Here's a capsule version (four minutes and forty-five seconds) of the famous episode of Love Boat which featured Carol Channing, Ann Miller, Della Reese and — I think in her last performance — Ethel Merman. This episode aired February 27, 1982 and the segments that comprised the story of all these diva ladies was written by Ray Jessel, whose musical videos I have occasionally featured here.
Every time I see this episode mentioned online, someone offers up the fact or theory that they got Della Reese because they were unable to get Pearl Bailey. I have no idea if that's a fact or a theory…