Santa Barbara Discussion Thread

[Wendy]

Some were fine (Mason seemed to never lose popularity under Terry Lester or Gordon Thomson, even if he seemed miscast with TL), some recasts worked once but bombed if recast again (Kelly; worked with KM to CG but not CG to ED), and some just seemed odd. Jack Wagner's Warren bore little resemblance to John Allan Nelson's Warren and had his history altered. Paula Irvine's Lily Blake/formerly Lily Light was the polar opposite of Lynn Clark and was frozen in age. Michael Brainard's Ted lost the sweetness Todd McKee's version had, and with the recasts, at least the Capwells, you also lost the "warmth" between the siblings, IMO. (Except for Mason and Eden. But Mason and Ted used to be close. I think it was because LD/TM were buds. They even gave each other noogies on screen. Can you see GT/MB doing that with each other?)

As for CG's Kelly and Eden, they were good. Almost as good as MW/RW, to me. But then, I loved CG as Kelly as much as RW. MW/CG played the closeness well (see the Paris stuff) unlike Marcy with Kimberly McArthur. And when it turned to rivalry over Robert, it was believable enough. I never felt anything regarding ED's Kelly whining about "poor Eden" because they had zero history or scenes together.

And then there was the WTF casting of Janis Page as Minx. She would have been great as a Lockridge cousin or whatever, but Minx? No. FAR too young. And Cassie screwed up HER past, too.

In short, I guess it depended on timing, story, and the popularity of the predecessor. But, yeah, I think having so many recasts was an issue, at least by the end.

Edited March 26, 2012 by Wendy

[Cheap21]

Thanks Wendy! What did you feel about the Santana recasts and CC?

[Wendy]

Santana seemed to change with the wind. Under original actress Ava Lazar, she had a strong streak and seemed savvy enough. But with each subsequent recast, she devolved from savvy to shrew, and a weak shrew, at that. And after the sh*t C.C. pulled to keep her from Brandon, no way did I ever buy their romance at the end. And the fact that C.C. knocked her up just as "son" Channing did ages ago was just...icky. But Wanda De Jesus was just too "hard" and too old for that role, anyway.

Speaking of recasts, it took four or five tries, but Jed Allan OWNED C.C.

As an aside, I never understood why Rosa stayed working for the Capwells after the crap pulled on her family. I guess the pay really WAS that good. LOL!

[DRW50]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN5r7pvfgGk

[DRW50]

It's odd, because Brainard used a lot of humor on AMC. I wonder if Rauch/Long felt only "comic" characters (like Gina) were supposed to have humor. The rest of the show seems deadly serious. (Or was Brainard around before Rauch/Long? I don't know).

The connection I've seen between GT Mason and Eden is incredible. I just wonder if all that with the family was lost when Marcy was left.

It's too bad, as Long wrote families well on GL.

I have only watched a little of SB's last year, but some of the "family" scenes like Kelly hectoring Sophia about being a junkie, or Kelly and Ted briefly walking in after Sophia finds out about Santana's baby, are jarring.

[AmandainNC28655]

Ohhh how I wish SoapNet would start showing Santa Barbara

[Wendy]

It will never happen seeing that Soapnet seems to be on borrowed time and, more importantly, the music prevents it from re-airing in the states. Internationally, though, music laws seem less stringent. But Rick Rhodes, SB's music director, once offered to re-score the show so it could air, but he died before it could happen.

[Wendy]

Since some of us were discussing Temp Lisa DiNapoli/Téa Leoni a page or two back, I figured I would post this as I just uploaded the scene. Some of Temp Lisa was on some new stuff I received. Enjoy!

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wmaeveaC1E0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[DRW50]

This must be one of the most questionable introductions ever for a soap couple. Hayley's soulmate was supposed to be Jake, a man she first met when she thought he had raped her? I know they had a few friendlier scenes before the rape but it was still their first story.

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This is probably more common in soaps than I care to remember.

Anyway, the scene where Julia finds Hayley is just devastating to watch. Sometimes I mostly see NLG for the neurotic tics in her characters but sometimes her work just hits you so much.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhqP2QWwLLw

Edited April 3, 2012 by CarlD2

[juniorz1]

Actually, Brainard's Ted had quite a bit of humor throughout his run, first with Suzanne and Lily, then with Angela. I found him to be quite an enjoyable character all-around and liked him just as much as Todd McKee. Yes, his Ted was quite different from Todd's but for me, it worked.

[DRW50]

I am thinking of writing a fic (which I am kind of rusty at) and had a few questions I just wanted clarification on, if anyone can help.

What was the name of Channing's boyfriend? Was his background just like, generic lawyer, or something?

What was the nature of Jane Wilson's DID? What caused it, how many alters did she have, how they did behave? Did she just have the usual good girl/bad girl split?

What were Eden's whereabouts in the first few months after she shot Sophia and left Santa Barbara? Was she supposed to be in a coma or something, or just roaming around as Lisa or Channing? When did they first hear from her again (or hear enough to get divorce papers, anyway)?

Was Brick ever mentioned during the time Sophia was shot? What about Ted?

[Wendy]

The only two I can help you with are:

Channing's boyfriend was named Lindsay, but I don't know what he did for a living, or I forgot.

And Eden left in a limo as Channing with Stephen J. Cannell as her unnamed limo driver. (It was an inside joke since Walker was leaving SB for SJC's new series, Palace Guard.) So she was roaming around. In the late years, we saw the feet of her (obviously a stand in) send a letter to Cruz along with divorce papers and a letter to the family, saying she was getting well but was not coming home to SB.

Edited April 4, 2012 by Wendy

[DRW50]

Thanks. I will take any help I can get I really wanted to write a story where "Channing" tracks down Brick after shooting Sophia and fleeing Santa Barbara.

[Wendy]

You're welcome.

Oh, and no, I don't think Brick was ever mentioned after Sophia was shot and lapsed into a coma. It's like poor Brick ceased to exist. (Much like Greg Capwell did. C.C.'s son with Megan.) I think Augusta made a veiled mention of him to Lionel at one point, but nothing explicit.

[DRW50]

I hadn't heard of Greg or Megan (she wasn't the Meg Bennett character was she).

It's crazy to me they wouldn't at least mention Brick, or have him show up briefly, especially since that would have caused a lot of drama, given that learning the truth about Channing was the beginning of Eden's destruction. I can see Mason and CC taking it out on him, he fights back, etc. At least say he stayed away for that reason.