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Jeraldine Saunders, author of the 1974 book “The Love Boats” that inspired the classic ABC series “The Love Boat,” died on Monday at her home in Glendale, Calif., due to complications from kidney stone surgery. She was 96.

The book is Saunders’ firsthand account as the first female cruise director for a major cruise line, Princess Cruises. The series, developed by W.L. Baumes, was billed as “Suggested by Jeraldine Saunders’ ‘The Love Boats” in the show’s opening credit sequence.

“The Love Boat” bowed on ABC in the 1976-1977 season as three TV movies. The show became a regular weekly series on ABC in the 1977-1978 season and ran for some 250 episodes, through the 1985-86 season. A handful of new “Love Boat” specials also aired on ABC the following season.

At the time of her death, Saunders was the daily writer of Omarr’s Astrological Forecast, Tribune Media’s syndicated astrology column.

Jeraldine Saunders, the creator of the iconic ABC series “The Love Boat,” has died, Edward Lozzi, a spokesperson for the actress confirmed to TheWrap Tuesday. She was 96.

According to Edward Lozzie, a spokesperson for Saunders, the author died Monday night at her home in Glendale, California, due to complications from kidney stone surgery in December.

“She was a terrific, grateful, class act who refused to grow old. She was indomitable. She broke the gender barrier in a major industry, the Cruise Lines,” Lozzi said.

Also Read: Beverley Owen, the Original Marilyn From 'The Munsters,' Dies at 81

“The Love Boat” — which ran on ABC from 1977 until 1986 and spawned four TV movies for the broadcaster — was based on Saunders’ 1974 book “Love Boats,” which detailed her experience as a female cruise director for a major cruise line.

Saunders recently received the Southern California Motion Picture Council’s Lifetime Achievement Award, which...

Jeraldine Saunders, creator of hit ABC series The Love Boat, has died aged 96.

Saunders died at her home in Glendale from complications of kidney stone surgery that she underwent in December.

She was best known for writing the 1974 book The Love Boats, which the ABC comedy drama was based on. The book documented her experience on the high seas as the first female cruise director for a major cruise line, Princess Cruises.

The series, which was produced by Aaron Spelling, ran for nearly 250 episodes between 1977 and 1986.

Saunders recently received the Southern California Motion Picture Council’s Lifetime Achievement Award presented to her by The Love Boat star Bernie Kopell and Oscar winning actress Margaret O’Brien and also celebrated a Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony with the cast in May.

At this time of her death, Jeraldine Saunders was in the process of negotiating and writing an outline for a...

Reunion on the Lido Deck!

The original cast of The Love Boat – along with a whole lot of former guest stars – gathered in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Wednesday to help christen a new line of Princess Cruise ships.

But it's unlikely the ships were nearly as interesting as the reunion itself, which included the drama's original stars such as Gavin Macleod (Capt. Merrill Stubing), Lauren Tewes (Cruise Director Julie McCoy), Fred Grandy (Purser Gopher Smith), Bernie Kopell (Dr. Adam Bricker), Jill Whelan (Vicki Stubing), and Ted Lange (Bartender Isaac Washington).

Joining the veterans were some of the drama's repeat guest stars,...

Reunion on the Lido Deck! The original cast of The Love Boat - along with a whole lot of former guest stars - gathered in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Wednesday to help christen a new line of Princess Cruise ships. But it's unlikely the ships were nearly as interesting as the reunion itself, which included the drama's original stars such as Gavin Macleod (Capt. Merrill Stubing), Lauren Tewes (Cruise Director Julie McCoy), Fred Grandy (Purser Gopher Smith), Bernie Kopell (Dr. Adam Bricker), Jill Whelan (Vicki Stubing), and Ted Lange (Bartender Isaac Washington). Joining the veterans were some of the drama's repeat guest stars,...

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Former Power Ranger hottie Archie Kao was one of my reasons for watching CSI — until I realized he was horribly underused. He’ll be a series regular on Chicago Pd, the upcoming Chicago Fire spin-off. I hope they make better use of him.

Archie Kao

The Love Boat is becoming a stage musical! Well… for the most part. A Vegas stage show is being developed based on The Love Boats a memoir by cruise director Jeraldine Saunders that was the basis for the classic TV series. The show will feature music from 1976 – 1986, the period when the show aired, but the stage show will be more risque, matching the book. Stage shows that audiences are already familiar with (like Chicago and Mamma Mia!) do well in Vegas, producers are hoping this will be familiar enough to win over Vegas audiences.

The Young and the Restless found a way to get my attention,...

TLC audiences are in for quite the shock this week.

On the return of "Extreme Cougar Wives," (Wed., Aug. 14 at 9:30 p.m. Et) fans will meet -- or get reintroduced to -- Jeraldine Saunders, the now-89-year-old creator of "The Love Boat." For the past 11 years, she's been with 46-year-old Donaldo Monroy, a former Mr. California.

In HuffPost TV's "Extreme Cougar Wives" exclusive (above), Jeraldine and Donaldo explain how they met at a luncheon and how things heated up between them. Donaldo was 19 years old at the time, and although he was "hooked," the two didn't go on their first date until 15 years later. During their date, Jeraldine fittingly invited Donaldo on a week-long cruise, which he called "heavenly," and the night they returned, he stayed over. "He hasn't left since," Jeraldine says with a laugh, noting that Donaldo's body is "as beautiful as DaVinci's David."

And Donaldo is...