Jump to content

Primetime Soaps


Recommended Posts

  • Members

I'm not familiar with it, but the fact that the cast included Domini Blythe (ex-Estelle Kendall, SEARCH FOR TOMORROW) and Jonathan Crombie (aka "Gilbert Blythe" in Anne of Green Gables) piques my interest just a tad.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 1.3k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Members

Ahh Mount Royal! Wikipedia says it was Canada's answer to Dynasty and I'd say that's about right...except for one thing: Alexis. Mount Royal simply didn't have an Alexis or JR, no antagonist, the closest thing was the character Stefanie who was a daddy's girl model in Paris.

Like most Canadian television programs, Mount Royal tried but it just didn't have the punch of its international counterparts (a Canadian answer to Coronation Street, Riverdale, was another example of this).

The one thing I'll give Mount Royal was that it looked beautiful, it was shot on location in Montreal and Paris and it LOOKED rich, just gorgeous.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • Members

I received an early Christmas present the other day – all twelve scripts of NBC’s “Bare Essence.” I’ve finished the first three episodes. It is nice to see what the characters are talking about / doing in those German dubs.

I’m surprised by a multitude of things. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I am. The first couple episodes are penned by Robert Hamilton and set the groundwork. After their crazy romance in the miniseries, Chase and Tyger marry in the premier only for Chase to end up dead in the opening moments of the second episode. It all happens rather quickly and, while this was suppose to be Genie Francis’ big post-GH series, I’m a bit surprised by Tyger’s sudden marriage and widowhood. In the early installments, Tyger is left to grieve for Chase while Ava Marshall schemes to run Tyger out of Manhattan.

Ava is a master manipulator who’s main purpose in life is to position her son Marcus as the heir to the Marshall throne. In order to do so, she has maneuvered a relationship between Marcus and his wife, Muffin. Candidly, Ava informs Muffin that she (Ava) was the mastermind behind Marcus and Muffin’s marriage and proceeds to groom Muffin so Muffin can guide Marcus’ future in the direction Ava has always planned for him. In order to achieve this goal, Ava must eliminate Tyger, who she views as a threat to the fortune. Not only does Hadden have a fondness for his late son’s widow, but Aunt Margaret has informed Ava of her plans to leave Tyger Margaret’s shares of the family business.

Ava’s relationship with Muffin is interesting. There is a certain servant-master nature to it, but the script notes Ava admires Muffin when she starts to catch on. There is a really intriguing scene set in a salon where Muffin picks up a tube of lipstick and asks Ava if it’s her shade. There is an implication that Muffin is ready to assume Ava’s role in guiding Marcus’ life. Considering later developments, I find this all really neat, while also a bit jarring given certain revelations.

Always on her A-game, Ava is aware there is more to Niko Theophilus’ presence than meets the eye when she learns he has visited Hadden on Chase and Tyger’s wedding day. While Niko is immediately smitten with Lady Bobbi Rowan (Tyger’s mother), Ava sets out to snare Niko or herself if only to learn what he is planning with Kellerco, the Marshall family company. While never stated directly, it’s safe to assume Ava wants to align herself with Niko in order to assure Marcus’ birthright.

Niko’s relationship with Bobbi is also rather complicated. It is love at first sight on Niko’s end, which initially a bit cheesy considering his relationship with Ava. Not only has he bedded manipulative Ava, but there is a rather interesting scene with his former paramour Natasha, a ballerina. Natasha arrives at Niko’s room in Monte Carlo looking to reconcile and Niko dismisses her. Considering Natasha’s insignificance, the scene seems extraneous until Natasha talks about how Niko seduced her and how he reeled her in. Natasha ends saying Niko will bore with Bobbi eventually and drop her too. The scene does call into question Niko’s concern for Bobbi since by the end of episode three he has also shared a kiss with a vulnerable, and drunk, Tyger.

At times, I find things move to fast. In three episodes, Chase and Tyger marry, Chase dies, Tyger meets up with Armand (who has carried a torch for her), and shared a kiss with Niko. Margaret Marshall has a sudden heart attack in the same episode her nephew dies and the episode ends with Sean Benedict revealing he is Margaret’s son.

Overall, I find ‘Bare Essence’ a fun read with more depth than I expected. I will continue to comment as I make my way through the scripts.

Edited by dc11786
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Thanks so much for sharing that dc11, I was very excited when I saw the episodes posted on YouTube and tried my best to keep up as I don't speak German. That's so neat that you were able to obtain the scripts.

I was also very surprised that Tyger was widowed so soon, I think I had forgotten that from reading the TV Encyclopedia entry for the show years ago. I can't say that it was exactly "borrowed" from David Jacobs, but that was of course the original plan for Pam on Dallas, as Bobby would be killed and she'd have to fend for herself against Ava-like J.R. Bare Essence predates The Colbys, but reading what you shared about Ava reminds me an awful lot of Sable... Tyger as Jeff, Marcus as Miles, Margaret as Constance.

I'd love to see at least one episode in English just to hear Jessica Walter do a southern drawl. :lol: I'm also interested in hearing how she got cast for this role. I can't help but think that her representation really pushed the fact that Esther Shapiro wanted her for Alexis through the casting grapevine. That would have been quite a feather in her cap at the time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

The first few episodes were rather scattered. It took a while to figure out who the A characters were and who the B characters were. The last two episodes I read (hours 4 and 5) were rather solid other than parts of the ‘Who Murdered Chase?’ plotline. They’ve eliminated the sexual situations for Tyger and had her focused on ‘Ma Femme,’ the fragrance she is desperately trying to launch in supermarkets across America. Unfortunately, the fragrance’s sales are poor and a survey shows the market distrusts the fragrance because it isn’t attached to a cosmetics line. Now, Tyger is trying to launch an entire cosmetics line while her in-law Ava Marshall plots her demise.

Ava’s business plot involved aligning Tyger with another cosmetics company, one who was producing organic products. The problem was the organic products had a short shell life and would spoil in the stores. Ava figured Tyger wouldn’t learn about this until it was too late and the company would be ruined. Barbara Fisher, Jamie Lynn Bauer’s character, knew of the shell life problem and is an ally of Tyger’s, but is also sleeping with Marcus, Ava’s son. When Barbara confronted Ava, Ava informed Barbara of Ava’s ability to ruin Barbara and Marcus’ affair. Barbara remained to keep mum. Eventually, the truth about the products came to light before any damage could be done.

In Ava’s more sinister plot, she has been paying a Frenchman to torment Tyger claiming Chase had been murdered. Whether or not Chase has been murdered hasn’t been revealed. In a minor plot, Ava arranged for Tim Lemming, the football player lover of Robert Spencer, to be sent to California. Tim and Robert, along with Barbara, are among Tyger’s few friends in the city. In Hour Five, Tim and Robert leave for California with the plans to return in the spring, but who knows if that actually happens. They are replaced by Kathy, a young Californian who was in classes with Tyger and had a yen for Marcus Marshall. How this places out has yet to be revealed.

Ava truly is the most fascinating character. In episode four, she learns she is pregnant with Niko’s child and plots to use the child to get Niko to marry her and control the Marshall empire. When Niko dismisses her, Ava tricks Hadden into thinking they have slept together and is now playing the waiting game to drop the bomb that she is ‘pregnant’ with his child. This little detail would seem cliché, but I suspect it will be used to exploit the animosity between Niko / Hadden as well as play into Hadden’s past. Chase, Hadden’s son, was actually raised the son of Hugh Marshall, Hadden’s elder son, and his first wife, the woman who came before Ava. The quasi-incest of the Marshall clan has been mentioned before and I’m sure this will cause further heartache for Hadden.

One of the few plot points I don’t care for is the revelation matronly Margaret Marshall had an illegitimate child, Sean Benedict. Sean’s purpose is clear; he’s a threat to Marcus’ position and a potential love for Tyger. I feel the backstory is rather weak and could use some development. No one seems to have asked any questions surrounding the circumstances, which I find a bit irritating.

The Niko / Lady Bobbi story is still rather strong. Ava’s pregnancy is a looming threat to their happiness as is Alan, Niko’s assistant who is carrying a torch for Bobbi. Niko has arranged for a yachting trip where he has proposed to Bobbi, but Bobbi turns him down. Bobbi isn’t pleased that Niko has plotted to ruin Sean Benedict.

On happier fronts, mother-daughter Bobbi and Tyger seem to be on the road to reconciliation. This strand is one of the ones I’m most surprised by as it isn’t directly related to the cosmetics story, but is given a fair amount of air time. I want Bobbi and Tyger to bond, but I know they have a rocky road ahead of them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

The party article was a neat read. I was surprised they glanced over Lee Grant's stint on 'Search for Tomorrow.'

Robert and Tim were seen on the show. They both appear at Tyger and Chase's wedding. Ava introduces the couple to Niko at the wedding reception as friends. Robert quickly corrected her; they were lovers. Robert quipped Ava couldn't believe a gay could play football. Niko commented that in Greece a man may have a wife, a mistress, and a lover. I thought that was a rather shocking statement to make in 1983, but maybe it was considerd okay because Niko was European. The comment also helped to set up Niko's sexual philosophy since he had no trouble sleeping with Ava and Bobbi interchangeably.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...
  • 5 weeks later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



  • Recent Posts

    • They didn't need to have some slutty gay dude as their representation. Just a 'normal' guy getting involved with another guy or two (or three). Just like the straight characters. Thinking about it, they missed the boat by not having a few other single charcters at the beginning. Maybe Naomi or Ashley could be shown meeting Derek/Jacob and  we could follow their romance. Too many characters were coupled up at the start. As a tattoo hater I was surprised to see Tomas so inked. Don't find it attractive or sexy. I'm surprised an actor would do that as it's definitely a statement and may not be appropriate for some roles. Suppose they can cover if necessary. I didn't buy Kat being all girly and then paying off Darius to get into Eva's room. Way too cliche. She should have just come along when the housekeeping was leaving and breezed in saying it was her room. And her smug looks in the hotel room and 'Now I've got you!!' talks to herself at Orphey Gene's...no.  
    • Omg I was so annoyed. Like girl calm down. Coming on way too strong. Omg I forgot about this

      Please register in order to view this content

    • I thought it got stale before Jocks death lol. His death picked things back up for me.
    • 1976 Pt 5 Tony is summoned to the reading of the will in the Llanfair library,as he’s a principal in the will. He tells Joe there’s not a chance of coming to terms with Dorian, as he is sure she brought about Victor’s death by torturing him emotionally when he was her helpless prisoner after his stroke. Ironically, Chapin hand delivers to Viki a letter her father wrote before his stroke, praising Dorian and asking Viki to befriend and support his widow when he was no longer there. Viki feels a responsibility to her father’s wishes and vows to try with Dorian. Victor’s will leaves the expected amounts to members of his family and staff, with the lion’s share of his stock and property going to Dorian. Victor’s will explains that his son Tony expressed the desire that he not be “bought from the grave,” and, in keeping with his son’s wishes, the only bequest to him is the knowledge of his father’s love and respect. Tony is deeply moved. Dorian’s first attempt to use her new power is the recommendation of Peter as head of the Merideth Lord Wolek hospital wing, claiming that naming Larry would be virtual nepotism. Peter, who has devoted considerable time and effort to helping Jenny get over Tim’s death with gentle, affectionate support, is happy at this suggestion, but Jenny points out Dorian is merely using him to hurt Larry. Viki disregards Dorian’s ingenuous assurances that she’s not trying to wield her new power but is merely putting Peter up for consideration for a future opportunity, if not this one, and tells her she won’t be able to fulfill her father’s desire that they be friends unless Dorian stops interfering. Larry, fully understanding Dorian’s personal motives, warns her he’s going to fight for the appointment no matter what. Realizing that she has made a tactical error, Dorian announces that she won’t even attend the board meeting but will give her proxy to Jim. She admits to Matt McAllister, still her confidant, that this was humiliating, but it was a necessary protective tactic. Dorian manages to win her next round at Joe’s office when, after he praises her decision to yield on appointing Peter, she expresses concern for Viki “at a time like this.” Joe, of course, jumps on her words, and Dorian, pretending great distress at having mentioned something she shouldn’t have, is “forced” to explain that she knew about the congenital heart condition Megan had and that any child of Joe’s is likely to inherit it. She overheard the doctors discussing it at the time of the accident, she continues, and naturally assumed that Joe already knew.  Joe arranges a meeting at home with Viki and asks her how she could live a lie like this; how she could go through their lives as if everything were fine while every moment was a lie. He is further upset when, in trying to explain that it was out of her love for him that she kept the truth from him, she mentions that Jim and Larry also know but Cathy still hasn’t been told. Viki tells Joe that Dorian deliberately told him this way to hurt their marriage, and she is very upset when he starts toward the door, pleading that they have always talked things out in the past. Joe coolly points out that she didn’t do that when she learned about Megan and continues out the door.  A tearful Viki is shaken and when Joe later returns, having spent several hours in a bar drinking only soft drinks,she breaks down, crying that she was convinced he’d left her. Joe assures her they can get through this despite everything, because their relation is based on love and mutual respect. 
    • If you think about it, DALLAS and DYNASTY grew stale right about the same time, even if the ratings were slow to reflect that.  FC and KL, on the other hand, tried to stay fresh, but KL was way more successful at it, I think, than FC.  (That [!@#$%^&*] with The Thirteen does not hold up well, lol).
    • GH 1976 Pt 8 Heather takes advantage of the situation by asking Jeff to come and look at Tommy. She uses sympathy, compassion, and her own feminine wiles, together with his misery and his pills, to lure him into bed. Later, sober, he apologizes. Learning from Pearson that Monica has seen a divorce lawyer, Jeff confronts her, and she insists it’s a lie. Avoiding his attempts to kiss her, she musses her hair and tears her blouse, then rushes to Rick’s, claiming that she can’t stay with that maniac any longer. They wind up in Rick’s bed, and after making love he confesses he always loved her. Rick replies to her question of whether he wants to marry her by saying he has to talk to Jeff. Monica insists that Jeff not bear any pressure from their problems. As she leaves, Rick gives her a key to his apartment. Jeff, having spent the night drinking, misses his surgical assignment, and Steve, informing him that his personal life can’t interfere with his profession, puts him on suspension. Rick can’t persuade Steve to reverse his decision, but Mark, sensing what’s at the heart of Jeff’s problem, convinces Steve to lift Jeff’s suspension and transfer him to Mark’s service. Rick asks for his key back, telling Monica they can’t do anything as long as she’s under Jeff’s roof. So she has a duplicate made and moves into intern’s quarters, explaining that Jeff’s violence drove her out. She tells Jeff she needs privacy to work things out, and tells Rick Jeff wanted her out. Thinking that this is the preliminary to a divorce, Rick tells her she can come to his place. In New York, Leslie’s abortion is delayed by a mix-up in scheduling, and she calls Terri to commiserate. Rick overhears Terri’s conversation and forces the whole story from her. He flies to New York to stop Leslie, feeling responsible for pointing out how evil Cam was, and arrives to find that she has decided she can’t deny her child the right to live. Monica, meanwhile, expecting that Rick will be home, uses her key to let herself into his apartment and is shocked to find Mark there; knowing that Mark was uncomfortable at the hotel, Rick offered Mark use of the apartment in his absence. Monica is upset to learn that Rick is in New York with Leslie, and Mark doesn’t know why. Mark does advise Monica to play fair with Jeff, but she resents his interference. The next day, while covering for Leslie at the clinic, Monica discovers Leslie’s lab test report and jumps to the conclusion that the baby is Rick’s. When Rick and Leslie return, Monica wastes no time in accusing him. He is dismayed to see that she is still as suspicious and possessive as she was before he went to Africa, and points out that her making a duplicate  key proves she hasn’t changed. Terri encourages Leslie to see Rick in a romantic light and then suggests to Rick that Leslie is interested in him. Rick likes this idea and tells Mark he’s growing ‘unwilling to cope with Monica’s unreasonable demands. But Monica immediately recognizes the threat Leslie represents and decides to attack. She goes to Leslie and tells her flatly that she and Rick are having an affair and he’s her exclusive property. Leslie, who realizes she has been falling in love with Rick, is hurt, and Rick is mystified when he feels Leslie pulling away from him. Monica’s big moment comes when she brings Rick a housewarming gift and seduces him into letting her stay overnight. She is in the bedroom when Leslie stops by to apologize for refusing his dates, and makes a dramatic entrance into the living room draped in Rick’s bathrobe. Leslie turns and runs out. Rick later informs her he’s disappointed in her, because she prejudged Monica and him rather than giving him the benefit of the doubt. Heather tries to arrange another tryst with Jeff, but he replies that he still loves his wife. Heather decides there’s only one way to get Jeff to be pregnant with his child. She manages to overhear Monica putting Jeff down by telling him he no longer turns her on and should look for someone he does. Heather goes to Jeff and tells him that she heard Monica and that she is the one he’s looking for. She manages to get him into bed again, and sweetly assures him this is right. She then sets the stage for future meetings. Steve, meanwhile, offers to help Monica and Jeff work out their problems. Jeff is willing, but Monica turns the idea down. Instead, she presses Terri to convince Jeff to end the marriage. Terri now knows that Monica isn’t a good wife for Jeff and promises to try. But Jeff makes it clear to Monica that he still loves her and won’t let her go. She is bitter and upset, as she has already implied to Rick that she will soon be free. Audrey is upset to find that Florence Andrews has been inquiring about Tommy and herself. She goes to Florence’s home and finds she’s away now. Florence has gone down to Mexico to sign a sworn statement that she purchased a false death certificate for Tom, to protect his son after his wrongful conviction. Tom, learning from her that Steve and Audrey are to be married and Steve is planning to adopt Tommy, tells  Florence not to do anything, as there’s still no assurance that he’ll ever get out. But the judge does accept the statement, and, ironically, on the day that Steve  and Audrey are married, Tom is released from prison.
    • 1976 Pt 12 Final part Laurie agrees with Stuart that Peggy is rushing into marriage to prove that the rape didn’t ruin her life.  She points out that the only way Peg can be sure is to make love with Jack before the wedding. Stuart admits she’s right but points out that he can’t suggest that to Peggy. As the wedding approaches, Peg seems happy that Jack’s become close to the family. However, her happiness is shattered by a nightmare in which her loving bridegroom turns into a leering Ron Becker, forcing her to cancel the wedding. Jack reassures her he’ll wait as long as it takes, and Chris confides that she and Snapper didn’t consummate their marriage on their wedding night because of her own rape experience, but Peggy tells Chris she might never be ready.  Despite her desire to keep Karen as her own daughter, Chris helps a police artist create a sketch of Nancy so it can be printed in the newspaper as part of a search for her. When the attempt proves fruitless, however, Chris asks Greg to file application for permanent custody of the child. Greg points out that adoption is the only way to prevent Ron from returning and claiming the child, and that it will take quite a while. Meanwhile, a nurse in the psychiatric ward sees a resemblance  between the newspaper drawing and her autistic patient, Mrs. Jackson, but since “Fran” doesn’t respond to the name Nancy and no one else sees the similarity, she fears she’s mistaken. Jill is horrified to overhear Kay, when brihging baby Phillip a Christmas gift, telling the child she remembers the night he was conceived. Kay has to then admit to Jill she saw her with Phillip in the bunkhouse that night. Jill is aghast to realize that Kay new the truth all along and put her through such agony in spite of it, denying her baby his father’s name. Lance tells Laurie they’ll marry on Valentine’s Day. He laughs that it’s corny but agrees, secretly wishing it were sooner, as Vanessa has vowed to prevent it. Indeed, Vanessa makes an unprecedented venture out of the house to visit Brad, telling him to rebuff any advance Leslie might make to him, as she’s reaching out to him only from a sense of duty. But Laurie then makes a concerted effort to reach Vanessa. Without being sure why she’s trying so hard, she tries to assure the woman she’s not losing Lance and she, Laurie, will help her find a plastic surgeon somewhere who can help her. Grudgingly, Vanessa seems to be reconsidering her view of Laurie, and Laurie is delighted when Lance offers her a choice between two diamond necklaces, explaining that her preference will be Vanessa’s Christmas gift. Learning from Les about Brad’s blindness, Stuart tells Brad he could have turned Leslie away only out of great love. Knowing that Les is going to see Brad again, Laurie warns him not to bring the baby into their discussion, as Leslie will come back only she’s convinced he loves her, not for the babies sake. Leslie finds Brad disheveled and sloppy, and proceeds to straighten the apartment, stating that she can't respect him if he lets himself go. Realizing that neither Brad nor Les will make the first move, Laurie hurries things along by refusing to help Brad with his grooming, saying he should ask his wife. Then, having learned  that Brad offered Les the use of their piano, Laurie untunes the Brooks' piano forcing Leslie to accept his offer. By refusing to cater to his  blindness, Les manages to get Brad to stop wallowing in pity, and by the time Leslie’s Christmas braille message of her love and her need for him arrives, they are husband and wife again Lance takes Laurie on a business trip on New Year's Eve, and tells her, on board his plane, she won't be  won't be able to call him “Mr. All Talk and No action” after tonight. When Laurie protests that waited this long and will continue to wait until married, Lance delights her by instructing his pilot to land in Las Vegas, where they are married immediately.
    • Yeah, not sure why Jack and Jen didn’t rush to Marlena - or even Carrie - to offer their condolences. A few flashbacks would've been a nice touch too. Instead, we got a whole episode of them talking about Chad and Abby? Come on. On the bright side, I loved Anna’s scenes with Marlena and Carrie - sweet and heartfelt, felt like a real 80s throwback.
    • Martin and Smitty were designed to avoid the stereotype of gay men sleeping around (which to an extent is true). If you recall Martin had a line about them not being open when Chelsea came to talk to him. The producers are walking a very fine line right now and it might not be popular to say but I can understand it. Establishing enough footing to ward off complaints will let them showcase gay characters more openly later.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy