On 1/27/2023 at 7:39 PM, j swift said:

I feel like the history of the show was pretty clear after a recent review of the 1984 SOD news on Tumblr.

There was a long planning period, NBC built a new soundstage, they spent millions developing sets, including floors that looked like tiles but could be silent on camera.  They cast actors from other popular soaps, and they set up an expensive PR campaign for the debut.

Then, it all starts to fall apart.  The original CC had a heart attack and they had to reshoot the pilot.  AMC wouldn't let Marcy Walker out of her contract early so she has to enter the show weeks later.  They couldn't decide on who should play Lionel, so he wasn't in the premiere.  Which set the stage for years of conflicts with the Dobsons over casting (of course culminating in their final fight over the casting of Pamela which got them locked out of the studio).

Also, they miscalculated and set the first week of episodes during the summer Olympics in Los Angeles.  Perhaps they looked at the 1980 games that were boycotted by the US, but created a boom time for summer soap ratings, and they thought audiences would be looking for alternative programming because the Russians were boycotting the games; who knows. 

However, the first ratings were a complete flop.  New World was new to network daytime programming, NBC had spent a fortune, and now everyone was in a panic.  They fired multiple cast members within the first few weeks.  They moved up the scheduled earthquake story in order to garner interest once the games were over.  And, there were weekly leaks to the press about how the network was pissed over the poor ratings.

So, whatever bible was planned was clearly out the window, and whatever creative freedom was given to the Dobson's was quickly subverted once New World and NBC felt that they couldn't be trusted to bring in new viewers. 

Thank you for clarification. You might be right.

@robbwolff, thank you again as well. Been a real eye opener.

January 25th 1985

 

On 1/27/2023 at 7:39 PM, j swift said:

I feel like the history of the show was pretty clear after a recent review of the 1984 SOD news on Tumblr.

There was a long planning period, NBC built a new soundstage, they spent millions developing sets, including floors that looked like tiles but could be silent on camera.  They cast actors from other popular soaps, and they set up an expensive PR campaign for the debut.

Then, it all starts to fall apart.  The original CC had a heart attack and they had to reshoot the pilot.  AMC wouldn't let Marcy Walker out of her contract early so she has to enter the show weeks later.  They couldn't decide on who should play Lionel, so he wasn't in the premiere.  Which set the stage for years of conflicts with the Dobsons over casting (of course culminating in their final fight over the casting of Pamela which got them locked out of the studio).

Also, they miscalculated and set the first week of episodes during the summer Olympics in Los Angeles.  Perhaps they looked at the 1980 games that were boycotted by the US, but created a boom time for summer soap ratings, and they thought audiences would be looking for alternative programming because the Russians were boycotting the games; who knows. 

However, the first ratings were a complete flop.  New World was new to network daytime programming, NBC had spent a fortune, and now everyone was in a panic.  They fired multiple cast members within the first few weeks.  They moved up the scheduled earthquake story in order to garner interest once the games were over.  And, there were weekly leaks to the press about how the network was pissed over the poor ratings.

So, whatever bible was planned was clearly out the window, and whatever creative freedom was given to the Dobson's was quickly subverted once New World and NBC felt that they couldn't be trusted to bring in new viewers. 

But some of this doesn't gel with the autobiographies written by the actors. Nicholas Coster was meant to be Lionel, but like MW, he had to finish a contract, so didn't show up the first month.

And Jed Allan's autobiography says he auditioned for CC but a suit told him he wasn't the right age, so he resigned a contract with Days. That contract ended and we still needed a CC that would click. He auditioned again, but didn't like his chances and didn't go all in.The show still wasn't sure. They had him audition again. Everyone finally conceded, but no one bothered telling Bateman (just RUDE of them). 

It has always sounded like NBC and Sony really interfered with what the Dobsons wanted. It might have been smaller at the beginning with a "No, dont cast him". But by the time of the great lockout, it was certainly heavy. 

Another thing, the post about the bible says Sophia wasn't a part of the plan, but Dominic appears in the 4th episode, so I am not sure about that. It had to have changed quickly because it is pretty early on that he's a woman

Edited February 2, 20232 yr by Marissa Gallant
Edited to add

I was stuck in 1988 writer’s strike episodes which I didn't like so I started over again. The channel where I watch has improved the audio and also has completed some parts that before were in French language. The early episodes is not the Santa Barbara I really love but I'm enjoying it so far.

19 hours ago, Connelly said:

I was stuck in 1988 writer’s strike episodes which I didn't like so I started over again. The channel where I watch has improved the audio and also has completed some parts that before were in French language. The early episodes is not the Santa Barbara I really love but I'm enjoying it so far.

Yeah, those episodes are horrible. I made it through them. Once. I doubt it will be twice

I think the best part of Santa Barbara 1984 is Louise Sorel. She really gives it her all!

The show really outdid itself in finding beautiful people with very minimal acting skills. Another one is Jonna Leigh Stack as Summer Blake. Given the character's fate, the writers probably shouldn't have made her Gina's sister, but rather a family friend. There's a scene in the middle of episode 72 where she's standing in the Lockridge living room in a two piece bikini; can't believe they got away with showing that much skin!

Louise/Augusta elevated all of her scene partners.  There's those episodes where she seduces Joe, where I finally saw his appeal; so to speak.  She was one of the only actors who could go head to head with Minx, before Lionel reappears. And her Oedipal interactions with Warren at the Beach Hut while insinuating that he had a teen aged romance with his neighbor Channing were scandalous for the time.

Also, note the date of those scenes where some reason Warren has chosen the Lockridge living room to teach Summer how to scuba for the treasures of the sunken ship at night.  IIRC, it was October which would've been awfully cold for Summer to be hanging out in a bikini in Santa Barbara.

 

Edited February 4, 20232 yr by j swift

I've only watched an early episode of this video podcast where they watched and reviewed episodes.  But, I was pleased to see that they've begun character profiles, a format that I enjoy.

 

Were they teasing Julia and Gina’s brother, Mac Blake, romantically? I noticed that they shared a lot of bonding scenes together that were a lot of a regular friendship. They seemed like a random duo and Mac was the first one who suspected Mason was cheating on her. Not that it went anywhere, he quickly disappeared from her circle after that and then left a few months later, which was typical for many Capwell adjacent characters. 

This show didn't even come close to making John Perkins a likeable human. 

On 2/3/2023 at 6:53 PM, Marissa Gallant said:

Yeah, those episodes are horrible. I made it through them. Once. I doubt it will be twice

I left when Kelly suddenly and without explanation hates Jeffrey and T.J. becomes her new best friend. Also it had the creepy Ming Li, Major Hamilton, Cain, Andrea plot. And Cruz and Eden were in an island with a manhunter.

Seriously it was difficult to decide what story was the worse.

You have watched more than me. When the show is good again after these preposterous stories?

Man all of those stories were awful. I really hated what they did with Jeffrey and TJ at that point. 

The other stories you mentio  I could never manage to actually sit through. Life's too short.

To be fair, 1988 was a mess because of the Writers' Strike, so "scab" writers wrote whatever the hell they could to have material on the air.

All shows suffered.

12 hours ago, Keri said:

Man all of those stories were awful. I really hated what they did with Jeffrey and TJ at that point. 

The other stories you mentio  I could never manage to actually sit through. Life's too short.

I just let it play in the background while I work. It is actually easier to do that with schlock you don't care about. I actually liked specific scenes after 88. There are some very funny scenes where CC is trying to make Sophia jealous. Augusta is always, ALWAYS great.

Lionel’s "death" and return from death are great and funny and at times even poignant. But it never sails to 85-87 heights again. 

I'm enjoying watching Santa Barbara from the beginning even if it has some weak stories. Meanwhile I came across this video which is a summary of the plots of 1987, in my humble opinion, a great year, maybe it's peak. After 1987 everything was in decline.