11 hours ago, Paul Raven said:

"If I had my druthers I'd go with two people or four people, and develop from there," Jacobs says. "But I'm not sure the audience would buy it. You're expected to have a complicated mosaic right away." But television always is risky business at best. As he says, "You try for something different, but what everybody wants is what they're used to, which we have a lot of already. I mean, I'm sure there's not room for another 'Dynasty' or 'Dallas.' For all I know, there's not room for 'Berrenger's' either."

And there wasn’t!

Good article - thanks for posting.

On 7/28/2021 at 7:37 AM, Paul Raven said:

"Dynasty" had a sparse beginning, too, and did not at all resemble today's show. Does anybody remember that Dale Robertson played as important a role as John Forsythe (plutocrat Blake Carrington)? By contrast, "Berrenger's" was stuffed with a dozen plots and subplots in its first 90-minute episode, which even Jacobs admits is "probably excessive." The poor viewer, who, after all, had only just met these people, needed a scorecard to keep everybody straight. "If I had my druthers I'd go with two people or four people, and develop from there," Jacobs says. "But I'm not sure the audience would buy it. You're expected to have a complicated mosaic right away."

It's funny because he was obviously wrong here - if anything, the shows that don't begin as overly complicated were the ones that survived, even going to the 90s, it was Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place that survived. The shows that bit the dust were the ones that attempted to introduce 32 different plots before we got to know the characters properly.

I watched Berengers when it was on YouTube...too many characters and plots to follow.  I recall one of the final episodes Donna Dixon (of Bosom Buddies fame) popped up randomly as a new character with a new plot.

 

I remember watching Berenger’s in first run and I recall liking it, but you’re right. Way to many characters. And the “help” characters weren’t really connected to the family, so that also made it complicated.

The initial setup of Dallas was straightforward - the Ewings and two Barneses. Same for Knots - four couples. Falcon Crest, too - just the Giobertis and the Channings.

Edited July 30, 20214 yr by Chris 2

On 2/18/2020 at 4:24 AM, Paul Raven said:

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

 

I was so intrigued by this photo I joined the site NEVER Knew Carla Borelli was on "Survivors" is that right???

Another question on The Survivors I read Natalie Schafer joined the show near the ending as Baylor Carlyle's Widow but was she like Krystle (New Wife in Town) or Alexis (Bad Wife/Mom back in Town)

@JosephNatalie Schafer's Eleanor Carlyle was mentally ill. I believe she was released from a mental hospital and arrived on the scene after they killed of Baylor. If I remember reading correctly, Eleanor was Duncan's mother and Tracey's stepmother. 

Somewhere, I have the original proposal for "The Survivors" which was very different. I believe Duncan was originally suppose to be the focus and the storyline for the first year was very action oriented. There were a lot of production problems and I believe several episodes were filmed quite early on that were thrown out. Actually, they ended up being repackaged as a telefilm called "The Last of the Power Seekers" and it aired internationally. 

In regards to Krystle/Alexis angle, one of the only other forgotten 1980s soaps that went that angle, and has been seemingly forgotten, was the late night "Behind the Screen." The patriarch character, Gerry Holmby, headwriter for the soap opera "Generations," had a second wife, his writing partner Dory, and his ambitious first wife, Angela Aries. I wish "Behind the Screen" would pop up the way other 1980s primetime soaps have. 

I've never seen the show, but David Hofstede's excellent book What Were They Thinking? dedicates a page to it entitled "ABC's Survivors Voted Off the Network". 😂

The book is a lot of fun, and also acknowledges other infamous moments in primetime soap history like the Fallon switch and (of course) Bobby Ewing in the shower. Here's the cover:

Edited August 12, 20214 yr by amybrickwallace

Promo for ABC's The Hamptons - 1983

 

Oh wow, that's a rarity, but having watched the European cut version they make it look way more interesting than it was.

@Forever8 was that the original Steven from dynasty?

 

I would like to see David Jacobs come out with one more PT Soap.

4 hours ago, DemetriKane said:

@Forever8 was that the original Steven from dynasty?

No, that's Keith from One Tree Hill (Craig Scheffer). I noted the fact that he looked like a Steven replacement at the time when I watched it.

On 8/18/2021 at 10:48 PM, te. said:

No, that's Keith from One Tree Hill (Craig Scheffer). I noted the fact that he looked like a Steven replacement at the time when I watched it.

thank you.

 

 

RHYMES WITH

I wonder if people know this little scene of Survivors appeared on YouTube a few months ago I'm sharing who might be interested as I would like to see anything of it if I could

Kings Crossing promos focusing on the stormy marriage between the parents...and also the forbidden vibe between the daughter and her piano teacher.

I do wonder if this would have done better on a different night?