Proposed Soaps Over The Years

[DRW50]

I wonder if they actually thought either of those men would join, or if that was just a way to get some press. I guess Peck did some TV at that time (wasn't he in the Winds of War stuff).

This issue also mentions a miniseries Return to Eden. That's the Australian one, right? Or was this another?

[SFK]

I only know of the mini of East of Eden which my mom was over the moon about. I know I mention her too much but she was a fan of soapy programming through and through.

[SFK]

I think Peck was on Esther's list for Jason Colby along with Burt Lancaster. She wanted Rock for Emerald Point but he was ill so she got Dennis Weaver. But she did manage to get Rock later for Dynasty, and well, you know the rest ...

[DRW50]

You don't mention her too much - it's always nice to hear about someone who loved soaps. Most of my relatives who watched daytime and are gone were driven away by soaps some years before.

This is the Return to Eden I meant. SOD calls it a "syndicated mini-series".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSRrUk3fbDg

[SFK]

Oh of course! I've watched some of that on YouTube a few years ago.

Angelo D'Angelo as Angelo, are you effing kidding me??

What was the Australian one where someone had a venomous snake planted in their home?

[DRW50]

I never can keep track - they had some very offbeat primetime soaps (Chances, Number 96, et al)

[Paul Raven]

Return to Eden was a huge rating miniseries in Aust. They then followed up with a 22 ep serial which didn't rate as well, as the original story had played out and new characters (and I think some recasts of original actors0 diluted the concept.

Kind of like Bare Essence.

[DRW50]

So did it also air in the US at some point? Otherwise I'm not sure why SOD mentioned it.

[JamesF]

I'm under the impression that the miniseries of Return to Eden aired in the US...I think that's one of the reasons it got picked up for the series that followed. I love, love, love the miniseries in a complete relic of its time kind of way but the series itself was just way too OTT and it really takes something for me to say that. It burned through a massive amount of story and cliffhangers just seemed to be arbitrarily plucked out of nowhere.

There was a snake scene in the series - I think Olive (lesbian henchwoman) was blackmailing Jilly (the bitch) so Jilly responded by planting a snake in Olive's shower which killed her. I've not seen it for years though so it may have been the other way round.

Sons and Daughters also did a snake thing - one of their season finales had Alison Carr trying to steal some information or something from her ex-husband's safe but she opened it to find that her stepson Wayne had planted a snake and a note saying "Surprise!" or somesuch. Suffice to say she was bitten and the door to the study was inexplicably locked. I think that was the same year's finale in which Wayne was attacked by a shark.

Classy stuff.

[DRW50]

Thanks for all this extra information. I guess you could talk more about this in the show's thread in the foreign soap section, as it sounds fascinating (I also wonder how the Aussie soaps dealt with lesbian/bisexuality/homosexuality in those years).

[SFK]

That's the one! Thanks!

[John]

Im still upset 13 burbon street did not make it. Damn FOX

[Paul Raven]

SPW April 1995

Jerome and Bridget Dobson,daughter Mary Dobson ,Bill Bell Jr and director Zelman King have teamed up on a CBS development commitment for a primetime soap tentatively titled Savannah,

At this time they are working on the first script and plan to do outlines/scripts for a further 12 episodes.

Bridget Dobson is quoted as saying it will be 'sexy,zany,a little peculiar...we want to use the most famous stars in the world.This is one of the most exciting,creative projects that we've ever worked on.It's a very interesting team'.

One rumour is that the show would go up against Saturday Night Live.

[John]

The New Valley Of The Dolls Series That Lee Daniels is doing Ive seen as a weekly series and some say its a daily drama. Anyone got clarifacation?

[Paul Raven]

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/01/30/abc-orders-adaptation-of-70s-novel-scruples/

ABC gave the go-ahead on Monday to adapt Scruples, the 1978 novel by Judith Krantz, into a possible drama series.

The author’s son, Tony — a former CAA agent turned successful producer and director – will shepherd the pilot with Natalie Portman, who will also serve as an executive producer on the project. This is the actress’ first attempt at producing a series.

The book was a bestseller and follows the life of Wilhelmina Hunnewell Winthrop, aka Billy, a previously plump woman who loses weight, becomes fabulously cool, and survives a very rich (and very old) first husband. She ends up opening up a Beverly Hills clothing boutique called “Scruples.”

The script is from Bob Brush and Mel Harris and will be produced through Warner Bros. TV, which has the rights to Scruples after making the 1980 miniseries that starred Lindsay Wagner.