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Dubbed as The Love Boat on dry land, the ABC series
Hotel was another hit from late, great uberproducer Aaron
Spelling, who was at his peak in the 1980s building his
Dynasty (so to speak). Named by the People's Choice Award
for "Favorite New TV Dramatic Program", the series follows
the staff of the St. Gregory Hotel in the Golden Gate town
of San Francisco and the guests who checks in every week.
The hotel is run by wealthy Victoria Cabot (Anne Baxter),
and assisted by suave, dashing general manager Peter McDermott
(James Brolin), promotions director and budding love interest
Christine Francis (Connie Sellecca), and the rest of the
staff that includes receptionist Julie Gillette (Shari Belafonte),
and bellhop Dave Kendall and his desk clerk wife Megan (real-life
couple Micheal Spound and Heidi Bohay). ***
Adapted from the 1965 novel by Arthur Hailey, Hotel's
first season contains all 22 episodes that includes the
two-hour opener with Hollywood legend Bette Davis as original
owner Laura Trent. She was supposed to be a regular on the
series, but illness forced her to declined, and Baxter took
over as her replacement. ***
The weekly guests of St. Gregory features future superstars
of film and television such as Alec Baldwin, Johnny Depp,
George Clooney, and John J. York (General Hospital) -- as
well as legendary greats like Shirley Jones, Lynn Redgrave,
and Betty White, and those like Lorenzo Lamas (Falcon Crest)
that were in their peak, while others Jon-Erik Hexum (Voyagers)
were just getting started yet gone too soon. ***
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