) American soap opera

Hotel is an American primetime soap opera series that aired on ABC from September 21, 1983, to May 5, 1988, in the timeslot following Dynasty.

<i>Vegas</i> (1978 TV series) Television series

Vegas is an American crime drama television series starring Robert Urich that aired on ABC from September 20, 1978, to June 3, 1981, with the pilot episode airing April 25, 1978. Vegas was produced by Aaron Spelling and was created by Michael Mann. The series was filmed in its entirety on location in Las Vegas, Nevada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aloha ʻOe</span> Song by Liliuokalani, Princess of the Hawaiian Kingdom

"Aloha ʻOe" is a Hawaiian folk song written c. 1878 by Liliʻuokalani, who was then Princess of the Hawaiian Kingdom. It is her most famous song and is a common cultural symbol for Hawaii.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeanette Nolan</span> American actress (1911–1998)

Jeanette Nolan was an American actress. Nominated for four Emmy Awards, she had roles in the television series The Virginian (1962–1971) and Dirty Sally (1974) and in films such as Macbeth (1948).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Crowley</span> American actress

Patricia Crowley is an American actress. She was also frequently billed as Pat Crowley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Connelly</span> American actor (1941–1988)

Christopher Connelly was an American actor, best known for his role as Norman Harrington in the successful prime time ABC soap opera Peyton Place. He stayed with the series during its entire five-year run, from 1964 to 1969.

The U.S. state of Hawaii is referenced extensively in popular media, supported by efforts of the state government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nobu McCarthy</span> Canadian actress (1934–2002)

Nobu McCarthy was a Canadian actress. She received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her performance in the film The Wash.

<i>Goodbye Charlie</i> 1964 film by Vincente Minnelli

Goodbye Charlie is a 1964 American comedy film directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Tony Curtis, Debbie Reynolds and Pat Boone. The CinemaScope film is about a callous womanizer who gets his just reward after a jealous husband kills him. It is adapted from George Axelrod's 1959 play Goodbye, Charlie. The play also provided the basis for the 1991 film Switch, with Ellen Barkin and Jimmy Smits.

<i>The ABC Comedy Hour</i> 1972 American TV series or program

The ABC Comedy Hour is an American television variety series that aired on ABC in 1972. Seven of the 13 episodes featured a guest host and a team of comedy impressionists known as The Kopykats. Guest hosts included Steve Lawrence, Orson Welles, Ed Sullivan, Raymond Burr, Robert Young, Debbie Reynolds and Tony Curtis. The remaining six episodes were variety specials and included two Friars Club roasts and a revival of the musical Hellzapoppin' starring Jack Cassidy and Ronnie Schell. The show was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category of "Outstanding Writing Achievement in Variety or Music."

Louanne Sirota, also known as simply Louanne, is an American actress and singer. She played the title role in Annie in the 2nd National Company in Los Angeles in 1979. At the time, she was the youngest ever picked for the role. After her breakthrough in the film Oh, God! Book II, she was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Actress in 1981. She also acted as a wise-beyond-her-years Iowa teenager in the short-lived comedy-drama Two Marriages on ABC. She was seen as herself in the 2006 documentary Life After Tomorrow, about the women who have played orphans in Annie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christine Belford</span> American actress

Christine Belford is an American former television and film actress. She has sometimes been credited as Christina Belford.

Lani Kai was a Hawaiian singer and actor. He had a role in the Elvis Presley film Blue Hawaii and was a regular cast member of the television series Adventures in Paradise.

Patricia Klous is an American former television actress and model, best known for her roles as stewardess Marcy Bower on the CBS TV series Flying High (1978–79) and as cruise director Judy McCoy on the ABC sitcom The Love Boat (1984–1986).

References

  1. 1 2 Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present (9 ed.). New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN   978-0-345-49773-4. p. 40 RetrievedJuly 27, 2024..
  2. "Debbie Reynolds Finds Paradise". The Calgary Herald. March 13, 1981. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  3. 1 2 Buck, Jerry (March 7, 1981). "Aloha's Parallel to Love Boat May Be Source of Complaint". Schenectady Gazette. p. 14. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  4. "Debbie Reynolds says 'Aloha Paradise'". The Telegraph. March 21, 1981. p. 5. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  5. Margulies, Lee (April 30, 1981). "ABC DROPS 'SOAP,' 'VEGA$,' ANNOUNCES FALL SHOWS". Los Angeles Times .
  6. "Debbie Reynolds on 'Hotel' Does Rare TV Drama Role". Schenectady Gazette. April 29, 1986. p. 14. Retrieved January 31, 2013.