Soaplovers

It's about time the franchise go back to non housewives getting talking heads. I think it adds dimension to the proceedings to get other peoples point of views... and Mama D needed to have her point of view expressed.. so I hope this will continue The OC still has occasional talking heads from non housewives (even Shannon's twin daughters had one or two).

Is the new show going to have a Halloween episode? I hope so because season 10 didn't.. though they had a nice nod to that tradition with the family going through boxes full of their Halloween decor after their basement flooded.

Jeana quitting at the start of season 5 was both a surprise and yet not a surprise. You could tell that she wasn't down with the nasty/conflict tone the show was turning into so she exited stage left. She was one of a kind in a weird way... and Shannon replaced her in terms of the relateable factor.. but not the low key/laid back style that Jeana eluded. Plus, Jeana was on Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show.. what other housewife has had that honor? In regards to LVP... like I said before, if RHOBH hopes to grow and not keep stagnating... LVP needs to go.. so that we can finally get a new storyline. Brandi/Kim leaving after season 5 was kind of a game changer because the women turned against one another in season 6. However, I wonder why LVP keeps getting targeted season after season.. is there perhaps some truth that she isn't all sweetness and light? And in regards to Rinna, I saw her reality show that she did years ago with her hubby/kids... and she was warm, fun and likable. I recalled being excited she was joining RHOBH.. and the first half of the season, Rinna was still warm and likable... but than she got onto the Kim obsession wagon and never got off of it... with Kim gone, her focus has turned to LVP. If she'd stayed how she was in the first half of season 5.. I think she could have become one of the main faces of the BH...imho. I will be interested to see how Denise R will fare since she wasn't too big into conflict on her reality show. Still.. she has three kids, her dad was a positive influence, and did she recently marry? I can't recall. I think Denise Richardson would have fit in well in the earlier version of the Housewife franchise.

Because danielle is too crazy to make a housewife. I think lvp needs to leave rhobh, the only that show can evolve. With her gone, that means Kyle is even more useless and than she can go too

Hopefully Darlene and David never reunite, it was a mistake to marry them off when Darlene was better off without that noose around her neck. Juliette Lewis... I'm in When I was thinking of possible people to play Blue, she popped in my head LOL

NBC scheduled Saturday nights up till 2000. The late 90s on NBC on Saturday had a fairly strong schedule with The Pretender/Profiler getting decent buzz.. while the network could never find a strong third show to start the night off no matter how hard they tried. After 2000, NBC went to repeats.. with CBS following suit by the mid 2000s. Friday nights in the late 80s till the mid to late 90s had TGIF on ABC... it was done as CBS started losing their grip on the night.

Pre-porkchop Natalie.. that is

Brooke was kind of a judgmental shrew.. so I loved it when Erica would always burst her bubble. With that said, Erica/Brooke consistently didn't care for one another and that was maintained up till the end of the ABC version of the show. One time when my mom tuned in (late 90s).. she noticed Brooke and Erica didn't interact at all and wondered if the two had somehow made peace until Erica said she wouldn't trust getting a final meal from Brooke if her life depended on it.. and my mom said 'well that answers my question'. Since Brooke was Erica's best female sparring partner.. let's select who would come in 2nd after Brooke? Erica vs Annie was entertaining.. Erica vs Greenlee was slanted where Erica would come out on top. I would say perhaps original recipe Natalie or Barbara would be a close 2nd to Brooke for best sparring partner for Erica.

Shannon and QVC are a natural fit. She ended up on that channel while the dubrows were on Evine lol. QVC, in its day, was the high end of the shopping channels.

Gosh the OC had a better pre season trailer and an even better mid season trailer. Still.. it could be better than it looks. #openmind

Where is it written that you have to talk well of previous jobs. In her defense, she had mentioned that there were two or three writer changes so the whole focus/motivation of the character fell by the wayside. I did laugh about how she said Nola was incredibly stupid, since the Nola of 1976 seems pretty with it and smart.

I believe you about AHB... I watched her brief stint as head-writer of Days circa 1989 to early 1990.. and she was quickly fired with the show doing a PR explanation that her writing didn't match what they were looking for (claiming it going from action/romance to just plain action.). However, she is a good script-writer based on what I saw of her stuff on the show. From what I've read, Marland does have her and Paul running the hospital after Matt's resignation.. with Paul plotting to unseat Althea so at least she does get into the action before being fired. And this 'Bob Cessna'.. not impressed with his script writing.. but soap writing is different than stage plays.. so that's probably why.

I do agree that the last week of Depriest's stint was edited a bit by Marland. I think she was credited because I think she did the outlines for that week and each episode for the script writer to write.. and he probably just added some little details. I'm not too keen on the new script writers thus far.. I liked L. Bertram the best and I actually thought Anne B Howard's scripts were quite good. For me, I just don't enjoy Marland at all. He isn't my cup of tea.. and he may be critically good.. but ratings weren't always great, nor horrible, under his regime. I think the sudden whiplash shift in tone from Depriest to Marland didn't help the show in the long run. It is interesting that all the things people assumed Marland created on this show (Dancys, Billy/Greta, etc).. weren't created at all by him.. but he inherited all of that. Depriest gave him a good template to work with on the show, but his tendency to drag out stories do him in on this show (the Joan Dancy story is dragged out for several more months when Depriest set it up to probably be resolved by November... and Carolee/Steve don't reunite for many months when it looked as if Depriest was ready to get going on the story.) Still... I do think every soap writer appeals to different people.... Pam Long/Dobsons/Depriest appeal to me.. while Marland/Harding Lemay doesn't really appeal to me. It's the opposite for other people.. and that is what makes the world go round

I think depriest quickly ended the conrad story. Marland said he didnt realize he could end a story quickly when he started the Doctors. When watching the Doctors under Depriest..it seemed the show was on uppers...lots of energy and cliff hangers at the end of each episode. Almost two weeks into Marland's stint...it feels like the show was given a triple dose of prozac.. too low energy and slow. I do think he probably edited her last week of episodes she was credited in...but the energy and dialogue were still at higher levels. I think Depriest was ahead of the curve in terms of energy and excitement. It also explains why she had longer stints head writing in the 80s (Days from 81 to 84..and AW from 86 to 88.) The 80s were all about energy and OTT. It's also why she fit when she co he wrote Sunset Beach in the late 90s.

Late to the Gretchen news... I still remember when Tamra backed off of going after Gretchen.. and than Gretchen revealed her true colors. If only Tamra had thought to do that from the start, we probably wouldn't have been subjected to filler Gretchen for five seasons. I was actually thinking Emily reminds me of Jeana, but it's a shame her hubby is kind of creepy. Jeana's husband was hardly ever shown, and I wish the same for Emily's hubby.

Well Marland stint has started.. and the pace has slowed down quite a bit. The words are good, but it just feels off to me.. kind of cold and lacking of emotion thus far. Marland may have the knack of good stories/plots, but he doesn't have that magic touch in terms of emotions and warmth.

I recall reading an interview during her script writing days at Y & R.. and it wasn't a shock that she was canned the second Latham left the show. She seemed kinda vapid and shallow... perfect for Bravo and Housewife land If there truly is a #metoo story with Cohen, I hope no one will be surprised. Just by looking in his eyes, you can tell there is something off about him..like he lacks empathy or something.

She wrote some episodes of the Doctors that was pretty good. Marland's episodes start in today's Retro reruns, but Depriest left the show in a really interesting place for him to pick up the threads. Depriest even wrote two or three episodes (one which talked about a patients right to life vs their right to die with dignity.. and the other episode had an interesting speech about women's rights, etc). I think Depriest quickened the pace and that might have turned people off that were used to a more leisure pace. Marland even admitted he kept the Joan Dancy story going longer than he should of. If Depriest had remained, I think she would have resolved it much quicker (hints were dropped in her final episodes writing where Joan's true killer admitted nervousness over the return of her step father Jason cause she was unable to lie to him.). The Joan Dancy story reminds me of a Columbo mystery where the audience knows the identity of the killer including their motive, but we watch to see how they're caught. Perhaps Marland wasn't sure how to proceed with that type of story (and he was known for dragging a story on too long... hello Carolyn Crawford murder mystery on ATWT anyone?). I think you should review 1976 (Feb through September 1976) because she had some strong script writers that helped flesh out her story and outlines.

I'm not surprised OC did better than NY... OC viewers are a loyal bunch, plus the show does change their cast from season to season.. so if something isn't to your liking in a season, there is a pretty good chance that it won't be repeated in the following season (i.e. Peggy or Lydia.. for instance). Now, if Vicki were let go.. you can bet that OC would get a ratings bump since she isn't popular outside of forums. I used to love RHONY, but when Bethenny came back and hijacked the show.. I said 'see ya'. I like a show that rotates casts in and out.. which is why I stopped watching BH and Atlanta as well. I am hoping Dallas gets a slight cast adjustment for season 4 (adding a new housewife.. maybe getting rid of a housewife, etc)

I guess today's episodes on Retro were Depriest's final episodes as head-writer. I'll miss her as head-writer and it is a shame that she wasn't given another couple of months before being given the axe since she'd done so much in her 7 month stint to liven up the show. Good: Putting Matt/Maggie back in the center with the Joan Dancy story. Restoring MJ's personality and placing her firmly in the Steve/Ann orbit, while Carolee is slowly coming out of her catonic state. Finishing the Conrad story at last. I give Depriest credit for trying to make Scott/Wendy work.. but she saw nothing was working and instantly ended the story with Scott killing himself (which actually makes sense considering the way the actor choose to play the character). Eleanor seemed to be up Depriest's alley and you can tell she enjoyed writing for her. Creating Dr. Paul Summers.. and having a credible backstory and motivation for not liking Matt Powers. Plus, kudos to tying him to Ann from before both came to Hope Memorial. The back and forth between Paul/Ann was entertaining. The Dancys. Finally.. we have our answer as to who created what. Depriest created the backstory, and almost all of the Dancy's (Marland brings on the father, but she had created the backstory, as well as, given him the name Barney). I will be interested to see how Marland will write the Dancy's vs Depriest. Undecided Paul/Stacy is an interesting pairing... and I think @EricMontreal22... this pairing is as close as we will ever get to getting a sense of what Where the heart Is was all about. Penny... I miss her snarky retorts and being dismissive of Althea. Pairing her with Jerry has softened her too much (no wonder Julia Duffy quits months into the future). Nick/Althea.. Depriest got them much better than the Pollock's did... but wasn't sure what the point was to teasing viewers of them again.. unless it was a way to give them closure at last. Bad: Toni, Toni, Toni... wasted and hardly shown during this 7 month stint except as a stepford wife for Mike. There was one good scene in July 1976 where she and MJ talked about Alan. Other than that, she wasn't written for at all. Rico was wasted, but I can understand why he couldn't stay in town with Stacy... that girl is a restraining order waiting to happen. Overall, I loved Depriest's writing on the show and I think she fit the show better than Cendella and the Pollocks (circa 1973 to 1975)... @vetsoapfan... I liked her stint. While she isn't on the level of Rita Lakin, but she was loads better than Cenedella and later Pollocks. So I'm bracing myself for Marland. I really don't like his writing at all, but I will keep an open mind. Except, I have a feeling he will be dragging out the Joan Dancy and Carolee stories.. when it looks as if Depriest was aiming for a November resolution for at least one of them (perhaps Carolee being reunited with her family, but Ann's part not being revealed until later.). And the show seemed to give hints that Stacy would be taking the fall with Paul getting off scott free (he has done nothing as of yet, to implicate himself). Today's 2nd episode was a good cliff hanger Friday episode (9/17/1976)... with Matt heading to learn what the board has decided while Paul is sitting in Matt's chair with a look of glee on his face.. while Carolee is coming out of her catonic state. A perfect place for Marland to pick up.

I think for the future of RHOBH, they need to either come up with a new gimmick, or have LVP focus just on VPR. On that show, she can be the sarcastic boss that is wise and all knowing in a supporting role (where she observes the conflict without having to start it). Sadly, than Kyle's already big head would get bigger cause than she'd be the OG of BH, when story was played out the moment her sister Kim left the show. It's odd to me that Kim's absence was felt more on the show than the other previous housewives departures.... when you take out the source of conflict, what do you have to replace it with?

I could see the Dobson's working on AMC due to the humor the show was known for, as well as the show's choice of featuring larger than life characters. They proved on GL that they could masterfully write a community based show with deeply enriching characters... and they proved on SB that they could write tongue in cheek... and AMC had both the humor and community based elements that the Dobson's would have been a master at writing. I think the reason the Dobson's didn't work on ATWT was because while the show had a community based element to it, it never had the humor nor passion that GL and SB had. For me, I think the Dobson's would have worked well on Search for Tomorrow (community based with a unique sense of whimsy) and All My Children.

I always viewed Vicki/Clint as a couple from opposite sides.. that realized over time that they were too different to truly stay together for the long haul. He came from a more male/macho family where the man was the head of the household while Vicki was raised in upper society, and since her father expected a son.. had groomed her to take over once he passed so she was used to being the one in control. I often think Meredith (if the show hadn't killed her off) might have made a better match for Clint. Sloan, to me, represented what Vicki thought she should have been with. They had a lot in common, they were intellectually drawn to one another.. but I never viewed them as a sexual couple, but a couple brought together due to friendship, mutual interest, and intellectual attraction. In the real world, Sloan would have been her end game.. but in soap opera land.. it was Clint sadly. I know Clint came in right before Joe passed away, but was the plan always to pair Vicki with Clint.. or did that come about because the two had chemistry? I know the show tested Clint with Pat and Dorian when he first came on...but I would imagine Vicki didn't even think to look at Clint in that way for awhile.

Ah fall of 1991...when the three big stories were the Sheila/Lauren story, Nikki's alcoholism, and Nina having David Kimble plotting his revenge against her via disguise and wooing her mom (the words killer carved into his face by a surgeon was surprising and his death by trash compactor..wow).

I think having Sloan dying and the stress/sadness of that made sense for her DID to come out...Vicki never was good with coping with stress....but not even mentioning her first true love Joe was an insult. She should have said she hadn't felt this sense of loss since Joe left her..even Express regret that Kevin/Joey never got to know their father, etc. I think the abuse element made sense...vicki and victor had this emotional incest vibe from what I read of the early history...with sweet Meredith being almost like their child. I think it would have fit history wise if it wasnt sexual abuse..but emotional abuse that eventually led to Vicki's DID... hence why Nikki Smith was wild and free (because she was a part of Vicki that was repressed).