Ta Mystika Tis Edem [The Secrets of Eden]

[YRBB]

There's a Greektube? I have been watching the same postings, but through a different website. You were learning Greek? That's awesome! You should continue just to be able to watch VSD and TMTE

I was thinking that the show has a huge budget, that much is obvious. A lot of location shooting (as in VSD) but they are also using more real houses etc. which contribute to the richness of the characters. The law firm for example is a real building, and the houses that are sets really are so much fun! It helps that the show is getting bigger numbers than half the primetime shows right now

[Sylph]

You're having so much fun, aren't you?

Anyway, I am so glad to see this show is doing so well; I'm going to start pulling out my hair dying of envy because I can't follow it! It is enormously satisfying to see that the soap genre is flourishing elsewhere, complete with thought-through plotting and crisp dialogue. Just fabulous.

And this woman... Elena Akrita — she is a journalist? What about Kyritsis? Where does he come from? Wikipedia only says "writer".

Elena is on FB (if this is she), have you thought about interviewing her?

And P. S. people weren't so fond of Erotas?

[YRBB]

Indeed I am!

You know, they make it seem so easy... soaps could be like this in the US, too, if they only... spend a little time thinking about them.

Yes, she was a journalist, but I'm afraid I don't know much about Kyritsis... Yes, that's her on FB, but it won't let me become her friend... it says she has too many friends Otherwise, I'd love to interview her. Oh, and I found an interview of hers, just before TMTE premiered in September! I'll try translating.

Hmmm, it did quite well ratings-wise, and the quality was good. It was Ant1's answer to VSD and I loved watching it now and then, but I had some issues with it, especially when it came to casting and the way that, sometimes, it squandered the obvious story opportunities. Or, that was the impression I got of it. Of course, it was heavily compared with VSD, which was going through an exhilarating second season, so....

[Sylph]

Fantastic! I cannot wait! But am I giving you to much to do? Anyway, I don't want to push this too much, but you don't have to add her, just try sending her a message, that might work. She seems like a nice woman in that photo.

I found it funny when someone wrote on its Wikipedia page that it was based on B&B. Is B&B still on air in Greece?

[Sylph]

Another thing: has this show's end been settled?

[YRBB]

Don't worry, it'll be my pleasure to translate it for you and anyone else who's interested. And I am giving some thought to messaging her... I would really like to find out what the writing process is.

That's crap! It wasn't based on B&B, nor did I find any storylines that resembled B&B! H Lampsi was the perfect example of copying from US soaps, though.... During it's last season (I think it was the last one), one of the main characters was kidnapped and replaced by an evil look-alike... Ding Ding Ding! COMPLETE copy of DYNASTY. B&B is still airing, two episodes a day edited together () I think they're going through the 2006 episodes.

[YRBB]

Elena Akrita's Secrets

The journalist and HW of the new MEGA daytime series "The Secrets of Eden" explains why she put "Vera" aside, moving on to her next project.

She's been feverishly preparing her new daytime series for some while now, "The Secrets of Eden," which premieres this coming Sunday September 21, at 9. Ms Elena Akrita talks to "Vima tis Kyriakis" about her new project and declares that she is leaving behind the very successful "Vera sto Dexi," in an attempt to re-introduce herself to the audience with something different.

Having to carry around the "burden" of "Vera sto Dexi," how do you feel now that you are preparing to try again with a new daytime show?

It is indeed a burden. "Vera" is like a beloved child, but we are now in a very different phase. Me, George Kyritsis, and all of the writing time are working, having in mind the "Secrets of Eden." "Vera" was a show that left a mark, and the audience really loved it. We are now attempting to leave that behind, and to move forward.

Aren't you afraid that the audience will compare the two shows?

A lot of people will do that. This new show, however, has something different. For example, "Vera" had a very strong adventure and mystery elements, something that is not true about "The Secrets of Eden." TSOE is a soap about society, it revolves around the lives of four people, who meet again after 15 years and we get to see how their lives and relationships evolve. Comparing the two will be, at least in the beginning, unavoidable but I think that, after a few first samples, the differences will be clear. I don't want "Eden" to be judged by comparison, but I can't tell you if it's going to go well. I never judge a project beforehand, but I also don't want the audience to get stuck in comparing the two shows.

This is the third daytime show that you wrote. Do you believe that you have uncovered the key to success and high viewership?

There are objective and subjective aspects to this. To me, what matters is a great production, the directing and the quality. In a daytime show, of course, it is necessary that there is the element of love and collision, elements of everyday life, but also the dream that we are all chasing. We are attempting to hold the audience's interest in an hour of entertainment, and that is something that must not be forgotten. We are working with real people, who can function under realistic and extreme circumstances.

What are the elements that prevent the characterization of a show as a soap opera?

Mostly, it's what I already told you: To have real, everyday, normal people, who can go through extreme circumstances. That is something that we very often go through. On the contrary, over-the-top, extreme people are common to soap operas. I also believe that one has to be very careful, and not sacrifice subtlety and boundaries for success. The way one approaches things must be simple and normal, something that is very difficult to do. The way that the actors deliver their lines is important, especially the way they articulate their speeches. Also, the dialogue cannot have many exaggerations and extreme situations. The trick that we use when we right is to say what we have written aloud. If there is some difficulty, or if it sounds "weird," then we have a problem. We also give great gravity to the actors that we choose, based on their theater resume. We have a cast of very experienced actors, who have had an excellent theatrical experience. We do not care about hiring models and such for the sake of ratings.

Do you believe that only actors with great theatrical experience can survive on TV?

Everything's possible. Many actors have done greatly in a part, and then have faded to nothingness, the viewers did not follow them to anything else. The same, of course, happens with writers, too. The audience will check you out, but is not guaranteed to follow you. You "take tests" all the time. Everytime you introduce the audience to a new show, you introduce yourself.

You "introduced" yourself last season with a sitcom, "If You Existed, I Would Break Up With You," which didn't go very well. What was the fault?

We never had the chance to discover what the show was about. It's ratings were relatively good, a healthy 22%, but that was not what we wanted to achieve, to be perfectly honest. We set out to do something with a lot of desire and a fantastic cast, which was very tight. For example, I cannot understand why Vera Crouska did not get the Supporting Role Award. Something didn't go well. We didn't really have time to sit down and analyze it. The sure thing is that it was not the audience's fault. It was our fault and, by the time we realized it and started turning things around, we had that 22% which stuck with us. We never really found the true cause, and that's because we had already started working on our next project. Anyway, you may look for the cause and never find it.

This year, there is the opinion that, due to the economy, the viewers need a lot of humor on TV. You have a reputation for strong humor in your writing. Are you going to repeat that for TMTE?

No, and I disagree. TV has space for everybody. For comic shows, as well as dramatic. It is a tragic mistake, if a series is not comical, to try and shove "comic" elements into it, just for the sake of it. The leads in our show are smart, they have a sense of humor, but they do not have comical characters in this phase. If something like that is born later out of the script's needs, I have no problem going along with it.

You are, once again, in the anxiety-ridden position of being a lead in [to the main newscast]. Do you believe that lead-ins help?

MEGA's newscast does well one way or the other. Of course, I believe that "Vera" helped when it was on, although I do wonder why one has to stay at the same channel and watch the news, after their show is over. When my shows ends, I change channels until I find something else I want to watch. We never had a good lead in, except for reruns of Hlias Mamalakis' shows (OUCH!), but we were successful. You can ask anyone, and they cannot be sure. There is a good relationship between our show and the newscast, but we don't bother that much. I really don't understand why there is so much discussion about the lead-ins.

How do you think the current season is going?

I do not have an opinion because I haven't seen anything yet and because it's too early. I think we need to have the first few samples before we talk. Every creator has anxiety over their new project, and tries to evaluate it at its current condition. What is more, I do not watch a lot of TV, and it is not the right time for predictions and evaluations. We will see.

What do you think? Maybe a little too diva-ish at times, but bitch is right about every single thing she says.... Well, apart from the fact she claims TMTE is not a soap... or, at least, she's making it clear that she's not following every soap's cliches

[Sylph]

I think... Bring her to write for a US show! I honestly do. I didn't find her too bitchy, I found her to be a woman & a writer who knows what she wants. And isn't afraid to go and get it. That's just it: no-nonsense approach. I love the "dream that we are all chasing" part — that is so true, it is precisely that what soaps are about — and how she sees that there is enough drama & conflict in real people's lives: no stolen babies, no villainous doppelgangers, a decisive no that whole armada of garbage melodrama elements; love it how she acknowledges the importance of dialogue and how it must ring true, how it must be crisp; love the part about theatre actors. This woman is actually — Harding Lemay's female counterpart! Or something very close to it. They would be a super-team.

I didn't like... Well, not really didn't like, just that I found it slightly awkward how she says she didn't know what her sitcom was about. One has to know the basic premise of a show before he starts writing it. Or I misunderstood what she was saying... Also, OK, we can call your soaps serials, even though they're actually — soaps, Elena. Semantics.

Thank you so much, great interview!

[YRBB]

You're very welcome!

Absolutely. She and her partner are just brilliant. She gets what a soap is about. Her characters are real, and deep, so everything they do resonates with the audience....

I think what she was saying is that they were confused about what was missing, or not working, with the show, and they couldn't figure it out. By the time they realized something was wrong with the show, and started looking to make changes, the audience had abandoned it already. But, yeah, she needs to just say it: It's a SOAP!

[Sylph]

I don't know whether I asked this nor whether you replied , but have they set an end date for this show?

[YRBB]

They haven't, from what I know of. But I can't imagine them keeping this for more than 2-3 seasons... Akrita and Kyritsis are pretty good at letting the shows run their course and then ending them while they are still good, and fresh.

Don't read the rest, it's spoilery, unless you don't mind! I was watching an episode just now, and there was this brilliant bit. Having found out about her husband's affair with Eva, Melita runs to her mother:

Melita: I feel paralyzed. What can I do now, mom?

Amalia: The first thing you need to do is talk to your husband.

Melita: So, what? He can tell me his lovely lies again? I was so conveniently stupid (that is SO true!)

Amalia: You should listen to his side of things.

Melita: Oh, really? So he can say: "Honey, please let me explain" and all that crap.

Amalia: You have to give him the benefit of the doubt. You need to talk to him, see him.

Melita: If you talked and saw Eva, you wouldn't give him the benefit of the doubt, either.

Amalia: You have to talk to him, Melita.

Melita: I don't want to. I can't even look at him.

Amalia: But you still have to.

Melita: ... I was thinking...

Amalia: What?

Melita: You sent me to the best of schools... the best of them. I learned foreign languages, and all that stuff... but I remained simple, after all. Mom, I know nothing about life. Nothing.

Amalia: Baby, we didn't need to teach you anything else.

Melita: And now that I need it?

Amalia: I don't know... That's the life I led, too. I never had to deal with any problems.

Melita: What should I do?

Amalia: Talk to Mano. Listen to me. You HAVE to listen to HIS version of things.

TI'm not sure how well the dialogue translates or not, but in Greek it feels very authentic, and touching, and of course all the character stuff. The episode was one two-hander scene after the next after the next after the next, with few exceptions. Character-based drama, that led to more drama, and more scenes, and more confrontations/fights/confessions. Nora and Lucas caught in the middle, being forced by Melita to handle her divorce, but not exactly being able to go against their boss, Petros. Eva in a pool of blood. It just amazes me how different all these characters are from one another.... that they all talk in different ways, think in different ways, act in different ways... God, I love this show...

[YRBB]

I am shocked! Kostas Kaponis, one of the most well-known Greek writers--having wrote some hugely successful primetime sitcoms--is one of the scriptwriters for the show!

[Sylph]

I... I... I don't know what to say... I will have to repeat myself: I love this show! So many storylines, so many characters, each story better than the other one, written by people who love what they do...

You can contact Kostas Kaponis, if you wish. The page says he wrote for Erotas, too.

[Sapounopera]

I think Kostas Kaponis has also written for the greek version of Forbidden Love aka Sons & Daughters... Lefteris Kaponis is the sitcom writer who has written a number of successful primetime dramas as well.

[Manny]

And that's why I hate European soaps. Main reason being the constant change in the cast.

One of few positive things on European soaps..