Soaplovers

1 hour ago, DRW50 said:

 

I guess given how OTT and trashy their writing was on their soaps a character like Anna wouldn't have fit their view. Their loss.

And what is weird is that right when a new character Hank is intdoduced...Anna is on her way out...and he spends almost two years being a talk to before getting a story. Of his own.

17 minutes ago, Gray Bunny said:

Wow, what else can be said about that hot mess of an episode? The only people coming out of this clean are LVP, Kyle, and Eileen (though she'll have her emotional bruises from Erika, if she choose to harp on it, much like she harped on LVP for the past 2 seasons). Watching LVP and Kyle's reactions on the boat and again at dinner were actually pretty comical. Their darting eyes, back and forth, were like people watching a tennis match. 

 

I don't know how Erika is going to spin this; she had me until last night. My hubby thinks there's trouble on the home front (with her husband) but I can't decipher if it's a cross between an emotional meltdown and a producer-pushed coaxing to rock the proverbial boat during this trip. Either way, she's got some climbing to do if she wants her pedestal back. 

 

Lisa Rinna, there's just no defending this broad. I loved her during her first year, though she got a little too big on herself at the reunion. Last year was okay. But this year she is a complete and utter wreck. She doesn't have a leg to stand on, and should really keep her mouth shut and sit there, like the skinny wig lady next to her (why is Eden there?). She can NOT harp on someone for not being able to remember something. She can NOT harp on someone to "own their words." And she can NOT bring up a housewives' husband and infer infidelity. Three strikes in one episode; you're out. 

 

Kudos to Kyle for chiming in right away and mentioning the hypocrisy in Rinna's allusions. 

 

In regards to Kyle and LVP's eyes darting back and forth..it was comical.

That reminds me of the season 8 reunion for RHOA where sheree and kandi were like the two theatre patrons making fun of the muppets.

And honorable mention goes to vicki and tamra doing their own back and forth eye dqrt movements during Alexis and Peggy's back and forth at the season 6 reunion.

From rewatching the first episodes of Eden's debut...there were hints left that make her split personality story and eventually disappearance later on make sense.

She comes in the esrly episodes as overly confident and fearless...yet by 1985, we see hints that is a facade.  Ironically the fight between original Gina and eden by the ladder illustrates that.  Gina correctly states eden is a sheltered princess and its time she grow up and be on her own...with Eden stating she has done that..didnt like it and feels more safe at the capwell mansion.

Another scene is between Cruz and eden where they first reveal their previous fling years earlier and how she just took off all of a sudden and wondered if she wouldnt do that again...which she did in 1991.  I dont recall, but was it mentioned if she was around when Channing was killed?  I know that event caused Kelly and joe to break up..but was Eden around for the engagement party and affected by it?

I always thought season 1 of Knots Landing reminded me of Family...but with four marriages/families instead of one family.  I think David jacobs wrote some episodes..if Im not mistaken.

Seeing the dinner meltdown makes me misd more then ever the trainwreck that was Allidon dubois.  A hot mess yet entertaining when drunk and being a bitch...with Camille giggling in the background.  #memories

We have our new Claudia...good choice.

http://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/gh-vet-joins-dynasty-reboot/

I think the attackers identity didnt cheapen it...it shows that no one can be trusted.  A lot of times, sexual assualts are done by someone the victim knows...and making it who they made it makes one have to be on their guard.

What is the story with anne howard bailey?  Was she ad bad as the dobson's thought?

11 minutes ago, Wendy said:

Thanks for the heads up, @Nothin'ButAttitude. The acting from NLG as Julia was almost always great, but the whole Dash storyline? Complete trash. I actually cheered Julia on when she kidnapped his ass.

 

And it had to be worse for Julia, the not guilty verdict, because she always loved the law, yet it turned on her. But the construct of a he said/she said rape was all wrong for Julia, since she was always so principled. Why would she lie, you know?

 

I do recall one scene with Gina and not-Keith I did like, where Gina, obviously no fan of Julia's, even told Keith how much Julia valued the truth, so if she said she was raped, she was. Gina defending Julia brought out some layers, especially since Gina was herself a victim of rape.

 

But the good in this era was like trying to find a diamond within a pile of fertilizer.

 

BTW, I do recall Eden going to see Julia post verdict, so yeah, they did.

I recall after Eden was raped, that Gina came to see her and was chased off by CC.  While i understood CC doing so, scenes like that added layers to the character of Gina.

Even a writer like Pam Long (that was a bad fit for the show) did do a few positive things in the final months of writing the show.

When she wrote off Santana, she didnt kill her off..but had her leave town to start a new life in a successful attempt to break free of the past.

She also created Lisa, who had an axe ro grind against Lily...using actual history of the show.  She actually fit on the show.

While Gina was all over the place, she did have the bright idea to pair her with Lionel.

Everything else seemed a mess...but the show lost a lot of anchors and what she was doing to replace those anchors didnt quite work.

2 hours ago, DRW50 said:

The Augusta/Dash story makes me sick, as does nearly anything with Tim Gibbs. What offensive trash. 

 

Marcy Walker, A Martinez and Judith McConnell did some tremendous work in that split personality story, especially Marcy. 

 

Even from that one short clip you quickly see just how miscast Eileen Davidson was IMO. Of course to be fair to her the dialogue and situation are embarrassingly trite. 

In regards to Eileen, I just imagined she was playing another character...and not Kelly Capwell.

I truly think Eden leaving hurt the show....and that tells me that no soap should ever put their eggs in one basket.

There were uploads of the first 90 or so episodes on youtube.  You can totally see what is working and not working on the show.  Joe #1/kelly were a good couple...and i liked the Perkins family..but since the show started in the 80s.. people would naturally prefered the Capwells/lockridges...though I did like the start of Brick/Amy.  

On 3/12/2017 at 2:03 PM, Cheap21 said:

agreed. I tried to watch Torono but only got through half the episode. I couldnt do it. Im getting housewife out. I'll check out the 3rd episode of Sydney but may need to step out on that too.

 

I also think a big part of the problem is that most of these series last forever. 20+ episode season is draining. Cut that mess down to 12 so we can have a good 3 month run. These shows do not need to be going on for 5 or more months. Not that much interesting sh-t happens

I think the extended episode counts id partlt what caused the scripted element as well as besting a dead horse.  Early years of OC and NY had less episodes...but a good balance between drama and day to day going ons (season 4 of OC is what i showed to inteoduce my mom and others to the OC.  All of them loved that season...even with naked wasted included cause we didnt have all of them together all the time...etc).

Hoever, with less episodes...i fesr that means only drama is shown with no dun scenes or day to day docus (deemed as filler by most)

2 hours ago, Cat said:

 

IA I think Ramona is a long-time Republican, and I think Bethenny is a Republican for tax reasons and because she is staunchly anti-PC.

 

 

Ahhhh well it's worth catching up on early seasons of NY, it's a great franchise. LuAnn is not perfect, and there were times (even seasons) where I hated her condescension. Even last season there were moments when she didn't come across well (trying to get Dorinda to lie for Tom, for example). But through it all, I've always like the human side of LuAnn; she shows us her flaws and all, and while she may not always like being caught out (with the pirate), she usually knows it's not worth lying about. Unlike Ramona who denies denies denies til she is blue in the face, LuAnn straight up admitted her marriage to the Count was over when asked about rumors of divorce at Reunion. I liked that she never sugarcoated the divorce or even the fact that she felt hurt and rejected, without making a big song and dance about being a victim.

 

 

Amen! The reason I like LuAnn and RHoNY is that, even when it gets toxic, there is always this irreverent, New York sense of humor that anchors the show. Part of that is the women, but it's also the production crew and especially the deft editing throughout. I mean, that trip to St Barts in S5  -- I couldn't stop laughing from beginning to end. Even toxic S4 had the trip to Morocco and LuAnn almost getting bucked off a camel. 

 

 

Interesting list. A few years ago, Andy was asked a similar question and mentioned Nene and LVP back then, but now his list is completely changed. You can see who have fallen from favor and who have risen to the top.

 

 

This is not good news. No offence to Meghan as she redeemed herself somewhat last season but... she is not scintillating viewing. Seeing Jim Edmonds lose it with his angry jazz hands has always been more fun to watch. Sounds like RHOC is a bit lost without Heather there to direct the bitchery. I liked Lydia back in the day but I'm not sure she has the personality to make a real mark on the show.

Lydia is there for quirkiness...but im glad Heather isnt there anymore.  Hoe many seasons can we have of her building that hotel.

Let us hope Toronto doesnt becomes toxic so quickly.

An interview with Andy cohen...where he lists the 5 housewives he'd invite to a dream dinner party.  Ive never seen plotomac so I dont know who that housewife is.

http://people.com/food/andy-cohen-real-housewives-dinner-party/

What did everyone think of the Laura arc that lasted about a year and a half?  Was it a surprise to everyone else that she became as crazy as she did...or were there clues?

I liked Ti Amo...just didnt like her with Mark.  When she first came on, she was helping the police locate Casey...had a mutual respect thing going with Margo...and she and Hal were butting heads (and had chemistry)...then she was stuck in the kasnoff bubble for the remaining time on the show.

8 minutes ago, Taoboi said:

Leading back to what you said about getting at least two housewives from the suburbs to balance it out...organic drama?

 

Seems like such a waste if that was the only reason it was a no-go,

In order to make a city work...you habe to learn the dna of the city...and doing that will bring up natural conflict.

Andy cohen is too shallow to truly understand that.   

14 minutes ago, Taoboi said:

I would have loved a RH of Chicago.

 

That would have been the way to cast. After all RHoBH started as them all being close friends.

The problem was that the close friends all lived in the city....and for chicago...you needed some housewives that lived in the city and some that lived in the suburbs.  

1 hour ago, zanereed said:

HB was definitely mentioned during Marland's term. In some clips still available on YouTube from around 1982, I believe, Trish mentions to Mike about her really wanting Mike to meet her brother and her father, mentioning them both by name. I have a feeling Marland would have eventually introduced them both.

Yes..but would they have been written in such memorable ways by marland as they were under Pam long?

His writing was often cold and reserved...hers was filledbwith more heart and emotion.

The Dobsons were a perfect balance..imho

From what it sounds like..the Sydney show has descended onto S4 NY (yet there were some funny scenes like Ramona interviewing assistants and luann trying to teach her daughter to drive)...and OC season 11 toxicity (maybe Kelly from OC should move to sydney...shed fit in perfectly)

In order for a ftanchise to work especially a new one...you need to know and care for the cast members...and yes...they need to not interact as much at first until we know them first...then interact and see the conflicts arise.

I rememebr heaes ago, they tried to do a real housewives of chixago...but Andy cohen said no one interesting was found.  From what i recall...they auditioned groups of 5 or 6 close friends together.   However, if i were casting for my home city...how to gwnerate organic conflict is to cast women from the city and the suburbs (there is a huge suburb vs city debate)...sort of how on NY...Alex living in brooklyn and trying to social climb was such an organic conflict.

21 hours ago, Elsa said:

How do you think Douglas Marland would have continued his stories on GL? I am sure some of his ideas were used on LOVING and ATWT.

 

Would the Reardons become his Snyders? We already had "Emma", "Meg" and "Nola" and "Holden/Caleb"

 

Would Morgan Richards become his Lily Snyder? Jennifer Richards reminded me a little bit of a much softer Lucinda Walsh with her two daughters, one of whom she had given up as a baby. 

 

What were his plans for Carrie? And her son?

 

Would Phillip be SORASed to have Jack Forbes's problems?

 

 

To be honest...Im glad he left GL.

If he hadnt...we wouldnt have had the 4 muskateers, nor would we have had Billy/Vanessa..Alexandra, Fletcher, H.B, India, Harley, Frank, Nadine...and thats just off the top of my head.  

To me, Marland wasnt a great fit on GL.  He was decent...but a lot of his stories the first year or so were due to the dobson material.

To me..Lily was more mature and fiesty when she was married to Damian.  They used to have great maritql fights...both were passionate and fiery together.  

When Lily was with Holden...she alwayd turned into a needy stepford wife.

While Bryne didnt like the business/corporate vibe Lily got when HR was playing Lily...she actually was pretty good when playing business atories.

Lily/Holden worked better in the 80s..and both characters outgrew each other...yet fans didnt outgrow them.  Supercouples saved soaps in the 80s..yet are killing them one by one since the 2000s.  Supercouples are in the mold of a romance novel...they ride off in the sunset....they arent meant to be sustained long term together for years and years.

Phaedra is a lawyer so no surprise she gets away with her stunts.

Porsha shouldve been fired a long time ago.  She's a meaner version of gretchen of OC fame.

I like that RHOBH is 'boring'. I like one franchise not to go too far into the gutter.  

Doritt needs to understand that not everyone is open and warm....some people are guarded and take time to warm to othersm. Erika has a strong friendship with Eileen..as well as one developing with Kyle.  

Im more like Erika....I dont call just anyone a friend...it takes time for me to develop a friendship...but once that friendship is developed...I cherish it.  Dorit reminds me of someone i used to be friends eith...open and eager to call anyone a friend...yet easily gets their feelings hurt if the other person doesnt respond to them as quickly.  Plus..Dorit is one of those types that is nice to your face yet talks smack about you to others when you arent around..same as with this previous friend of mine.

I lived in chicago and it was on at the 11:30 am (central time) slot...and it beat young and the restless.  In Chicago..ABC news and daytime ranked #1 with NBC a close 2nd...and CBS was in last...daytime that is.  Growing up...none of my friends mothers watched CBS..it was either ABC or NBC.

With regards to the show..Dinah lee was a fascinating character...there was just something rootable about her.  She came on originally as a nanny with designs on Jack..and due to jessica collins...the character became more then just a girl from the wrong side of the tracks.  Plus, she and peluso's Ava made good buddies.  The recast was a good actress..but she just wasnt Dinah Lee...and even the actress Elizabeth mitchell admitted she wasnt right for the part.  

I liked Peluso as Ava much better then Roya.  Roya's take on Ava was too much like Erica Kane...and there is only one Erica..imho.

I liked Trisha and was one of the few that bought her as a recast for Martha bryne on ATWT since Trisha in the 80s had the same function on this show that Martha Bryne's Lily had on ATWT.  Its interesting to see how Lily progressed on ATWT because i think he would have tried something like that with Trisha.

Stacey was the good girl that was always a loser in love...and she came across to me like a punching bag.  I did like how her and Ava's history wasnt ignored...but brought up on occasion up to Stacey's murder in 1995.

Was Jack and lily circa 1983 to 1984 a better pairing then him and Stacey down the line?  

Shame by 1986, Lorna didnt have much to do..at least in the few episodes ive seen.

The only post Reva return story that wasnt too bad was the brief time she was married to Buzz and working in the diner.  They both knew they were platonic with occasional rompa in the hay....but that was cut short to restart the Annie/josh/reva triangle.

What was funny was that before annie went crazy...it wasnt all pro reva/josh. There was a 50/50 divide between the two couples...but sadly Annie going crazy to make reva the winner was the start of a trend of lipsided triangles where one was the clear victor.

The show assumed the brief rise in ratinga in 1997 was due to Reva...it wasnt...it was the stoey and mostly Annie.