Love, exciting and new: 5 questions to test your 'Love Boat' I.Q.

Please do not adjust your computer monitor. Yes, that's really just a photo of the original cast of The Love Boat circa whatever year most of us turned 10 or 11 years old.

I was a huge fan of the TV show, as was much of America in the late '70s and early '80s. With Fantasy Island airing afterward, that made Saturday night on ABC the original must-see TV night in broadcast history.

I still pretty much think "Julie McCoy" would be the perfect woman -- if she was just a little more dirty. These days, actress Lauren Tewes is 54 years old and still acting in regional theater out in Seattle. Twas not meant to be for us, I guess.

Okay, enough trivia from me. It's your turn. How well do you know The Love Boat? Here's a quickie test to find out.

1. What singer performed the vocals for the theme song to The Love Boat from 1977 to 1985?

2. What famous female entertainer performed The Love Boat theme song from 1985 to 1986?

3. Horror star Vincent Price once guest-starred on The Love Boat. What was the occupation of the character he played?

4. In one episode, ship doctor Adam Bricker gets sick. Another passenger, who is also a physician, nurses him back to health, and Bricker ends up falling in love with her. Which actress was this?

5. On the show, Captain Stubing eventually got married. Who played his bride?

Ready for a little Pyschedelic Furs trivia?

In the Psychedelic Furs world, tunes like Pretty in Pink and Love My Way are considered their trademark tunes. But I don't buy in that. Give me the choice of any song to listen to, and I'll pick Heaven every time.

Lead singer Richard Butler and his younger brother Tim, who handles bass duties, are longtime veterans of the English punk scene, forming what would become the Furs back in 1977. They're still with the band today and currently touring the U.S. (They make a stop at Tampa's Ritz Theater with Happy Mondays on Sept. 28).

"The pace of our touring these days in far less frantic than in the early days," Richard Butler said in a pre-tour interview. "The tours were long, which is pretty much the norm. And certainly for this tour, those album promotion pressures are not an issue. I think we probably take better care of ourselves than we ever did previously."

"The business part of touring has never been anything that the band is personally involved in. We'd rather leave all those headaches to the long-suffering people that we pay to do that job!"

The Furs had five No 1. tunes on the college airplays charts during the '80s and '90s, and oddly enough Heaven wasn't one of them. Without the help of Google or the Web in general, can anyone name the tunes? I've already named two up above.

I know our longtime friend Christine up in Milwaukee is up to the task. How about it?

Happy birthday, Jim Belushi: Do you know your Litgo from your Ridzik?

Jim Belushi was a god in the '80s. Great roles, great laughs, one good movie after another ... well, up until 1989 when he cranked out K-9 and Homer & Eddie. (All is forgiven though after Salvador and About Last Night.)

But you know the best part about Belushi, who turns 55 years old today? His character names. Leave it to saps like Keanu Reeves to have lame characters named "Johnny Utah." Belushi's names come straight out of the phone book in Chicago, where he grew up. (For crying out loud, he was Dr. Rock in one flick!)

See if you can match the character names with the movie. All these are from movies between 1986 and 1991:

CHARACTERS:
1. Art Ridzik
2. Bill Dancer
3. Patrick Martin
4. Rick Latimer
5. Nick Pirandello
6. Doctor Rock
7. Bernie Litgo
8. Jimmy Dworski
9. Larry Joseph Burrows
10. Salvatore Buonarte

MOVIES:
a. Salvador
b. About Last Night
c. Taking Care of Business
d. Red Heat
e. The Principal
f. Real Men
g. Only the Lonely
h. Mr. Destiny
i. Little Shop of Horrors
j. Curly Sue

(Click the comments area below to see the answers)

Answer this, and you too can dress like Steff

A member of the '80s Nation needs your help. I received this e-mail over the weekend, and as someone who knows NOTHING about fashion (just ask any female within a 10-mile radius of me), I'm reprinting it here in hopes someone can help. Here it 'tis:

Hi Steve. Just wanted to say I'm a devoted follower of your 1980s blog. I especially loved your post on the top movie songs of the 1980s. I was happy to see you had OMD's classic "If You Leave" from Pretty in Pink. I was hoping you could answer a few questions for me in relation to that movie. 

I am trying to adopt Steff's look (James Spader) and have been looking for some penny loafers. Do you know what the best brand to get is to best emulate his look from the movie? And also if they are the beef rolled or not?  You are the go to guy when it comes to anything 1980s. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. Your devoted follower, Kolby Houghton.

Anyone have a guess? I can't seem to find a photo of his shoes. And to be honest, beef-rolling? Never heard of it. Someone please clue me in.

How well do you know your TV themes?

As we continue our quest to identify the Top 10 TV Theme Songs of the 80s, here's a mental exercise to keep you on top of your game.

It's tampabay.com's TV Theme Song Quiz! Click here to play. It does include shows from outside the 80s, so prepare to stretch yourself beyond normal boundaries.

And by the way, aren't you glad Rerun and "What's Happening!!" were '70s phenomenons? Because now you won't be taunted this its theme song. But go ahead -- click this anyway.

Ever wonder what happened to Fred "Rerun" Berry? He struggled with alcoholism in the '80s before losing 100 pounds and becoming a minister in the '90s. Berry died in 2003 at age 52 while recovering from a stroke.

How well do you know Oscar?

When it comes to the 80s, everyone here is a pro. But how well do you know movie history beyond our favorite decade?

I've created a 15-question, interactive Oscar Quiz for everyone to take. Basically, you'll hear a short sound clip and have to pick the movie.

Click here to take the quiz. Drop a comment afterward and let me know how you did. (I'm guessing that if I hadn't written it, I'd get about 12 or 13 questions correct.)

Podcast trivia: Were you a winner?

Are you feeling Funyun? The winner of this week's Stuck in the 80s challenge is indeed going to get an autographed bag of Sean Daly's favorite greasy goodness -- modeled here by SIT80s uber-fan Marissa.

The Stuck in the 80s podcast crew has been lazy about disclosing the song and movie titles in our weekly challenges lately. To be honest, it's because we don't always record our shows in the order that you hear them. I know ... you're expecting a more comic reason behind our ineptitude. Something like, Sean lost the winners' names because his mom threw the list away along with a tub-full of decaying lobster shells.

Here are the correct answers for the last three shows:

Episode 112: Night Ranger

Movie clip: Rob Lowe in "St. Elmo's Fire"
Music clip: "Head Over Heels" by Tears For Fears

Who won the Funyuns: Tune into episode #113 to find out.

Episode 111: One-hit wonders of 1987

Movie clip: John Candy in "Summer Rental"
Music clip: "We Close Our Eyes" by Go West

Episode 110: New Year's Eve playlist

Movie clip: Goldie Hawn in "Wildcats"
Music clip: "Desert Moon" by Dennis DeYoung

Episode 109: A Christmas Story

Movie clip: "Johnny Be Good"
Music clip: "Even The Nights Are Better" by Air Supply

How well do you know Pat Benatar?

It's been a long time since she hit the top of the charts with killer singles like "Treat Me Right" and "Hell is for Children," but Pat Benatar is still cranking out the live shows with gusto. The pint-sized star turns 55 years old today.

Though her last big hit -- "Sex as a Weapon" -- came way back in '85, Benatar continued her recording career through the 90s. These days, she lives a slightly quieter and more comfortable life -- on a farm in Hawaii with her husband, guitarist Neil Giraldo. However, she launches a short tour of the Northeast and Midwest in April. Hey, what about the rest of the U.S.?

While we wait for a show near us, try this quick Pat Benatar quiz:

1. TRUE OR FALSE: Pat changed her name from Patricia Mae Andrzejewski because it was too difficult to spell on show fliers.

2. TRUE OR FALSE: She was discovered as a singer after performing at amateur night at the comedy club Catch A Rising Star.

3. TRUE OR FALSE: Her first big hit was a cover of John Mellencamp's "I Need A Lover."

4. TRUE OR FALSE: Her video for "Shadows of The Night" featured future Fast Times at Ridgemont High stars Sean Penn and Phoebe Cates.

5. TRUE OR FALSE: Her signature "Pat Benatar" wardrobe was actually a Halloween costume she wore on stage as a joke.

Surely real 80s fans will get all these correct. Still need help? Then go way back in time and re-listen to our old Stuck in the 80s podcast on Pat Benatar.

[tbt* photo by Slobodan Juric]

Don't even think of saying 'Mr. Cougar'

It has been a long time since anyone had the guts to call him Johnny Cougar to his face. And for good reason. I get the impression that John Mellencamp could just use a flick of his eyebrow to scatter your torso into billions of freed atoms if you so much as sign-languaged his early 80s moniker in his presence.

So watch your mouth, because Mellencamp is coming to a town near you soon (though it'd probably help if you lived in the Northeastern United States). The Indiana-bred singer/songerwriter -- who turned 56 years old Sunday -- just announced that his fall tour will be extended through mid-December. And East LA rockers Los Lobos will be joining up with Mellencamp for the additional stops. (Click here to see the full list of dates.)

Rumor has it that a spring tour will bring him down the southern half of the country.

Could he be a future guest on the Stuck in the 80s podcast? Hmmm, he's a tough guy to get on the phone. That's what at least one Midwestern newspaper critic is finding out. My pal, Times music critic Sean Daly, had the pleasure of spending a whole afternoon with Mellencamp. So you never know. Just don't call him Cougar.

Think you're the ultimate fan? Can you name the songs these lyrics appear in?

1. "You got your hands in my back pockets and Sam Cooke's singin' on the radio."

2. "He chased the wind. That's all his silly life required."

3. "He's singing about standing in the shadows of love."

4. "All the stony's are dancin' to the radio."

5. "Those old crazy dreams just kinda came and went."

A Shue-in for greatness

Here's my theory, and feel free to tell me I'm wrong: I can pass on "Cocktail." Pretty sure I can kick "The Karate Kid." Because when it comes to Elisabeth Shue, I'm ga-ga over "Adventures in Babysitting."

I think 1987's "Babysitting" was Shue's really classic role in the 80s. (And if it hadn't been for "Leaving Last Vegas" in '95 -- perhaps maybe her signature role?) Shue, who turns 44 today, plays a reluctant babysitter, forced to watch over two kids too old for a sitter (Maia Brewton and Keith Coogan) when fate drags them into a surreal nocturnal adventure through the back streets of downtown Chicago.

How well do you know the movie? Can you answer these 5 trivia questions?

1. What odd accessory does the tow-truck driver have?

2. What mythical figure does young Sarah worship?

3. When they find themselves trapped in a nightclub, what must the group do in order to leave?

4. How many stitches does Brad get after he's caught in the middle of a gang fight?

5. Who is the babysitter mistaken for several times in the movie?

And now for the "Nobody Leaves the Blog Item with the Top 5" list of favorite quotes:

5. "You wouldn't believe what that girl would do for 20 bucks!"

4. "Now boys, if either of you give me any grief I swear to God I'll kill you. Dead, murdered, stabbed."

3. "Don't touch it! It could get infected, Jesus! He could get anything - Tetanus, rabies, scabies, emphysema!"

2. "It's really scary here. I've just seen three people shoot up, a bald Chinese lady with no pants on, and there's this old guy outside who wants his bedroom slippers!"

1. "Don't f--- with the babysitter."