Santa Barbara Discussion Thread

[Soaplovers]

Her take on Pamela was interesting and it's a shame that the infighting marred the character of Pamela and whatever story was planned for her character.

I imagine that the turn of Pamela from an anxious recluse into an Alexis esque character was supposed to have gone slowly.  In her scenes as the character, she had a certain warmth/sweetness that could make people under estimate the real lethal evil lurking within the character.

Marj couldn't have played that element.  While she can play anxious, she couldn't play the warm elements that Shirley was able to play.  

[Contessa Donatella]

I've come back to this point with a question, curiosity, and that is, what is there that makes anyone think the Dobsons were difficult? I'm totally unaware of anything like that. And, when P&G wanted them to swap shows with Douglas Marland, they did not want to because they were happy where they were but they did it, without complaint & even carried both shows for a month so Marland could have a month off. 

[chrisml]

That seems to be the history of Santa Barbara in a nutshell. 

I found this youtube interview Shirley Ann Field gave about her brief time on Santa Barbara. IS she talking about Judith McConnell in the clip? SAF interview  

[dc11786]

I believe an additional issue for Pamela was that the Dobsons had to fight to get her on the air. In an SOD article, the Dobsons talked about how they had wanted to introduce Pamela much earlier in the story, but the powers that be didn't want another older character on the canvas. I imagine its why you get a drive by of Grant Capwell in 1986 rather than a truly epic showdown that should have drawn Pamela back into the mix. 

Robin Strasser stated at some point in the 1980s that the Dobsons wanted her for a role on "Santa Barbara." I believe the general presumption has been that this role was Pamela Capwell. 

[Carlos Abad]

For me the strongest years of santa Barbara were 1985, 1986 and 1987. This Emmy promo is narrated by Jed Allan and it shows some of the plots of 1987. I love it.

 

Edited December 15, 2023 by Carlos Abad

[Khan]

RS left OLTL for the first time in '87, so she would have been available to play Pamela, depending on when the Dobsons would have needed her and whether she still was on OLTL at that point.  It's a shame RS never appeared on the show, though.  I think she would have made a fantastic addition to the show - if not as Pamela, then as another character.

[Contessa Donatella]

Must be McConnell. Thanks for sharing that. 

[vetsoapfan]

The problem was, however, that Bailey was a dreadful writer.

[Contessa Donatella]

Finally! Someone speaks about the elephant in the room! Why do people think she had the convenient clause in her contract that no one could fire her but NBC? Right, she expected to be fired! 

[j swift]

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On Dec. 3, Gloria Monty returned, after a 4 1/2 year absence, as executive producer of “General Hospital,” the ABC soap opera that she had propelled to daytime’s No. 1 spot for most of the early 1980s.

Just four days later, Bridget and Jerome Dobson, the married team who created NBC’s “Santa Barbara,” came back to that soap as head writers and creative production executives; they had left 3 1/2 years earlier in a barrage of breach-of-contract lawsuits and cross-complaints between themselves, NBC and series co-owner New World Television

And perhaps the most prescient quote:

Said Bridget Dobson: “We went out to dinner with Gloria and her husband just before she started the show. She said, ‘Darling, we’ll kill you.’ Now we’re out to prove her wrong.” Monty remained unfazed. “No way,” she said, dismissing the notion with a wave of her hand.

 

[Contessa Donatella]

And both could be said to fail because neither delivered their best. Heavy with irony. 

[Liberty City]

Oh, I would've hated her as Pamela. Glad that did not happen.

[Efulton]

Watching the clips of Shirley Anne Field reminded me how much I enjoyed her version of Pamela.  I definitely preferred her over Marj Dusay.

[Liberty City]

Finally stepping back into Santa Barbara this morning at Ep 941, and I am immediately reminded why I tuned out... whew. While the Dobsons were a huge reason as to why this soap had the problems it had, it was clear their vision was true to what the soap needed to be. SMFH.

Oh, definitely. I much prefer her in the role.

[BetterForgotten]

I have not seen an official source, but Michele Val Jean posted on Twitter that Bridget Dobson has passed away.