The Catlins

[Paul Raven]

 

 

[dc11786]

These appeared before, but haven't been around in several years

 

July 1984

 

November 1984:

 

[DRW50]

 

[dc11786]

I didn't realize that hadn't been posted here. Thanks for sharing it. 

 

I believe this is from very early in the show's run (about May or June 1983). The menacing dude is Seth Quinn, the criminal son of the show's heavy Medger Quinn. This is the only bit I've seen of "The Catlins" with Brett Rice in it. Priscilla was working as a maid for Jonathan and Eleanor Catlin, Seth's brohter-in-law and sister. Priscilla was attempting to seduce Jonathan, I believe, and at one point, Seth tries to rape her. I don't think the plotline went on too long. In July, Eleanor was pregnant and any tension in the Catlin marraige seemed to go away while they prepared for their newest arrival. 

 

I know this show is a hot mess, but I still find it fascinating. 

[DRW50]

Thank you for the extra details @dc11786 . I really need to rewatch the stuff that's available as it's been a long time.

[DRW50]

Dawn Young put up some behind the scenes photos of her work on the show. She is active on social media, sort of, but I don't really see any other Catlins content. 

 

[DRW50]

@dc11786 @danfling @victoria foxton @Paul Raven @slick jones

A former  property master and occasional actor on the show uploaded this - one  of the later episodes of the show, it seems. 

Nice to see more  of The Catlins, but beyond the hotel room scenes, which are competent if unremarkable, so much of the rest is just awful, especially the garage scenes. 

 

 

[victoria foxton]

@DRW50 Another awesome find as always. It's pretty bad and all over the place. In some scenes i get a light P&G vibe. And that's because it was a P&G soap. But other times it's completely different in tone. If nothing else i liked the eightiesness. Thanks for the tag Carl. 

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Edited May 18, 2022 by victoria foxton

[slick jones]

Thanks for the add, @DRW50. 

[dc11786]

@DRW50 Thanks! 

I'll comment more later, but something I wanted to point out was from the Dawn Young video. I knew Young had appeared fairly early in the show's run (circa November 1983-January 1984). When Jennifer Anglin arrived in April 1984, Jennifer had returned from Paris where she was spending time with Young's character Valerie Kristopolis, the Greek shipping heiress her father had an affair with. I haven't seen Valerie in any of the videos that have appeared online. 

Young's video confirmed the timeline with her appearing in photos with J. Don Ferguson, who was released from the part of T.J. Catlin prior to March 1984. What I hadn't realized was that Dawn Young returned as Valerie Kristapolis in the show's final months. During the video, it is very clear she is part of the Casablanca story. Not only are the outfits and sets similar, Young clearly is in shots with Robert Sacchi and John Archie. Also Archie is wearing the same scarf in both videos.   

Also, as bad as the younger drug storyline looks, I'm still impressed that this show seemed to be teasing a romance between the white troublemaker Roxy Granger and African American teen MG O'Neil. MG was the son of James O'Neil, who's mother worked for the Catlins and had been raised alongside the Catlin brood as a surrogate 6th child. Also, I had thought Roxy looked familiar, but never in a million years would I have guessed it Tracy Griffith (Melanie Griffith's half-sister and Ruby Monroe from "The Monroes"). 

[DRW50]

I didn't know any of this. Always appreciate your details. This was before Melanie had her  film comeback.  I'm surprised none of the soaps tried to bring Tracy on around that time to cash in on the name. 

[Mona Kane Croft]

Did P&G take over production of The Catlins late in the show's run, or was The Catlins a P&G show from the beginning?  I remember in the early era of the show, most of the major roles were cast with actors who were actually from Atlanta.  But later, many of those roles were either written off or recast with former P&G actors from New York.  Does anyone know what precipitated the casting changes?

[dc11786]

I believe P&G played a role in “The Catlins” from the beginning, but it was more informal. P&G’s vanity card didn’t appear until March/April 1984 around the show’s first anniversary. Despite this, I do believe C.T. McIntyre tried to sell the company on the show before it’s premier but I think P&G waited to see how things went. 
 

The cast changes began fairly early in the show’s run. Julie Ridley was in the role of Maggie no later than July, 1983. Prior to acting, Ridley had been in a production role. The rest of the changes occurred when Steve Lehrman, a former “Edge of Night” script writer, was tapped to head write the show in the summer/fall of 1983. By that point, it was a mix of hiring local talent and New York talent for the contract roles. 

I believe J. Don Ferguson and Muriel Moore were let go because the show wanted T.J. and Annabelle to be the mature romantic leads so they went younger with Michael Forest and Pamela Burrell. 
 

A lot of the early press stated P&G was involved in the production. One said it was bankrolling the show so it does appear they had a major stake from the beginning.

Edited May 19, 2022 by dc11786

[Mona Kane Croft]

That's all very interesting.  And seems a unique way for P&G to involve itself in a show -- rather than just owning it out right.  Plus, most soap historians report Texas as P&G's final new soap opera. But if your information is correct, The Catlins would actually be the final new soap produced by P&G.  

[Contessa Donatella]

Only if they actually did begin to produce it. An informal something wouldn't count. They co-produced with some entities in the 90s & on forward but not daytime. They were in bed with Columbia Tri-Star & with Walmart but not soap -  primetime for family dramas.

Edited May 19, 2022 by Tonksadora
little fix