Santa Barbara Discussion Thread

[dc11786]

Someone shared some things with me a while back. Unfortunately, from my memory, the main things I recall were the three main stories were outlined: (1) the Kelly / Joe romance with Joe clearing his name, (2) Gina's search to gain access to her son via relationships with both C.C. and Mason, and (3) the youth summer story in Los Angles. The L.A. storyline was intended to cash in on the summer Olympics which I believe were to be hosted in Los Angeles that year. Also, the Hollywood story gave the network the opportunity to cross promote (if they so chose) with primetime by having Danny and Ted get stunt jobs on a NBC series like "Hill Street Blues." 

The main things I recall were mostly about missing parts or serious deviations in the story. Sophia's return was not a part of the original story. Lionel isn't mentioned much. There seemed to be a strange connection between Augusta and C.C. that was never completely clarified. C.C.'s motive for pushing Peter and Kelly together was not just to keep Kelly away from Joe, but because C.C. had found her at least on one occasion on the verge of a nervous breakdown after Joe was arrested and was afraid she would completely go over the edge. 

Santana was suppose to learn that Gina had custody of her son while Gina was living out of town. Gina would have infilitrated the DeMott household posing as the maid and befriending her son. Mason would discover her and threaten to reveal Santana's true identity which would have lead to a relationship between Santana and Mason by necessity. 

I was mostly surprised, and not surprised, to see that of the Perkins and Andrade families, only Santana and Joe were fleshed out and given significant story. I don't think Amy was mentioned at all. Nor were any of the other Andrade children. There was a footnote at one point that John Perkins at some point could become in a corrupt trade union in a story resembling "On the Waterfront." 

The biggest surprise was the reveal that Warren was Channing's killer and that it was all based on the gold coins story. There was no mention of Channing being Lionel's son either, but, since neither Lionel or Sophia were mentioned, this should be no surprise. 

I believe I may have only seen part of the "Santa Barbara" bible. I think there was a second part outlining characters which I didn't get a chance to look at. 

I don't have it anymore unfortunately, so this is all form memory. 

[Sapounopera]

Wow, thank you so much. This is fascinating. Too bad that the Santana/Brandon/Gina was never told properly. It looks as though the Dobsons had bigger plans for it, but they were lost between (unnecessary) recasts and ratings worries. Since there no big Andrade and Perkins families, the bible could have been intended for a half-hour soap, which would have benefited the show.  

[Marissa Gallant]

It's just another thing to come between her and CC. It's got some good things within it, but ultimately it fizzles. And I love her, but the end of it is kind of Oh well. 

I feel like ending storylines on this show was a weakness. Like no one at the top realized that it is okay for stories to have long, gratifying endings. This was more "We don't know what to do with the movie, burn it. We don't know how to end Who killed Maddie make it her sister."

[Marissa Gallant]

This is weird. I'm enjoying Janice Paige as a character, but I have to keep reminding myself that she's Minx.

[Marissa Gallant]

I am so confused by the Kelly/Quinn/Robert story. I guess I glanced away at the wrong time because one minute Cruz and Robert were at the crazy lady's house. The next, they were on a chaingang. And Flame is living in the walls? Kelly is super pissed at Eden because Robert loved her first? Or is there a different reason? I'm lost

[Keri]

I wish I could help but those are the parts I've never seen lol.

I don't think Kelly really makes sense once CG is on the scene- like the writers made her so different.

I could kind of buy Kelly suddenly seizing on Robert simply bc he wanted Eden and not her- I mean everyone else except Cruz and Kirk always fell all over Kelly. So one guy doesnt and she cant stand it.

But it's just so vastly different from how RW portrayed her and how she was written. I don't recall there ever being any jealousy bw the two before.

ETA like a week ago I watched a clip from shortly after they thought Eden was dead and Kelly was kind of bitchy bc she thought CC was thinking about Eden instead of Kelly. 

 

 

Edited January 20, 2023 by Keri

[j swift]

After Kelly marries Quinn, Flame ships off Robert to her family's home in New Orleans in order to avoid Kelly snooping around and finding Robert locked in a cell.  Cruz and Eden had been suspicious of Robert (although they were actually watching Quinn), so Cruz winds up finding Robert in New Orleans and they both are put into forced labor by Flame's family.

Meanwhile, Flame becomes jealous of Quinn's feelings for Kelly, so she gaslights Kelly using Eden's perfume and makes her think that Robert (but really Quinn) has the hots for Eden.  Quinn, who really did love Kelly, becomes hip to Flame's psychological tricks, after she pushes Kelly down some stairs resulting in Kelly's temporary paralysis, and locks Flame in the cell where they held Robert.

Of course the story is ridiculous, especially the ending where Eden solves a crime while in a coma, but I liked the animosity between Kelly and Eden and felt it was organic based on their history.  Eden had always competed for CC's approval with Channing, then once he was gone, Eden became the apple of her parent's eye, while Kelly struggled for some attention, as her father expressed disdain of every man she ever loved.  It felt natural that Kelly would develop some hard feelings toward Eden, who found eternal love with Cruz, while she kept getting paired with nutballs like Peter, Dylan, Craig, and Jeffrey.

The animus between Kelly and Eden is also necessary for the eventual ending (spoiler alert)

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But, don't fret too much because within weeks of that story ending the Dobson's return, Kelly magically moves back into the Capwell mansion, and forgets that she ever fought with her sister.

Edited January 20, 2023 by j swift

[Marissa Gallant]

@j swiftThanks. I knew that was basically the story, but it's still confusing. I'm so over selfish Kelly. She truly annoys me.

Moving on, I have seen the Terry Lester Gordon Thomas transition episode. I know Terry Lester's version of this. TPTB forgot to renew his contract, so he packed up and left. Can't blame him. But what happened with GT? His agent calls and says, hey instead of taking a nap this afternoon, can you play Mason? They need you there in five minutes. There was just too much chaos backstage at this point. It HAD to have been stressful for the cast and crew.

[j swift]

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Edited January 21, 2023 by j swift

[Liberty City]

 We could have gotten Lane Davies back?! Wow. Missed opportunity, but I respect Davies' decision to not return.

[Marissa Gallant]

That makes me so sad. But I can't blame him. 

[CMS]

Wasn't Lane still traveling around the world with Todd McKee during this period? I doubt whether they even had preliminary talks with him, let alone serious negotiations.

[Liberty City]

He did have talks with Jill Farren Phelps. In an interview with Santa Barbara Online, he said:

"Yes, I had lunch with the Executive Producer, and was offered a great deal of money to return. It simply wasn't time - my prime-time career was doing well, I still had issues with the story, and just wasn't ready to go back."

As for the world travels, he was gone from July 1989 to February 1990, and Terry Lester exited in the fall of 1990.

I can't, either. I feel like doing The Bold and the Beautiful might have reminded him of why he left daytime.

[Marissa Gallant]

Not to argue with him, but his prime time career was going well? I didn't think he had much of a prime time career. I was in college then, so I guess I just missed that. What did he do?

[Liberty City]

He was predominately doing primetime guest spots and a TV movie, as well. And in 1991, he landed the primetime series Good & Evil, which only lasted 11 episodes. He was probably securing some good auditions, etc.