j swift

I would rank the CC's in reverse order of their appearance: 1. Jed Allen, mature, sexy, a little hot headed. He played the paternal relationship well with Eden and Mason. When called he Kelly his "princess", you immediately understood their dynamic and how it varied from his other kids. His passionate conflict with Sophia was one of the only plotlines that lasted for the entire run of the show. Even when CC strayed, or become more of a villian, Jed maintained recognizable CC characteristics. 2. Charles Bateman, not the strongest actor but he had the maturity of CC. If anything he seemed a little old to be a romantic rival for Lionel Lockridge. However, his performance in the story when he learned that Channing had a gay lover was really good. He seemed genuinely betrayed by Mason trying throw Channing's sexuality in his face, and hurt that Channing was unable to be honest with him. It was such a surprising twist to have Mason try to shame Channing, but just further alienating himself from CC, that it was a joy to watch. 3. Paul Burke, a little too hysteric to be CC. He always seemed to be on the edge of blowing up and screaming. He lacked the charm and the gravatas to play CC the adventurous entrepreneur who broke away from his family to start a new company in California 4. Peter Mark Richman, there is a scene within the first weeks when CC is working out with Santana in a tank top tucked into his gym shorts that was not at all sexy. He was creepy rather than intimidating. He seemed to have a predatory desire toward both Gina and Santana that grossed me out to the max (to use the vernacular of the times). Next I want to rank all of the loves of the first Warren.

Does anyone recall a soap-board member (I think it was on WOST) who re-published his daily summaries of the Hitopah plotline from when he was a boy? It was really fun because he was a teenager at the time, and his daily musings were interwoven with the plot summaries. I vaguely recall it as a PDF of his actual handwriting from the time when the soap aired. I stopped watching Texas after Iris left, so my only memory of the plotline was that blog/board posting.

I abhor the soap-trope of bitchy women made good by the love of a man (or the birth of a child) and that's what ruined Vicky's character for me. Because of that, I am glad that Cecile was never made into an ingenue. She was a mean and vindictive woman, who conned her own mother, as well as every man she ever tried to marry. Taming Cecile would have resulted in the same boring effect that befell poor Blaine. Blaine, Cecile, and Vicky had logical reasons for their schemes which gave them their own routing value. The types of reasons that can only be written in a genre like soaps that tells stories everyday over a long period of time. They were beyond good or evil. They were complex women who felt constrained by their circumstances. Cecile was an excellent editor who really wanted her own base of power, but without the education of Jamie, or the social connections of Pat, she felt like she was never going to succeed at Cory Publishing. She wanted stability and her mother taught her that only comes from marrying into a wealthy family. However, she was conflicted by the instability of her father's wealth, based on his own con artistry, which resulted in her anxiety that she could never truly rely on a man. Vicky was not given the same opportunities as her twin purely by chance. If she had grown up in the Love Mansion, then she would have been given the same privileges as Marley, but she was randomly placed in Lassiter beyond her control. And Blaine wanted more out of life than living on a dude ranch, but felt stuck there by family obligations. These are relatable motivations with which most soap fans can identify, even if they weren't switched at birth, terrorized by a woman dressed as a rag doll, or had their art deco-themed yacht wedding ruined by their fiance's almost death. Watching a character living life plotted by a writer is similar to the feeling that many of us have had that our fate is beyond our control. During our darkest days we can feel as if we are just unlucky or that life is happening to us, rather than the result of choices that we've made. We forget that every passing minute is a chance to turn it all around. So, to punish these characters in order to make them more likable seemed as if the soap misunderstood their audience. The same audience who commercials are constantly trying to fill with hope of fortunes made by suing companies regarding vaginal mesh, being a model (or just looking like one), or becoming a dental hygienist overnight. People stuck at home during the day can relate to a woman who feels undervalued and underappreciated, and "curing" those needs by some prince charming is not always the magical ending that we want.

Twas the time slot that killed EON, more so than any creative issues. Although here in LA it came on at 3:00 (Los Angeles soaps are on an hour earlier) in most of the country a move toward expansion of local news into the 4:00 hour pushed it off the air in key markets. Network consolidation, the reduction of independent station ownership, and increased profits from local new programming meant that station owners made more money from running a low coast new program, or an afternoon movie, than continuing a soap.

I was just watching the first SB Xmas episode. Lionel Lockridge was in jail after being arrested as a suspect in Channing's murder because a note from Channing was found in the pocket of his tuxedo. The note popped out at the party for the jewels that Lionel and Warren discovered in their dive to the sunken ship the Amanda Lockridge. Later, it was revealed that Warren had actually worn Lionel's tux to Channing's party. I liked this detail because Warren was just out of high school at the time and logically he would still borrow clothes from his father to a formal event, especially because he was a party-crasher and hadn't planned on attending until Channing threatened to (a) call the police on Warren for stealing the gold coins from the Amanda Lockridge from the Capwell estate and (b) reveal Lionel's involvement in Sophia's disappearance. Warren was an interesting red herring in Channing's murder because even Augusta questioned his innocence, and when Channing's bisexuality was revealed, Augusta hinted that she suspected Channing and Warren had done some exploring. Any way, on Xmas day, Minx and the whole clan stormed the jail to see to Lionel and spend the holiday as a family. They even brought a tree, dinner, and gifts to the jail cell. After an awkward first couple of months, SB really starts to find its narrative footing at this time. The earthquake, Amy Perkins's baby-napping. doppelganger lawyers, and multiple CC, Santana, and Gina recasts mired the start of the story. The pacing was so odd because there were many mini-stories that were told during this period (Augusta's blindness, the tunnel collapse, Peter's brain tumor), but the mystery of Channing's murder dragged on for 18 months (a little Sophia/Dominic pun) with little clues dropped along the way. The reason Lionel, Warren, (and the oft-forgotten Elizabeth), dove to the sunken ship was related to the coins that Warren had stolen/recovered from CC's library before the murder. Warren, Lionel and Summer planned the dive in August, then Summer was murdered, then the dive happened in November, with the opening of the treasures at the museum party in December. The story was disjointed because the focus would shift back to the Capwells without having Lockridge scenes for weeks at a time. At one point in October, just as Brick was starting to be revealed as Sophia and Lionel's son, Warren explains that his parents have left for a European vacation. So, focusing on the Lockridges and their unique family dynamic was a great choice for school-aged fans (like myself at the time), who may have watched over the summer and were now returning during the school winter break. It is filled with humor and charm, Warren looks hot, and even Laken is bearable. The later year's special episodes are probably more memorable, but the first one is worth a re-watch just to admire how the show began to find its voice. BTW it was total missed opportunity that when Bunny the cross-dressing mobster was introduced, nobody reference Sophia's drag king period in Santa Barbara.

Here's the thing, they despised each other for most of the original run of the series (except for that odd tangential story when Blake got amnesia and Alexis took care of him). So, it would be interesting to know what was the initial attraction. Did Blake admire her cunning ways until it bit him in the butt? Did Anders teach Alexis how to manage a large home (somebody taught her how to chill champagne and not to eat caviar with a silver spoon, even if she got it wrong when Dominique came for their first visit)? What brought Alexis to Denver in the first place and did she like there? What was Alexis like while pregnant (she popped out four kids in pretty quick succession so either the maternity wardrobe budget would have to be huge or they would need to fast forward the pregnancies between seasons)? The new show seems determined to tell Krystal/Cristal's story which I think is the least interesting backstory in the cannon of the series.

This is an excellent point that really made me reflect on that period of EON. I enjoyed the sophistication of Miles & Nicole, Sky & Raven, and Mike & Nancy Karr as married couples without the burden of young children during the Slesar period. There was no need to explain that the kids were upstairs with a nanny while Nancy was off investigating a plastic surgery clinic or Sky needed to ski in St. Moritz. Eventually Jody and Kelly became de-facto dependants, and of course Jamey returned and Raven had more kids. However, I think it was radical to have that many couples with no kids. It was as if the entire cast were the subjects of Roy Lichtenstein's "I can't believe I forgot to have children" painting. I also totally agree that April was a great heroine. She was never a shrinking violet. She held her own against Emily and she was vital in solving many of the mysteries. I enjoyed how bitchy April became at Raven during Draper's murder trial. For too long she had put up with Raven being inappropriately flirty with her step-brother Draper and dropping off Jamey at all hours so she could go to the disco. She knew Raven only wanted Jamey for the money and April was there when Raven gave him up to the Scott's because she felt ill-suited for motherhood. There's a great scene where Mike, April, Nancy and the others are convening at the penthouse for lunch during the trial, Raven tries to barge in to grab a sandwich (from Margo's comedic maid) while garnering some sympathy/guilt and April unloads on her in a very satisfying way. I am not as much of a fan of Draper's mostly because he was never able to have the gravitas in courtroom scenes like Mike. I cannot recall a single cross examination or closing argument from Draper that became as iconic as Mike's cross examination of Serena Faraday or his closing in Logan's murder trial. It may be unfair to compare the two because Draper wasn't given the same opportunities in the writing of the scripts at the time. However, I have doubts that Tony Craig could carry it off. In my mind he was always an Adam Drake/Logan Swift-substitute (without the charm or Geraldine connection) and the need for Mike to continually have a younger associate became null as there were fewer trials in the later years (a huge loss in storytelling in my opinion, I liked the pattern of the police working the mystery and the solution coming during the trial). That being said, how lucky was Miles to inherit Margo's penthouse after April moved to London? He was only tangentially related to the previous owners and he got a private elevator, tons of art, and a patio overlooking the entire skyline of Monticello. Raven is remembered as a gold-digging social climber, but Miles landed way above his previous station by the end.

If you've never seen the unaired pilot Falcon Crest - The Vintage Years with Jane Wyman in a grey wig, Michael Swan as Richard Channing, and Abby Dalton as her daughter Dorcas Cumson (the porniest name in primetime soaps), do yourself a favor and look it up on Youtube.

I'm confused/having trouble remembering several plot points regarding Flame. Was her real name Flame or Debra? If her name was Debra why did people persist in calling her Flame once they knew her real name? Also, didn't she have a twin as well as Robert/Quinn?

Bon Appetit's Perfect Thanksgiving was totally charming as usual. Claire and Brad entered a pie contest (no spoilers but it was very funny). The finale with whole staff getting together to cook was like every family trying to get a meal on the table on time. I continue to love this series.

It may be an anachronism of the 1980's but, upon a recent re-watch I was struck by the lack of socio-economic mobility of the minority characters. Santana was in a scene with Mason and Peter, when once again she was referenced as being the daughter of the Capwell maid. While in a B-story her brother was fighting off bad guys in the Perkins household. My immediate thought was - why were all of the Andrade's and Castillo's poor (with the minor exception of Cruz's brother Ric)? From Victoria to Jodie to Eden, why did Cruz only date (and spawn children with) white women? Why couldn't Danny Andrade return later as a wealthy movie director who fought with Ted over Laken? There was so much made in the soap press about the diversity of using Latinex cast members, but if none of them were allowed to be financially successful was the impact as intended? It is not my intention to say that writing stories about poverty for minority characters is not soapy, but that show in particular had a focus on wealth and glamour. It seems like an age-old problem of having a diverse cast without diversity in the writer's room or in the production staff. However, if hindsight is 20/20, it is a glaring omission by today's standards that the entire latin cast was relegated to service careers and low earning jobs. Santa Barbara premiered around the same time as Dominique Deveraux on Dynasty, and I would have hoped that every soap would have their own version of a wealthy minority who became a threat to the established families on the show (although to be fair that does seem to have been the plan for Santana, but she was no Gabi Hernandez).

I've read this headline 12 times and I still don't know what it means. Is it a performance art piece? A sculpture of the Capwell Villa? Miniature dioramas of the whole town? Does the Icelandic artist have a US publicist or does Daytime Confidential read Pravda on a daily basis to get soap scoops?

There was a SOD article (summarized in our classic SOD thread) that suggested it was Generations time slot, and not creative issues, that were to blame for its cancellation. It was on in the early non-contiguous slot, so it didn't get habitual soap watchers like a soap that would have been placed after AW. Also, Faith Daniels was an up and comer at NBC, and after the tumult surrounding Jane Pauley leaving Today in 1989, Daniels was given her own talk show in Generations time slot rather than further destabilizing the apple cart. It's neither the first time nor the last time that NBC overspent on a blond reporter who proved to be too stiff for daytime audiences.

The recent discussion of Kentucky Bluebird on the SFt thread reminded of Jill Coleridge's rock star beau who wound up being euthanized. Wasn't his name George? Can someone fill in the details?

I don't know, (or probably just can't recall) what the story was with Roscoe Born and the production. Can someone fill me in? Also, what was up with the two week recast of Flame? The only details that I am aware of are from the 90-91 SOD news recaps we covered from Tumblr in another thread. SOD reported that Roscoe was initially brought in for a short term story as a spanner for Cruz and Eden when the mob was trying to take over Capwell Industries. He later left to do pilot season. However, he proved to be so popular that the production brought him back, re-paired him with Kelly, and created the Quinn storyline. Then, the Dobson's returned and did not seem to understand Robert's appeal as a character as he lost some of his charm and became a full-time bad guy. However, all of the discussion of Born walking off the set has been completely forgotten and I would appreciate any details that one can recall. I've muted those who can't seem to stay on topic so, I look forward to responses from people who can remember the facts. One other thought - The Walkers are emblematic to me of a pendulum swing on soaps after the glitz of 1980's met the stock market crash of the 1990's. Except, (IMO), soap audiences don't want gritty realism. We want escape, ladies who wear hats to lunch, and shirtless stable boys. And we certainly don't want a middle class family fronted by the woman who made Reva Shayne into one of the most glitzy gals in daytime. Final/final thought (of the night), I wonder if Laura Asher, Micah DeAngelis, and Jodie Walker all suffered from the old soap disease of relying too often on hiring actors who had been hits on others shows? Each of those characters were a distinct shift from the actor's prior roles and the audience may have been more welcoming if they had been played by an actor who had not been so closely associated with a prior role on another soap. OK, final/final/final thought - What was the primary source of income for Capwell Industries? I thought they were primarily commercial real estate developers with restaurants, hotels, casinos, and country clubs. But at other times weren't they involved in tech and medicine?

My quibble with the notion of not ruining what works is that there is an argument to be made that focusing on Eden and Cruz for so long was part of the demise of the soap. Because subsequent writers and producers were unable to grow new families and find new arenas for story-telling, once Eden and Cruz broke up there was an enormous void. I am not discounting the evolution of Gina and Keith, Julia and Mason, and other couples that became popular, but the focus was always drawn back to Cruz and Eden. Look at AMC and the Chandlers, Y&R and the Newmans, and OLTL and the Buchanans. Each of those families were late entries into the story but they furthered the plot. If each producer only kept what had been from prior regimes then a soap devolves into repetition and a lack of creativity (e.g. B&B).

As someone who is totally confused by the re-boot, I really like this idea. A series about early Alexis, meeting Blake, hiring the staff, etc would be fun.

I vaguely recall that Gina had a "thing" with Lauren's father Neil Fenmore which part of the source of their animosity.

I never enjoyed the long lost relatives of Blake (with the exception Dominique). However, between Caress and Sable, the writers could write in as many of the Morells as possible. I was always amused that none of Alexis's relatives liked her from an early age.

Not to repeat myself but, when I re-watched season 1 & 2 of Dallas, I loved the original version of Miss Ellie when she was a bit more of a Lady Mcbeth. Early in the series there are multiple scenes with Ellie and Sue-Ellen where she is telling her daughter-in-law to hurry up and get pregnant or Pam was going to have the first born heir to Southfork. Later in the series Sue Ellen's mother played a similar role, but I was amused that Miss Ellie was not always as sweet as she appeared in later seasons. I like a bitchier Miss Ellie because it explains more of JR's motivations and sets the stage for the Bobby/JR feud that was later heightened by Jock's will. Also, Jock's will was one of the best dramatic devices in response to the death of an actor that has ever been played out on a soap. One has to wonder if Jim Davis had lived would the series have lasted as long?

I remember from the E! bts show on Dynasty that the Amanda issue was three-fold. First, Joan Collins had just tried to have a sick-out in order to get more money, so when Catherine Oxenberg asked for more they didn't want to start a presidence. Second, the follow-up season to the Moldavian massacre was when Dynasty started to slip in the ratings. Third, once they recast Amanda, The Colby's was cancelled, so the return of Fallon to Denver made Amanda redundant.

I agree that Gina and Brandon's relationship was refreshing for a soap mom and son duo. It was certainly less oedipally creepy than Warren and Augusta's and more attentive than Sophia and Ted's relationship. Gina's love for Brandon also made Santana untenable, because there was no way to sympathize with her when she essentially sold her baby and her maternal instinct mostly involved kidnapping attempts. That being said, I would have been there front and center for a SORASed Brandon who had many of Channing Jr's a-hole-Capwell-centric qualities which were conflicted by his relationship with Gina once she became a Lockridge. For me the unanswered question of the Dobson's return is - What was the outcome of their case against NBC and New World? How much was their settlement? It seemed to be enough that they never had to work again. How did they win in the negotiation? Did NBC or New World have to pay them off when they left the second time? It couldn't have all really hinged on the casting of Pamela? There had to be more in their initial contract that allowed them to regain their position. BTW, these questions are rhetorical and I don't really expect anyone to know the answer (that means you DB). Just to go back for a moment, imagine that NBC build a soundstage and set of offices just for them and then to be locked out of that very facility had to be heartbreaking. I agree with the critiques of their second tenure, but I have a hard time getting my mind off of that detail.

I would rewatch a cut of the George Rawlins murder mystery. At the time I found it to be rambling and unfocused. However, I would imagine that cut together as a single story it would hold together and the twists and turns would seem more intriguing. However, there is the character of George's niece (a beautiful brunette with a voice that sounded like she had a constant stuffy nose) who also seemed to just disappear. I remember thinking when Brad inherited the Rawlins estate, after his brief marriage to Cassandra, that the niece really got screwed in the will.

I completely agree but reading this I also felt compassion for them - imagine having the biggest creative achievement of your career snatched away from you and being literally locked out of the studio. It must have been really painful and I can sympathize with their reaction of trying to go back to the way it was rather than start over. However, progress is inevitable and their inability to work well with others was their undoing.

At the risk of having replies from one of the most annoying members of these boards ever - Kelly Ripa told a funny AMC-related Chris Goutman story on Live this morning.