Marissa Gallant

On 10/24/2023 at 10:49 PM, j swift said:

I wasn't aware of that, but it is one of the most impressive points that I've read on this board!

I recall an interview with a SB blog, recapped on We Love Soaps, with Bridget that mentioned her contentious relationship with her parents. 

Search led to General Hospital and to one of their two daughters (me) wanting a job working from her parents. I did not just want a job.  I was obsessed.  I was adamant.  I was furious.  I was outrageous.  I pleaded.  I begged.  I threatened.  I had trained for this.  They stonewalled me.  No.  No job.  We'll hire your sister.  Which they did.  Why not me?  “Because you're a party girl.”  Come on.  “Because you'll never meet the deadlines.”   What nonsense.  “Because Debby needs the money.” 

"My parents never accepted that I was a success on my own. (My mother apparently was furious to learn that our bosses at P&G were talking to Jerry and me about shows, not to them. This is according to my sister, who was visiting them at the time of an hysterical outburst.) They never watched any of my shows. When they were asked why not, they said, 'Because we want to be proud of Bridget. That's why we don't watch.'

So, it is intriguing to think of CC as the embodiment of their conflict.  And the sibling rivalry regarding who was the favorite child that threads throughout the history of SB as a reflection of Bridget and her sister.

And to your point about working things out, she finishes the story about her parents by mentioned that she went through psychoanalysis and was left with the opinion that if her parents weren't proud of her work that was their loss, not hers.

Totally agreed, and it makes me wonder how CC ever forgave Sophia.

Because CC was the one who put the real bullets into the gun. 

Man, I still hate Maggie Ellis. I think Warren and Liz would have been interesting, but nope, the show went with Maggie, the most boring character to ever hit the show 

On 8/1/2023 at 7:59 PM, j swift said:

I think of all the original characters, Warren and Augusta were the ones with the most Montecito/Santa Barbara-specific vibes.

Mason, Eden, and CC all feel very east coast preppy.  They look like they never go to the beach.  They always dress in some form of business casual.  And they speak like mid-Atlantic old moneyed WASPs.  When I picture Mason and CC they are always in a blazer, and Eden favored heavy knits and long skirts even in the summer.  Those looks were fashionable for the time period, but not appropriate for life in Santa Barbara, especially given that they were supposed to be native to the city.

Kelly looks like a Southern California girl, but more Malibu than Santa Barbara.  She has typical Malibu Barbie style, hair, and lack of ambition.  However, she feels more at home in a bikini than at lunch in town with Megan Markle or Oprah.

Lionel and Minx seem more European, with their interests in art, history, and antiquity.

Gina and Julia have more of a big city urban vibe like one would find in Los Angeles.

Ted, Laken, Danny, and Jade all feel more appropriate to Orange County because it is very family oriented, but also a bit more upper middle class than the Uber-wealthy suburbs of Santa Barbara. 

Santana and Cruz are interesting because while it seems appropriate to have Latino families in a soap about Southern California, Santa Barbara is one of the least diverse parts of the area.  There is not a lot of economic diversity.  In fact, most household staff would commute from Los Angeles.  And the harbor in Santa Barbara is not only very expensive, but they don't allow people to live on their boats.

But, Warren, as initially written and portrayed, is a bit of a hustler, like one would expect of the youngest generation of a wealthy family.  There's a scene early on where he is discussing with Minx that he has investors lined up for a real estate deal on the beach.  In light of recent events, it is giving very much "let me call my famous Dad during dinner in order to seal this deal" energy.  I like JAN a lot in the role, and I wish that they had emphasized more of his hustler energy in order to give more context to when he later becomes a degenerate gambler.  I feel like his whole tangent into the newspaper and helping Maggie with her lawsuit were not in keeping with who Warren was meant to be.  And the decision to lean into that side of Warren's history with the recast bore no resemblance to the original character.

Augusta feels especially specific to Santa Barbara.  She is costumed like a lady from the area, from her wide brimmed hats to her flowy outfits.  Louise Sorel always exudes wealth, snobbery, and pomposity, but the mix with Augusta's libidinal urges, the way that she is body conscience, and her vague interest in the type of spirituality that one only gets from massage therapists and expensive yoga coaches make her feel like she is from the area. 

I wonder how much experience the Dobson's had in Santa Barbara culture, or if they did much research into its society, because the art direction and set design seem correct for the area, but the costumes, makeup, and many of the characters wouldn't fit in.

You know WAY more about California than I do. My complaints are usually confined to "There aren't mountains in the background in the Midwest." 

I've only known one person from the actual Santa Barbara and she was a Latina living up north, and she always wore black turtlenecks and sweaters.

On 5/23/2023 at 9:28 PM, Jdee43 said:

Santana and CC were so icky in 1984. It was unnessary for the show to try that again in 1991.

It really was gross to watch. I mean who could fall for the guy who did all of that to you? Also, by 91, the whole CC/Sophia will they won't they was pretty old.

On 5/23/2023 at 10:24 PM, Efulton said:

I have seen Gina in other roles and she can play strong.  Her Santana was written to be weak.  I would liked to have seen her back playing a stronger Santana.

I actually liked Gina G when it looked like they were going to pair her with Brick. They were really good together. I preferred Amy, but the actress left. Santana and Brick could have been fun and opened several plot possibilities. 

https://www.soapoperanews.net/2023/06/nicolas-coster-dies-at-89.html?m=1

Thank you, Mr. Coster for sharing your talent with us. You will be missed. My heart is a little broken over this one

This makes me so very sad

20 hours ago, j swift said:

Agreed, I may have been a bit too sassy when I wrote that.

It's allowed. I get that way at times too. I get that way when people say Sophia left. The original storyline was that she was taken. To me there's a BIG difference between the two.

On 3/28/2023 at 12:35 PM, j swift said:

Despite the fact that CC was played by multiple actors with a blustery persona, he was actually a bit of a soft loser.

He was the second choice of both of his wives.  Pamela dated his brother first and Sofia was infamously in love with Lionel prior to romancing CC.

We never saw him be very vicious in business transactions.  Yes, his oil rigs were a pollution risk, and Maggie's husband was injured, but CC was never portrayed as negligent in either situation.  He went on to build a hotel and a polo club without incident.  And, if anything, his companies were easily taken over by Robert Barr, so he wasn't a brilliant tycoon.

Finally, until we met Megan Richardson, it was assumed that CC stayed single for the entire period of Sophia's absence in order to raise his children.  Ted and Eden have exchanged memories of CC's high standards, but he was never a tyrant.

So, it is ironic that Bateman, Richardson, and Jed Allen played him as such a domineering force when the story as written for CC is that he was nepo-baby who failed both at love and in most of his business endeavors (the hotel never thrived, the casino sunk, the oil rigs were blown up, and nobody went back to the polo club). 

I've been thinking about this. I'm not sure I agree about CC. Pamela wanted him back. Yes, Sophia dated Lionel first, but she chose CC. She broke it off with Lionel. Then she fell off the boat. When she came back, she wanted CC- NOT Lionel. Yes, 88 ruined Sophia and CC, but no one liked that year. Grant talked about how CC increased the Capwell fortune by millions. Meghan only wanted CC, but fortunately, she was dying. 

Bateman was stiff, but I feel like he eventually loosened up. There was definitely some good, subtlety to his acting. I think the hurt when he first sees Sophia was well done. He had chemistry with Gina and Sophia. I'll always feel a bit sorry for the actor because of the way he was fired. 

I also think his acting during the final reveal of who shot precious Channing was very well done. He was controlled while Judith McConnell was not. It created contrast- inward processing vs outward. 

I think the stars were there in the beginning to help draw fans in. You also forgot Virginia Mayo and Ray Walston. I always thought it was fun. 

18 hours ago, Jdee43 said:

I finally got to see the earthquake, starting with episode 76, 11/12/84. They really should have just gone ahead and killed off most, if not the entire cast, and start the show over again. That would have been interesting. Instead they just continue with the same lukewarm stories, and kill off only one person, John, played by Robert Allen Browne. Granted, he was probably the weakest actor on the show (and that's saying something!), but there was so much more deadweight they could have gotten rid of. Ted, Danny, CC (ruined by multiple recasts), Joe, Peter should all have been killed. I'd rather have seen Joe go in the earthquake, then the exit they ended up giving him.

Under Dane, the character of Joe was the star of the show. I don't quite understand why they would recast him with Mark Arnold. In no way does Arnold have the kind of charisma about him that screams star, like Dane had, where you'd build the entire show around him. They probably should have just retired the character of Joe with Dane, have him disappear in the earthquake or something. 

I couldn't disagree more. I love CC, Ted and Danny. The show would have been awful without CC. Bateman won me over. Jed was better, but Charles was good. I didn't think Dane was a very good actor. I actually think he was terrible and have never seen the charisma other people see with him. Peter could have gone. I don't really buy that CC would have been happy with Kelly marrying her high school teacher! 

I'm FINALLY through the Paul Burke episodes. Yikes!!! I did love Bateman. I think he was very good, especially after his predecessor. Jed will always be my CC, but Bateman was very good. He was great with the whole cast. 

I also love Danny and hate what they eventually did with his character. If they had to have him decend into drugs, that would have made a great storyline for some talented actor.

Also, I came up with a new fun way to start a reboot. Robin Wright (as herself- famous actress, because you know she'll never come back for good) checks into the presidential suite and somehow finds that two way mirror. She then sues because the hotel has used it to spy on people for 40 years. 

And also also- in Bateman's first episode, he and Eden move the gazebo. Eden says she doesn’t know why since they'll never use it anyway. And I'm laughing because they use that multiple times a month for YEARS!

On 2/17/2023 at 10:45 AM, AmandainNC28655 said:

I used to watch this show as a teen ( I am 47 now). Is there anywhere I can watch the old episodes online??? I started watching around late 88 early 89.

Not sure if this has been answered, but YouTube has most of the beginning. Look for the Kelly Eden Capwell channel. She has 4 channels under different names, but they all have the same content.

On 2/12/2023 at 8:00 PM, Connelly said:

I'm enjoying watching Santa Barbara from the beginning even if it has some weak stories. Meanwhile I came across this video which is a summary of the plots of 1987, in my humble opinion, a great year, maybe it's peak. After 1987 everything was in decline.

 

 

I could listen to Jed read a phone book and be happy about it. I love that man's voice.

On 3/8/2023 at 9:05 PM, Jdee43 said:

Cruz is so incompetent; hard to take him seriously whenever he tries to do his job.

The show screwed up by not getting a strong actor for Warren from the very beginning. John Allen Nelson was likeable, but there was no way he could handle any of the deep, dramatic stuff.

Having Warren cast correctly from the beginning might have stopped the show from being all about the Capwells, and kept some Lockridges around full time.

I am not sure any actor could have saved Warren and Maggie because the character of Maggie was terrible. That was sort of the nail in the coffin for poor JAN. 

I think the show tried to keep the Lockridges. But once the Dobsons were locked out, Augusta had left. Letting Louise go was a HUGE mistake. Then Nic Coster left. When they brought them back, too much of the original audience had left, and the new audience didn't care. It didn't help that they were charactatures of the Old Lockridges. When you have Augusta and Lionel, you want it ALL- charisma, comedy, drama, heart. 

If the 2 kids had been on par with those 2, who knows, maybe the Capwells would have disappeared. Doubtful once Jed was CC. 

16 hours ago, Chris 2 said:

Paul Burke’s CC was probably the unsexiest man I ever saw on the soaps. At least out of anyone who was supposed to be a leading man.

Yeah, this is a valid assessment. 

17 hours ago, victoria foxton said:

Another episode this time a full episode from 1989. From a telecast-on Australia's Network Ten.

Victoria foxton, these are awesome. Except my very first thought was Why is Kevin Costner in Santa Barbara, maybe I AM missing something by not watching the final years. My second is Nah, even Alan Rickman and Colin Firth couldn't save the final years.

18 hours ago, CMS said:

I absolutely agree that kissing Ava shouldn't be a chore, but I was glad when he was out.

His CC and Ava's Santana were a really creepy couple. Maybe it was, because she only slept with him to find out about Brandon, so there was no real emotional involvement, but I was really glad when it was over.

She's such a beautiful woman and he was the least attractive CC in my book.

Yes Burke ans Ava are terribly creeptastic together. It sets the Ickometer off the charts. I'm one episode into Burke and already ready for Bateman

On 2/19/2023 at 9:09 AM, Liberty City said:

Lloyd Bochner filmed and was even in promotional ad campaigns for the series' premiere. Peter Mark Richman was a decent replacement. Paul Burke was... a choice. Charles Bateman, to me, was an excellent C.C.! I would've been happy had he stayed, because he seemed to enjoy the role and reception seemed positive, too.

It's because Burke, per Bateman thought the dialogue was stupid so he quit. It's clear Burke did not want to be there and it showed in his scenes. He didn't even seem interested in building a rapport with his co-stars.

Burke got to kiss Ava Lazar and complained about it? Poor baby

I've been super busy the past few weeks. I finally got to the creation of the Circle of Truth. Lionel and Augusta anchored the first few months of this show. Enormous shame what happened with the characters. 

I can handle the show focusing on a few an episode- most of the time. But it is CRIMINAL how it got to full isolation. Like the friendships were lost completely. Eden and Mason were close, but not there for each other during the bubbles od the later years. I hate what the show did to Danny. Gobe forever- then poof druggie. The interesting story would have been that descent. Also, where was Kelly when Amy was killed? I know Haley was her SiL, but Kelly was Brick's best man at that wedding. No way she wouldn't have been there at least a little bit. I feel like the show went from a show-wide family to no family. Yes, the Capwells were still around, but even they weren't family like they were originally. 

On 2/8/2023 at 1:09 AM, Wendy said:

To be fair, 1988 was a mess because of the Writers' Strike, so "scab" writers wrote whatever the hell they could to have material on the air.

All shows suffered.

I'm not accepting this excuse anymore. The strike didn't start until March. This was after the TJ affair, so I have to say it wasn't ALL the strikes fault

On 2/12/2023 at 8:00 PM, Connelly said:

I'm enjoying watching Santa Barbara from the beginning even if it has some weak stories. Meanwhile I came across this video which is a summary of the plots of 1987, in my humble opinion, a great year, maybe it's peak. After 1987 everything was in decline.

 

 

I started over too. I'm loving it, even though it's the wrong CC. I even enjoy the kids in LA story. Augusta just cooked Tina the pigeon. Augusta and Lionel are at the Capwells. And it's all just great. 

12 hours ago, Keri said:

Man all of those stories were awful. I really hated what they did with Jeffrey and TJ at that point. 

The other stories you mentio  I could never manage to actually sit through. Life's too short.

I just let it play in the background while I work. It is actually easier to do that with schlock you don't care about. I actually liked specific scenes after 88. There are some very funny scenes where CC is trying to make Sophia jealous. Augusta is always, ALWAYS great.

Lionel’s "death" and return from death are great and funny and at times even poignant. But it never sails to 85-87 heights again. 

This show didn't even come close to making John Perkins a likeable human. 

19 hours ago, Connelly said:

I was stuck in 1988 writer’s strike episodes which I didn't like so I started over again. The channel where I watch has improved the audio and also has completed some parts that before were in French language. The early episodes is not the Santa Barbara I really love but I'm enjoying it so far.

Yeah, those episodes are horrible. I made it through them. Once. I doubt it will be twice

On 1/27/2023 at 7:39 PM, j swift said:

I feel like the history of the show was pretty clear after a recent review of the 1984 SOD news on Tumblr.

There was a long planning period, NBC built a new soundstage, they spent millions developing sets, including floors that looked like tiles but could be silent on camera.  They cast actors from other popular soaps, and they set up an expensive PR campaign for the debut.

Then, it all starts to fall apart.  The original CC had a heart attack and they had to reshoot the pilot.  AMC wouldn't let Marcy Walker out of her contract early so she has to enter the show weeks later.  They couldn't decide on who should play Lionel, so he wasn't in the premiere.  Which set the stage for years of conflicts with the Dobsons over casting (of course culminating in their final fight over the casting of Pamela which got them locked out of the studio).

Also, they miscalculated and set the first week of episodes during the summer Olympics in Los Angeles.  Perhaps they looked at the 1980 games that were boycotted by the US, but created a boom time for summer soap ratings, and they thought audiences would be looking for alternative programming because the Russians were boycotting the games; who knows. 

However, the first ratings were a complete flop.  New World was new to network daytime programming, NBC had spent a fortune, and now everyone was in a panic.  They fired multiple cast members within the first few weeks.  They moved up the scheduled earthquake story in order to garner interest once the games were over.  And, there were weekly leaks to the press about how the network was pissed over the poor ratings.

So, whatever bible was planned was clearly out the window, and whatever creative freedom was given to the Dobson's was quickly subverted once New World and NBC felt that they couldn't be trusted to bring in new viewers. 

But some of this doesn't gel with the autobiographies written by the actors. Nicholas Coster was meant to be Lionel, but like MW, he had to finish a contract, so didn't show up the first month.

And Jed Allan's autobiography says he auditioned for CC but a suit told him he wasn't the right age, so he resigned a contract with Days. That contract ended and we still needed a CC that would click. He auditioned again, but didn't like his chances and didn't go all in.The show still wasn't sure. They had him audition again. Everyone finally conceded, but no one bothered telling Bateman (just RUDE of them). 

It has always sounded like NBC and Sony really interfered with what the Dobsons wanted. It might have been smaller at the beginning with a "No, dont cast him". But by the time of the great lockout, it was certainly heavy. 

Another thing, the post about the bible says Sophia wasn't a part of the plan, but Dominic appears in the 4th episode, so I am not sure about that. It had to have changed quickly because it is pretty early on that he's a woman

I'm at the Dash/Julia rape. It's appalling. Nancy is great as always. But Keith's reaction of ignoring it is not his personality. He DESPISES rapist. He went full bear on Eden's rapist snd he hates her. It just isn't him.

Augusta is so sympathetic to Julia that there'd be nothing that could turn her onto a Dash groupie. I'm finding it difficult to continue. Next up is Lisa/Eden and full on rewrite of Sophia's story 

I didn't watch a lot of soaps in the day, but I think Eden's coma has got to be the busiest coma in soapdom. Lol! Time traveling to keep Sophia and Lionel from sleeping together, flitting in and out of the mansion, reliving her whole history with Cruz, solving a mystery. Whew! That would wear anyone out.

9 hours ago, j swift said:

OK, but for every Judith McConnell, Jed Allen, and Terry Lester, we also got what I will refer to as the "curse of #2s", that list would include Warren #2 - Scott Jenkins, Santana #2 - Margaret Michaels, Keith #2 - Robin Strand, Flame #2 - Marguerite Hickey, Kelly #2 - Kimberly McArthur, and of course CC #2 - Paul Burke.

So, I would beg to differ on the term FABULOUS (all in good humor, I trust).

I say fabulous some of the time, terrible some of the time. #2 on screen CC is also quite awful. I also feel that Kimberly McArthur could have been better if she wasn't given such awful material. No one could have pulled off TJ and Kelly.