Everything posted by j swift
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The soap opera writers' discussion
There were significant changes starting in 1981 with the Writer's Guild that standardized these types of roles in a writing team. So, stuff before 1981 could mean anything.
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Jimmy Kimmel Presents Norman Lear's "The Jeffersons" and "All in the Family" Live on ABC
I think it is such a weird idea because neither series seems to be in regular reruns on non-antenna-driven channels so, how will young people drop into the concept? I doubt the average 20-year-old knows who Archie Bunker is, let alone recognize a recreation of Archie. I know the set is at the Smithsonian, but I don't know any other modern reference to the sitcom. I am intrigued, but I don't think that I am in the target demographic. I guess Norman Lear owns everything through his production company, but is CBS going to allow them to use archival footage, or will there be no illusion to the old series? Also, I'm OK with a live audience but hasn't Rent taught us that the actual show doesn't need to be broadcast live?
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Dynasty: Discussion Thread
This is what I still don't get about the remake - are the characters destined to same fate simply because they share a name with a character from the original?
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Best/Worst Soap Wedding Dresses, Hats, Headpieces and Veils
It was always amusing to me the lengths that soaps would go through to have non-white second wedding gowns I recall when Blaine (AW) and Marlena (DAYS) wore light blue poor (GH) Bobbie had to wear pink and mint green and I recall Alice wore yellow to her second wedding to Steve(n)
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MTV: RuPaul's Drag Race
two thoughts: There is a lot of talk about how bad Snatch Game has been. However, I think that what we remember are good individual performances, but someone has to be bad at it every season for there to be a show. I was impressed this year with the makeup that certain queens used to look like their counterpart. I am equally horrified at how few people remember Joanne Whirley. I also think that Rupaul's random judgements are part of the parody that Drag Race is trying to be. It seems like the fanbase gets invested in the competition and forgets that this show started as a camp version of Top Model and Project Runway. It seems as if some viewers are missing a key part of the humor which is that they are commenting on the state of reality competition. It is an entertainment show masquerading as a competition but somehow that gets lost in conspiracies about whom is sent home when.
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Bravo's The Real Housewives of....
I know the argument that Bethanny is a hypocrite with a double standard for herself and everyone else is not new. However, Tinsley's talk with Lu really got me thinking about what an awful friend Bethanny can be. Tinsley was refreshingly honest in saying to Lu that she realized that her lack of sympathy towards Lu's rehab was based on her anger toward her father. I appreciated that she wasn't apologizing, nor was she attacking, she was just saying that Lu triggered these emotions in her. In fact, if we read between the lines, Tinsley is warning Lu that when she watches the Berkshire episodes in seven months Lu might not like Tinsley's reactions, so she is explaining it in advance. By contrast, let's consider Bethanny and Jules. Bethanny was triggered by Jules eating disorder because she reminded her of her mother. However, rather than saying that directly to Jules, she teased her, disrespected every word out of her, and was generally not nice to her. Giving advice is actually perfect for Bethanny because she would rather talk at someone than with someone. Also, she was condemning Dorinda just last season for saying that death was worse than divorce and now they are bonding over widowhood (despite the fact that a few weeks before Denis died Bethanny was shtooping the hottest cater-waiter in New York and some guy in Boston the week after he died). On the BH front, the timeline of LVP's kitchen is very suspicious. I try to take the show at face value. However, given that we know she stopped filming with the ladies after the wedding, this kitchen reno could be happening on any day of the year. In other words, I do not believe she was demo-ing her kitchen on the same day as Kyle's shower for Camille because I don't believe that two film crews would be working on the same day if the entire cast was expected to be at one location at the shower. After all, Erika couldn't make it to the shower, but it was clear that her rehearsal was filmed on a separate day. I would bet that producers begged Lisa to come back and film solo scenes in her kitchen and in Vegas that could be inserted throughout the season, but didn't actually happen on the same day. I would further guess that she is contracted to film a certain number of days and when she refused to film with the cast, they went back and filmed her individually; which would really piss off the other ladies who would probably love to only have to film in their kitchens rather than go to another upside down infer-red goat yoga class. It is easy to insert scenes in BH because the weather never shifts. Sometimes in Potomac, they'll show two supposedly contemporaneous scenes and it is snowing in one location and humid in the other. But, I'll start looking for clues to see if we are really seeing things happen on the same day.
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All My Children Tribute Thread
I feel like Carrie Genzel benefits from being a clever twist in the Dr Jonathan Kinder story. The team of Skye, Janet, and Erica were so fun to watch. However, in retrospect, the reveal that Kinder's wife Toni was actually Skye was dependant upon Carrie not acting as Skye had acted in the past which is a writer's cheat to try to avoid these types of comparative conversations. Then Skye fell back into her obsessive stalking of men with Edmund and she wasn't as interesting as when she was a part of Janet's coven.
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Santa Barbara Discussion Thread
Brandon and Adriana could have been the Ted and Laken of the late 90s. BTW, I just thought about Warren and BJ's age difference. BJ was Cruz's daughter whom he had in high school. So, she was at least eighteen years younger than Cruz, and Warren was the same age as Channing, who was Eden's older brother. So, there are at least twenty years between them. I know that I seem to be stuck on the ages of Santa Barbarans, but that one is gross considering that BJ's introduction was through a sexual abuse storyline. That finale just got a lot less romantic for me.
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The Wendy Williams Thread
I appreciate Charlemagne's point, but I think the Breakfast Club, in general, undermines their credibility when they use homophobic language so casually; especially when discussing his innocence of sexual assault. I feel like they should have denounced the use of gay rumors to embarrass Kelvin based on his masculinity and denounced the implication that engaging in the rape of a man, (or a woman), is the same as sexual orientation. Kelvin is obviously a horndog bastard, but to try to use gay sex to demean him maligns the culture because it equates his violence toward women with having sex with a man
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Y&R: Old Articles
I think it is so unique for the time, (as well as in the history of soaps), to have a young female character like Ashley with no "true love." Characters have switched true loves, or found new true loves, or have had multiple true loves, but Ashley either had other women's leftovers (Victor and Brad) or duds who were never going to be long term solutions (Blade and Steven). Sharon has Nick, Traci had Brad, and Lorie had Lance, so it is weird that over thirty years Ashley never had an "endgame" love of her life.
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Santa Barbara Discussion Thread
A few pages back I remarked that I would have preferred Santana to stay as Ava Lazaar played her in the pilot. She was an interesting mix of Euro-glam and Nouveau-riche with her big white hat and her job redecorating the Capwell Mansion. I think she would have been a much more interesting counterpart to buttoned-up-Eden if she was always sexy and glam. Once Santana became an addict and then had her psychotic break she was too pathetic to be an actual threat to Eden and Cruz. However, it seems to play well into Gina and Brandon's relationship to keep Santana on the outs because he forever tied Gina to the Capwells. To be fair, when they write Brandon off before the end of the series, it is CC who pays for his education, even though Gina goes on to marry his grandfather Lionel.
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Y&R: Old Articles
I've always found it odd that Ashley and Victor were not each other's endgame. When they first coupled in the 80s there was a lot of dialogue about how their love differed from his relationship with Nikki because Ashley was more of a partner. Victor always made a point of respecting Ashley's intelligence and education. Ashley's relationships from Blade to Steven Lassiter seemed to exist only as an inhibitor to a relationship with Victor. It created opportunities for Victor to save Ashley and then for them to reunite. Nikki was often portrayed as immature and self-centered, especially during her first period of drug addiction after her horse accident, and that seemed to justify Victor's attraction to Ashley. I guess over time (and various writers) Nikki has developed more respect from Victor, but I really always thought that he would end up with Ashley; until she left.
- Guiding Light Discussion Thread
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Santa Barbara Discussion Thread
Angel seems like such a minor character in the history of Santa Barbara, but I just looked him up at the French Santa Barbara Website and his impact was remarkable. http://santabarbara-online.com/angel2.htm He is responsible for the exit of Danny Andrade; an original character. He got Santana hooked on drugs, which becomes part of her ongoing storyline. He is there for the introduction of Keith Timmons and is the first obstacle in the Keith/Gina coupling. He was accused of Elena Niklos's murder and became Cruz's lifelong nemesis. He was also a red herring in Eden's Adriana kidnapping. I appreciate the range that Robin Mattson brought to Gina. Linda Gibboney played Gina as constantly in a panic (to be fair her Gina was addicted to pills at the time). There is one unintentionally funny episode when everyone learns that Brandon is Santana's son and one by one all of the Capwells tell Gina to shut up or go away. However, Robin got to play funny, tragic, and maternal Gina. I didn't care for Ethan as a character, but Leigh McCloskey and Robin Mattson were really sexy together and it was a credible turn from a vixen to a victim, once Laura started trying to set Gina on fire. Also, kudos to CC in retrospect. He stayed devoted to Brandon throughout the series even though he learned that Brandon was actually Lionel's (or Brick's parents) grandson when he was a toddler.
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All My Children Tribute Thread
Hayley and Skye are interesting counterparts. Both found out that Adam was their rich father when they were no longer children, but Skye settled into the Chandler lifestyle so much easier. Skye immediately took on the Chandler name, I think Hayley was always a Vaughn. Hayley stayed in touch with her mother and her side of the family (including Uncle Porkchop), whereas Skye was never as invested in a relationship with Rae. They had such little overlap, but it is interesting to think about what they must have thought of each other.
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The Wendy Williams Thread
That's my favorite thing to read. I'd like to embroider it on a pillow. I found it interesting that she assumed the audience already knew. It was so smart to use her relationship with the audience in order to avoid giving more of the story. She said that she was moving into her own place and everyone on site and at home knew what she meant, and suddenly they're all insiders. Today she mentioned talking to Charlemagne, which I found interesting. On the Breakfast Club yesterday, Charlemagne acknowledged that Kevin (or Kelvin as they call him) was responsible for dredging up his prior rape allegations this summer from seventeen years ago. So, when Wendy mentioned going to dinner with him today she was sending another easily decodable message to her fans about her changing alliances. She is very clever to stay ahead of the story without divulging anything that would be unappealing to her image. I think a Breakfast Club Interview would be scintillating, and it is the only venue that would be credible to her fanbase.
- GH: Classic Thread
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Santa Barbara Discussion Thread
And famous Hollywood actress (and recovering addict) Victoria Lane went to Santa Barbara Public High with that whole crew. Ric (no K) and Carmen Castillo may have also gone to SB High, however, Kelly and everyone their age seems to have to memory of them. I'm starting to believe that with all of the disappearances (Pearl, Ric, Nick Hartley, Cassie) and, residents not remembering other townspeople from their youth, that there was an underlying X-files-esque mystery going on in Santa Barbara that we as an audience were never clued into at the time. Why else would half of Kelly's lovers disappear without a mention?
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Santa Barbara Discussion Thread
Here's an odd fact: according to the French Santa Barbara Online site, they were filming in Paris exactly 30 years ago this week. The shooting in the French capital took place for six days, from April 10th to 16th 1989, for a total of 55 sequences, spread on six episodes of 45 minutes. The shooting required the presence of 30 persons, actors included, and a budget of more than 500 000 dollars ! It was an interesting remote because it was a big splashy story that wound up having very little impact. Kelly (now Carrington Garland) was living in Paris and Eden got the psychic premonition that her baby Adriana was in France. So she hightailed it Paris, Kelly went undercover as Adriana's nanny (not Eden as suggested on the French website). It turned out that Adriana was living was Cruz's con artist brother Ric (no K) Castillo and his wife Hollis. By the end of the sequence, Hollis had jumped in the Seine and Ric decided to move to Santa Barbara. Ric worked for Bunny and seemed to have never stolen any cash for himself while in Paris. Then Robert Barr comes back to town and Ric winds up disappearing.
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The Wendy Williams Thread
The Post said she is writing a book, so I think she will leave most of the story there to be published around the time she returns in the fall. Especially because there is no Oprah, Barbra Walters, or Diane Sawyer to go to in 2019 for a tell-all interview. She seems like she wants to control the narrative. As the complexity of their business, she doesn't work for QVC anymore, and she is not pursuing other productions like when she had her gameshow on GSN, So it may not be as complex as it once was. Certainly, this is the end of his career in production; who would give him a reference? I think it will be a milestone when she allows celebrities, and her audience, to comment on her strength. I remember when Rosie O'Donnell lost 5lbs on her show and every actor commented on her slightly svelter image. If Wendy allows an actor to say that they are proud of her, it will be an interesting way to acknowledge what is going on. But my bet is that she has to say something about the divorce on Monday, even if she demurs from details.
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The Wendy Williams Thread
In one of Andy Cohen's books, he describes an odd interaction with Wendy's husband. They had pitched an idea to Andy for a pop culture judge show, he was encouraged, then she never returned his calls. Until a month later her husband called and said that they didn't want to do business with Andy and they never spoke again. This was after they had socialized at Anderson's book party and Andy express in the book that it started a one-sided feud. She never booked either Andy or Anderson on her show again and she never spoke to them. Later, when Charlemagne was on radioAndy, they both agreed that the only thing holding Wendy back in her career was her husband. Which is interesting when you consider that she is the only single-hosted daytime talkshow on currently,(other than Ellen which is more of a variety show these days), and she has lasted more than 10 years. However, I think how she handles this news with her audience is crucial. The NY Post is already reporting on every side comment she makes on air, and her show has not been live since she filed on Thursday. So, I think her fans have given her space, but they will expect a statement. I thought it was very powerful when she was discussing the half-way house and she noted that people may have negative expectations of her housemates, but that she was the face of how addiction can look. There is potential for her to pull a full-Oprah and change the direction of her show, or she could adjust to try to be just a bit more compassionate. I know I am compelled to watch it, but I don't know for how long if this experience is not reflected in the kind of entertainment that she wants to make once she is in recovery.
- B&B: Old/Classic Discussion & Articles
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Any Capitol Fans Here?
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Santa Barbara Discussion Thread
It seems unfair that Danny also went to Lyman Prep but his sister Santana had to go to public school with Keith and Cruz. Unfortunately, a good education didn't help Danny when he became one of the many who disappeared from Santa Barbara...
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Santa Barbara Discussion Thread
Kelly had just turned 21 at her engagement party to Peter Flint in the pilot in 1984. My recollection is that she and Joe dated steadily in high school, but they weren't engaged. Joe was the same age as Warren and Channing because he was a scholarship student at their school who had to do janitorial duties as his work study (which doesn't excuse Augusta from being the first woman to sleep with Joe when he was released from prison, given that he was her son's age). Also, it doesn't explain why Brick was older than Warren, if Warren and Channing were the same age? However, it is never explained why Eden went to a different high school, (with Robert Barr, but not his twin) than her siblings, except that she was still in Pine Valley when the series premiered. And Cruz must have gone to another, (presumedly public school), with Keith Timmons, Keith's dead sister, and Santana. The one that really stands out is Elena Nikolas. If Pamela was pregnant when CC forced her to move to Europe, then wouldn't Elena have been older than Channing/Brick? However, they played Sherilyn Wolter as if she was the same age as Eden. As for Sofia, my question remains as to if she and Lionel only hooked up before Channing/Brick, and after Ted, or were they hooking up the whole time? And when did she meet and marry the Count (who happened to have adopted a German son whose parents may have been shot by CC during WWII) after the yacht in 1969 or after shooting Channing in 1979? If she met him in 1969, they were together longer than she was with CC. I found two more clues. In the 1984 episodes, Ted says that he was five when Sofia disappeared, which is why he didn't recognize her immediately. However, in 1991, it is revealed that the precipitating incident to Eden's "split personality" was that she saw Sophia fall off of the Lockridge yacht. This would mean it occurred when she was around 8 but in the flashback Eden was a teenager (also it doesn't explain why she wasn't triggered when she lived on Cruz's boat, or when she was held captive by Kirk Cranston at Marineland)?