Sapounopera

I have been watching a lot of THE DOCTORS lately. Mostly 1976-1980 episodes. The show is a lot better than I would have expected. For some reason the late 70s episodes feel like vintage Australian soap. It is the look of the actors, everyone looks normal and they live in normal homes, nobody is crazy rich I guess. The show's aesthetic is amazing. Love the closing credits. It is more vibrant than the P&G shows for sure. Then Doris Quinlan shows up and she gives a short in the arm at first. Love Viveca, the introduction of Dr Theresa Foster, her mother, Darryl and Bobbie. The Bennetts with the fascinating Valerie Mahaffey. I see no purpose in characters like Jack, Alan, Darcy, but the idea of featurning all these doctors make sense. Sometimes I feel that Viveca and Terri are replacing Carolee. Greta looks 30 now and Billy is a hunk. The show lost something with these generic recasts (sorry Alec). I was bored with Missy, but she didn't deserve such a brutal death. Neither did the viewers. I hate the last opening. Too -we are in the 80s now, we are so dramatic- for my taste. It has no heart. We get several "action scenes" and several outdoors scenes as well. They are as bad as ANOTHER WORLD's from the early 80s. THE DOCTORS was a little traditional show that got destroyed because of GENERAL HOSPITAL's crazy success. That poor soap had years of life ahead.

What happened to Brad's plan to write a summer teen story involving RJ and some new kids (from new families or something?) Did he choose to go on vacation instead?

I have the same thoughts about Linda Gibboney and Robin Mattson on Santa Barbara. I love watching Susan Keith as Cecile in old episodes. The Cory Complex was such a sophisticated set before every single soap decided they wanted to be GH and Cecile became an 80s cliche under (the wonderful) Nancy Frangione.

I first watched 1987 episodes on Sky One, a UK station. You are right about that.

Greece and Germany as well. Greece aired early 80s stuff with Mister Big, Miranda and an amnesiac David falling for Cynthia. German viewers got to watch some early 90s episodes.

A nice, normal couple who is friends with everybody. A matriarch not played by an aging vixen wanting to look 35 for the rest of her life. A patriarch not played by an aging hunk wanting to look 35 for the rest of his life.

Douglas Marland after the Corringtons on SEARCH in the late 70s. That show could have used some structure and some new interesting families. Chuck Pratt on B&B. This would be an improvement from Brad Bell. There was a time when B&B seemed to love 90s primetime soap aesthetics. Ron and Frank taking over GL instead of working together on OLTL. They would bring the show back to life after Wheeler's dark, depressing and claustrophobic era.

Asking on tv whether an older person is still alive, sounds very mean to me. Desperate, wannabe housewife mean.

It sounds so mean, especially for an old man with health issues.

I feel that the show can't get rid of this meaningless character because the actress keeps getting pregnant all the time.

Really? That's what she said? Is she auditioning for the Real Housewives?

I am always looking for episodes from the Dobson, Marland and Calhoun eras. The Long Kobe years ruined it for me and what came after them was much worse. 80s Reva was so tasteless as the show's heroine, though she might have been ok as a Nola Dancy/Delia Ryan type. JFP's arrogance took so much away from the show and once again, what came after her was much worse. The sad thing is that even by the end, prior to the new "model", GL was such an easy show to fix.

This Joss thing is getting a little bit too weird.

Wasn't there a time when JFP was supposed to take over AMC and Marcy Walker said that she knew that once it happened, she would be let go? Or am I making this up?

I wonder whether they ever toyed with the idea of making JR Digger's son.

Obsessed with late 70s soap aesthetics. I need Liza's sunglasses.

What was that nurse scene all about? Could she be (connected to) Harmony?

Reva could become a new version of Nola Dancy. GL was so bad in 1985, it would be very hard for him to follow any of his rules.

The spin off should not be about another rich family like the Carringtons. The original idea about a group of young people working in a hotel sounds more interesting. Since they couldn't get Pamela Sue, a recast for the new series was a horrible idea. Jeff's new life in California, getting to know a woman who reminds him of Fallon, or falling with a woman who had to compete with his dead wife would be better.

Conboy had done it on Santa Barbara before Bill Bell.

Thank you so much @DRW50. Loving was a different show every year. They wasted Susan Keith who was amazing as AW's Cecile in mostly boring storylines. Roya was fire as Ava!

They wasted Arianne Munker in the stupid Valere story. She would have been great as Hope.

I could be reading posts like that all day long. Thank you so much!

It reminds me of a cheap 90s european soap trying to immitate Dynasty. The skyline behind the actors is so outdated. The skyline behind the logo is so modern GH and vintage TEON. So not Y&R with its classy and sophisticated intros. At this point I'd be happy with title card with the iconic 80s logo.

Sounds more interesting than today's Nikki who is just a bored and boring Mrs. Victor Newman.