Soaplovers

Yeah...my parents gave me 200 per month...and I had to budget my meal plan as well. I had to get a part time job as well since 200 didn't really stretch the whole no.the despite budgeting. I'd have killed for 500 a month..let alone per week.

So citing the cast massacre of 1983/1984 where a majority of characters that helmed the show from the late 70s through that period were written off.. how would you have written for them to survive into the late 80s and beyond?

Tonight's RHOBH episode should be titled Empty Nesters R Us

I think instead of killing Mo, they should have had her leave town or even been put in a coma. Once viewers backlashed, then the show could have easily bought her back. With that said, I do think the show in 1997 had a chance of moving forward from Maureen's death since they had spent two years building up Rick and Abby as the next anchor couple. However, the show was intent on cloning, time travel, that stupid island, and the mob. I do think the mob aspect could have worked but it was executed all wrong.

True, but Nene showed her weakness last night. She, like Porsha, can't verbally keep up with someone so they resort to physical or cheap shots.

Maddie was very different from Laura. She seemed more mature, more innocent, yet also kind of confident. I don't think Laura would have felt guilty if she and James had kissed like Maddie had. I do wonder if rumours of the third character had been true.. if she would have been different from Laura or Maddie.

Cold and Sterile is what I'd describe the writing of Marland. For some reason, I think he worked better on ATWT then he did on GL. To me, Marland had all the elements of a Norman Rockwell painting on the outside, but there was no heart and soul on either of the shows. While I think Pam Long had the family, heart, emotion, etc of a great family drama... which can be messy and inconsistent. I do think Marland/Pam Long would have been a dynamite team. I was a kid during the Pam Long era, but I can see how people who grew up on the Dobson/Marland era might have had trouble with Pam's Long vision of the show.

I do think all four actresses who played Faith played up certain aspects of the character. Faith Caitlin was great as the passive, sheltered Faith.. one who preferred reading/medicine to socializing with those around her. You could buy that she was totally a daddy's girl, pampered, sheltered and afraid to face the world. You could buy her Faith thinking that her fling with Pat would become more then it truly was. I think her having a breakdown after the Kenneth situation made perfect sense, plus being off screen for several weeks recovering also made sense. Nancy Barrett, brief as she was in the part, served as sort of a bridge between passive Faith and stronger Faith. She had the quirks of Faith of old, yet seemed more confident in a way. She had more chemistry with Bucky then she did with Pat.. it seemed like she was too mature to be mixed up with Pat.. which is why I questioned the show putting them back together when it seemed like this Faith wouldn't give him the time of day. Catherine Hicks totally morphed the character into a less strident Mary Ryan. She was very confident, yet you still saw hints of the old Faith flare up. She had chemistry with Pat, but you could tell her Faith wasn't willing to put herself back in the place she was in before with Pat.. nor be like Jill was with Frank.. I did like her chemistry with Tom and I do wonder had she stayed in.. if Tom/Faith would have gone in the same direction as it did when her replacement took over. KMG had the the difficult task of taking over just as her character agreed to marry Tom, plus had to deal with the climax of the Delia/Pat marriage in her first few weeks in the part. I'm sure the writers/producers would have preferred to have her take over after that had gone down. With that said, I think she handled it quite well all things considering. It seemed like Faith was still written in those first weeks as if Hicks were playing the part still, but KMG had a colder read of the words.. and a more passive delivery of the words as well.. so it stands to reason that the writers eventually tailored the character to her strengths.. hence all the victim stuff with Tom, plus the alcoholic stuff.. and I don't think Hicks' Faith would have gotten involved with Frank since she knew playing second best wasn't for her anymore. Just my two cents is all.

I think the Maddie change was due to a red herring thrown out to the audience (i.e. Vertigo) to make viewers wonder if Maddie is perhaps Laura in disguise. Thinking about it, I can buy Donna shifting in personality.. but it just happened so quickly that it seemed jarring. Perhaps if the show didn't have the structure of each episode taking place in one day's time and advancing day to day... it wouldn't have seemed so jarring to me. I do agree Audrey went from the last episode of season 1 with twisting the cherry stem in her mouth, to acting almost demure by the 1st or 2nd episode of season 2. Perhaps the shock of seeing her father walking in to sample the new goods snapped her back into reality.. and realized her games have a price? Just a theory Just finished viewing episode 2 of season 2. It's interesting that Windom Earle was mentioned so early in the season. I did read in the previous posts that the show regretted not introducing him earlier.. and seeing that he was referenced this early makes me wonder why they held off. This episode would have been a perfect way to start the ball rolling on this so that by the time the Laura Palmer mystery was wrapped up, this story was already kicking into high gear. Then the show wouldn't have had to panic when it had to derail the other plots. I know that both Lynch and Frost were doing other things, but surely they could have left detailed outlines for the writers to pick up the slack? Lastly, I still think the Annie character could have worked even with Heather Graham if she wasn't instantly paired with Dale Cooper..imho.

I think.nene has met her match.

Watched the last episode of season 1 and the first episode of season 2 is almost like watching two different shows. Donna and Maddy especially are like two different characters. I am going to guess this was done on purpose to spoof characters changing on a dime to.fit the plot..just like soaps do?

Watched the 7/21 through 7/28 episodes on youtube. It seemed like the storylines were all pretty separate with very little interaction between the stories. Perhaps it was an odd week and Marland was still trying to tie up the Dobson stories. I can see why Maureen Garett opted to leave since Holly really wasn't doing anything and was islanded off on her own. I did like Morgan.. she was quite fiesty! I think I like how Pam Long wrote Nola better then Marland did.

Next week's blog will be "empty nester R Us" for Beverly Hills.. This week... wow... no contrived fights yet very compelling. http://www.chicagonow.com/confessions-coffeeholic/2015/01/the-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-trainwreck/

A lot of.potential for.angel... it did seem like they were interacting angel in different places to see where she fit. Did the actress not want to be on full time hence why they put her with Seth and married her off to him?

I like the video for Blank Space.. takes her usual man did her wrong and amps up her revenge 100 times. It's as if she's the daughter of Alex Forrest (fatal Attraction) in that video.

Is there a key difference between Tamra and Brandi? Both are known for being toxic.. yet I don't wish for Tamra to leave my screen like I do whenever Brandi comes on.

Did.the show ever address that josh married two women that were psycho...sonni and annie? I did.find it funny that Olivias mental state was shaky as well at times. Never understood why women would go crazy trying to keep josh. He was attractive but not worth going crazy over. Some could argue Reva had trouble with her mental state as well. A shame that more wasnt delved into in regards to the Shane family's mental state. Roxie went crazy, Reva tried to kill herself, hawk seemed not too stable either...only rusty seemed sane to me though he never did remarry after his wife was murdered right?

Rewatxhing the episode..and I liked that brand is housewarming consisted of.tension.but no blow ups. I did think Lisa v showed up to avoid being slammed for not.moving forward. She was cordial to.Brandi and to.everyone else. This is how normal people act. I think.when a blow up happens will be satisfying because the tensions will.have festered over time. I did like Eileen.and Lisa r both saying they were confused over the Brandi and lisa v fight. It was like both were the Greek.chrous.

Yolanda is only bothered by being dissed by Lisa V because it cost her airtime.. perhaps, if she had interesting things going on then maybe she wouldn't feel slighted and worry about airtime. I liked that Lisa V didn't invite everyone to her star cermony and to PUmp's opening. #1, it causes more conflict for those that feel slighted by Lisa V.. #2) More organic and not as contrived. I also think Lisa V showing up late was genius because it makes her detractors look bad for claiming she never shows up for things.. plus, she played it somewhat cool.. making Brandi look bad for practically begging for Lisa V's friendship.

A great balance of the day to day with full on cast interactions.. http://www.chicagonow.com/confessions-coffeeholic/2014/12/real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-my-break-from-christmas/

So Lisa.v. didn't fall for the bait set out by production (I.e. Lisa r letting Yolanda know of the invite to pam springs) to start telling and fighting

The opening alone makes season 2 a winner already Though I hear there will be drama in season 2, it won't be like season 1 where they kept harping on things.

Diane Ballard sounds like a fascinating character but sometimes characters just run their course and I think that was the case with Diane and Joe in 1981. I was reading some monthly summaries from 1980, and it was interesting that it mentioned Joe/Holly were being tested before she had departed. Makes me think that she would have been heavily involved with a lot of what happened with Diane/Joe had she remained.

Based on seeing how Eileen is on the show, I can totally see why her and Brandi will not get along. From reading Brandi's blog, she was a DAYS fan gurl back in the day and was a john/Marlena fan. I'm guessing that Brandi will be a total fan gurl to Eileen.. perhaps asking question after question which will put Eileen on guard since she seems a little more aloof and guarded then Brandi (que the scene in the super trailer where Eileen telling someone.. most likely Brandi.. that her checking up on her life is super creepy). Hence I could totally see Brandi bringing up the 'adultery/home wrecker' stuff.. and maybe even bringing up the old rumour of her being a man. Unlike Adrienne.. Eileen will most likely address things head-on without quitting... and unlike Joyce, will probably be able to get in the mud with Brandi and beat her. Didn't reports say that most everyone (even Yolanda) sided with Eileen over Brandi?

I think these first few episodes of BH this season were totally neccessary because of all the toxicity of season 4, plus it gave us a chance to get to know some of the women outside of their relationships with each other. It does harken back to old school housewives and I like that. Plus, it has given us a chance to get to know Eileen and Lisa Rinna as individuals first. I think the show last season made a mistake by not giving that same treatment to Joyce and Carleton. While Kim being mother of the bride doesn't exactly scream edge of your seat tv, you have to admit it's leaps better then watching her trying to train that dog. (if you hadn't viewed the secrets revealed episode from season 4, you'd assume that's all she did all season). I do like seeing that at her core is a caring woman and it makes one wonder how she would have turned out if she hadn't been a child star nor if she hadn't had a domineering mother. Next week is when the women finally interact, and I'm glad there will be some Lisa R individual moments too. I think if each episode has a good balance of organic drama and the fun moments.. it can make a great season. With that said, I think Yolanda/Brandi are trying to start drama with Lisa V.. and she isn't having any of it.. which makes me think the reports of everyone getting along till close to the end of filming sound legit.