Primetime Soaps

[DRW50]

@I Am A Swede

 

 

[I Am A Swede]

Oh no   

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Loved him as Edward in "Upstairs, Downstairs"

His monologue about watching his friend die in the trenches of WWI in the "Another Year" episode was a particular highlight.

 

 

 

[DRW50]

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[Darn]

 

Your post made me look up that show...it only aired twice? Yeesh how bad were the ratings? I can't find anything online.

[Paul Raven]

For Chris B and anyone else that might be interested. Carla Borelli with George Hamilton on ABC's notorious flop 'The Survivors'

 

[Chris B]

Thank you for that! She looks the same as she did on Texas, just with a different hairstyle. 

[Paul Raven]

Four Corners had a 2 hr debut Tues @ 9 and came in 65th with a 6.0/9 share

The competition was

ABC

Home Improvement 14.7/21 10th place

Spin City 10.7/16 22nd

NYPD Blue 11.7/20 16th

 

NBC

Frasier 12.6/18 12th

Just Shot Me 11.2/17 19th

Dateline NBC 12.0/20 14th

 

The following week it moved to its regular 10pm slot and landed in 84th place with a 4.8/8

ABC was 15th with NYPD Blue 11.4/20 and NBC was 14th with Dateline 12.0/21

 

At that point CBS yanked it.

[Darn]

 

YIKES! Thanks...that is some tough competition but damn.

[Paul Raven]

Week ending July 3 1983

The Hamptons, which garnered a 13.8/25 and 18th place for ABC in its premiere showing a week earlier, plummeted to 59th place (9.2/17).

[Soaplovers]

Wow... I guess people sampled it.. didn't like it and didn't return for week 2.  

[Chris B]

Via Youtube I've been re-watching Knots Landing and the page I use has started adding some short lived soaps so I've started on those as well. So far I've found CPW, Pacific Palisades, Paper Dolls, 2000 Malibu Road and Savannah. SO far I've watched CPW, Palisades and just started Malibu Road. 

 

Pacific Palisades - This was the first I watched and I'd seen it before so it wasn't a surprise or anything. I will say, this was is very enjoyable in a Melrose Place meets Knots Landing sort of way, but the cast is very hit or miss. Also I find it odd that considering how amazing the writing staff is that the show wasn't better. You literally had writers from both of the best eras of Knots Landing on the show, but it was largely forgettable. I also think casting Joan Collins as an American faking her accent was silly when you had Finola Hughes on the show. Also considering Finola's character had rich parents it would've made more sense to cast Joan as her mother. All in all this was a fun watch, but understandable why it ended.

 

Central Park West/CPW - This is one of the most iconic flops considering how high profile and expensive it was. In the end it was obviously just on the wrong network because this show was EXCELLENT. Well written and well cast. I'd love a reboot of this. Because of the lack of success they did a massive retool which including changing the name. CPW was TERRIBLE. One of the worst things I've ever seen. It was turned into a dated, disjointed copy of Dynasty down to the plot points. Raquel Welch was horrific and most of the promising young cast was wasted with the retool. 

 

2000 Malibu Road - I've only seen the two hour premiere, but this was really interesting. It had it's own identity and I couldn't really place it in terms of similarities to any of the other primetime soaps. It's a shame CBS didn't have faith in the show because I feel it could've gone on for years. This holds up well. From what I gather this was a surprise ratings hit, but CBS had let the casts options expire (thinking it would flop) and they couldn't get everything back together to renew the show. Lisa Hartman Black is EXCELLENT here in a role very different from both of her Knots Landing roles. Tuesday Knight is another surprise as Drew Barrymore's crazy sister. Lots of familiar soap faces as well.  So far I've seen Robin Strasser, Scott Bryce and Brian Bloom pop up.

 

Next I think I will watch Paper Dolls which I haven't seen in years. I have Savannah on DVD but I remember getting bored and never finishing it so that one I will probably watch last. 

[All My Shadows]

Can you DM me the channel? Please and thank you!

I'm excited - UPS finally delivered by copy of The Yellow Rose on DVD (ordered before the craziness!). I can't wait to delve into the dollar-store Dallas!

Edited March 25, 2020 by All My Shadows

[SFK]

@Chris B I echo @All My Shadows my search was fruitless so I'm guessing it's an unlisted channel. Please and thank you. 

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I have to say, my mother and I gobbled up those eight episodes of CPW that summer. We were hungry for something soapy in primetime and were fine with the blatant Dynasty rip-offedness as the show was advertised as a limited summer series, we were along for what we knew would be a short ride. Raquel Welch was an early contender for Alexis like Jessica Walter, and they both got a shot at the archetype (Jessica as Ava Marshall in Bare Essence). If anything, I could appreciate seeing through Raquel's Dianna Brock what her Alexis most likely would have been like. 

[te.]

If you compare the revamp of CPW to other 90s prime time soaps then it's not too bad, however, when you compare its former self then it's highly disappointing especially when you see how they're wasting/writing out almost all of the younger cast. The Darren Star created Central Park West was sleek, sexy and cool, while the Marchetta-led CPW was reheated Dynasty scripts adjusted slightly for the 90s.

 

Carrie blowing cigarette smoke on Stephanie's warderobe while being given a tour of her apartment is still one of my favourite bitchy things to do. Some of these days I must take up smoking in order to do so if I ever get an invitation to my favourite enemies apartment.

 

If it's true that the Linda / Allen's "divorce trial of the century" was going to be the umbrella story in part II of the original season then I feel we were robbed.

Edited March 26, 2020 by te.

[Paul Raven]

Came across some ratings for 'The Survivors' Lana Turner's primetime soap that was cancelled mid season amongst poor ratings and backstage turmoil.

Mon @9

Survivors ABC 21.8/30

Mayberry RFD/Doris Day CBS 13.2/18 (repeats)

Laugh In NBC 35.8/50

Movie NBC 25.0/35

 

So there was some initial interest in the show but once CBS went to first run...