Marissa Gallant

9 hours ago, Liberty City said:

Jill Farren Phelps' material began airing in December 1987.

Like someone else said: his head was in-the-sand. Though, realistically, there was only about one-month of airtime between Charles Bateman's last appearance (December 4, 1985) and Jed Allan's first appearance (January 8, 1986).
And they had an uncredited actor between December 1985 and January 1986.
We don't know the exact timeline when Allan was hired and Bateman was supposedly fired... at least to my knowledge we don't.
I do know Allan was doing some stage work after leaving Days of Our Lives, so he easily could have auditioned while also doing some primetime guest spots, and they cast him prior to Bateman's final appearance.
Based on Allan's own wording that Bateman did not know he was being fired is leading me to believe Allan was cast prior to Bateman's final scene.
Allan stated Bateman wanted to go to set and tell-off producers, and he talked him out of it, which alludes that Bateman was still filming.

Bateman, for me, was more of the older family patriarch, but the Dobsons 

I think Julia was meant to replace Augusta for Lionel; I got those vibes, and then they immediately dropped it. Then they teased both Cruz and Pearl with Julia. So many missed opportunities.

Eww. I'm glad they didn’t go there. I love the brother/sister-esque relationship between Julia and Lionel. 

17 hours ago, spike99 said:

how did Bateman not realize he 'd be fired? C.C. was comatose for weeks/months...In every soap parody, it is the beginning of the end for an actor....Many actors didn't make it in the C.C so he could have been suspicious...

 

I liked Bateman... He had chemistry with everyone..acting classic but solid...

Not fond of Allan...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqkXG3gixtA

Bateman asked and was just always told that they weren't replacing him. I guess just extreme head in the sand syndrome.

You are in the minority. So I'll share my own minority opinion. I enjoyed Victoria and enjoyed it when she and Mason recited Shakespeare to each other. 

Right now, I'm watching early Julia and Mason working on the Gillis case. I had read somewhere that Julia was supposed to be the spoiler for Mason/Victoria. Did tptb have eyes? I admitted I liked M/V. But J/M are so fabulous together. Even I was rooting for Julia and Mason. 

Too funny! At what point in the storyline did Phelps take over?

3 hours ago, FrenchBug82 said:

In all fairness, the Shapiros were hardly better writers than the Dobsons. Whatever Dynasty had going for it, it was neither the scripts nor the quality and coherence of the plots.

Funny because if you read a few pages over I was struck by this scene too when I started rewatching SB from scratch. It was not just cringe and awful writing but it was such a bizarre thing to think and think people would find it hot. Mark my words: the Dobsons must have had a very kinky sex life.

Where did you read about it? I am only piecing things together from this thread and I'd be interested in the whole story.

Well, Augusta and Lionel were supposedly based on the Dobsons- so champagne bubble baths and getting turned by food. Make of it what you will....

I found SB excepts of Allan's memoir on the french site. TPTB invited Allan and Bateman to the same Christmas party. Bateman asked what role Allan was playing. It got awkward from there. 

3 hours ago, FrenchBug82 said:

 

Where did you read about it? I am only piecing things together from this thread and I'd be interested in the whole story.

http://santabarbara-online.com/index2.htm

1 hour ago, Liberty City said:

Paul Burke was such a p*ss-poor replacement for Peter Mark Richman. It almost makes me wish they had just pushed for Richman to stay until Charles Bateman stepped into the role.
It also leaves me wonder what would've happened if Lloyd Bochner had gotten to debut in the role. Jed Allan definitely brought a certain sex appeal the others lacked.
But, I cannot help but feel for Bateman and how he was let go from the role; I enjoyed him thoroughly in the role

Oh, the magic Allan and Ava Lazar could've had, despite me not being completely sold on the C.C. and Santana pairing. But, visually, it would've been easier to swallow.

I agree about Bateman. I really liked him. And I was very upset that they were replacing him. Especially since they were doing it with Don Craig. (I adored Don. And I was very upset no one in Salem noticed that he never came back from mailing his taxes.) He won me over very quickly. By the time he announced his presence to the whole family, it was done. CC had finally arrived and I was like Don who?

Didn't know the story of Bateman's firing until last month. Total crap thing to do to both of those men! Full BS!

CC and Santana would have been easier with Allan and Lazar, but they still ick me out. I just can't imagine falling into bed with ANY of my BF's dads. Gross! But at least there would have been some chemistry-probably. Allan seemed to ooze it. 

Funnily enough, out of the combos they tried with Lazar, she had the most with Lane Davies,  but tptb didn't seem to want to go there. (Davies is another one who oozes chemistry)

I forgot to say that I really love CC's study. He would have a hard time getting me out of there.

Watching these episodes has also reminded me of how much I love Michael Feinstein. What is your favorite background music?

7 hours ago, j swift said:

I agree that Jed Allan brought a sex appeal to the role and their chemistry was worth rooting for, as opposed to the smarminess of Paul Burke (as previously mentioned the scene of Burke in a tank top and high waisted shorts working out with Santana make me repeat my lunch).

What doesn't track for me was Sophia blowing up the off shore oil rig, that caused her divorce from CC and the downward spiral that included the affair with TJ.  Her motive was insecurity over CC's relationship with Pamela.  However, there's no logic to Sophia being jealous of Pamela.  First of all CC left Pamela for Sophia, so his preference was obvious.  Second, he made no secret of his disdain toward Pamela when she returned to Santa Barbara.  Third, Pamela was always a bit unstable veering from anxious recluse to murderous maniac, so she wasn't much of a threat. 

I preferred Sophia as an object of desire to guys like Stephen Slade and Lionel who idolized her.  I did not like it when Sophia was put in a position to try to pursue CC and she was made to feel inferior to women like Megan and Gina.  Although, after TJ, her affair with Ken made complete sense and was such an interesting wrinkle that this aging actress could be so easily taken in by a con man who made her feel wanted.

I also would have liked a bit more character study of the differences in her relationships with her kids.  Eden was always torn by the abandonment of her mother versus the childhood fantasy of have her magical return.  Kelly worked side by side with Sophia at Armonti and was therefore able to have more of an adult relationship.  Ted, was just Ted, he didn't seem to think about his mother that often, and certainly never sought her approval like he did CC.  And, of course Brick was abandoned and forgotten.  An aging actress is such an interesting idea for a soap matriarch that it was a shame that Sophia was left so unexplored as a character. 

Yes to a very unsexy 2nd CC. Sorry, not mentioning that name. And doing everything I can to eradicate the memories from my mind. Shiver.

Thank you for everything you just said about Sophia. I find her extremely fascinating. She should have been explored more. I don't think she should have ever felt inferior. CC always wanted her and she knew it. But there was always her own underlying guilt and insecurity created because if that guilt. I've actually never seen most of the Pamela years. College and TV did not hapoennoften with me. So, I started at the beginning. I'm just to the reveal of Channing murderer. (Something to look forward to on Monday.) But even though I have not seen it, I agree that I don't get it. But I'm also very fuzzy on WHEN CC and Pamela ended. Depending on the day, Sophia broke them up or they had been divorced for a while. 

Brick was switched not abandoned. Well, abandoned by inferior writers who didn't know what to do with him after Amy left. Or even a little before she left... But that's different.

Also, I'm so gkad there are people who want to dish a 37 year old soap with me. Lol

I loved the first Capwell atrium. I loved Cruz's beach house. And I loved Mason's apartment. 

On 7/5/2021 at 4:23 PM, j swift said:

It tracks because Sophia cheated on CC during their first marriage, but it is also lamentable that she never tried to restart her relationship with Lionel.  With the exception of that brief period in the first year when they were stranded in the western town, Sophia and Lionel never share any flirtations, or even that much consideration of each 

 

Although it is never explicitly discussed, it was interesting to me that CC was always second choice.  Pamela dated his brother Grant before she dated CC, than she had an affair with Scott's Uncle Hal.  And Sophia cheated on him within the first year of their marriage (although the timeline of the affair with Lionel is always questionable. 

 

I remember that during the Bateman and earlier years, I wanted a Sophia/Lionel rekindle. I think JM had the same amount of chemistry with Bateman and Costner. But then Jed Allan was cast and those feelings went out the window. I wanted JA with JM- PERIOD! But I prefer a rekindle with Lionel to TJ (who for some reason made my skin crawl). 

They shifted the affair a lot. But my impression was that there were 5 backslides throughout the marriage. I know in the tunnel she shouted 5 times CC, 5 times! 

12 hours ago, Liberty City said:

 

With the turmoil this soap went through, this would've been a cake walk in comparison to other stories.

Well, that is a fair statement. 

I have been reading a lot of interviews. Apparently, Lane Davies and Judith McConnell wanted to do a storyline where Sophia and Mason hooked up. Boy, I'm glad the show didn't go there. But with other characters on a different show, LD and JM might have been awesome.

Okay, I've been giving this a lot of thought. Here are a few things that I would have done differently:

Done anything Louise Sorel asked for to keep her.  But kept her divorced. Probably brought in a powerful foe for CC and Lionel and had him after Augusta.

Kept Warren. Kept Brick. Not killed Joe right after the wedding. Had more Joe vs. Kelly's lifestyle conflict. Had Laken be the one to run off to Europe and meet the Hartley brothers. 

Kept Caroline because Caroline v Augusta would have been great. 

Find a different way for Gina to blackmail CC and still have CC and Sophia fight for ways to be together. Maybe have it be something Ted is accused of.

Contine the Sophia and Augusta friendship. Have Augusta venting about how Lionel and Caroline are a thing now and get to hear Augusta complain, "I would try to trick him, but dammit she's just too nice. I don't know what to do." Sophia, "Go after him. He's always loved you." And then Sophia would have had a friend to smack her head (probably literally- but playfully) when she was all worried about CC and Pamela. "Oh, CC will always choose you Darling, don't be an idiot." Never bring TJ onto the show at all.

Killed Joe to send Kelly off to film Princess Bride- hook her up with Jeffrey to bring on Pammie Darling.  

Perhaps even a weird Pamela/Augusta/ Sophia/CC/Lionel/ new guy arc where they're all fighting, forming untrustworthy alliances, and trying to be the ultimate business leader. Continue that for a loooonnng time with various ones winning and losing at different points. And get all the kids involved throughout

As long as we have butter beef and eggs, we'll be fine, right?

2 hours ago, Nomada said:

Maybe this is a little off topic, but anyone from here have watched episodes or scenes of The Bay?

I ask because this show has many Santa Barbara actors.

I want to, but I can't find the first 2 seasons

I finally watched the Dinner from Hell. Wow! What a performance. Too bad JM and JA were never allowed to submit themselves. But it does feel a little out of the blue considering where the show was at that point.

In the end, I think that the fact that no one was ever allowed to be happy for more than a week was one of nails in the coffin. When you go super deep drama too often, there is no place left to go. And it winds up just being pathetic.

On 2/13/2013 at 2:34 PM, sungrey said:

"Milk, butter, ground beef..."

 

One of the funniest lines in the show's history...

I promise you these the rest of your life.

I mean, you just promised me milk, butter, ground beef, and I'm still here.

I rolled laughing through that.

On 2/17/2012 at 7:14 PM, juniorz1 said:

 

Oh no, it was TERRIBLY unpopular and it dragged on forever. It wouldn't surprise me if it played a (small) part in Lane's leaving.

I read the interview with him on the french site about SB. They asked about Sonny. He was quick to say, "Sonny was not my idea, but making him southern was." 

I was gone from SB by that point, and only checking in once in a while. What happened that Mason  FINALLY called a truce with Sophia? When J/M FINALLY got married, Sophia was sort of in charge.

I just rediscovered Santa Barbara. Oh how I love this show. I remember being upset that they were going to replace Charles Bateman with Don Craig. But then Jed Allen BECAME C.C. to me. Even in the reruns, I wish we could have had JA from the beginning. 

I adore Sophia. Judith McConnell. Underused in the end. So. So. So much chemistry with Jed Allen.

I think the downfall might have been that there were never plateaus. Sophia's breast cancer over in a week. Custody of Brandon lasted 10 years, and the show was only on for 8.5. Too much keeping couples apart. Let them be happy for at least a month. 

I wanted CC and Sophia together, not constantly being stupid. And the fact that I didn't get that enough drove me away. 

And I do think that if Cruz (or CC or Sophia or anyone) had really loved Eden, they would have taken away her keys. Good Lord, the woman wrecked her car at least once a month! Capwell Enterprises must also own an insurance company because that's the only way she didn't get cut off. And this is the same woman that sky dived into CCs birthday?

And don't even get me started on Santana. I'll do ALL of the men in a family! Ewww. I get it. They wanted a May December. But after all of the [!@#$%^&*] CC did, Santana shouldn't look twice at him!!