Santa Barbara Discussion Thread

[DemetriKane]

Quick question,

How are you guys making time to watch all these soaps? I consider myself a pretty organized person, but since I have committed to watching more of the older soaps. I feel all over the place, and can not figure out a schedule that seems to work.  How are you all doing it?

 

Thanks. I will check that out.

[chrisml]

I recently watched the premiere of Santa Barbara. I had never seen it. Most of my knowledge of the show is from 1988 onwards. I know of the show before that, but it's from recaps or individual clips/stories (having seen some of the carnation killer stuff). I can see why SB was not well thought of during its first year. The first episode is not that good. The acting is all over the place with only Robin Wright and Lane Davies making much of an impression. Everyone else is either given little to do or just too overeager/overwrought. Ava Lazar is beautiful but awful. I don't know how long she stays, but my word she is bad. Peter Mark Richman tries, but he's very one note as C.C. There's very little of the Dobson wit except for the few seconds with Anderson's Mrs. Lockridge. Interesting how Kelly is set up as the show's main heroine at this point and Eden is given just a brief mention. 

I will say that Valorie Armstrong is a compelling presence, but I know she doesn't last long based on what I know of the show. A shame as they do set up the show to have different economic backgrounds and they also have the Andrades. That was completely gone by the time I started watching. I don't think the Andrades last long either because I don't remember seeing Rosa or Santana when I started following SB in late 88. Santana comes back briefly at some point (I think to kidnap Brandon) but then disappears and then she reappears when the Dobsons return for round 2 but that's with Wanda De Jesus. Did Rosa return then? I don't remember. This premiere episode would not make me keep watching if I didn't know what was to come.

@DemetriKaneI just watch when I feel like watching the soaps. I'm an emotional watcher so sometimes I will watch a batch of episodes and other times I watch one or two a day. As I'm watching Edge of Night and Dark Shadows, I can get two or three a day if I'm disciplined.

[Ryan Mason]

Yes, a few months before Wanda De Jesus, actually. Shortly after the Dobsons took over again, Rosa just magically reappeared as if she'd just been offscreen in the Capwell kitchen for the past four years.

I just started watching this from the beginning again last year and I will agree with past posts that there really does seem to have been a reboot of sorts in January 1985. To me, it seemed like the four performers who really seemed to set the tone for the new wittier, more sophisticated direction were Nicolas Coster, Louise Sorel, Lane Davies and Judith McConnell.

[Jdee43]

When the show debuted, Louise Sorel came on like gangbusters. But then in the fifth week, they introduced Lionel, and her star power dimmed. Unfortunately her character became more of a jealous, shrewish wife.

Lionel came on like gangbusters after the earthquake, especially in December 1984, but unfortunately after that, they had his character in jail for 2 months, which dimmed his star power.

I'm watching late February 1985, and Mason is still dull as dirt. His character hasn't come alive yet.

The show is really doing a good job with the Kelly/ Peter stuff, mostly due to the performances. It's too bad they couldn't make Peter this interesting from the beginning. 

Edited 3 hours ago by Jdee43

[chrisml]

A shame that Santa Barbara lost the Andrades but I wonder what the Dobsons had in mind for them. From what I know of the Joe/Kelly situation, they didn't seem to know what to do with the Perkins. I don't think McConnell in particular gets enough acclaim for what she added to the show. 

The Dobsons (from what I know of the show) didn't seem to know what to do with Augusta. This was especially true on their second go around but that was also Rauch getting back at her, so who knows?

[Soaplovers]

The Perkins family had potential to be a nice alternative to the more dysfunctional Capwells and wackier Lockridges... but I think a few factors did in the family.

1) Recasting of Joe Perkins

2) Bad casting of the Perkins Patriarch, and the one note writing for that character.

3) Lack of antagonistic interaction between the Capwells/Lockridges and Perkins.  (There was no awkwardness between Jade/Ted.. or CC disapproving of his son being friends with that Perkins girl, etc).

4) Wasting of Jade thus wasting the potential of the actress (which was realized on Days of Our Lives).  She had more potential than Laken oddly enough.

The only member of the Perkins family that had appeal and a somewhat thought out story arc was Amy.

 

[j swift]

I just had thought of how to save the Perkins family.

(Inspired by Rituals) -- What if Marisa Perkins was Augusta Lockridge's sister?

Fictionally, they could've both been local girls, one married rich and one married poor.

Originally, I was going to suggest that Marisa be Sophia's sister, but then I realized Joe and Kelly would've been first cousins.  Of course, it would've truly inspired Sophia was if Rosa Andrade sister, with Rosa and Santana moving in to help CC raise the kids once Sophia disappeared.  While this could've avoided both gross CC and Santana affairs, the times were not right for a story about intersectional inequity.

Edited 1 hour ago by j swift