I think it wasn't just some of the poor casting choices that did the show in during its early days, but also the flat writing. Perhaps it was network interference? You'd think the Dobsons would have fought harder for their original vision, but after 6 months they dropped most of it. 

12 hours ago, Jdee43 said:

I think it wasn't just some of the poor casting choices that did the show in during its early days, but also the flat writing. Perhaps it was network interference? You'd think the Dobsons would have fought harder for their original vision, but after 6 months they dropped most of it. 

I enjoyed Santa Barbara from the beginning. Mainly because it was so fresh and different than the P&G soaps I was used to watching.  But there is no denying that it did not hit its stride until 1985. The writing, casting and production all finally came together. Unfortunately backstage drama then slowly destroyed the show and for me from 1988 onward it was a completely different show than the one I was a fan of. 

 

RIP Joe Marinelli. It tells you what an impact Bunny had at the time that this his work on SB gets in the headline in spite of a lengthy career.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/joe-marinelli-dead-bunny-tagliatti-santa-barbara-1236298496/

Edited June 25Jun 25 by DRW50

2 hours ago, DRW50 said:

RIP Joe Marinelli. It tells you what an impact Bunny had at the time that this his work on SB gets in the headline in spite of a lengthy career.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/joe-marinelli-dead-bunny-tagliatti-santa-barbara-1236298496/

Oh what a shame. He was such a talented man. So good in the role. F*ck cancer as the saying goes.

Damn, I loved Bunny Tagliati [and Joe Marinelli playing Joan Crawford as God's receptionist in heaven when Mason ended up there was a riot!].

Rest in peace, Mr. Marinelli. Thanks for the laughs and a complicated character that wasn't just played as a joke!

Today I am on a quest. You may know that sadly Joe Marinelli has recently died. What I am looking for is dates of episodes where he appeared in drag as Bunny Tagliatti. With the dates I can try to find the episodes & then I will be able to do edits of him as Bunny. Yes, I loved Bunny! SANTA BARBARA

Does anyone have any info about filming locations? Specifically, I'm trying to find out where they filmed the exterior shots of the apartment building Santana lived in from 1984-1986, and the Perkins house seen from 1985-1987.

Edited July 10Jul 10 by whitelighter72

Upcoming Prime Video miniseries directed & starring Robin Wright

 

 

Edited July 15Jul 15 by Carlos Abad

I finally got to see the final week of Joe and Peter from late February 1985. It was good. It was an interesting choice to make Kelly responsible for Joe's death. Cruz's schemes to get Peter out in the open for the snipers was working, but then Kelly decided to go and try and shoot Peter herself. Unfortunately, she didn't bother to check to see that the gun she brought along worked or not 😂

The actors who played Kelly and Peter did great jobs. The actor who played Joe less so. The show was so clearly over Joe and his family. The doctors said Joe had no chance, he would die right away after waking up. They gave his family no scenes of their own to grieve him.  Joe's death scene with Kelly was good though. It was hard to believe Joe was the lead character for the first 3 months of the show, with the treatment he got at the end.

2 hours ago, Jdee43 said:

It was hard to believe Joe was the lead character for the first 3 months of the show, with the treatment he got at the end.

A true oversight by the Dobsons; Joe Perkins and Kelly Capwell should have been the true supercouple of Santa Barbara. Instead, they were dead before they even got the chance for their wings to spread.

On 5/18/2025 at 3:24 AM, Jdee43 said:

I think it wasn't just some of the poor casting choices that did the show in during its early days, but also the flat writing. Perhaps it was network interference? You'd think the Dobsons would have fought harder for their original vision, but after 6 months they dropped most of it. 

Some of those earlier casting decisions, i.e., recasting the roles of Joe and Santana, were truly just... questionable at the very best. And while it was smart to recast Sophia early on, I do wonder why Rosemary Forsyth was swapped out for Judith McConnell.

On 7/22/2025 at 12:23 PM, Liberty City said:

I do wonder why Rosemary Forsyth was swapped out for Judith McConnell.

I think Forsyth left the show of her own choosing, but I kinda wish she'd stayed. As you can see in this early photo of her, she looked much more like Marcy Walker & Robin Wright than Judith McConnell did.  https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0287071/mediaviewer/rm1513995266/

48 minutes ago, whitelighter72 said:

I think Forsyth left the show of her own choosing, but I kinda wish she'd stayed. As you can see in this early photo of her, she looked much more like Marcy Walker & Robin Wright than Judith McConnell did.  https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0287071/mediaviewer/rm1513995266/

While Forsyth is a talent (her body of work speaks for itself), I could not imagine anyone other than McConnell in the role of Sophia. She embodied the role so well.

21 hours ago, Liberty City said:

I could not imagine anyone other than McConnell in the role of Sophia. She embodied the role so well.

But I don't think she and Nicolas Coster had much chemistry. Her rather one-dimensional portrayal of Sophia didn't complement Coster's dry wit very well.

Watching into early March 1985, with the story of Sophia revealing herself dominating the show now, I can't say I'm that enthused. I don't know if it's the story, or the performances, or both. Judith McConnell charisma is a bit below Nicholas Coster's and Louise Sorel's. She dosn't seem to have much of a connection or chemistry with anyone on screen at the moment. She's adequate at best.

Edited July 25Jul 25 by Jdee43