Soaplovers

I liked that Jessica didn't drive.  She was ahead of her time with the walking, biking, and 'lyfts'.

I remember Cally..she seemed sweet..almost too sweet.  I did like how Sue Ellen kind of mentored Cally.

April was a good character the first season or so she was on..but once she was paired with Bobby..she became bland.

I saw Mart in a 1983 Christmas movie..and it was unfortunate that the show was intent on youthifying the show.

Ed could have easily moved to the patriarch role in 1983 once Rick had been aged to a young character.  I'm not sure if Maureen and Ed would have been paired had he remained in the role...tbh.

All My Children 

Dottie had a social climbing mom Edna, a warm step father Benny..and seemed insecure.  And I always thought Tad got off Scott free with how he messed with her mind and emotions.

The show had her scheme to keep him after she had a miscarriage..thus making him the victim..when he had dated her due to being paid.

After she and Tad parted ways, the show made some half attempts at keeping her in the mix (i.e. working as Erica's assistant, being roommates with Greg, and dating Palmer's step son)..but then saddled her back to Tad before she left town to start over. 

Tad was the Bermuda triangle in terms of most of his pairings losing their point of view/agency (Dottie, Hilary, Dixie, Gloria).

@Cat I've always been intrigued by the alliances and interactions that occur beneath the surface. 

Budget Coven is a tight trio, but I do notice Delores/Marge are pretty close (Delores even saying she'd marry Joe if Marge went before him).  So maybe Delores sides with Marge over Jennifer because of the friendship?

Jackie and Jennifer have always fascinated me...they seem more like frienimies then enemies or friends.  I view them like Jo/Blair from Facts of life.  They'll shade one another, but if one is attacked..the other will defend them.  

Guiding light 

Reva jumping off the bridge in late 1985 looked like a good idea because we've seen the path to rock bottom play out for 2 years...and had Pam Long not left in January 1986, we could have seen Reva rebuild her life in a organic way.  However, we saw her as a nursing volunteer and her taking in the mystery man Cane before she went back to Kyle then Josh again..all in a years time.

Young and the Restless 

Patty's return as Mary Jane masterminded by Victor seemed good on paper..and she was played with conviction by Stacy H....but the writers made her crazy..and it was written as camp instead of a serious story of mental illness.

On 2/11/2022 at 2:10 PM, Gray Bunny said:

Before I get into OC, I have to laugh at Dr. Jen and the usually shirtless hubby with his toy chihuahua always in his arms because that is SO me, lol. As we watched the early episodes of this season, my hubby pointed out that I do that ALL the time with my darling lil Coco (see avatar photo). Any discussion, good or bad, Coco's in my arms (well arm actually, cuz she's so tiny). But I digress...

I think we're up to episode 9 now of OC? And I can honestly say, this is still a rebuilding year, with the cast seemingly on their own islands. Half-way through the episode, I thought: they really need Tamra back. SOMEONE that helps connects the old (Shannon, Heather) with the newish (Gina, Emily), and help stir things up with the brand newbies (Noella, Jen). Because this crop of women still feels very disjointed.

Honestly, sometimes I don't know where Shannon fits in anymore. Gina & Emily, the two we all were lukewarm about during their early years, are the two ships that help navigate the story and tie everyone together. It seems like a chore for Heather to hang with anyone, and really it is; it's a job. It shouldn't feel that way to us viewers though. 

Noella is just too much too soon. She has beef with half the cast and turns on the ones who are in her corner. Shannon is the one she hasn't targeted yet. Noella's on track to ice herself out of the group before the end of her first year. She's messy and too much, which means she'll cool off in her second year, similar to Jennifer over on New Jersey.... if she's back another year. 

Jen is nice, and I wouldn't put her in the Terri DeMarco desperation category, but she isn't really popping.

So I dunno. It all feels very disjointed and inorganic, even in Housewives' world. 

I like the disjointed islanded feel of this season of OC.  It's sort of gone back to its roots.

Though next season, we need housewives with older kids...no more small kids.

GH:

Holly's return in 1992 was odd timing because Finola had quit a few months before and Tristan was leaving..so she remained for 18 months in some outdated adventure story and paired with Bill Eckert that went nowhere.

Nikki Langton in 1992..she was Dawn's half sister and she kind of looked like Dawn..so I could have seen Monica being motherly to her.  I think the malpractice lawsuit was a smart idea..and then hooking up with AJ.  Would have been interesting to have had her be the nightmare Quartermaine daughter in law...but she was quickly written off.

Y & R

I thought Phillip's death was a good story decision.  History repeating itself with the car accident, Kay/Jill reunited in grief and also disdain for Nina...Jill trying to do to Nina what Kay had done to her, etc.  And it left Nina vulnerable to the likes of David.

B & B

I actually think Karen was a good idea, and at first, Joanna Johnson made her different than Caroline...she was more a fish out of water.   What went wrong was making her too polished too quickly...and not finding a proper story for Karen.  There were times she was not an ingenue and even had an edge....but her stories didn't get followed up on (she was paired with Thorne...and had good rival chemistry with Macy...but I don't recall any element calling into question if Thorne was with her because she looked like Caroline, etc).

Sunset Beach

Rae was dropped a mere few months into the show's run..and I recall people were pissed because she was likable..and she/Casey had chemistry.  What was SOD's write up on this story?

13 hours ago, Taoboi said:

Working out at the moment and fell down a Y&R video hole and came across the memories.

 

I can't believe they only had ONE scene.

 

 

It makes sense why she was recast because she mopped the floor with Phyllis.

Alex Donnelly had a strong and confident presence even when doing desperate things (i.e. ditching Andy for Doug, ditching Jack for Victor, and spermgate).  She didn't have that jittery nervous thing that Stafford had.

Susan Walters was a decent replacement as Diane..but she could play up the pathetic vibe better..but also had the sarcastic confident vibe.

Maura West...well..miscast and over rated as an actress.

5 minutes ago, j swift said:

I agree and disagree on these

When Melinda returned in the late 80s she was nothing like her original character and she seemed much more like a Dorian re-boot.  The exploitation of her mental health story (including an evil psychiatrist who used medication to subdue his enemies) would be offensive to modern viewers.  There was no hint of the frail Melinda who kept Peter from Jenny.  I am trying to avoid mentioning the actors for fear of diverting the topic once again, but it seemed like Sharon Gabet was brought on to mop up the mess of the mistake of recasting Dorian with Elaine Princi.

On the other hand Genevieve had enormous potential.  Not only was she rich, powerful, and funny, but she had her own mansion.  She was a viable romantic nemesis for Nikki or Ashley.  I liked the chemistry she had with Victor.  And, I liked that she was an old fashioned soap schemer who just wanted wealth, not world domination or violence.  The obvious weakness was connecting her introduction to Cain and Colin, both of whom already had convoluted backstories.  It would have given the character less baggage to either be totally new to Genoa City, or to have mysterious ties to either the Chancellors or Brookes families.  However, she is great example of an abandoned character because they rushed her out town and she had no long term effect on the story.

Sharon Gabet was on before Elaine Princi....she seemed more like she was filling a gap.  And I think she could have played Melinda as more fragile.  She had a dramatic vibe when she played Raven...that she could have channeled into playing Melinda's struggles to readjust to life outside the hospital.

In regards to Sarah Brown various roles outside Carly, I think Madison was the character most wasted.  She seemed to fit in well on Days...she had a good potential rival in Kate, a frienimie vibe with Sami..and she worked with Brady..and had good friend chemistry with Nicole.

Young and the Restless:

Jed Saunders (Josh Taylor) first came in with a hint he may have been Nina's dad...then he and Nikki had great chemistry along with having a one night stand with Jill.  I was looking forward to a triangle developing....and we all know how Victor would have reacted.  Sadly..the show dropped him...and Jill was left in a neverending divorce story while Nikki went back to pining for Victor before getting with Brad.

Reruns are where sitcoms and procedurals rank higher...but serials did better once DVD sets became a thing.... and I think the same of streaming.

MSW was a show Hollywood didn't get...according to Angela Lansbury...people in Hollywood watched sitcoms, not shows like MSW.

Guess the disconnect between Hollywood and the rest of America was apparent even in the 80s.

2 hours ago, Joseph said:

This is What Began My Idea Patty was a Great Character, pity they didn't bring her back before

And Kelly Began as a very interesting Character but Boy did they lost her way

Cynthia Watros leaving doomed  Kelly....Cady was all wrong for the part.

I know on OLTL, that Nora's sister came on as a therapist..and she seemed so calm and serene..complete opposite of Nora's more sarcastic vibe.  There were hints they were estranged..but after awhile she vanished.

What caused LOL to decline was CBS moving it from its 11 AM centeal time slot to 10:30 AM slot..because CBS premiered Where the heart is in that slot (in house production) in 1969.

LOL went from strong ratings to lower ratings because of that.  Only thing that kept it going was the Labine and Depriest regimes..and other CBS shows declining.

The move to 3 PM in 1979 was the final nail in the coffin that had been built slowly since 1969.

10 hours ago, Taoboi said:

OC

 

WOW.

 

I was watching last week's episode. I was totally about to just call it filler. Okay, I might STILL call it filler. But that last 10 minutes? Daaaaaaaymmmmmmmmm!!! And to think Noella almost did not show.

 

All Heather had to offer was shopping for where she wanted her house to be. Nothing else. And clearly, Dumb and Dumber...I mean Gina and Emily were bored so they simply winded Noella up. And offfffff she went. 

 

Not that Noella even needed them to wind her up. Her passing out in the sweat lodge and the drama that followed proved that. 

 

Who running them girls? Noella NOT HEATHER is running them girls!!! 

 

THINGS I LIKED.

 

WELL PLAYED. I'll give credit where credit is due. There was not anything happening. So kudos to Dumb and Dumber...I mean Gina and Emily...lighting that dynamite called Noella by revealing that Heather only asked Noella to come after being convinced. It has already been established in the growing rivalry between Heather and Noella, Noella is not one to back down. And Gina already knew Heather was mad over Max's birthday gift. So...put them against each other...two women known for thinking of themselves so highly = fireworks. And...it did not disappoint. 

 

THE DINNER. A dinner that did not disappoint. And I understood both points of view. Or perhaps I should say they both were at fault. Perhaps Noella should have double checked the gift before she sent it out. However, if she does not know there is a problem, then it really isn't her problem...it's HEATHER'S problem. And for someone who is very good at articulating herself, Heather should have been able to express herself pre-trip. But she was clearly still smarting from the confrontation at her office with Noella where Noella did not back down from her. And again, Noella did not back down. It was not helped by Dumb and Dumber...I mean Gina and Emily egging them both on (with some help from Dr. Jen) making it worse. Only Shannon seem to have some sense...and it's the fact that SHANNON is the one with sense. 

 

THINGS I DID NOT LIKE

 

THE GANG UP. What is this? BH? Dumb and Dumber thinking they were going to gang up and then deflect when Noella had the right to side-eye Gina for not telling her about the gift. Or at least hinting. And who is Emily in this world thinking she could get Noella to apologize? Girl, bye.

 

DR. JEN. No storyline without the hubby. 

 

THE SHOPPING. Now, Heather, don't get boring. That shopping was just yawn.

 

Decent episode. But again, Noella is stealing Heather's thunder. Heather better tread lightly. 

Would you say Dr Jen is Oc's answer to Teddi?

I'm wondering if lawsuit happy Nicole being dropped mid filming is why Jen got an orange?

This would have been a year where 5 housewives holding oranges would have been ok.  Both Shannon and Heather have teens that would provide content..while Noella is Brownie part deux...with Emily/Gina being blenders because they like to mess things up.

New Jersey:

Any sympathy I had for Jennifer dwindled after hearing she was trying to dig up dirt on Jackie..and the cheating rumor.  

Basically these shows are a portrait into why women would rather be friends with guys than other women lol

Gia is the smartest one in her family.  I think Joe and melissa didn't know what to make of someone that is calm, forms sentences, and brings up good points.

1 minute ago, te. said:

I thought it was odd to launch Sunset Beach at noon since you'd imagine with the demographic successes that 90210 and Melrose had it would be ideal for a late afternoon slot.

I grew up in Chicago and Sunset Beach was at 2PM here.

Guiding light moved to 9AM in the late 90s, then after outcry moved back to 2PM.  However, in Chicago, ratings were higher at 9 AM then at 2PM so it moved back.

ABC in Chicago was always #1...and RH aired at 11 AM central, Loving at 11:30 AM.  In fact, Loving always won against Y & R in Chicago...and Days and AMC at noon would beat Y & R and B & B in the non hour.

I loved DC...but I wish Cat were on.

Speaking of which, here's the time where Luann got put in her place on WWHL by former DC housewife Cat.

https://www.bravotv.com/watch-what-happens-live-with-andy-cohen/season-4/episode-29/videos/after-show-with-luann-and-cat-0

I wouldn't have minded Bert having a friendly interaction with H.B. and Henry...and I could see both men being taken with her.  Bert was a warm spirited woman who happened to be beautiful...but I couldn't see her returning those feelings.

She was content with her life and would have welcome companions her own age...but I could see her not wanting to put herself in a position of a romantic relationship due to her issues with Bill.

I loved her blunt she was...and I wish she'd live..because I would have loved to have seen how she and India would have interacted.

Jennifer, Delores, and Teresa have interesting family dynamics..so I find they don't have to cause drama so much.

Margaret tries...but she needs to spruce up the personal life so she doesn't have to stir up drama.

Melissa is tied to whatever Teresa does..so I'm curious why she isn't just a friend of.

Jackie doesn't show her family or work life much...and her hubby is hot so maybe have him shirtless more.

I think the blonde with melissa was supposed to be a possible housewife?  Although this woman not only stole a married man..but it was when his wife was 8 months pregnant....too messy even for Jersey.

I think next season will need a shakeup in the cast.  Margaret vs Teresa is the last unexplored avenue with this current cast.

Lastly, Jennifer's husband cheating on her years ago does explain why she judges Margaret on cheating.  So I take back my previous statement.

SLC

I'm wondering if Lisa's hot mic moment plus her vs Meredith is an attempt to prove the show can carry on without Mary..and possibly Jen (once she is convicted..that is).

I remember watching Hilary on the Soap Classics DVd's...and she had such a likable tomboy quality.

I asked my mom why Hilary  was killed and she said 'because the show was stupid'.  She and Fletcher would have probably been paired in the long run had she not been killed off.

Jennifer is just a bitch..someone needs to knock her down to size.

Garcelle...hmmm...I like her, but I do think she likes to stir stuff up.

I think the only tie that Leslie/Robert had to the 'new' YR was that Robert's daughter Angela was friends with Traci.. and that Leslie helped Victor with Nikki's 'My Fair Lady' story.  I do wonder if maybe Bell could have had Robert as socializing with John Abbott due to their daughter's being friendly.. while playing up on Jill/Leslie's past history.

I think had Jamie Lynne Bauer not opted to quit, Bell would have kept Lorie and carried her over to the new Y& R.  From watching a few episodes in the spring 1982, it seemed like Lorie/Robert were tested as a couple and maybe when she opted to leave, Bell opted to plop Leslie into that story.. when it didn't seem to make sense.

I liked the Beth/Mindy/Rick/Phillip story, plus the introduction of Alexandra & India.

1984 still had some of the elements of the traditional GL and the Bauer's were still the anchor of the show during that year.

I actually think 1985 was when the show stopped being the GL of yesteryear in many ways (Reardon's were all but gone by mid 1985, while the Bauer's weren't as frontburner as they were before).

She was pushed into music in her teens when she had cultivated a following from her time on Good Tims, Different Strokes, and Fame.

I wish she could summon the 19 year old of Control back...she's still within Janet. 

She needs to do music on terms and not let anyone dictate what she needs to do.