Rituals

[SoapDope]

It does have a low budget cable look to it. The acting is pretty bad. I will say the house in the closing credits is beautiful. Like a rip off of Southfork from Dallas. I noticed the episode was directed by Edward Mallory (I assume the same that played Bill Horton on Days).

[DRW50]

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[j swift]

Upthread I noted that I read the entire history on an SOD Tumblr and enjoyed it.  However, these promos are not doing it for me.  You know a show is bad when you feel the urge to FF at 30 second video.  It seems like Rituals was much better on paper than in production.

And, all that fur... 

[DRW50]

I think the promos suffer from sticking to a recap format. The ABC, CBS and NBC promos were generally more lively and fun. 

[NadineC]

Gina Gallego et Tim Maier
Source : Télé Star n°661 (29 mai 1989)

Quelques photos de la collection de Karen Kelly. Merci pour le partage. ^^

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Edited August 23, 2023 by NadineC

[DRW50]

Thank you for those @NadineC

[NadineC]

There are new various Mary Beth Evans appearances from Rituals on Youtube.

 

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Edited October 28, 2021 by NadineC

[DRW50]

Thanks for finding those.

[NadineC]

Here's an excerpt from "Rituals" in French version. 
You can put automatic English subtitles from Youtube :

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[DRW50]

Thanks!

[Paul Raven]

How many  headwriters did Rituals go through in a year? 

I think they set a record in that regard.

[dc11786]

@NadineC Thanks for sharing that. I think the clip may end with Clay Travis, not Jeff Robertson, breaking into the Willows. I may be wrong. Michael Weldon and Tim Maier do have a similar look. 

I believe this episode would be probably around 110-119 from February, 1985. This seems to be approaching the end of the show´s first batch of episodes ending with Eddie´s murder. 

It was nice to see Tina Louise´s Taylor. Taylor mentioned she was going to see Logan so I am curious if Lazenby was still around or if he was just on canvas, but the actor have left already. 

@Paul Raven I think there were only three sets of headwriters.

1) Gene Palumbo wrote the show from September, 1984 - February / March 1985. He is credited in the February 28, 1985, episode #124, available on YouTube.  

2) Ray Goldstone wrote the show from March, 1985 until early summer 1985. Goldstone is listed as the lead writer in the episode #141 credits on YouTube. He was also announced in Soap Opera Digest as succeeding Palumbo

3) Stacey Anderson and Steve Burkow early summer until September, 1985. 

The development of the show had many writers attached as you can see in the credits. Keel wrote the novel. Someone developed the original pilot from the book. I also have a couple pages of a second bible for ¨Rituals¨ which seems to be the first attempt to transition from the original faithful adaption to the more traditional soap opera with Keel´s characters receiving new names and slightly altered backstories. I don´t know who developed what other than I can speculate that the bible pages I had were reworked by Gene Palumbo into what ended up airing on screen because there are definite predecessors to the on-air ¨Rituals¨ characters in the few pages I have. 

Here is my source for Stacey Anderson and Steve Burkow´s work. It is Mary Ann Cooper´s Speaking of Soaps Column that appeared in papers the first week of June, 1985

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-dothan-progress-rituals-new-writers/130508521/

[Paul Raven]

@dc11786 thanks for supplying that. 3 headwriters in a year is still a lot. I wonder if any other soap managed that?

 For anyone that watched, was there a major shift in tone and story direction with the changes?

[dc11786]

Only from the clips online, but the shift from Gene Palumbo to Raymond Goldstone is pretty big. Out are a lot of the original older players (Logan, Taylor, and maybe someone else I´m forgetting) and some younger ones (Marissa and Clay) to be replaced by C.J. Field. The C.J. and Carter feud that takes up a good chunk of the second half occurs at that point. I believe it is Palumbo who brings on Lucky Washington (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs) and pairs him with reformed spoiled princess Julia Field. I don´t know exactly when Burkow and Anderson start but there definitely seems to be a bit more social relevance or attempt to present real world issues with the radiation leak (a year before Chernobyl) and the surrogacy plot. I don´t know who wrote the white supremacist plot. 

Off the top of my head.. .

1) ¨Search for Tomorrow" 1985 had Jeanne Glynn & Carolyn Franz, a brief Jeanne Glynn solo period (a few weeks), Stephanie Braxton & Paul Avila Mayer, and Gary Tomlin 

2) In 2000, ¨Port Charles" had Scott Hammer, an interim period with no head writer, Karen Harris & Jonathan Estrin, Karen Harris solo, Karen Harris & Barbara Bloom, and James Harmon Brown & Barbara Essensten. 

3) From February  1991- February 1992, ¨Loving" had Tom King & Millee Taggert, Millee Taggert solo, Mary Ryan Munisteri, and Addie Walsh. 

4) In 1991-1992 on ¨General Hospital," you had Norma Monty, Monty with Linda Grover, Noma Monty solo (again), interim writers, Maralyn Thoma, Maralyn Thoma & Bill Levinson, and then Bill Levinson solo. 

5) In 1988, ¨Another World" would have had Margaret Depriest, Sheri Anderson, strike writers, Harding Lemay, and Donna Swajeski. 

6) ¨How To Survive a Marriage¨ had Anne Howard Bailey, Rick Edelstein, and Margaret Depriest in a single year I believe. 

7) It´s not well documented, but I do think that ¨The Catlins¨ had about three or so headwriting teams in 1984. I believe Steve Lehrman started the year, Maura Swanson and Robin Grunder at some point, and I believe somone else. I´ll edit this later. 

[Paul Raven]

@dc11786 Thanks for compiling that list. Obviously sometimes there are circumstances beyond anyone's control that lead to a change and some of those writers were interim or additional but most of those shows listed certainly didn't benefit from all of the changes.

Some of those writers barely got a chance to implement their ideas.

Finding a writer with the right vision that meshes with EP and network mandates must be very difficult.

It would be great if some writers spoke about all the BTS stuff that goes on and how decisions are made.