Hotel

Based on Arthur Hailey's popular novel and the 1967 film of the same name, ABC's "Hotel" (from super-producer Aaron Spelling and Douglas S. Cramer) was basically a land-based Love Boat set at San Francisco's opulent St. Gregory Hotel (utilizing exterior shots and modeled interiors of real life Fairmont Hotel San Francisco) featuring a combo of guest stars along with a regular cast in intertwined stories of primetime soap love, lust and drama (and occasional comedy).

Starring as the St. Gregory Hotel staff was ever-dapper James Brolin (Pensacola: Wings of Gold, Marcus Welby, M.D.) as Peter McDermott, the manager; gorgeous Connie Sellecca (The Greatest American Hero) as Christine Francis, the assistant manager and eventual love interest for Peter; Shea Farrell as Mark Danning, director of guest relations; Nathan Cook as Billy Griffin, ex-con turned chief of security; Michael Spound and Heidi Bohay as newlyweds Dave and Megan Kendall, a bellhop and desk clerk respectively (who themselves would marry in 1988); plus lovely Shari Belafonte (daughter of Harry Belafonte) as Julie Gillette, manager of hotel information. Look for legendary screen star Bette Davis in her first TV series role (pilot only) as St. Gregory owner Laura Trent who, due to illness, was replaced thereafter by her All About Eve co-star Anne Baxter who took over as her sister-in-law, Victoria Cabot.

A well-made primetime soap done in proven Love Boat style, Hotel was one of the early hits of the 1983-1984 season. It probably didn't hurt that for 4 of its 5 seasons the show originally ran after Dynasty on Wednesday nights at 10p. From the excellent cast to the elegant, atmospheric decor of the St. Gregory itself, Hotel oozed with style and class. This is exemplified in the show's regal opening theme by late great composer Henry Mancini (The Pink Panther, Newhart, Remington Steele). Available [at last] on DVD for the first time, Hotel - The First Season is a 6-disc, Full Frame (1.33:1) video, English mono audio set featuring all 22 regular Season One episodes plus the two-hour pilot movie. The set also hosts the following guest stars:

Melissa Sue Anderson, Scott Baio, Adrienne Barbeau, Michael Bell, Lloyd Bochner, Danielle Brisebois, Morgan Brittany, Diana Canova, Gary Collins, Lydia Cornell, Cathy Lee Crosby, Mary Crosby, Scatman Crothers, John Davidson, Phyllis Davis, Elinor Donahue, Michael Dorn, Ron Ely, Morgan Fairchild, Jose Ferrer, Eva Gabor, Albert Hague, Richard Hatch, Pamela Hensley, Jon-Erik Hexum, Robert Hooks, Ken Howard, Barnard Hughes, Englebert Humperdinck, Arte Johnson, Shirley Jones, Louis Jourdan, Steve Kanaly, Stacy Keach, Sr., Sally Kellerman, Ken Kercheval, Lorenzo Lamas, Martin Landau, George Lazenby, Kay Lenz, Liberace, Jeremy Licht, Heather Locklear, Bill Macy, Peter Marshall, Dina Merrill, Vera Miles, Erin Moran, Phil Morris, Tracy Nelson, Donald O'Connor, Alan Oppenheimer, Donna Pescow, Michelle Phillips, Robert Pine, Don Porter, Markie Post, Dack Rambo, Lynn Redgrave, Robert Reed, Pernell Roberts, Emma Samms, Ted Shackleford, Jan Smithers, Tori Spelling, Robert Stack, Connie Stevens, McLean Stevenson, Parker Stevenson, Vic Tayback, Charlene Tilton, Dick Van Patten, Robert Vaughn, Carlene Watkins, Larry Wilcox, Steven Williams, Shelley Winters, Jane Wyatt and more.

Episodes include:

Pilot (8/21/1982)
1. Blackout (9/21/1983)
2. Choices (10/5/1983)
3. Charades (10/19/1983)
4. Secrets (10/26/1983)
5. Relative Losses (11/2/1983)
6. Flashback (11/9/1983)
7. Confrontations (11/16/1983)
8. Faith, Hope, & Charity (11/23/1983)
9. Deceptions (11/30/1983)
10. The Offer (12/7/1983)
11. Christmas (12/21/1983)
12. Designs (12/28/1983)
13. Reflections (1/4/1984)
14. Tomorrows (1/11/1984)
15. Passages (1/18/1984)
16. Mistaken Identities (2/1/1984)
17. Wedding (2/22/1984)
18. Memories (2/29/1984)
19. Encores (3/7/1984)
20. Prisms (3/14/1984)
21. Trials (5/2/1984)
22. Lifelines (5/9/1984)

While I understand the comparison to Love Boat because of the stars who permeated the show, that's where the similarities end. This series was a drama which often featured suspense. If you've never seen it I highly recommend it. Good acting and writing.

At last the 1983 series are released in dvd.
Hotel's first season is available in july with the pilot telefilm and all 22 episodes of the first season included in this set.
Hotel run for 5 seasons until 1988 which means there are 4 more seasons to be released SO IF U WANT THIS GEM BUY THIS FIRST SEASON.
As simple as that. Hotel had a lot of similarities with "the love boat" only it's own stories were set in a hotel. not in a boat.
Anyways it's great to have this series on dvd and still i wait for FALCON CREST TO BE RELEASED.

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