Soaplovers

RHONY

What is the obsession with wanting to get women drunk on these housewife shows (Jessel)?  Maybe this truly is like a job and you have to drink to get through the day.

Jenna/Jessel seem to be the targets this season..yet both were gleeful to direct the target on the other this season.

Erin seems to be the bully of the group.

Sai should just bring snacks with her at all gatherings.

Ubah looks to finally get some focus next week..but I wish it was an individual vignette instead of a conflict.

Too much group therapy/trauma dumping...not enough fun

@Neil Johnson @DRW50

So I finally finished the 1988 write strike episodes I came upon (up till the end of July 1988).

From a character building perspective..these were well written episodes apart from Sharlene/Jason talking as if they lived in Bay City as kids (and in my mind Jason is Willis..or should have been even if the actor didn't want to play a recast...and his murder could have been justification for Gwen's flip outs at the anniversary episodes).

I liked the Liz/Sharlene reunion scene..but found it interesting Sharlene instantly dismissed Russ being Josie's dad.  Wonder if that was a red herring or if the idea got revived once the strike was over. 

Also..lots of progressive conversations about male and female dynamics.  These episodes seem more modern to me.

Lastly, I noticed Ronnie was introduced during the strike and she was given so much focus and development.  Sad that she gets less focus once the strike episodes are done.

And the ghost story could have worked if there wasn't a ghost and it was all in Cass' head because of his grief over Kathleen's death.  Interested that this was revived in early 1991 when Kathleen did truly turn out to be alive.  

Also...I like Mary...but I often feel she would have been better served playing  Liz's daughter Susan Matthew's instead.  Susan was a therapist with ties to Jamie, Liz, etc...and could have filled the same function with a tie to the Matthews.

Days of our lives:

Diane Colville apparently was supposed to be a few episode red herring character..but once Genie Francis was signed to the show..her character got expanded into a larger role..though GF said 'I had no character...she was a work in progress her whole time on the show'.

Salt lake city:

Too much group, not enough individual vignettes except Lisa Barlow.

Does this mean the women have such empty lives it isn't worth showing them in their day to day life?

I would have preferred newbie Monica be introduced on her own..seeing her life before introducing her to the group.  Right now..I don't care nothing about her.

Whitney (little girl) has been coached by Candiace... her shade game has improved a bit.

Meredith holds grudges so this bathtub thing will drag out sadly.

Grey's anatomy (kind of a soap).

Dr Addison was meant for a multi episode arc..and she ended up headlining a spinoff.

Another world

Alicia Coppola (Lorna) was recurring as Carl's hench woman and it was announced in late 1991 that she was leaving AW due to having no contract...and within weeks got a contract and the rest is history.

Some people figured it would go on through September..sounds like they were right.

I'm curious what was in the counter offer provided by the union.

RHOA:

I didn't like the cast lineup in season 14.. and will not watch until there is a reboot of sorts.  Not a NYC style reboot.. but time to clean house.

RHONY:

I watched the episode.. and I have some thoughts...

1) This show is called Real Housewives of New York City not the vacationing Real Housewives.  I wish more of the city was seen and there was maybe just one vacation near the end of the season like in the old days of the franchise.

2) I was hearing about a pile up in past posts.. and what I saw wasn't a pile up at all.  Shannon Beador, Lisa Vanderpump, Denise Richards etc.. they were ganged up on... but Jenna was not in this episode in my opinion.

3) I like the Jenna solo scene with her brother... as well as Brynn's solo scene with her brother... plus the brief vignettes of Jessel and hubby and Erin and hubby.   More of this please (and I seem to prefer watching the flashback scenes that are shown that we haven't seen vs the actual scene we're seeing in person.

4) Erin repeated the coach comment to the group... no different then Jenna repeating Jessel's comment to Erin or repeating Erin's comment to Sai.  This is housewife 101.

5) Brynn is 100 % on the money about Jenna in terms of the baby voice, using her condition for sympathy, etc... probably because Brynn does the same thing... and Jenna does come off as elitist.. just as much as Jessel does yet she gets a pass by viewers.  Double standard at work..imho.

I like Jenna.. but I'm not drinking the kool aid and will call out her shady behavior just as much as the other women.

Lastly, we were deprived of Ubah for 2 episodes due to her having Covid.. can we please get another solo scene of Ubah without the other women because I feel we've not gotten as much time with her and she seems fun.

26 minutes ago, GLATWT88 said:

Yes. Do you feel like Marie Wilson's take on Meg was also very different from Jennifer's? I remember thinking McCouch was so hot at the time, but now in retrospect I may prefer Bloom's looks...lol. Probably off topic but anyway 

Marie Wilson would have been better as an Ellie recast... she had the look and essence of the characte..imho

Jennifer was very open with her positive and not so positive memories of her soap opera era... but mostly had positive memories.

She mentioned that she did a round robin of auditions for the 3 main female young female characters on Loving (Stacy, Lorna, and Lily).. and that she assumed she had the best chance of getting Lorna.  When she met Susan Walters.. she knew that Susan would most likely Lorna and that she wouldn't be cast on the soap. She said she was surprised to get Lily because the character of Lily was the direct opposite of her and didn't know if she could play her.  She mentioned that Agnes Nixon was at the auditions.. but not Marland.

The funniest story was her audition as Meg.. because she mentioned that her tv was broken so she had no idea who Dusty was.  So her audition piece had her acting as if she was going after an older man vs a peer.  It was only when she went to a store during when when As the world turns was airing did she then see who Dusty was and figured at that point she blew the audition.

4 hours ago, dragonflies said:

 

If these interim agreements work...then it will make the streaming services and studios realize that what each union wants will be.of a benefit to all.

And we're not even into the strike written episodes yet..wonder what they will be like when they start airing during the holidays/post holidays 

On 8/24/2023 at 8:30 AM, Forever8 said:

Jennifer Ashe is going to be on Alan's show on September 1st, at 3PM ET. 

 

She was pretty vocal during the Loving reunion about Loving so I hope she keeps that energy on this one.

13 hours ago, DRW50 said:

Even with all Eddie Drueding's old writeups of how unpleasant and plot-driven this story was, it's still tough to take - hearing Felicia shame Sharlene for becoming a prostitute through sexual abuse is just despicable.

Ironically I just finished the episode during the 1988 writer strike where Felicia/Sharlene first met.. and how friendly they were with one another.  

I'm going to be honest and say that there was some actual character driven activity at first in regards to the John/Sharlene/Felicia story.. that quickly veered into plot driven over-drive.  Felicia had lost 2 husbands, and had endured the Misery like hostage situation so she was obviously adrift and kind of bitter at the world.  Remember.. Felicia wasn't a nice person when she first joined the show. 

However, I do agree that Felicia would never hit below the belt like that with Sharlene.. no matter how much tension there was between two women.  Felicia also had a horrible upbringing and had her child stolen from her at birth.. there was a no way she would ever say those things to anyone.

NYC:

Nice to meet Brynn's ex fiance Gideon...I see why Erin and Sai was singing his praises.  He's too good for Brynn...and she needs to work on her issues before she has a kid.

Jessel could have a girl...I think you could fertilize eggs to increase your chances of a girl..but no guarantees.  I can't help..but like her..in all her awkwardness... she's a combination of Alex Mccord and Ramona.

Erin is too pressed and needs to chill.

Jenna seems cool...but I don't trust her.  I forsee a Gretchen Christine handbag or a Bethenny Skinny girl themed room in her future 

Sai is on here to take her influencer brand to the next level.

I remember in the late 80s, NBC daytime started to regain ratings ground...and one of the strategies used was appealing to the 20 and 30 something viewer figuring they were less likely to be attached to a particular network of soaps.

It did kind of work...but more women were working and cable was becoming more dominant by the late 80s...and NBC was never patient nor understanding of the soap opera concept of slow and steady wins the race.

Only when Days had a consistent rebirth ratings wise in the mid 90s did NBC try again to nurture a viable daytime schedule.  Once AW and SunBeach got axed in 1999...was the writing on the wall that NBC had thrown in the towel.

I think housewife reunions should only be 2 parts.. even if they had a stellar season.  

I think one of the main issues with all the housewife shows are that the seasons are too long and the reunions are too long.  I'd rather have a strong 10 to 12 episode season with a 2 part reunion then a long drawn out 18 episode season with a 3 part reunion.   less is more.

On 8/21/2023 at 11:51 AM, Broderick said:

Half-sister, I believe.  My recollection is that Ben Travis had an affair with Jody's mother while he was married to Nicole's mother.  It was a touchy subject when Jody first appeared, having to tell Nicole that (a) "your dad had an affair" and (b) "I'm your little sister".  

I agree that April Cavanaugh was a far more complex character than Jody ever was.  

April had that whole mysterious thing going on with the visions she sometimes suffered from, after her heart stopped beating for a few minutes; no one was ever sure whether to take her premonitions seriously or not.  Also, she wasn't some spineless little jellyfish.  When Raven started badgering her mercilessly, she would roll her eyes, flick her hair out of her face and tell Raven, "Get out, and don't come back."  It was refreshing to see an ingenue stand up for herself, the way April often did.  

Jody is a prime example of a weak character becoming famous/featured due to the actress vs the character.  Lori L was cute, warmth, and earnestness that she infused into the character of Jody.   Once Lori left, it became very apparent that Jody was almost a non entity as a character.

April is a prime example that you can have an ingenue with a backbone and still be interesting/likable. I always wonder had the actress not left.. how she would have fit into EON beyond 1981.. and how she would have interacted with Raven/Sky.

I also partial to his 3rd series he helped create in the late 80s called Paradise/guns of Paradise.  It lasted 2 full seasons and partial 3rd season.

It was a hybrid of self contained and hybrid stories that took place in California in the late 19th century about orphan kids coming to live with their single uncle..who had a love/hate relationship with the town banker (they became a couple later).

He had great ideas and sadly he wasn't always listened to.

I was surprised years ago when Nancy first took over as Cecile that she was a lot more low key and cunning.  She seemed to mirror what Susan Keith had done with the part.. but I think her natural comedic abilities eventually changed Cecile from an outright villainess.. to a more comical character.

My late mom had a soft spot for Nancy F since she had previously played Tara on AMC.. a complete 180 from Cecile.

Both sides need to compromise because the longer the strike goes on...the longer the damage from the strike will take to be repaired.

RHONY:

I liked the individual scenes better than the gathering.

We got a look into the marital dynamics of Erin, Sai, and Jessel..while seeing a bit more into Jenna's professional life.  More of this please.

Brynn is the friend you keep away from your significant other only because they don't respect boundaries.  I had a friend that I said if I ever dated someone seriously I wouldn't ever introduced them to one another because this friend didn't respect boundaries (and we're no longer friends).

Jessel is a combination of Alex/Ramona...while Erin is so Jill (holds grudges, takes things personally)...though I don't recall if Jill ever starved anyone at one of her gatherings or not.

Lastly..if Erin is hosting an event..you pre game or sneak in snacks since the girl loves to starve everyone.  At least Jessel had food at her gathering last week.

With the writer strike ongoing, I was glad to see that a majority of the 1988 writer strike episodes were still on YT for AW.

On an episode to episode basis, I think the scenes and dialogue are not too bad.  There seems to be more of a focus on smaller moments/filler then having actual ongoing plots.. other then the Jamie/Lisa/Vicky situation.. and the start of the Drew Marston arc.

I just finished watching the June 1st episode and it the perfect example of this smaller/filler moments.  You have newlywed scenes with Sam/Amanda, the high school graduation scenes involving Matt, Ada/Jamie scene, Lisa/Cheryl hanging out at Tops, and the introduction of Chris.

I'm intrigued with the Chris character only because she was randomly introduced during the strike.. and I wondered if she was a planned character pre-strike or if the scab writers needed to fill up time so they created the Chris character. 

In her debut episode, she seems over wrought.. yet demanding an equal chance of working in construction.  I'm not sure if the writing intended to show this clashing of first impressions, or if it was an acting choice.

18 hours ago, danfling said:

I do remember that in the spring of 1967, when most of the shows were not being produced due to the big writers' strike, the production of Dark Shadows was not interrupted.   I had been curious about this, and I was told (probably here) that the show managed to get a waiver.  Robert Gerringer was replaced because he refused to work during the strike.    I think that maybe Daniel Keys was also replaced due to the same problem.   (These gentlemen played Dr. Woodard and the Eagle Hill Cemetary caretaker.)

During that time on CBS, reruns of The Jack Benny Program and The Millionaire were among the shows that were aired.

I also wonder how many shows were then airing live.   I know that As the World Turns and The Edge of Night were, but I wonder if others were.    If a soap opera were normally live and then resumed being produced following the writers' strike, I wonder if the initial episodes were live or pre-recorded.

I would love to hear some of the living performers (such as Jada Rowland, Victoria Wyndham, Millette Alexander, Don Hastings, Marie Masters, Judith Barcroft, Robin Strasser, etc.) talk about this time.

I do not remember the episodes that you have mentioned.   I do know that there was one episode (I thought during the 1897 series of episodes) that there was a recapitulation of the show (for fans to "catch up" with the plots.

Now, I really want to see the episodes that you mentioned!

From what I understood...Dan curtis paid the fines the actors got for crossing picket lines during this strike.

Early Frank had a chip on his shoulder as surrogate father/big brother to Harley.  Up to 1993, that element made his character workable.

Buzz coming on actually made Frank's character redundant.  After the Eleni/Julie/Frank story ended in mid 1994...Frank had no story or presence 

I think I remember once a long time Jen Lilley saying that she wasn't playing herself.. but a character.. and that there was motivation for Theresa being the way that she was (i.e. at her core, Theresa is a good person.. but has been burned so many times that she strikes first before someone strikes at her)... whenever people were going after her for playing a character like Theresa when she was a Christian.