Hard to believe it has now been fifteen years (January 15, 1993) since NBC axed Santa Barbara. Admittedly, the last year sucked and did not "feel" like SB, but when it was good, it was fantastic. And the actors, from Jed Allan to Justin Deas to Lane Davies to A Martinez as well as Marcy Walker, Nancy Lee Grahn, a then-unknown named Robin Wright...all terrific.

I loved the Mason/Julia romance. It was not "sweet" more than it was witty and intelligent and had some bite. But Cruz and Eden's fairy tale romance balanced it out.

The production values were killer, and the writing was so smart. And I loved the in jokes it would use, including the Emmys all over the sets after a win or three.

Anyone else have any memories of the late-great Santa Barbara to share?

Truthfully, SaBa was one of those shows that was at its creative height during the mid-point of its run. The last 3 years or so were horrible, but by today's standards, they look very much passable. Also, like it or not, Satan, I mean JFP was really the one who kept this show from falling to pieces, after she left, the show wasn't itself anymore.

I love how off-beat the show could be at times and how it never really seemed to take itself too seriously, it pioneered a special brand of soap opera that others (Yes, Sunset Beach and even GH) have failed miserably at trying to recreate.

It was a true classic. One of the best. I can't believe how much time passed since it ended. Eh, those good old memories.

Had to change the title. "SaBa" was annoying me.

Here are some articles I saved. I don't know where I copied/pasted from so forgive me for not crediting.

This is taken from DaytimeTV's "Final Tribute to SB"

What Made "Santa Barbara" Special?

The On-Screen/Off-Screen Yearly History of Daytime's Most Unpredictable Show!

1984-1985*** Created by Bridget and Jerome Dobson, who were previously head writers for Guiding Light, General Hospital, and As The World Turns. Santa Barbara made its debut on July 30, 1984 in the 3pm time slot, which was previously held by the now-defunct soap, Texas. SB was the second soap to debut in an hour format. The show was also the first daytime drama to herald a Mexican-American family as one of their main features. The NBC network invested over thirty million dollars in a studio that was built specifically for the show, and speared no expense when it came to putting together a cast, Such notable actors, including the legendary Dame Judith Anderson (ex-Minx), veteran soap star Nicolas Coster (Lionel), noted stage actress Louise Sorel (ex-Augusta) and former AMC star Marcy Walker (ex-Eden), helped launch the series premiere. Unlike the "Anytown, USA" setting of all the other soaps, SB was set in a real locale, and was the first drama to have an interracial romance. Hispanic policeman Cruz Castillo (A Martinez) and aristocratic Eden Capwell (Marcy Walker) were one of the most popular romantic couplings throughout most of the show's on-air history.

1985-1986*** The long-running mystery of who shot Channing, the show's leading storyline, came to a stunning conclusion. After reenacting the crime, it was revealed that Sophia (Judith McConnell) had accidently shot her own son, and then blocked out the entire incident. However several other storylines were not catching on. A handful of unappealing characters were quickly written out via such storylines as The Carnation Killer and The Great Earthquake, which served as a means to redefine the show's direction. Once the smoke cleared, SB blossomed into a sophisticated comedy/adventure. During this time, the show presented its first on-screen wedding between heroine Kelly Capwell (Robin Wright) and Joe Perkins (Mark Arnold), who died shortly after they were pronounced man and wife. Meanwhile the relationship between Cruz and Eden heated up. Ratings in the U.S. began to rise.

1986-1987*** The heartwarming romance between Mason (Lane Davies) and Mary Duvall (Harley Kozak) came to an abrupt end when the huge letter "C" from the sign atop the Capwell hotel came crashing down and instantly killed poor Mary! This particular event proved very unpopular with the show's many loyal viewers, who throughly enjoyed Mason and Mary's relationship. Mason later made a business arrangement with fellow attorney Julia Wainwright (Nancy Grahn) to father her child, and ultimately, they fell in love. As Cruz and Eden were on their way to Utah to plan their wedding, the evil Elena Nickolas (Sherilyn Wolter) pushed Eden off a cliff, leaving her entire family to believe she was dead. For several months a paralyzed remained a prisoner of mountain man Cain Garver (Scott Jaeck), but she soon overcame her kidnapper and returned to Santa Barbara, just as Cruz was coming to grips with her death. Elena was later revealed as C.C.'s unknown daughter by first wife, Pamela. She tried to take her rightful place as heiress of the family by killing off all the Capwell children. Elena's murder, which put Cruz on trial, became one of the series' most successful storylines.

1987-1988*** As SB entered its fourth season, the show received 14 Emmy nominations and later won their first award as "Outstanding Daytime Drama" After Cruz was cleared of Elena's murder, he and Eden finally got married in one of daytime's most spectacular and lavish ceremonies. The show also continued to focus on the outrageous antics of Keith (Justin Deas) and Gina (Robin Mattson), which culminated in an appearance on the TV game show Wheel of Fortune, with special guest spots by Pat Sajack and Vanna White. (It was on SB, that Keith gave Vanna White her first on-screen kiss) Meanwhile, a backstage battle erupted between the Dobson's and New World Productions over the show's direction. Much of the dissension centered on the Dobson's desire to fire head writer Anne Howard Bailey and the casting of the often-mentioned role of Pamela Capwell, C.C.'s first wife and mother of Mason. While the Dobson's originally wanted Marj Dusay to portray Pamela, the writer hired actress Samantha Eggar, who backed out prior to taping any episodes and was replaced by Shirley Anne Field, who was fired several weeks later. Ironically she was replaced by Dobson's first choice Marj Dusay. The Dobson's were locked out of the studio and a lawsuit involving millions of dollars between the Dobson's/New World and NBC was pending. To make matter's worse a writers strike occurred within the entire industry, and many characters quickly came and went.

1988-1989*** Under the direction of producer Jill Farren Phelps, SB embarked on its most controversial storylines: the rape of Eden Capwell Castillo. Unlike other daytime shows, SB graphically portrayed the rape as the violent crime it is, and was very informative in dealing with its aftermath. However, the unveiling of Zack Kelton (Leigh McCloskey), Eden's gynecologist, as the rapist proved to be a bit too shocking. Fans were outraged! To further complicate Cruz and Eden's relationship, Zack kidnapped their newborn daughter, Adrianna and shortly before dying, told Cruz the baby was dead. Eden temporarily left town to morn her loss, which enabled Marcy Walker to take maternity leave and give birth to her real life child. SB continued with its tounge-in-cheek comedy effords, as Mason developed am alter-ego, Sonny Sprocket, and took a trip to heaven which was run by Joan Crawford (cross dresser Bunny Tagliatti, played by Joe Marinelli) and then-president of NBC daytime Brian Frons, who played the Almighty! Long-time fans were also treated to the brief return of Harley Kozak as Mason's guardian angel, before he returned to earth and ventured into holy matrimony with attorney, Julia. Marcy Walker won the Emmy for "Outstanding Lead Actress", Nancy Grahn won the Emmy for "Supporting Actress" and SB won its second Emmy for "Outstanding Daytime Drama".

1989-1990*** The show continued to acquire big-name talent who previously make marks on other daytime and nighttime series. Lane Davies left the show, and was replaced by former Y&R star Terry Lester. Gina's TV family extended when movie actress Stella Stevens and former GH star Steve Bond joined as Gina's brother and sister. Roscoe Born joined SB as twins Robert/Quinn. Both brothers were involved in romances with Kelly, Eden, and Flame. When Marcy Walker returned from maternity leave, the show traveled to Paris for some on-location shooting to heighten the mystery of baby Adrianna, who later turned up alive and illegally adopted by Cruz's sister-in-law. In a daring move, Leigh McCloskey was brought back to the show as district attorney Ethan Asher, along with nighttime star Christopher Norris (Trapper John) who played his wife Laura, She later tried to kill her husband but accidently killed Sasha Schmidt, whose body was temporarily hidden in Mason and Julia's freezer. A Martinez won Emmy for Outstanding Actor, and SB for the third year in a row won the Emmy for "Outstanding Daytime Drama"

1990-1991*** As the show's ratings began to fall, John Conboy, who had worked wonders on Capitol, was named Senior Executive Producer, JFP worked under him as EP. His first order of business was to re-establish the Lockridge family by rehiring Nicolas Coster as Lionel and recasting the roles of Laken and Minx. The long-pending lawsuit between the Dobson's and New World Productions finally reached a settlement, and the Dobson's were reinstated as the show's headwriters. During a contract dispute Terry Lester quit, and was replaced by Gordon Thomson, who was on Dynasty for six years took over the role of Mason. The show tackled the issue of date-rape when Julia accused Dash Nichols of raping her. The alleged rape took place off-screen and despite Julia's gut-wrenching testimony Dash was acquitted of the crime. As a result of viewer backlash as this turn of events, the storyline took a surprising turn when Julia kidnapped Dash and has him admit his guilt. Producer Jill Farren Phelps was fired, but immediately resurfaced to work her magic on GL.

1991-1992*** With John Conboy as sole producer, the Dobson's assumed the duties of head writers in accordance with a settlement with NBC and New World. Upon their arrival, the Dobson's brought back the character of Pamela Capwell as the catalyst to resurrect the volatile relationship between C.C. and Mason. However they has no choice to continue the ill-fated storyline began by the previous writing team regarding Eden's multiple personalities. Marcy Walker then announced her departure from SB. Warren Lockridge returned to town in the guise of Jack Wagner, just as Louise Sorel's contract was not renewed. During the failed coup attempt in Russia, the show traveled there, where Warren interviewed real citizens. In an effort to boost ratings, John Conboy was replaced by OLTL producer Paul Rauch. The romance between Cruz and Suzanne could not replace the affection viewers had for supercouple Cruz and Eden, and slowly the ratings began to decline even further.

1992-1993*** The Dobson's were ousted once again, as many NBC affiliates began dropping the low-rated, yet high quality, drama in favor of local programing. Rumors ran rampant that the show would be canceled in July, but at the last minute was given a six-month stay of execution. Former GL writer Pam Long assumed the role of head writer. Instead of focusing on the already established characters, a handful of new characters joined SB, including GL star Kim Zimmer. Cruz began on a controversial relationship with his sister-in-law. The relationship ended when A Martinez left the show. Shortly after NBC made it official that SB is canceled. In an attempt to boost ratings several top stars joined the show, Thaao Penghlis (Tony DAYS), Charles Grant (Evan AW) and Stephen Nichols (Patch DAYS) but none could fill the void by A Martinez or save the show from cancellation. The most appealing storyline from Pam Long was the child molestation of B.J. Although January 15, 1993 was the date slated for SB's last original episode on NBC, there is some discussions that one major network and several cable stations are interested in picking up the series. DaytimeTV wishes all who were affiliated with Santa Barbara the best of luck in their future endeavors.

Soap Opera Digest - April 20, 1988

Battle of the Daytime Executives

by Michael Logan

Contract Disputes Have Landed SANTA BARBARA Creators Bridget and Jerome Dobson, and New World Television, in Court. Here's Bridget Dobson's Version:

Everybody is suing everybody and the soap world has never seen anything like it.

SANTA BARBARA, nervy in its risk-taking, envied for its casting, rocky in its ratings, yet triumphant in its Emmy citations, is at the dead center of a legal hotbed. New World Television, the company which purchased the show in 1985 from its creators, Jerome and Bridget Dobson, has filed a $25,000,000 suit against them. The charge (ignited by Bridget Dobson’’s desire to fire SB’’s head writer, Anne Howard Bailey, who was appointed in 1986), is that the husband-and-wife team breached their contract and jeopardized the success of the serial when they "disrupted and confused" members of the show’’s production staff and sought to discredit Bailey. New World, which has business and financial control of the soap, and NBC-TV, which has ultimate control over the creative elements of the series, would not agree to Bailey’’s termination. The Dobsons (Jerry, at this point, had left the show but Bridget continued on as executive producer) insisted that they had the contractual right to hire and fire.

According to their attorney, Jim Hornstein, "Because New World refused to honor the Dobsons’’ right to creative control, the Dobsons are entitled to a return of the series they had sold to New World." The Dobsons counter-sued for nearly five times the amount –– a whopping $120,000,000 –– a few days after Bridget was physically barred from the set by eagle-eyed guards who’’d been supplied with her 8"x10" glossy and alerted to her probable arrival.

A mess, without question. A brouhaha of the highest order. But is La Dobson sweating bullets? Well, not exactly. Court cases in the real world –– as opposed to Soapland, where one can often go from crime to acquittal between station breaks –– do take a while. So, while husband Jerry has busied himself with the creation of a new soap and screenplay, Bridget’’s rented herself an office in LA’’s hottest highrise, the Fox Plaza, and is word processing away at a novel.

Sorry, folks. It’’s not about soaps. Though there are warring families, murders and other delicious mayhem, it’’s about the railroad. Specifically, the railroad built by Lee Stanford (Bridget received a Masters Degree in communication from Stanford University and lived on his property), and two clans who spar through generation after generation. Ragtime-esque in its blend of fictional and real characters, the tome is hardly the result of Ms. Dobson’’s having too many thumbs to twiddle. In fact, it was conceived years ago. The mere premise resulted in an option from Warner Books for publication and from Procter and Gamble (the Dobsons once served as head writers for two P&G soaps: GUIDING LIGHT and AS THE WORLD TURNS) for a TV miniseries. She nipped it all in the bud when the chance to create SANTA BARBARA came along but, now, it’’s full speed ahead. Be advised, though, when the epic hits the bookstores, it won’’t bear her name. "New World Television has said so many false and derogatory things about me to the press that I think it would hurt book sales," states Dobson. The byline she’’ll adopt is once she once acted under in the golden days of radio. "Of course," she emphasizes, "I was a child then –– just barely out of sun suits."

Dobson, it would appear, is never without her sense of humor –– it seems to have been her salvation through the last trying months. Speaking with her in her Century City office (the Dobsons long ago gave up their actual Santa Barbara digs in favor of Bel-Air luxury, and less-harried commute to the Peacock Studios), it’’s impossible not to notice the occasional tears. They’’re not of the crocodile variety. This lady really misses her old gig. "I’’m addicted to the constant feedback in daytime television. Whether one gets immediate gratification or pain, I love it. I feel a bit shut out of it now. I have many friends at the studio and I miss seeing them in a daily way."

These "friends," while they are not necessarily about to shout their identities from the rooftops (being among the pro-Bridget contingent is not the smartest thing to be at NBC), do number in the multitudes. "I have an off-screen relationship with many people at the studio. A number of them call frequently to just to say, ‘‘Hi, how are you doing? We want you back.’’ It was a love affair for me to go out to that studio every day. I cared about the show and the characters and the people –– but those people are in jeopardy with their jobs if I name the, so I won’’t ." Already on record, however, is the fact that two SB stars, Lane Davies (Mason) and Nicolas Coster (ex-Lionel), walked off the set in protest the day Bridget was turned away at the studio’’s gate.

"We’’d like our baby back," she says in reference to the lawsuit. "We want the rights we had in our contract when we sold the show to New World. We had explicitly been given creative control. We’’re anxious to get the case to court. We hope to be restored to a position where we can chart the creative course of the program. The lawsuit is going to be a long and tedious process, but we’’re optimistic that justice will be done." In the meantime, Dobson doesn’’t mind getting down to brass tacks. No, she has not been riveted to her set since the enforced departure ("I find it painful to watch SANTA BARBARA –– I have only seen some of it"), but the former executive does have a few quibbles and bits.

"I would certainly have maintained the Lockridges," she says of the soap’’s once powerfully drawn family, which gradually disintegrated into pointlessness. "And I would never have gotten rid of Hayley [played by Stacy Edwards]. Besides the fact that Stacy was a very good actress, she was playing Gina’’s [Robin Mattson] niece. The best reason to keep Hayley was that she made Gina vulnerable –– and Gina as ‘‘pure bitch’’

is not as interesting to watch."

Such differences of opinion with head writers Ann Howard Bailey and Chuck Pratt, Jr. were transpiring even when Dobson was still holding the reins. She detested the killing of shady Southern belle Caroline Wilson, played by the excellent and very touching Lenore Kasdorf. "Head writers have to be excited about what they are writing. If they’’re not, it doesn’’t come out well. The Caroline story was complicated and gutsy, but the potential never materialized. It wasn’’t going anywhere, so I guess it was probably just as well to end it. But when you throw out characters that the audience loves, you are making a vast mistake. No, when a head writer takes over, just as Jerry and I did on GUIDING LIGHT and AS THE WORLD TURNS, you use those characters that are loved and make your stories flow from them," believes Bridget.

After the long-term investment made in the very popular Cruz (A Martinez) and Eden (Marcy Walker) characters, doesn’’t it frazzle her that she wasn’’t around to stage their oft-delayed, much-awaited wedding?

"It hurt," she says, getting unmistakably misty. "I wouldn’t have done it the way they did –– but there are a million options and they chose theirs." Were she still in creative control, the dethroned Dobson insists she would be fighting tooth and nail to keep Cruz and Eden fascinating –– not easy since daytime nuptials frequently signal a death knell or, even worse, terminal boredom. "It is difficult to write exciting married couples but it can be done," she notes.

The casting of the very important Pamela Capwell Conrad role was, perhaps, the last point of contention between the factions. "Jerry and I conceived Pamela many years ago but NBC did not want us to bring on another forty-ish character. But we kept pushing because we knew it could be hot stuff." Once the powers gave in, movie queen Samantha Eggar was signed, but quickly got cold feet when the rigors of the daytime grind were fully explained to her. Fellow British actress Shirley Anne Field was cast instead. "She was Ann and Chuck’s first choice," reports Bridget. "Marj Dusay was my choice but we cast Shirley Anne because we wanted the head writers to be excited. To me, Marj is a great beauty and seemed to be the kind of person that C.C. [Jed Allan] would have once been attracted to. Ann and Chuck’s perceptions were not marginally different from mine –– they were vastly different."

Ironically, Field wound up delivering a tepid, colorless performance and was give the heave-ho after three months. The replacement? Marj Dusay. Perhaps just as ironically, Dusay came on board as nothing short of brilliant with each icy line reading revealing encyclopedias full of character. Clearly, the plot possibilities were endless and the likelihood that the actress would emerge at the forefront of SANTA BARBARA –– much as Elizabeth Hubbard rules supreme as Lucinda on AS THE WORLD TURNS –– must have seemed delicious to loyal watchers. Guess again. Dusay was on the unemployment line before she knew what hit her and the dandy part was foolishly tossed into limbo.

The character of Mason, though, is Dobson’s true pride and joy –– and one suspects that she would sell her soul to avoid anybody else getting their meathooks on him.

"He is fabulous," she swoons. "So psychologically tormented. So complicated and funny and needful. He is a contemporary character, yet, also his own Greek tragedy –– and so much a part of my husband’s relationship with his father and my relationship with my mother. We poured our hearts and souls into him." When she speaks of her creation, there is a yearning to be back in the saddle, an ache at not being able to call her own her own.

But she’s also mindful that hindsight is twenty-twenty. "It’s easy for me to sit here and say, ‘I would have done this and I wouldn’t have done that.’ It’s hard to do it right and I’ve made a million mistakes in my lifetime."

Could the selling of her soap to New World be among them?

"We made a major mistake there –– but that cannot be undone. I have many regrets but, had we all stuck to our contracts, things could have worked out." Not, mind you, that she’d back off from her dismay with the head-writing team. "Now, this is my opinion, not fact," she says, "but I feel that they are not receiving the kind of guidance that they need now. Whatever problems there are with the show, they are not acting problems, not production problems –– they are writing problems." Were it up to her, she would, "change the head-writing team. I wouldn’t change the associate writers. They are wonderful –– absolutely the best in the business. I would decrease the amount of violence, give more dimension to the characters and have the stories flow from that."

Despite their respective involvements, both Bridget and Jerry have continued to seek soap work. "We have tried," she concedes, "and have not been hired. Perhaps there have been some misconceptions about us which won’t be cleared up until it becomes obvious who has been telling the truth."

As if her unprecedented circumstances and all the attending legal hoopla were not already the stuff of high drama, the plot further thickened when SB won this year’s Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series. While the head-writing team went home without a trophy, Dobson did not.

Personally responsible for executive producing seven out of twelve months being judged by the Emmy voters, Dobson found herself sharing a table with the very folks she’ll soon be wrangling with in court –– an experience simultaneously fraught with great pride and great tension. "Treacherous exhilaration," she calls it, though, by all reports, she endured it with great humor. When one of the producers of the Emmy telecast came out during a commercial break to warn all long-winded winners to "keep your speeches short or a security guard will haul you off," Dobson was heard to crack, "Hey, I’m right at home here!" Later, as all mouths at the table got dry near the announcement of the Outstanding Series award, she dug into her purse for her customary supply of Tic-Tacs –– only to find she had just one. Harry Sloane, co-chairman of New World Television, desperately wanted it. "You got it, Harry," said Dobson, handing over the mint, "but it'll cost you a hundred-and-twenty million!"

The talent for repartee is undeniable, but so, too, has been the emotional toll.

"Jerry and I are sticking very close together on this. We are supporting each other and that helps. Being involved in other work also helps. Knowing that we have right and truth on our side helps. We don’’t have to lie, we don’’t have to exaggerate. Ultimately, I believe that we will be rewarded for our patience and our efforts."

Soap Opera Digest - July 11, 1989

Santa Barbara: Cult Soap for the Nineties

by John Kelly Genovese

SANTA BARBARA REPORT CARD

Acting: A-

Storytelling: B

Romance: B

Innovation: A

SANTA BARBARA is unquestionably the biggest cult soap since DARK SHADOWS. Its ratings never make headlines, but one would never know that by the way the show's followers talk about it. This is a loyal, vocal group that literally salivates over all the day-today action. Oddly enough, many of these viewers are the same folks who have watched ALL MY CHILDREN or AS THE WORLD TURNS for years, but they discuss these shows in more reserved tones.

Of course, there is a fundamental difference between DARK SHADOWS and SANTA BARBARA. While DARK SHADOWS was obvious camp (a Gothic horror spoof with werewolves, vampires and time warps), SB doesn't fit neatly into any one category. Through most of its five years on the air, it has been an unlikely blend of Hamlet, MARY HARTMAN, MARY HARTMAN, SOAP, WHEEL OF FORTUNE and Looking for Mr. Goodbar.

Sure there have been serious moments. Cruz and Eden Castillo (A Martinez and Marcy Walker) dealt with Eden's rape with a new level of dignity and maturity for daytime television - no soapy histrionics here. Father Michael (Frank Runyeon) struggled convincingly as he questioned his commitment to the cloth (this was not a "guilt" story line).

Nonetheless, SANTA BARBARA became known mostly for its raunchier, funnier elements. Gina (Robin Mattson) wasn't just a vamp she was an exhibitionist. Mason Capwell (Lane Davies) put away an average of a fifth of scotch per episode, yet was never too tongue-tied to deliver an erudite dig. And who could forget the much-missed Lionel and Augusta Lockridge (Nicolas Coster and Louise Sorel), who proved that sex was not only alive after forty, but could be more fun than ever?

In the past year, the show got even nuttier. Gina became entangled with a cross-dresser named Bunny (Joe Marinelli). Mason was felled with amnesia and took on the alter ego of redneck Sonny Sprocket. It was a hoot, but one began to wonder how much farther SB would go just to get the laughs. We half expected Gina to become a nun, or Redd Foxx to show up as a long-lost brother to millionaire C.C. Capwell (Jed Allan). Also, for far too long, the Capwells were the only family in town, and the writers seemed capable of writing for only one couple - Cruz and Eden.

But then, SB shifted gear and turned into a good old-fashioned romance, reinstating a classic soap ingredient - the love triangle. In their search for infant daughter Adriana, Cruz and Eden crossed paths with psychic Sandra Mills (Miranda Wilson), who is obsessed with Cruz. Feisty Sophia (Judith McConnell) is rethinking her independence from C.C. with the advent of romance novelist Megan Richardson (Meg Bennett). Mason, recently married to Julia (Nancy Grahn), has been facing his drinking problem with the very interested support of Lisa DiNapoli (Tawny Kitaen). Dr. Scott Clark (Vincent Irizarry) is caught between Heather (Jane Rogers), who is pregnant with his child, and a rekindled high school romance with Lisa's ex-hooker sis, Celeste (Signy Coleman). Michael - minus the collar - is reminded of his past with Laura Asher (Christopher Norris), wife of suspender-clad DA Ethan Asher (Leigh McCoskey).

For SANTA BARBARA, this is pretty conservative stuff. Now that affairs of the heart have taken over, characters once again are allowed to sit and philosophize occasionally……to examine their relationships without flippancy or risk of interruption. At the same time, the show never gets dreary. Mason and Julia enjoy sexual romps at the office; Gina still hurls her barbs; it is still great fun, but no longer absurd.

This turn of events is largely due to the show's head writer, the underrated Charles Pratt, Jr., who has brought back the values that Bridget and Jerome Dobson (SB's creators) instituted at the beginning. The relationship between C.C. and Mason has always been tragic. It is a classic representation of millions of fathers and sons who never really accepted one another; whose attempts to connect were marred by mutual disapproval and distrust. As C.C. bares his soul to Megan for biographical purposes, and Mason looks at his life through an out-of-body experience in Heaven (followed by AA), this relationship shows signs of a new beginning. And thank goodness for the humanizing of Gina. She's still one sexy wench, but she is once again being portrayed as a survivor whose one constant in life is her love for her son, Brandon (Justin Gocke). She, too, is looking at her circumstances through a new set of glasses; envying the simplicity and innocence of the people around her. When she and Brandon were held hostage by the psychotic Kirk Cranston (played chillingly by Joseph Bottoms), Gina showed fortitude and savvy in setting Kirk up for Cruz's trap. The woman may like sex and money, but she's not a total dingbat.

These are examples of the wonderful "gray areas" that have made SB's characters so fascinating. Also better than ever is the overall caliber of the acting ensemble. Until recently, the cast was a combination of hits and misses. No more. The newcomers appear to be as strong as the veterans. Signy Coleman is absolutely endearing. Tawny Kitaen is one smashing lady - commanding in a self-assuredly feminine (never brash) way. Marcy Walker, Nancy Grahn and Judith McConnell also make for this brand of heroine.

SB's male actors are equally strong. A Martinez proves that TV cops can be vulnerable and believable. Todd McKee (Ted Capwell) is an appealing young actor who deserves more challenging material than the cutesy stuff he is often given. Frank Runyeon and Vincent Irizarry seem far more focused and comfortable with their characters than they were on their previous soaps (ex-Steve, ATWT; ex-Lujack, GL, respectively), and they have proven they can be super male leads. Lane Davies? This is a master. He is the pathetic clown, the sardonic Greek chorus, the idealistic lawyer, the mischievous lover. Give this guy an Emmy.

SANTA BARBARA has given its audience many moments of fun in what some consider to be a dour medium. And it's still fun. The show is simply growing.

Soap Opera Digest - February 20, 1990

Backstage Crisis At Santa Barbara

by Robert Caploe and Jason Bonderoff

Ever since its debut in 1984, SANTA BARBARA has suffered from low ratings. The show keeps winning awards, but not viewers. Now NBC is taking some extreme measures to try to turn the tide. In New York, the number-one television market, SB's time slot has been switched from three p.m. to noon. In addition, a new producer, John Conboy, and a new writer, Sheri Anderson, have been brought in, setting off a wave of backstage jitters and speculation. Can SANTA BARBARA find a way to become a popular, as well as critical, success?

John Conboy - who formerly masterminded YOUNG AND RESTLESS and CAPITOL - is serving as co-executive producer, along with Jill Farren Phelps, who ran the show by herself for two years. According to Frank Runyeon (Michael), the news took the cast somewhat by surprise. "When Jill told us about it in a meeting, everyone felt a lot of affection and support for her," says Runyeon. "She is beloved…… Whenever an executive producer is told that another producer of equal power is being brought in, emotionally it has to be taken as a vote of no confidence."

Nancy Grahn (Julia) tries not to get involved in front-office politics, but admits, "We've had more producers than cast. I wish John Conboy all the best. I also think it's very important that Jill stays here. She has taste, a sense of humor and a very contemporary outlook. I think this show has a certain flair, and I hope they don't lose that. I hope they don't start fixing the things that don't need work."

Peter Love (Ric) acknowledges that cast morale reached a low point. "With ratings like this," he says, "you can't help thinking, 'Will we even be on the air in six months?' " At the recent SOAP OPERA AWARDS show (where SB picked up awards in eight categories), Phelps stated, "When the weekly ratings come in on Thursday mornings, I think…… 'There's nothing wrong with this show that putting us between CHEERS and COSBY wouldn't cure.' "

Aside from these problems, another cloud hangs over SB - the lawsuit filed by the show's creators, Bridget and Jerome Dobson, against NBC. The suit, centering on creative control of the series, began in 1987. Although the Dobsons have won the first round of the lawsuit, the litigation still has a long way to go. Concerning the early victory, Bridget Dobson said, "I was not surprised and very pleased." But she feels a great deal of frustration about what's happened to SB since she left the show.

"I watch the show only sporadically," Dobson comments. "But I do see gross character destruction. I don't recognize things that I see Kelly and Cruz doing. So many characters have gone in and out. It's very confusing. Stories start out with interest and then peter off." Jill Phelps and Head Writer Chuck Pratt Jr., says Dobson, "are talented, but do not have a depth of experience. Neither have enough roots in soaps to recognize their mistakes. I hope that the addition of Sheri Anderson [sB's new co-head writer] will help Chuck." (When contacted for this article, Phelps declined to respond to any of Dobson's remarks.)

Sheri Anderson - a veteran soap scripter who formerly plotted both DAYS OF OUR LIVES and FALCON CREST - agrees that the show needs some "reshaping and redefining." She admits that "stories would wrap up suddenly or not spin out. Emotional hooks and payoffs for the audience haven't been there. We'll be refocusing the show, re-establishing the Capwells, utilizing Phyllis and Mack, clarifying Gina's motivations. We'll also be slowly introducing other families.

"We want to keep the audience we have while trying to build a new one," Anderson continues. "We believe in a lot of things the show is already doing. I was brought in to balance Chuck," she points out. "It's extremely difficult to have one person write a one-hour show; it's a phenomenal workload."

Despite this changing of the guard, the atmosphere on the set, says Anderson, "is less nervous than I thought it would be. People seem pleased to still have Jill and Chuck here. They're happy the show is being turned upside-down."

According to Runyeon, who says he's "desperately trying to get Michael on track again," SB's idiosyncrasies have not helped the ratings, either. "We've been so committed to being a quirky cult show, a cross between nighttime and MARY HARTMAN, that we may not survive. The right restructuring of the show, fitting the needs of the daytime audience, will draw people to us." Although Nancy Grahn believes that SB's "sense of humor and risk-taking, and the Dobsons' original vision" are what make it unique, she too concedes that a little more story consistency and "more affairs of the heart" would probably help.

Adds Runyeon, "What SB really needs now to pull in an audience is a long, beautiful, star-crossed love story, and a classic heartland family. Now it just has a bunch of spoiled, rich, over-married, over-divorced people."

Toups, thanks for posting those articles! What a way to look back. I adored SB. I was so shocked when the Big C killed Mary, I laughed and cried. I loved Mason and Julia more though. I really wish that Santa Barbara would show up on Soapnet

Toups, thanks for posting those articles! What a way to look back. I adored SB. I was so shocked when the Big C killed Mary, I laughed and cried. I loved Mason and Julia more though. I really wish that Santa Barbara would show up on Soapnet

I keep reading the reason why SB will probably never make its way to Soapnet is the annoying music rights and clearances. Rick Rhodes, who was SB's musical director, had stated he would be willing to rescore, but he then since developed a brain tumor and has passed away.

If any soap should be on Soapnet, Santa Barbara is it, IMO.

Edited January 17, 200817 yr by Wendy

Also, like it or not, Satan, I mean JFP was really the one who kept this show from falling to pieces, after she left, the show wasn't itself anymore.

She was crap at SB, crap at GL, crap at AW, crap at OLTL...and guess what she is at GH? Crap

If soaps want to survive the next ten years, they do not need EPs like The Wicked Witch of the West

Edited January 17, 200817 yr by DevotedToAMC

From the final cast,who were the first few performers to move on to other soaps?

Thanks for posting those, Toups. I *loved* Santa Barbara so much. It was the first soap I remember waiting all weekend to watch Monday's show because sometimes the Friday cliffhangers were so good. And though not always perfect, there was writing and acting of such stellar quality that I actually got goosebumps.

Mason & Julia were my favorites although, of course, who can forget Cruz & Eden? And I had a fondness for Kelly & Jeffrey?

Also the actor who played Robert Barr. And Gordon Thomson as Mason? He was replacing the irreplaceable but I still think it was one of the best recasts ever.

Sigh. I wonder what SB would be like it if were still around today. Perhaps it is better to remember it in the context of its glory days. NBC had one of the best line-ups EVER (Days/AW/SB) and they just ruined it.

Thanks Toups for posting those articles. I only watched Santa Barbara when GL was pre-empted, but everytime I saw it, it seemed like a pretty good show. I also watched SB when Kim Zimmer was on there as Jodie Walker I believe?

Who could forget the final episode? The final shot had executive producer Paul Rauch standing in front of the camera, smashing a cigar under his shoe, and walking away. Crassness I tell you.

Toups, thanks for posting those articles! What a way to look back. I adored SB. I was so shocked when the Big C killed Mary, I laughed and cried. I loved Mason and Julia more though. I really wish that Santa Barbara would show up on Soapnet

AMEN, Tishy! Santa Barbara was in a class by itself. You couldn't pigeonhole it, and you certainly never knew what to expect. They screwed up so much offstage, though, that the show was doomed. Harley Kozak's exit was memorable but ultimately stupid... God, I loved Stacy Edwards on SB and I still love her as an actress when she pops up on primetime or in commercials... that show just had so much to offer and it was sad to see it go downhill in its final couple years.