Primetime Soaps

[SFK]

I'm not saying this just because it started off as a miniseries, but those clips from the opening really do look more like one of the countless minis of the era rather than a weekly show. It's got that look. Wonder how expensive the show was to produce.

Brandon Tartikoff was not a fan of primetime soaps, and he begrudgingly gave Flamingo Road and Bare Essence the pass, he figured NBC needed them given the era. The BA mini was a huge ratings success over on CBS which is why he brought it to his network and turned it into a series.

So I watched the last episode of Emerald Point N.A.S. and I'm mad that this for the most part snooze of a show ended with a cliffhanger

that totally piqued my curiosity! Not an awful show, just a little sleepy, like the lazy Sunday afternoon of '80s primetime soaps. IMO, Sela Ward as Hilaray aka Bitchy Brows is the show's saving grace. She is hot and I wish she'd been given even more to do. This show could have been so good if they'd kicked it up some more notches, they had a good cast and an interesting dynamic with the two families. They made a point of mentioning that Harlan's (Robert Vaughn) children Hilary and Simon (MacGyver) were half-siblings and I wonder what other Bond girls would have been brought in to play their mothers had the show seen another season. There was also weird sexual energy between those two, but then again, there was sexual energy when Hilary was alone staring off into space. And Robert Loggia as evil Rrrrussian, so '80s.

[Khan]

Actually, "Dorcas" comes from the Bible.

From the Book of Acts 9:36-42:

Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did. / And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber. / And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them. / Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them. / But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. / And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive. / And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.

[DRW50]

That tongue thing Jennifer O'Neil does at :40 freaks me out. If she did that in Summer of '42, no wonder it was a hit.

Was it Wendy Fulton that Schemering said was miscast or annoying on this show? Or was it Jaime Lyn Bauer? I can't remember. I remember Fulton as Jean Hackney on Knots Landing and that character worked my last nerve.

(Never mind, he said Bauer's talents were wasted, not anything about miscast)

It's always strange seeing Jonathan Frakes when he was younger and thinner; he looked better with some meat on his bones and with the beard. I guess this is where he and Genie Francis met? I remember him mostly from Paper Dolls, where I assumed his bitchy secretary character was gay until the show said otherwise.

Ian McShane, wow! I never knew he did one of those shows. I guess he's more known now for Deadwood and for that ponderous Kings show.

Michael Woods. Was this before he went to GL? Never much acting talent but he was very hot for a long time (he doesn't look too bad now either, hair issues aside).

I didn't know Al Corley was on this show. Was he in the original miniseries?

Edited May 14, 2010 by CarlD2

[Sylph]

Has anyone watched this Australian show?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSRrUk3fbDg

[Sylph]

I also came across something called Palmetto Point, "South Carolina's version of the 'OC' or even 'Dawson's Creek'".

[JackPeyton]

I watched it on PAX tv one day, i think the dad from dawsons creek was on it as was that awful babe recast from amc.

i wasnt really good. but it wasnt awful. i dont remember a storyline tho because i only seen like 3 episodes and this was years ago, i think.

[Chris B]

Gabrielle Carteris from 90210 was on that series as well. I never saw much of it, but I'd be interested in seeing what it was about.

Right now I've been focused on Models Inc. It's a fun little series. Emma Samms has finally arrived which is a lot of fun! More on that later, but I do find it interesting that Kim Zimmer has a major recurring role. I had no idea! It's interesting to see her in a primetime format. She's definitely a poor fit here. She looks so old compared to even 10 years ago. I guess it was the 90s aging her.

[DRW50]

Kim said in an interview not long after she went back to GL that the Models Inc people aged her to fit the role she was playing. She just said to hell with it and wanted to look as old as possible. She seemed to see that role as a low point.

[Sylph]

Too bad there are so few shows set in Georgia or South Carolina.

[SFK]

Emerald Point N.A.S. was also set in South Carolina.

[te.]

Re: 2000 Malibu Road

It was supposed to be aired in the Spring of 1992 (hence Drew Barrymore's character's hope to land a pilot for the fall), but kept being pushed back. When CBS finally aired it - it became a huge smash hit! They did try to make new deals - but between the demands from the girls for a pay check rise, plus the fact that most of the sets had to be re-built, it never happened.

Re: CPW

The remaining episodes were originally going to be aired in March/April 1996 - both the Mariel/CPW eps! Obviously, someone decided against it and they got aired in the summer. No renewal unless they were smash hits. Which they weren't.

Edited June 12, 2010 by te.

[Chris B]

This entire show was a disappointment for me. Overall was poorly cast with poorly concieved stories and characters, but a few key stars like Kylie Travis, Linda Gray and Emma Samms who were all poorly used. Everything about this felt unbelievably lazy coming off a huge hit like Melrose Place. There were never any "wow" moments. I was shocked that even after the Emma Samms revamp they didn't attempt to ramp the stories up more.

Another thing that disappointed me is how they reduced Linda Gray's screentime as the series progressed. Originally she had love interests and some edge and seemed well integrated into the cast. As time went on she got soft and was just there as the mother hen. It was a drag. Especially when you consider she was the star of Dallas and this was HER spin-off. In many ways she felt as out of place as Amanda Woodward was on the horrendous sequel to Melrose Place.

Right now I'm about three episodes into Central Park West, which I see according to the credits always used the CPW abbreviation. The pilot I found a big of a drag, but the show is improving. Not as bad as I was expecting and actually quite interesting. I think I was thrown by the way the series was shot and the fact that it was shot in New York. It was also very traditional for a Darren Star soap. I was impressed with the differing tone from his other series. I'm still getting to know the characters so no favorites or anybody I dislike so far, but it looks to be well cast unlike Models Inc. Loving the straight forward business stories and romantic entanglements. Can't wait to see how the series holds up leading into Raquel Welch's arrival and the big revamp. I'm also interested in seeing how Kylie Travis fits on this series and if Noelle Beck was ever able to act. I wonder if the show just gets boring because it's really doesn't seem like a bad show.

I still have probably 10-15 episodes of Emerald Point NAS to watch, but that show just never caught on with me. Maybe one of the most disappointing shows I've ever seen. So boring. I may attempt to resume, but I don't even remember where I left off! I'm also severely behind on Peyton Place, but moving apts, I left behind the disc I was watching so I don't wanna skip those episodes until I'm 100% that disc is gone. But I'm pretty sure it's just at my old apt so I just need to look when I visit my brother.

[SFK]

Chris, if I were you, I just might cut my losses with Emerald for right now. The finale cliffhanger was interesting, but unless your dvd player will let you watch these eps with audio on x2, save it for when you're old, grey, retired, and bored as hell. If you pick up watching again, even if you were at the half way point just skip to the final five eps and call it a day then work backwards if you must, you really won't be missing anything/hurting the narrative.

I have to get my hands on CPW, see, we only watched it VERY sparingly before the revamp, the revamp we watched faithfully. A fun little summer series those 8 eps were, flawed yes, but honestly I think my mom and I were just hungry for a show like that again, the '80s undertones, we ate it up.

[DRW50]

So did they have the episode where Tom Verica was in his underwear yet? For some reason I remember that CPW scene even if I don't remembst 99% of the rest...

[Chris B]

Kylie Travis arrived and fits in perfectly. The only dud is Mariel Hemingway's character. I was reading a review on EW.com and the original series actually got a great review. And on other message boards I saw, people thought the first season was better. I guess it really was a case of the right show on the wrong network.