Soaplovers

I think Hannah came across too judgmental and unlikable to me. If the show softened her a little bit, then I might want to side with her. It seems as though she has done some transference of her dislike/hatred of Candice's dad toward Candice throughout her life.. so I can see why Candice is the way she is. Sadly, with this being a Tyler Perry show.. Candice will be punished and Hannah will be proven right.. ugh. I actually thought Kathryn was written to reflect a woman who is wealthy and living in denial over her husband's infidelity.. plus trying to put on a perfect facade regarding her children. While Wyatt and Benny have hot bodies, it would have been nice if Tyler Perry cast actors that could act in those parts.

So far so good... Def remember Tika from OLTL.. ironic that she is given more to do and act in the 1st episode of this show then she ever got during her entire stint on OLTL.

Connor was great with Cal, they were both very headstrong, independent characters that worked great as a couple but also as individual characters as well. Connor was friends with Lily, Damian, Emily, and Rosanna while sharing a love/hate relationship with Lucinda. I liked that Lucinda/Connor never were as close after the Walsh takeover. Nowadays, the two would have become soul sisters within a year.. but back then, characters with bad history would normally never be close.

I think Brooke and Amanda scheming against Alison was during season 3 (when Darren Starr was still showrunner), but Brooke becoming so weak/pathetic came in season 4. Plus, it didn't help in season 4 where the characters were all isolated in their own story island. I think Brooke and Sydney would have been interesting to interact, etc.

Alexis was bought back right before filming was to start. If anything, I can imagine Aviva making her grand entrance during the kick-off to the summer season at the Hamptons.

I remember watching the season 3 marathon that played some weeks back, and there was an episode where lauri and her son had a therapy session. You could tell Lauri was trying to paint some sort of picture that didn't correlate with reality. I could tell when her son was speaking that he wasn't going by a script.. but was basically crying out for help. I don't remember exactly what he had said, but didn't it have to do with having trouble living up to an image of some sort? Either way, I remember thinking that I wanted to just hug him while Lauri just seemed to be there hoping for an easy fix.. but if you are trying to present to the world that everything is perfect.. you will have difficulty if your son is a drug addict and is on your reality show.. just saying.

I kind of like seeing the scenes of the wives on their own, I think the early seasons of OC was more like that. Granted, the housewives then were more interesting... thank gosh for Vicki LOL The reason they bought Alexis back was because her replacement backed out right before filming was to start so Bravo called Alexis to come back. Judging by how early filming was going, I think they rightly realized that they needed a new person, hence how Lydia ended up being cast. At least Lydia seems interesting so far, but I do think that OC should do a more drastic revamp if it returns for a 9th season. The one strength OC always had was the constant revolving door of housewives, it always kept things from getting too stale. The housewives, with the exception of Vicki and Jeana, were there for like two or three seasons before they left and new housewives took over. I think that Tamra and Gretchen have overstayed their welcome and it's time for them to leave. Alexis should stay on as a friend of housewives since I think she gets along with Vicki and Lydia. Of the three witches, Heather seems the less meaner of the three.. with her trying to tell Tamra/Gretchen that Lydia was nice, and trying to convince Tamra that perhaps Alexis is trying to make things better.

I googled John Saffron.. and I guess he was a writer briefly on Ryan's Hope.. and All my Children in the late 70s/early 80s. According to a few sites, he was the one who created Lucinda. I couldn't find anything on K.C. Collier whatsoever.

I'd love to have an asian housewife.

What I'm questioning is why an attractive person such as Carla is doing with a sleazy loser such as Peter? I'm guessing that Leanne is now married to Nick, who owns a decent place and thinks she's moved beyond her humble/meager beginnings. It is said that those that 'move' up always seem to look their noses down at those they've left behind. Plus, she seems too accepting/close to Stella and I'd assumed that this story of Stella/Leanne reuniting was done years ago.. not less then two years ago. Jfung, I'm not sure if I have any favorite characters or not, but I can tell you that I don't much care for Fiz (the annoying red headed girl) and that wimpy dude she is with now (I'm assuming that's the guy who had the abusive girlfriend). I guess the UK and US have different morals and rules.. but I did view the December/January episodes and couldn't muster any sympathy for the lad. Yes, it sucks that Kirsty was abusing him, but he was carrying on behind her back with the red headed lady while pretending to still be interested in Kirsty. I'm intrigued with the Sally character that was on recently.. when she was being judgmental toward Kylie. I happened upon her early episodes on youtube (from 1986).. and she was quite fetching, plus loved the boots she was wearing as well She seemed very similar to Kylie in terms of personality and dress style (i.e. youthful/slightly punk looks.. at least the trends of the 1980s and early 2010s). Plus, she seemed to have the same type of interaction with her hubby like Kylie has with her hubby. Am I off base with the similarities?

Luann really didn't fit in with the group.. the other 5 seemed to get along/bicker with each other.. while Luann seemed the odd man out. She should be fired for holding out past the deadline.

I'm sorry.. I don't think it's fair that Luann and Aviva can hold out and still be allowed back on the show when the other 4 signed up before the deadline given by Bravo. If Bravo does have new girls lined up, then they don't need Luann/Aviva imho.

Well I know they were casting to replace Adrienne so surprised there are two housewives coming on. Makes me wonder if they will be downgrading one of the other housewives (if both are full-time, and not friends of.. that is). I heard that Taylor might be downgraded, but I'm hoping Kim is downgraded since girlfriend needs to be off camera to get her stuff together.

Do you think the new producer might restore the humor, family, and heart the show use to be known for? I did watch the April 21st through April 26th episodes.. and wondering why Carla is still with that bloke Peter when she is beautiful and can certainly have any man she wants. I'm hoping Leanne will freak out over Nick/Kylie's hookup when she finds out.. but I hope that she never gets back together with Peter. It does seem like the show needs to clean house and perhaps write some characters out. Though I like that the characters rotate in regards to storylines... much more then I can say for US soaps.

I had a feeling once the article came out showcasing what each housewife made, that something like this would happen. Hence the unwritten rule never to tell people what you make cause you might either make more then the person you tell, or less then the person you tell. If they refuse to sign, then I think it's time to put RHONY to bed.

So I recently discovered CS on hulu.. and have watched the first 8 episodes from December so I'm very behind the rest of you. However, I quickly was able to discern who most of the people were within those first 8 episodes partly by watching the show and also by looking up the show/character guide on wikipedia. So I think the Times interview on the new AMC/OLTL about not knowing who anyone is is baseless since I was able to jump into CS and that show was on 52 + years.

LW actually did kind of play a bitchy entitled character on Loving... I remember she was pretty popular on that show.. and was surprised at how GL didn't want to play up that element of her portrayal.. instead trying to cast her as a good girl opposite Moniz's Dinah. I would have been more interested in the Dinah vs. Cassie fight if Cassie was written as being flawed and called on it by everyone other then Dinah. After Dinah came back in the form of GT, did dinah and Cassie have much interaction after the initial identity theft story?

I'm curious what most people think is each RH franchises peak season thus far? For obvious reasons, DC only had one season (and my mom is still pissed that it was cancelled).. and Miami has only had 2 seasons (though season 2 was certainly a huge improvement over season 1). For me: Atlanta: Season 2 or 3 NY: Season 3 (Scary Island, Sonja's introduction, Jill & Bethanny's friendship implodes, Ramona's Turtle time, and Luann's stating money can't buy you class BH: So far, I think season 1 was the best (Dinner party from hell, Camille's total delusions of her grand marriage as it falls apart, Kyle & Kim's argument at the season ending party.) OC: This is a hard one.. I liked season 3 especially cause Tamra was not toxic at all... but I think season 4 was the peak.. while it still had the elements of the early seasons, but was mixed well with the trashiness that came to dominate the show in later years. You had a good balance of women in season 4... two trashy blondes (Gretchen and Tamra... though Gretchen was so sweet in this season and Tamra was bitchy but not to the levels of later seasons), one spacy brunette (Lynne), one snarky brunette (Jeana), and Vicki NJ: This is a tough one.. I guess season 3 since it was the first season with Melissa and Kathy. Teresa was still getting along with Caroline and Jacqueline... Kathy had nice family scenes with her husband and kids... and the conflict between Melissa and Teresa was still fresh and interesting.

This is why I always don't like to call these shows reality shows because the truth is much more interesting then the manufactured crap they come up with on the show. I rewatched the last episode of OC, and I could hear Lydia telling Alexis over and over that she signed up for this.. so I'm guessing Lydia didn't get the memo of not breaking the 4th wall if I heard what she is saying correctly. Her reactions seemed too genuine to be fake, and as I read before, her never watching the past season until mid-way through filming certainly confirms that she really had no idea what she was walking into. Didn't Yolanda also mention that she didn't really watch the BH show that much before she came on? I know she said she regretted not knowing the layout, but I think that makes it somewhat more natural and less fake... imho.

So watched last night's new OC... here are my thoughts: - I agreed with Vicki, Tamra has some major anger issues that she needs to address. If you seriously wanted to do a reboot for this particular show then you need to let her go. She seems to be the main reason the show has become the way it is. Much more then Alexis, Fretchen, or Vicki. - I loved the scenes with Vicki and her family! This is what the show originally was about and why having Vicki remain on the show is what keeps the show connected to its original orgins. Though that sister of hers looked more then 13 months younger then Vicki. Vicki also seemed more like herself then in the past 4 episodes. I do think Michael is smart for hiding his address from his mother, though I had forgotten about her crashing his college pad back in season 1 or 2. - I liked Vicki's brother, and he is right that Ryan is not man of the house whatsoever. He is basically renting out a space in Vicki's house and installing all of those cameras... um.. brother needs some therapy cause he is suffering from PTSD. I'm wondering if there is some kind of emotional/physical abuse going on with Ryan/Brianna.. hence why Vicki was insistent on having them live there. Since she's kind of wondering why she is being dictated to like she is a child and not a grownup. - Lydia is interesting to me. She did have one good point that offering any criticism, rather it is constructive or otherwise, makes Alexis very defensive. It is like she sees both sides of the issue. I read an interview with her yesterday where she had never watched the show and was told by producers in the middle of filming to catch up so she knows what is going on. She did look completely lost during that dinner at Tamra's studio so I'm thinking she is telling the truth. Plus, she did hint that she and Slade will have some issues as well. - I loved the scene of Heather driving with little Collette in the backseat. Especially when she said she is both adorable and a terror at the same time... makes me think little Collette is like her mama I can't wait to meet Lydia's mother... it could explain why Lydia is the way she is. According to Lydia, she is a hippie and was a huge influence on Lydia. Could be why she is a child trapped in a 32 year old body

I always thought it interesting that Pamela Long was listed as executive story consultant while someone else was the head writer. Did that mean that Long was technically the final decision maker.. or was she someone who advised the head-writer when needed? I know she was only on the show for five months.. but was this stint successful? Or was the show doomed anyway no matter who would have joined it?

I don't think either Long's or JFP vision for OLTL truly fit... though I think Long's version might have fit a little better then JFP's vision... just a little bit though. I looked up her stint and saw it covered most of 1998, and I do think that matches up with Lindsay's arrival, her initial friendship with Dorian, and her marrying Clint. She and Nora were hostile, but not as toxic either from what I recall of her first several months on the show. It seemed like once Pam Long left, that was when Lindsay's focus changed to breaking up Bo and Nora, messing up the paternity results, then having the memory erasing drug injected into Nora. It just didn't seem to fit the Lindsay of the first several months of her stint.

Maybe she is opting not to come back? Could be possible that she didn't want to deal with Phaedra... anything is possible. Though surprised she and Kim were friendly in real life.. makes me wonder what could have been if Kim had stayed on the full season.

Was that where Todd held hostage all the suspects in a cabin or house? Then Nora's daughter confessed to the crime? It was interesting in a weird sort of way. Ah, so Long is responsible for the Rappaport's invasion... though I loved Lindsay especially in her first several months where she didn't seem quite as obsessed with hurting Nora. Didn't she and Clint elope? I remember her and Nora having a conversation about that while Nora reminded LIndsay that she wasn't Vicki.. and Lindsay replied "exactly, that's why I'm married to Clint and she isn't". I do recall that their marriage quickly ended, Clint left town.. and she started obsessing over Bo/Nora in full force. Was that when Pam Long exited?

I was surprised to read that Pamela Long was a head-writer briefly on OLTL. I understand that it must not have worked out since she was only there for like six to nine months. Just curious over what she created/did during her brief stint on the show. Plus, I read up on a character called Samantha Vernon and was quite surprised that she was on the show for several years before being killed off. I always assumed she came on right before she became Asa's bride, but had no idea that she had been on for years before and a few years after. Shame that they killed her off right before Tina came back on the show since it appears that the two were friends/enemies during Tina's first stint on the show. Did old time viewers like Samantha #1 or Samantha #2 better? Just by looks alone, Samantha #1 looked more like a girl next door while Samantha #2 looked more grown-up/bitchy. I wonder why they didn't just have her leave town.. to come back at a later date.