Lex S

So, about Robin Wright seemingly being ashamed about being on SB. From all the interviews with her I've heard it sounds like she couldn't get off that show fast enough. Yet, she re-signed her 2-year contract in 1986.

There is this stigma in the acting world that soap actors are second-class actors and they're really there because they cannot get onto major shows. 

It would be my guess that the kind of people Robin Wright became associated with later on (circa 1987 when she filmed the Princess Bride) kept trying to convince her that she needs to leave the soap world and do major movies which she eventually ended up doing. I think I read that she has stated in the past that she never tried out for any other soaps prior to SB nor had she ever watched any of the existing soaps at the time. SB was her only soap experience. At least, it is heartening to know that she acknowledges the grueling hours the soap actors put into their work.

Does anybody here know how the press at the time reacted to her marriage to Sean Penn? I know his marriage to Madonna was the butt of jokes especially since their movie Shanghai Surprise bombed big time

Hey, there's an interview with Robin Wright posted on YouTube conducted by Gwyneth Paltrow. It's very recent, and they talk about her career start on SB among other things

I remember reading in some magazine a long time ago that there was a very wild rumor that they actually planned on killing off CC which would have been a very big deal. The reasoning was that they were tired of the three recasts in a matter of a year and the juicy story with the unplugging was going really well. This wouldn't have been out of character for SB at the time but shocking for one of the central characters. I don't know if this would have brought instant ratings success considering time of the year. Did soaps set at the time have high drama right before Christmas and during? If CC had died, they probably would have brought Mason to the forefront even more prominently. Ultimately, I'm glad it worked out the way it did, Jed Allen was different but was good! 

3 hours ago, Marissa Gallant said:

I think Julia basically found out there is no basis, and she dropped it. Then a few episodes later, everything changes. But Santana stays very one note and whiny about BRRAAANNNNDON.

Gotcha. I am just finished with Margaret Michaels' run and at the beginning of Gina Gallego's interpretation which isn't as shocking as it was all those years ago. All those years ago, I just remember taking a hit after hit after hit with the switches in Gina, Santana and CC's portrayers in a matter of weeks, who were all central characters in the story at the time. Usually, when a recast happens you don't get a recast in someone else for a while so you have time to adjust. 

Do we all agree that Joseph Bottoms is pretty well suited for the role of Kirk Cranston. I remember when he first appeared on the show as that surprise guest on Eden's plane on the trip to Hawaii. They kept tiptoeing around the fact that Jack Lee is not coming back. And that Eric character who was his assistant just didn't cut it for the role, I guess so they had to turn to Kirk Cranston as the new plot to get Eden and Cruz apart which worked out pretty well, I have to say

Also, Pearl doesn't seem like he would stay long-term at this point. I'm glad that they eventually found story lines for him that were tied to Kelly. Those were some  of my favorite memories

3 hours ago, Marissa Gallant said:

I agree. When I was a young teen, Gina Gallego didn't bother me as much. I could take her or leave her. But now, I'm so different. I can't stand a second that she's on my screen. I don't like Gina DeMott, but Santana you signed pspers. Sometimes you have to live with the decisions that you make. And it hurts, but that's the reality!

To play the devil's advocate, wasn't Julia supposed  to explore whether Channing Jr. and CC pressured Santana to sign the papers? In other words, this was supposed to prove that she was not in the right state of mind and her free will  to sign anything. I'm still a few episodes behind you, so something must have happened later with that course of action that I'm not aware of yet

27 minutes ago, j swift said:

Clearly the Residence 1.0 was visually superior to 2.0.  However, Senior Executive Producer John Conboy (thanks @Chris 2) had a penchant for shooting through a set, as if the audience was spying in on a conversation.  If you watch episodes of Y&R, Capitol, or Santa Barbara, there are always these shots from between columns or through an open staircase to start an episode.  It was very effective in demonstrating the grandiosity of the setting.  He used fewer establishing shots of the exteriors of the buildings, favoring a tracking shot through a set to start the action.  The newer version of the set allowed for those types of shots. 

Also, of note, time slot competition GH had recently renovated the Quatermaine mansion, so there was a trend between shows. 

Lastly, the newer set seems more functional, Residence 1.0 didn't have a large dining room, and frequently characters were forced to stand around during scenes because there were very few places to sit.  The open courtyard was lovely, but lighting it proved to be a nuisance, the fake sunlight from the center caused shadows on the entry way, and it had be adjusted to suit the time of day in the other scenes.  If you look at other sets developed during the same time period, like the house that Mason bought Pamela in the episode that was uploaded to YT today, you can see that they were trying to give a peachy/pink pastel look to all of the spaces which reflected light nicely on the actors and seemed more modern that the classic dark wood and deep red casita look of the Residence 1.0.  All of which is why Conboy was often criticized for valuing style over substance.

Wow, so much information - it all makes sense.  I thank you for your response!

Ooh, so, I know my posts will merge, and this will read random but I think I just found a new show to take my mind off SB for a while on which I am nearly overdosing - been watching 3-4 episodes per day lately but need to slow down because I am near the end of Linda G's run and I will miss her (again). So yeah, I am watching Virgin River on Netflix which is very soapy in a primetime soap kind of way.

Is Mark Phillipousis a commentator somewhere now or completely out if public life? His career was plagued with injuries and setbacks but I remember him trying so hard, especially at Wimbledon.

Wow, and I just remembered another Aussie - Pat Rafter - he had a very short-lived meteoric career and actually retired at his peak? 

I think the way Kelly dresses is quite timeless. Her dresses are always on point for a lady of her stature and family wealth. Yet, you can totally see her in a cafe and she would not look out of place. I think nowadays her character would be sporting a lot more mini shorts and just more street wear. I did chuckle during one episode where she and Ted returned from a game of tennis and her outfit, again was very timeless and Wimbledon-y but Ted's now looks a bit more ridiculous and reflective of 80s fashion - very short tight shorts. These fell out of favor by the 90s.

Now Eden mostly has decent business-y outfits when she is in that mode but she does have days when her dresses and suits have those shoulder pads that are now long discarded 

2 hours ago, Marissa Gallant said:

And I have to admit that I really love some of these outfits. 

Many men still wore sport coats on the regular in the mid-80s - I am not even talking about suits that Mason pretty much wore daily. Cruz wears a sports coat unless it's a really warm day, many many other characters do. The casualization of the dress code started later - maybe early 90s? 

20 minutes ago, Wendy said:

The renovation apparently occurred under EP John Conboy. From all I read about him, he was known for doing things like this on his other soaps. (Think he was an EP of Capitol at one point.) I know many missed the original mansion.

Thanks! I wonder how many times that front door was closed and opened throughout the whole run? Pretty much every important character touched it at some point. It had some heft to it, wonder if it was real oak! Don't break my heart by telling me it was made of cardboard filled with bricks!

Before I forget, I met a real Laken the other day! And yes, I asked her THAT question. And yes, she knew!

Also, a while back I met a Cricket (Lauralee Bell on Y&R). She was indeed named with that character in mind! She said she had that connection made many years ago when the character was frontburner, but most people don't make that association any more

Was the Capwel Residence renovation controversial at the time? That original house is so iconic and symbolic of Santa Barbara and its architecture. Was this an attempt to freshen up the sagging ratings that never worked out? Did the industry mags at the time react to this positively?

50 minutes ago, Faulkner said:

IMO there are a lot of promising younger stars (and Naomi Osaka is a legit superstar, for reasons only partially tied to her tennis), but maybe check again in 2-3 years to see where things sit? Feels a bit like a transitional period right now. A new generation of stars has yet to truly step up like the names you’ve listed.

Hey, thanks so much! I might check out the US Open provided it's with an audience. I'm not watching the Olympics because the audience is not there, and I don't want to remember it like this. Is the US Open phone/tablet app still free to stream without the commercials? It was all these years ago last time I checked it out. I remember the pleasure of watching 3-4 hours straight without any commercials, but these days are probably long gone and I have to pay for a pass? I'm not good at watching TV with commercials anymore, so that might be more difficult as I tend to get distracted a lot more than when I was younger. 

I wanted to add some other superstars I remember from so long ago - Gustavo "Guga" Kuerten, Michael Chang, Jana Novotna (RIP). I was camping without a TV in the summer of 1993, so I actually listened to the whole Wimbledon final on BBC radio live! It was so different only hearing than watching, but the emotions were palpable!

I have some roots in the east, and I remember when I was young watching there weren't that many Russian Superstars at the time. I remember Medvedev. I never bought into the whole Kournikova / Sharapova cults of personality, but I remember rooting for Marat Safin. Why do we think none of the Russians never had lasting success but there were so many of them who were up-and-comers and then just disappeared?

16 minutes ago, DramatistDreamer said:

Unfortunately, it has only become more arduous to keep up. The ITF/ATP/WTA and the broadcast agreements they have made over the recent years have fragmented the viewing audience. Perhaps, it is mostly in the U.S. where this happens, but there are definite times where there is confusion over tournament starts and broadcast and streaming platforms. I don't remember being as frustrated as in the past four years or so, but pandemic viewing really takes the cake.

 

This is the impression I've been getting, even though I am now just an outsider looking in at this point.

This is super random, but I sort of grew up watching tennis on TV from about 89 to 95. Obviously, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Aranxa Sanchez Vicario, the inimitable Gabriela Sabatini, Jim Courier, Agassi, Pete Sampras... I caught the tail end of Boris Becker's career. Then, I fell off the wagon. Came back a few times after Seles came back, watched the Williams sisters, Clijsters, Henin, the beginnings of Joker, obviously Federer. Fell off the wagon again 2008. Should I start again? Honestly, it takes a lot of time to keep up. I used to watch quarters and up pretty much of each of the grand slams and many smaller tournaments' semis and finals. But this was all live, sometimes pre-recorded. This was before the Tennis channel with only ESPN, NBC and CBS. But now there's youtube, with all the highlights and cut-up good stuff. But it's not the same, I miss the booth commentary, many of the older commentators retired.

10 minutes ago, Marissa Gallant said:

The "e" information is very interesting.  In Brotherhood of Satan, his hair is dark brown. So is Judith McConnell's.

I could see Bateman and Eva Lazar. But CC 2 REALLY set off my creepy meter. I don't know why.

You aren't at JA yet. But he will always reign in my heart. Yes, he is scarier. And he is also a lot more passionate. Whew! His wife was a lucky woman. I wish he had a few books on audible, because I could listen to that voice for a few hours. Lol. I just feel he was more complex. 

 

Speaking of, when CC arose from his bed as Jed, I remember feeling that something was wrong in this world. I think this was the beginning of a comedic streak on SB for me considering they had just hired Robin Mattson and later Justin Deas. This trio carried this part of the show for a while. Let's see when I get to this part if my memory will change. 

P.S. I actually just remembered that I watched  GL for a couple of months only because Justin Deas was on it. If memory serves, they actually offered audio-only episodes for a while as podcasts with, I don't remember the technical term, audio description enabled. This was maybe 2005.

So I read a bit on this topic, and different sources diverge on the accepted usage. Some of it has to do with British English versus American English. So, to some, "a blond man, but a blonde woman"  is the way it's supposed to be written.  

This source https://www.dictionary.com/e/blond-vs-blonde/ has some interesting info on the current status of the issue, especially talking about the usage from the last few years.

 I also now use my voice as I type instead of the keyboard, then I edit before I hit "post." If I had been writing myself, I would have probably omitted the "e." I'm learning to live without a physical keyboard, and was told that the more I use my voice to type, the more it will machine-learn from the way I voice-write and subsequently edit. 

27 minutes ago, Marissa Gallant said:

It's okay. He was old. And he was very much a WASP, so it's all good.

Having just recently seen the first 300 episodes, the first two CCs are still fresh in my mind. I was a little bit perturbed by CC #2 and Santana who was Ava Lazar at the time. Somehow I can see Charles Bateman and Margaret Michaels together. At least, their interactions didn't disturb me - most likely because I assumed that any romantic relationship was off the table at this point between these two characters considering the latest happenings

Should I have written "blond" then because I was referring to a man?

1 hour ago, Soaplovers said:

In the soap world, she was popular.

She had a popular role on Guiding light playing Annabelle.  She had just left GL when she joined SB.  So I think she had been hired for her name at the time.

And she had signed a 1 year contract when she joined.  Plus, with her and Mason being popular at the time, the powers that be were afraid she would want more money so they opted not to renew her contract.

Soaps in the 80s were popular so performers had more power to hop to new soaps with the promise of perks, etc.

Sorry, I read your comment after I posted. What you wrote makes a lot of sense and I trust your opinion cuz it seems like you know what you're talking about

2 minutes ago, slick jones said:

Looking for the blonde  hair you are referring to and just don't see it. 

Please don't shatter my childhood memories. When you are a child, you don't know blonde from graying, and that's how I remembered it. 

2 hours ago, Marissa Gallant said:

I have no proof of this, but I imagine that it wasn't that Harley was that expensive. I think Jed definitely was and that Robin and possible Justin Deas were. So TPTB looked for ways to cut back. That put Harley in the bullseye. And then TPTB regretted the decision but it was too late. 

Speaking of Jed Allan, I  was reading through the YouTube comments from when he takes over the role and people say he's so much more evil than Bateman. I see CC differently. I see that when he came out of that coma, Lionel was leaching all over Sophia who wasn't fighting it very hard. Gina was bragging about the stuff she's pulled. And CC was a man betrayed and hurt to the depths of his soul. That's not a comfortable emotion, so he turned to rage and fury. And Jed Allan was perfect.

I think Charles Bateman looked a lot more Scandinavian, especially with his blonde hair which was probably not blonde originally but graying blonde, if that's even a thing? I think it's a thing. When we see those scenes when he's a soldier in World war II, they made his hair a lot darker. But, anyway, I digress. I bought Charles Bateman as CC a lot more in the beginning because he has semblance to the Capwel children. Jed Allen, albeit taller, does have a look in his eyes that is a bit scarier, especially when he's shaking Gina, or threatening her,. He would usually grab her and shake her when threatening her, at least that's how I remember him. I am still not quite where he takes over from Charles Bateman but I'm very close.

As far as Mary and Harley Jane Kozak, somehow I'm not buying she was that expensive in 1986. Her movie career started later. Towards the end of the '80s? Somehow I read that she wanted to leave, or didn't mind leaving once her contract was up. If anything, Robin Wright was their most expensive actress at the time or soon after the Princess Bride became a success.  Let's not forget that the Dobsons were obsessed with killing off female characters at the time. Didn't they do the same with Amy and Hayley shortly thereafter?

5 hours ago, Marissa Gallant said:

So, this kills me. Mary is Mary, but every other nurse is just "Nurse". Lol. Couldn't they at least name them all Gertrude?

So Mason and Mary were fun and lasted about a year, and it is common knowledge in the soap orbit even to non-SB watchers that everybody mourned her loss. But let's think of the possibilities - if she had stayed she would have had to have been the only saintly person on the show. They would have to make her do things that we would not have approved in order to move the story along. So, in a way, it's good that she was written out the way she was - her death is pretty iconic and symbolic of the show all these years later

6 minutes ago, Lex S said:

So Mason and Mary were fun and lasted about a year, and it is common knowledge that verybody mourned her loss. But let's think of the possibilities - if she had stayed she would have had to been the only saintly person on the show. They would have to make her do things that we would not have approved in order to move the story along. So, in a way, it's good that she left the way she did. Do you know what I mean? There was simply no way they were going  to keep her as a positive person and not bore us to death. There are simply no saintly people on shows like this for too long, and I would hate to think what they would have done to her under all subsiquent production teams

2 hours ago, Marissa Gallant said:

 

2 hours ago, Marissa Gallant said:

If you like B movies, John Considine and Judith McConnell are both in one called The Thirsty Dead. It is not what anyone would call a good movie. But I loved it because I do love bad movies.

Then you surely must have seen "Inner Sanctum"  with Joseph Bottoms (aka Kirk Cranston)

7 hours ago, Marissa Gallant said:

I can agree with that. But I don't mind a good May/December. Unfortunately, I can't think of one right now, I'm too sleepy.

So, technical question: Would Sophia actually be Mrs. Armonti? I mean, if CC and Gina weren't legally married because Sophia was not dead, the Sophia and the Count weren't either, right? I still would love to know more about old geezer Count.

Ooh, I also just remembered that wasn't there CC's brother for a short story arc somewhere in the 500-700 episode range? I remember it being good, but what do I know?! At least you were in college at the time, I was still in high school.

Also, wanted to thank everyone for welcoming me here! I think I am going to make this my new home where I will discuss this show with all of you! I realize I should probably go back and skim more pages in this thread (I only did like 160 to current) because I am sure many things have been discussed over and over! It is always good to hear someone's new perspectives. Also, the fact that many episodes have just now become available (by "now" I mean the last 3-5 years) and so many of them in pretty decent quality gives everyone a chance to once again enjoy many storylines whether you're watching in order or select periods

As I mentioned, after I realized that I might be able to watch the entire series from the beginning I made it my mission last year to watch 1-2 episodes every day and read corresponding comments, and so far I have enjoyed the first 320 episodes. At the rate I am going I should be done in about 3 years. I might speed up my watching if nothing new is on next season on TV. The only other current shows I watch are Young Sheldon and B Positive. Think what you will of that!

1 hour ago, Marissa Gallant said:

The Christmases were always sort of their own episodes, often based on a classic Christmas movie. I loved them.

Honestly, I was gone by Eileen Davidson. And I probably will be again. I gave up Days with the 5 Kristen's and haven't looked back. Too much ED

Right? I didn't know if the way SB did Christmas episodes was industry standard at the time or unique to SB. In the 2000s, when I was watching Y&R they did something similar one year where Michael loses all his friends and he's alone and I think "It's a wonderful Life" reprise.

At the height of the Kristen era on Days (1997-98?), I had someone in my household who watched that show, so I was vaguely aware of what was happening. At the time, Days and Passions sort of all blended together for me and I thought it was one show, especially since they were back to back timeslot wise. By the time I started watching Y&R as my new "serious" show, she was back on as Ashley Abbott and involved with Brad at the time. Frankly, I always thought she belonged on The Young and the Restless, which she probably thinks so herself since she keeps going back to it no matter who the current producer is or how much wiggle room they have for her character considering everything else that's going on there

2 hours ago, Liberty City said:

No. It's the Christmas Julia believes in Kris Kringle (a.k.a. Santa Claus) and goes all-out to set him free.

Weren't those Christmases kind of goofy? I guess, they were sincerely done back then without any fear of political correctness that exists today. Not being a current soap watcher, do they still make holidays an event on soaps these days?

2 hours ago, j swift said:

I don't know if this counts as the type paranormal that you dislike, but there were repeated references to a psychic connection between Eden and Cruz that was supposed to confirm that they were each other's destiny.  Before their wedding there was that weird story where Cruz was kidnapped by a mad scientist on an island.  It involved ESP, wild animals, and Eden had a vision of the site of their wedding which Sophia was able to interpret as Pebble Beach (I bet if Sophia had a shared vision of the awful hoop skirts that Eden's bridal party wore she would have warned against it).  Also, during Eden's baby's kidnapping there was a psychic character who helped solve the mystery.

Is that the Xmas when Lionel was arrested and the Lockridges move their celebration to the jail?  I remember that episode as really solidifying the charm of the Lockridge family, along with Minx's humorous take on the police of SB (although I can't remember if Laken was present).

Wow, I forgot about that! SB struck gold with finding A Martinez and Marcy Walker. They put them through the wringer over the years and I guess fairly exhausted them by 1991. I wish the end was different, but it is what it is, I'm dreading having to watch A Martinez and Eileen Davidson together later on. At the rate I'm going in my watching, though, it's still quite a ways away thankfully, so, hopefully, I will be desensitized by then!

As far as the Lockridges' Christmas - it was the very first one - 1984. It was very sweet, Lionel was in jail. The show was still searching for its direction but these episodes were well done

41 minutes ago, Marissa Gallant said:

Yes, she is doing a great job at being a completely out of control wackadoodle

You're probably about 20 episodes ahead of me. I just got to where Dylan Hartley's starting to hog all the airtime

Minx is appearing less and less now, probably like once every 30 episodes. I wonder if the actress couldn't be on screen more because of her age, or if they just didn't want to write for her anymore at this point?