pdm1974

That could very well be one of the reasons. The Capwells proved to be the more popular characters, so they threw the majority of the focus on them. Still, they needed other people to interact with which proved to be a challenge. The last year it felt like five new families were added and none of those took off.

I watched AW from about early 80s as a kid until the end. One of my favorite romances was actually between Carl and Rachel because it had so much history and conflict behind it. Plus, the performers were top notch. I know others felt that it should have been a no-go in terms of story between these two characters. It was great to see Rachel driving story again.

I read Agnes Nixon's memoir, and while very interesting in some points, I felt let down that not once did she mention Loving. Sure, it wasn't the success that AMC or OLTL was, but it did run for 13 years. Hardly a complete failure! Plus, it would have been interesting to get her viewpoint on WHY it never developed into a huge hit.

I started watching SB from the very first episode when I was in middle school until the last when I was in college. I was obsessed with the show and so sad when it went off the air. I'm wondering what opinions others may have on why the show struggled to maintain a strong second core family beyond the Capwells. Families came and went over the years. The Lockridges were the ones that had a bit of staying power on and off, and I never understood why the writers had trouble creating story for them. I thought the Lockridges were a hoot to watch with the zany members of the family and their humor. I often PREFERRED them over the darker Capwell family. I think the singular focus on the Capwells made it hard for the show to branch out in terms of story. Also, my top missed opportunity character that should have been a mainstay the whole time was Santana. She had the rich history with the Capwells and the desire to desperately improve her social status. Anyone else have thoughts on this?