SoapDope78

I wish more of 1976-1979 would surface. Cindy Pickett said early Jackie was written as a rich bitch. In the synopsis from that time Sara is often asking Justin how he could marry someone like that. I wonder how long that lasted? Jackie seemed to be beloved by everyone by 1977 except maybe Mike's secretary. I remember on a GL anniversary show they showed a clip of Justin & Jackie as a flashback to their marriage. Justin was upset with Jackie when she claimed she aborted their baby. I wonder if that episode the flashback was taken from exists in it's entirety?

I remember someone commenting on that 1977 Thanksgiving episode about Elizabeth's hair " Whoa it looks like Toni Tennille found her big rollers"

The vast majority of the 1979 episodes are now gone. I wanted to go back and see the episodes where Jackie invites Mike to dinner at her new apartment. Also the episodes where Mike & Elizabeth have an affair at the ski lodge and Jackie finds out. She confronts Elizabeth about it later.

I agree that GL pretty much became the Reva show during most of the 1980's. As I have stated before, I really loved the late 70's Dobsons writing era. I can go back and watch those 1979 episodes over and over again and not get bored. I can't believe all those great characters that could have driven story for decades were written out for stupid new characters and pointless storylines. Characters that should have been kept on, but were quickly dumped within a few years. Rita Bauer Jackie Marler Elizabeth Spaulding Justin Marler Ben McFarren Holly Norris Thorpe Diane Ballard Barbara Norris Thorpe Adam Thorpe Sarah McIntyre Werner Hope Bauer Mike Bauer Hillary Bauer Amanda Wexler Lucille Wexler (they really should have kept her around).

Rita McLaughlin (ex-Carol) on Mr. Wizard (1963). Youtube will not allow me to embed the video here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfAuOco_7Vo

You made some excellent points about the Elizabeth character. She could have been a trail blazer if the writers had written decent material for her. They could have had her regularly challenging her father on a lot of social issues since he was so conservative in the changing times of the late 70's. I remember there was an episode where she wanted to go on the pill and Tom was not happy about it. I could also see them doing a " Guess Who's Coming To Dinner' plot where she brings home her fiancé and Tom's reaction to it.

I never understood or liked the addition of Jeremy. They spent nearly that entire last season focusing on him which was boring and annoying. The writers should have spent more time working with the cast they already had and fleshed out the character of Elizabeth who basically had no real storyline.

Bobby back from the dead was the final nail in the coffin for me. Patrick Duffy was responsible for them killing his character off in the first place because he insisted on it. After he came back, he, Larry Hagman, and Leonard Katzman became insufferable, and it became a boy's club behind the scenes and onscreen. The show never recovered. I don't blame Victoria for leaving. She and her character became a joke.

Susan was always flipping out about the least little thing especially during her marriage to Merle. She put him through the ringer. David was also like her and treated Janet like crap. One thing that EIE made a mistake of doing was use a laugh track during comedic/lighthearted scenes.

🤣.....That mauve pink was pretty bad. Val must have picked that color after seeing it used on The Cosby Show. The house looked better during the early seasons with Miss Ellie's gifted antique furniture. The only thing that bugged me was the 2 wing chairs in the living room did not match each other and should have been reupholstered. When Gary & Val remarried and moved back to the cul-de-sac , Val was complaining about trying to make the ranch stuff fit. It would have been a nice throwback if Gary had told her about having a storage unit and she goes out there walks in and see's all of Miss Ellie's stuff still there and brings it back to use in the house. Gary later walks in and it's DeJa'Vu.

I think she fit playing snotty preppy rich girls. She could also play a trophy wife that married an older man for his money while having an affair with the pool boy, gardener, husbands' business partner etc...Maybe a rich bitch CEO of a modeling agency that verbally abuses her female models and they develop eating disorders etc...she would have affairs with the male models. Similar to the Joan Collins character in the campy 80's TV movie " Making of a Male Model" with Jon Erik Hexum.

Cleaned up/Upscaled 1979 episode with Roger and Holly's rape. Elizabeth & Alan's battle over the custody of Phillip. Cindy Pickett was a treasure as the tormented Jackie.

I could picture Judy going fatal attraction on Gary during his later marriage to Abby.

I may have seen Massacre years ago but can't recall the details. I would have to go back and see it again. There are a lot of actors that came out of the Universal contract system but never became major stars. Tom Selleck was there for years before he finally broke out with Magnum P.I. Bill Bell would never sign him to a Y&R contract in the mid 70's and regretted it when he hit stardom. Beck I would qualify as a character actress. She fit certain types of roles. Another actress that I could picture in the role of Julie on Capitol is Amanda Wyss.

What I have seen of Beck's work she always plays kind of aloof characters. She played Linda Blair's preppy friend in the 1979 film Roller Boogie. She just comes across as frosty. I could easily picture her being a ringleader mean girl in a sorority or private girl's school. Like Blair on Facts of Life in the first few episodes.

I have not seen enough Santa Barbara to judge the writing. I am a fan of its creators The Dobsons and the writing they did on late 70's GL. I was always a viewer of the CBS soaps with Y&R being my favorite during the Bill Bell years. I was also a big fan of Marland's ATWT. I love watching classic episodes of all the soaps (CBS ABC, NBC). I just wish more episodes were available.

Marla Pennington also played the Mom on the 80's sitcom "Small Wonder" about Vicki the girl robot. Dick Christie (B&B) played her husband. Thanks for the info. Yes, it is Dianne no Diane. There are so many different spellings of that name. Like Dian as in Dian Parkinson the model from the 70's & 80's Price Is Right.

Beck was also let go from Eight Is Enough after the pilot. She was replaced by Diane Kay for the series. I never knew that David Mason Daniels was let go from Capitol. I assumed he left on his own. I didn't care for Dane Witherspoon in the role. Same for the Brenda recasts. If I recall correctly Catherine Hickland said she had tested for Julie before Beck was cast. Capitol was a beautifully produced soap, but the writing was a mess. All the constant recasts hurt the show as well.

Several spots in this reel for the premiere of Rituals.

Someone has found half an episode of 1950's Divorce Court. Rare Find.

1986 TV pilot movie "Crazy Dan" starring John Beck and Mary Crosby

I would love to see that scene surface. I bet Bill Bell did do that on purpose so he could get that past the censors. I also read about the infamous Jed Andrews (Tom Selleck) & Lorie Brooks (Jamie Lyn Bauer) 1974 shower sex scene. Supposedly it was very graphic with their blurred naked bodies grinding up against the glass shower door. Selleck and Bauer said they are always reminded of that by longtime fans.

Marguerite Ray appears in this short film from 1971 about interviewing for a job. She appears at the 7:46 mark. I also recognize actress Sherri Alberoni as the friend at the beach at the beginning. The actress playing the lead Ruth looks familiar as does the actor who gives her the job.

Andrea Evans was a bizarre recast for Patty. Kari Michaelsen from Gimme A Break would have been more believable as a replacement for Lilibet Stern than Evans or Stacy Haiduk.

Thanks for the Catlins episode post. I hope to see more surface.