TV Trend: For the Love of Boats 

I finally got the chance to watch the pilot for USA Network’s thoroughly engaging new series, Fairly Legal. I couldn’t help but notice the lead character, Kate Reed, lived on a boat. That got me thinking about the TV shows and characters over the years that had some sort of boat-related connection. And to my surprise, I came up with quite a few. And if I missed anything integral, please let me know in the comments.

Kate Reed, Fairly Legal: She lives on a boat named Welcome A Broad. The very first time we see her in the series, in fact, she’s on the boat in bed with her ex-husband.

Sonny Crockett, Miami Vice: It’s Miami in the 80s, and at the time, Sonny Crockett was the coolest cop on the planet. Only Sonny could live on a boat with a pet alligator named Elvis and get away with it.

Cody Allen, Riptide: Cody, along with his army buddy Nick Ryder, operated their Riptide Detective Agency from his boat. The show also had a robot named The Roboz, but that’s for an entirely different list.

Skipper, Gilligan’s Island: Skipper just meant to take everyone out on the S.S. Minnow for a three-hour tour. Instead, the boat shipwrecked on an uncharted island for three seasons and 98 episodes.

Captain Stubing et. al., The Love Boat: Love was exciting and new and the guest stars were plentiful. Captain Stubing along with Doc Bricker, Julie, Gopher and Isaac, were the crew of the Pacific Princess. For nine seasons, TV viewers watched this show that made it worth staying home on a Saturday night.

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, NCIS: He investigates crimes having to do with the Navy and Marines, so the lead agent of NCIS knows a lot about ships. But he’s included on this list because the former Marine also builds boats as a hobby. The mystery that has yet to be solved is how he gets those boats out of his basement.

Desmond and Penelope Hume, Lost: After Desmond went missing, Penny chartered a boat to search for the love of her life; at one point, she found the lifeboat that included the Oceanic Six, Frank Lapidus and her man. Also, in Season 5, the two were living on a sailboat when Benjamin Linus shot Desmond.

Liam Court, 90210: This brooding, yet misunderstood, bad boy could no longer live with his mom and jerk of a stepfather, so he moved out. Then he was betrayed by his biological dad. Fortunately, he’d been building his own boat, so that naturally became his home. He and Annie even shared a special day at sea. Unfortunately, Jasper burned that boat down.

Bo Brady, Days of Our Lives: Back in the day, Bo Brady was rebellious and bearded and rode a motorcycle. As time went on, this former Merchant Marine settled down with the love of his life, Hope. He even named a boat after her, Fancy Face. He’s had a few Fancy Faces due to the danger that constantly exists in Salem, USA.

The Students of Breaker High: This syndicated show only lasted one season and dealt with high school students on a cruise ship, taking part in a semester-at-sea. The show was short-lived, but the cast was pretty notable. It included Ryan Gosling (Blue Valentine, The Notebook); Tyler Labine (Reaper); Terri Colombino (As the World Turns, One Life to Live); and Persia White (Girlfriends).

Bobby Cobb, Cougar Town: Bobby is Jules’ unemployed, underachiever of an ex-husband (and I have so much love for him). He lives on his boat, but since he has no job, he doesn’t have money to properly dock it. So his boat is parked in a parking lot.

Crosby Braverman, Parenthood: He’s the player who has since found he had a five-year-old son with his former lover, Jasmine. Crosby’s been doing a lot of growing up during the course of the series. He finally moved out of his houseboat and rented an apartment.

Battlestar Galactica & Star Trek [The Original Series & The Next Generation & Voyager]: The Galactica and the Enterprise are ships sci-fi fans have been worshiping for years. Commander Adama (original BSG) and Admiral Adama (the re-imagined BSG), along with Captains Kirk and Picard, lead their respective ships admirably and fiercely. The crew of the Star Trek: Voyager had a difficult dilemma; they were stranded in space. The ship was their only lifeline while they tried to find a way home. A journey that was set to take them an estimated 75 years.