Texas! Discussion Thread

[robbwolff]

And Reena's character went from "bad girl" to "good girl". She started evolving when she got involved with Max Dekker and then regressed when Max died. She again evolved to being a "good girl" when she fell for Grant Wheeler, though still had her edge. 

 

Reena was one of my favorite characters, and Carla Borelli is one of my all-time favorite actresses. I would have loved to see Carla as Liza Sentell on Search for Tomorrow after Sherry Mathis had left. She would have been amazing.

[BetterForgotten]

I think I’ve read somewhere that Pam based the Reva Shayne character partly on the Reena character from Texas.

[amybrickwallace]

Here are pictures of Pam from 2015. She wrote the screenplay for the Dolly Parton TV movie, Coat of Many Colors (and its sequel a year later). Pam is seen here with Dolly and the cast (including Alyvia Alyn Lind, Faith of Y&R) on the NBC press junket and at the premiere.

Please register in order to view this content

[RavenWhitney]

I noticed in the Texas final episode credits the name of one of the script writers, Charles Edwards. I'm guessing it's Pam Long's then husband, Charles Jay Hammer who had played Max Dekker. Also wonder if Pam Long  and Jay Hammer wrote Texas during the 1981 writer's strike or maybe he wrote it as a non guild member during that time?

Edited June 14, 2020 by RavenWhitney

[BetterForgotten]

You know, even with her faults, I’d love to see Long back on daytime again. I know the current climate is not conducive to creativity, but I’d love to see what she would do with a show like DAYS or even GH.

[Soaplovers]

 

Problem is too much interference..so we wouldn't be able to see what her true vision would be.  

[Chris 2]

Carla Borelli was beautiful and had great screen presence. I was surprised that she didn’t become a primetime TV star. She would have made a great Liza on SFT.

[RavenWhitney]

In a recent zoom interview, Kim Zimmer mentioned that Pam wanted another actress (a friend of Pam's) to be cast as Reva. I wonder if it was Carla.  I assume Pam and Carla became friends while on Texas....

[amybrickwallace]

 

Maybe, but Carla was already past 40 by then. Kim was 28. I don't think they had anyone over 40 envisioned for the hellraiser Reva was. Of course, I've been wrong before...

[RavenWhitney]

True dat, but maybe Pam wanted Reva to be older or the preferred actress may have been one of the younger ones from Texas. 

[amybrickwallace]

Kim said in her book that Reva as originally conceived was Southern with long, red hair. I don't know who from the TX cast fit that description.

[Soapsuds]

Please register in order to view this content

 

 

[RavenWhitney]

Everything about the concept and execution of this show as so wrong.  

[Mona Kane Croft]

 

My understanding of the role has always been that Pam Long based Reva on Reena Bellman from Texas (which seems strange, because Reena was born wealthy, and had none of Reva's backstory or motivation), and that she wanted Carla Borelli for the role on GL.  Not sure where Kim got the idea Pam wanted a red-head.  

[BetterForgotten]

I'm sure Carla would have been serviceable, but Betty Rea knew what she was doing when she fought for Zimmer, I guess. 

 

It's sad that we don't have a casting director in daytime with Ms. Rea's intuition and talent anymore.