Jump to content

Somerset Discussion Thread


Recommended Posts

  • Members

The story bible does not have any of that. I do think I have an article somewhere that answers some of those questions. I do remember that someone - probably the producers - were very big on getting Carol Roux. I sent the article to one of the people on here to post as I am having issues doing it myself. Anyway, Sam and Lahoma were not THE most popular, but they were popular. The biggies were Steve, Rachel and Alice. I always thought that the success of Where the Heart Is, a show that had its beginnings on Love of Life, was what might have inspired Somerset.

I will look for that article as well. Also trying to find the other one about Carol Roux.

I do know Joe Gallison was approached to reprise the role of Bil Matthews again, but he had a contract on OLTL. And the producers of AW were very impressed with Gary Sandy (forgot who he played on AW) and created role for him. Highly possible they considered others.

It is odd that they did not place the shows back to back. Perhaps they had it in mind to seperate them all along. I cannot recall reading anything about it but will look around and see what I find.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 450
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Members

Just found one of the two articles where Carol Roux says she is afraid to go out in her neighborhood becuase "a block away are the homosexuals!" Daytime TV October 1970. Will scan and send to be uploaded and will look for the one after she left the show.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Funny, right after making a comment that they should have put AW and SOM back to back, I am searching magazines and find a letter published in Sept 1970 Afternoon TV (the one with the cover of Nick Coster and Marie Wallace on it). Someone wrote the very same thing because their kids come home at 3 and ruin Somerset for them! They also complained that it is impossible to follow the stories without watching both shows.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

It is sad but I think perhaps she was very unstable. I have not found the article I was looking for, but found another. She goes on and on about all the bad times she has had, and how afraid she is. She also said she was offered a role on Where the Heart Is. She says: "I couldn't take it. I had played Missy for too long and she was the only character I could dream of playing." Very strange. If you cannot play another character, bye-bye career. Shame really.

There is also a small blurb about her in a Daytime TV from 1972 where it says no one knew where she was.

If she acted after SOM I have never seen any info about it. The only thing outside of AW and SOM I know of is an episode of Bonanza she filmed prior to SOM. She also states that the producers of SOM told her she was vital to SOM.

This and other comments elsewhere make it hard for me to swallow the story that she claimed the producer's treated her badly and bullied her. She also goes on and on about feeling she is not worthy of love, blah blah. Am willing to bet she felt bullied because they told her she was a good actress and complimented her. Many people suffer from chronic low self-esteem and she appears to have been one of them.

Interestingly, she does mention that Jacquie Courtney was one of her closest friends from the show along with Joe Gallison and Barbara Rodell. Somerset was made in the same studio, which is why it was so easy for actors to pop up on either show.

Edited by toml1962
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

"This and other comments elsewhere make it hard for me to swallow the story that she claimed the producer's treated her badly and bullied her."

Keep in mind that reading magazine articles gives fans no real, concrete first-hand knowledge of the actress, nor of the backstage interactions she experienced during her tenure on the show(s). She, herself, admitting that certain executives treated her poorly is certainly a more credible account of her history than interpretations and suppositions gained through second- or third-hand sources. She lived it. Who better to know the truth?

It's been awhile since I've listened to it, but I remember Roux commenting about an executive who felt she wasn't cooperating with his demands enough, and he bellowed. "Little girl, I'm going to fire you!"

The interview is referenced here: http://www.igs.net/~awhp/index12.htm

Edited by vetsoapfan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Using intellect and reason and ability and experience usually gleans far more truth than emotional ramblings...If you do not understand that then you need to brush up on your psych. I spent fifteen years doing just that, thank you very much. As such, am willing to place a wager that my abilities to discern the facts are are solid ones. I never INTERPRET anything. But I do and can disect and use my intellect to get to some approxoimation of the truth. Unlike what you appear to be doing, I never trust any one source for information. As for the truth, did you know her? How do you know she was telling the truth? Have you read this and other articles or interviewed anyone who knew her? Other than her word, what brings you to YOUR assumption that she was telling the truth?

You are correct that the magazines give no first hand info. It is the words of the person being interviewed that does. At least, to those willing enough to work at it and compare and rationalize.

Andy Rooney said it well: "Contrary to popular belief, everyone is NOT entitled to their own opinion...If you don't know the facts, your opinion doesn't count."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I remember reading an interview with Carol Roux (in fact, it might be here in one of my old Daytime TV magazines) where she talks about how similar to Missy she really was. If I remember correctly, she was adopted and never knew her real parents and she was rather shy (or stuttered or something social awkward) and was put into speech & theater to counteract it. I do remember that when I read the article, she came across as REALLY spacey (of course, it was the late 70s and a lot of the actors/actresses of the period had a tendancy to be "far out, man" and rather hippy-ish). I do know that several years ago on the old WoST site, Brian actually did a podcast interview with Carol (I never knew that her last name was actually pronounced "Rue") and I was somewhat taken aback by how delicate and little girl like her voice sounded. Kinda like how Jennifer Tilly sounds as Bonnie on Family Guy. And she did come across as a rather excentric space cadet, IMO.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

It shouldn't make you this enraged that I have "dared" to put faith in Carol Roux's account of her own life--which she lived, and knew about first-hand. Perhaps you could use your education and ability to analyze, to figure out why you are getting yourself so upset. A community message board is not meant to be a combat zone, where one poster needs to be "right" and more knowledgeable than other commentators, and denounce anyone who points out some information he, himself, either didn't have or does not choose to believe. You are free to interpret Roux however you want, based on all the second- and third-hand material you read, just as I am free to accept her own, first-hand accounts of her own life. There need not be such drama about different opinions. JMHO.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I can offer some insight on the decision to run Somerset at 4... I do believe it was P&G's decree that its soaps could not run opposite each other. Since Edge was still running at 3:30 back in 1970, that would have violated the sponsor's rule.

This P&G rule stayed until the mid-1970s, when ABC bought Edge and placed it at 4 with the sponsor's blessing. Of course, I believe NBC added the second 1:00 feed at the time; that was mainly meant for Central and Mountain stations that didn't have a noon newscast. I recall hearing Somerset did very well in the markets where it was on at 1:00. Can someone clarify?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



  • Recent Posts

    • https://www.tvinsider.com/1180503/denise-alexander-dead-general-hospital-lesley-webber/ Alexander made her soap opera debut as Lois Adams on The Clear Horizon in 1960, but her big break came in 1966 when she was cast as Susan Hunter Martin on Days of Our Lives while still attending college at UCLA. As Susan, Alexander played a host of dramatic tales, including murdering her husband David Martin (played by Clive Clerk) in May 1967 after the death of their son. “She started out as the bad girl and was thrown out of boarding school for smoking and drinking,” recalled Alexander to We Love Soaps TV. “The character caught on and sparked something with the audience, and that is how Susan became an important part of the show. I was there for almost seven years…. I had such a wonderful time on Days. It was like going to camp every day for me. I loved the people, loved the show, and loved what I got to do. They loved the character and liked me as an actor and gave me lots of neat stuff to do. I didn’t even ask for a vacation for five years because if I worked 365 days a year, I thought I was great. It was a very good time in my life.” In 1973, Alexander was in contract negotiations with Days when ABC offered significant perks to the actress to join General Hospital to play Dr. Lesley Williams. Though Alexander loved her time in Salem, she decided to leave. “It was [Days’ Executive Producer] Betty Corday who sent me to General Hospital,” Alexander told welovesoaps.net. “She said, ‘You must do this.’ So when I went to General Hospital..."

      Please register in order to view this content

    • Now that GL and LOL synopses are being added I'd welcome requests for specific soaps from 1976.
    • By 78 NBC daytime was struggling. They knew what the issues were but failed to make the changes needed to get those young gals watching.  Jan 78 Plans for NBC's daytime programs - which are in third place -are apparently less well defined at the moment. Michael Brockman, a former daytime programer at ABC, took the position of vice president in charge of daytime for NBC just a few weeks ago. He and his chief assistant, Mary Alice Dwyer (an associate of Mr. Brockman at ABC), are in the process of analyzing the network's schedule to determine where to begin making changes. One thing Mr. Brockman knows, he said, is that NBC needs more women18 -49 (NBC is currently last in that category in daytime). "Whatever you design," he said, "has to fundamentally appeal to that demographic." He indicated, however, that he is less concerned with the network's afternoon serial block than he is with its morning game show and rerun mix, and, like his counterparts at the other networks, Mr. Brockman discounts the notion that recent drops in daytime viewership may be attributable to the one -hour serial form. The first changes were indeed in the morning. In April 78 Card Sharks replaced Sanford and Son reruns at 10am and High Rollers was introduced at 11am knocking Wheel of Fortune back to 11.30 replacing Knockout. Sanford and Son moved to noon replacing To Say the Least. On paper that looked like a stronger schedule. The next move in July was the disastrous America Alive at noon, replacing Sanford and The Gong Show,which set them back even further. Finally in October 78, Jeopardy was brought back at 10.30 and Hollywood Squares moved to 1pm replacing another flop For Richer for Poorer. The only major change for the soaps apart from cancelling FRFP, was Linda Grover as headwriter for The Doctors as of April 78.
    • Yeah, Ben and Evie don't start interacting in a 'we're going to pair them together as a couple' way until Feb/March 1977 when she recommends Ben paint a portrait for Jackie.  And Evie's working for Jackie so she and Ben interact and start to become friends.  That happens after Tim breaks up with  her and she's forgiven her sister.. and he and Hope break up after he covers for his younger brother for a crime that he had committed.  Jackie does come onto the canvas in December 1976 and the first months are her trying to snag Mike while she and Justin seem to play a cat and mouse game with one another as he's trying to restart things with Sara again. I often wonder if the Phillip story only came about because the show was going to be expanded to an hour.. and the Dobson's deciding that some of the new characters they were introducing could be tied to Justin/Jackie's back story.
    • Seems like the Dobsons were aiming for a Joe/Sara/Justin triangle or, having decided that Joe would be killed off, Justin would be waiting in the wings. But that never came to pass and I don't think there was much reference to Justin/Sara as time went on.That was something that could have been used later on but Doug Marland may not have known or cared. Also, when the show went to an hour they could add a lot of characters and not rely on the stalwarts, hence Jackie/Alan/Elizabeth. And after Leslie died, Mike went into Dad mode with Hope. Hope/Ben never took off and Hope was replaced and then dropped and Ben moved on to Eve, whose romance with Tim fizzled and Jordan Clarke left (by choice?)
    • Please register in order to view this content

       
    • Would anyone have any of these Y&R episodes they could add to the vault? It would be very much appreciated. November 11, 1987 February 16, 1989 February 17, 1989 February 1991 episode - Brad vs Paul fight April 10, 1992 November 16, 1992 November 17, 1992 November 23-27, 1992 July 11, 1993 October 5, 1993 June 17, 1994  - english version June 29, 1994 September 15, 1994 May 16, 1995 August 4, 1995 October 27, 1995 March 11, 1996 April 8, 1996 September 6, 1996 November 26, 1996 January 3, 1997 January 27, 1997 February 17, 1997 February 18, 1997 March 5, 1997 April 22, 1997 June 16, 1997 September 23, 1997 September 24, 1997 September 25, 1997 December 11, 1998 January 12, 2000 September 27, 2000 March 5, 2001 March 6, 2001 March 8, 2001 - english version March 19, 2001 April 5, 2001 April 6, 2001 October 7, 2002 January 30, 2004 August 23, 2004 August 24, 2004 June 15, 2004 June 21, 2004 November 8, 2004                                          
    • When I was a kid, I would watch DOOL with my mom. I remember Denise as Susan so well. And later, of course, on GH. How sad to hear she has passed. RIP.
    • I have to dig that scene up on YT. I'm glad they gave them some kind of happy ending, even if it was really late. Interesting! I remember Justin and Sarah being involved, but I either forgot or never caught their backstory. The girl with money and social position of course turns out to be Jackie. He sort of did to Sarah what Vanessa did to his brother! I do remember Justin started out as not the greatest guy. Kind of a horn dog. It's only when Ross comes on that he becomes the "good" brother. I only have some vague memories of Ben and Hope, mostly of when they were in a positive relationship. He certainly changed over time. "Chill" would be the way I would describe Ben (along with "handsome but kind of a yawn") for most of his time on GL, so hearing he once had a violent temper is very surprising.
    • Yes. That's called good writing.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy