Somerset Discussion Thread

[saynotoursoap]

Winsor's point was that he was not writing the serial with a particular genre in mind (i.e. a "crime serial" such was the case when Slesar wrote it). He was refocusing the show back to being about the people who lived in the town of...Somerset, which was what it was supposed to have been about in the first place.

[DRW50]

I guess what I meant was I think soap towns have strong identities and I'm not sure Somerset did. It was a place various AW characters went to, then with a series of shifting rich families (the Delaneys, then the Moores), along with a few other characters like Ellen Grant. I can see where he would want to go back to basics but I was trying to figure out if Somerset ever had a basics, or if they needed to build that from the ground up.

[saynotoursoap]

I do not really understand what you mean by soap towns having strong identities, but no matter. Only three characters went from AW to Somerset: Missy, Sam and Lahoma, and Missy had not been seen since 1969 on Another World. The ties to AW were not really strong other than attempting to use its name and popularity to entice viewers to the new series. To me, Somerset was about the town of Somerset, just as Texas was about the people of Houston, Texas. Had the writers attempted to create a separate identity for Somerset, something other than just being a half hour extenuation of Another World, perhaps it would have been more successful.

Edited August 27, 2011 by saynotoursoap

[rcsnj]

Sungrey, I have to read your continuation of Somerset! Years back, I started a fan fiction continuation of Somerset that picked up the stories of the show's original characters. My favorite plot dealt with Jerry Kane's new wife Allie who was seemingly very sweet, honest, and loving, but she harbored dark secrets. Allie eventually took Julian Cannell captive and tormented him for months as part of a warped campaign of vengeance on behalf of her late mother, Julian's first wife Zoe.

[sungrey]

Rcsnj, I would love for anyone to look at it! It's over at DRTV: http://s9.zetaboards.com/DRTV/index... it isn't really a continuation of the original serial so much as it is a revisit to the city. It's grown up a lot over the years. The plots are mostly domestic drama/romance with a little melodrama thrown in. There are references to original Somerset characters, and the first few episodes deal with Susannah (Sam and Lahoma's daughter) moving to Somerset, with Sam and Lahoma along to help out.

I'd have to wonder how well Somerset would have done had the network aired it at 3:30, right after Another World. Of course that couldn't happen because P&G had its rule about shows not airing opposite one another.

[Paul Raven]

That P&G rule was dropped once shows went to an hour when AW went up against GL.When Edge moved to ABC it was up against Somerset.

When Edge went to 2.30,Somerset could have moved to 3.30 and RTPP air at 4.00.

[DRW50]

Part of a 1972 episode. I saw this years ago on tape but don't know where that is, so it's nice to see it again. It's probably been on Youtube before but I only started watching soap Youtube stuff in the last few years. Anyway, India Delaney gives a party and no one shows up, aside from immediate family. Marie Wallace was a fascinating actress, and one of the most unique beauties ever on soaps. Nice to see a glimpse of her as India, along with the wonderful Georgann Johnson as Ellen.

India's husband in this later tried to kill her, didn't he? Someone at TWOP talked about scenes that went on for weeks and weeks where he hit her with a huge candlestick and she was unconscious on a couch.

Did Marie want to leave?

Who were Robin and Jessica?

This also has Gary Sandy as a maitre'd or waiter (hard to believe he'd get to wear his hair out like that on the job) and I think Alice Hirson is also one of the wait staff.

Please register in order to view this content

[Paul Raven]

Loved this clip.It's the first I've ever seen of Somerset.

India and Ellen were sisters.Was the drunken guy Chuck Hillman,her 2nd husband?

Alice Hirson was Marsha Davis,Gerald's 2nd wife and mother of Pam.She is referred to here as Mrs Harding. Did she marry Ike Harding? When was this?

Gary Sandy was Randy Buchanan,brother of Jessica,who had married Robert and died in March 72 on the way to Bay City.

A lot of detail on the stories and characters is lacking.

Somerset had a good premise but like so many shows,new writers started dropping characters left and right, rather than writing for who was there.

[saynotoursoap]

Paul, that is Chuck Hillman, played by the late Edward Winter.

[DRW50]

Apparently the drunk guy was Chuck. According to the poster on TWOP, he planned to kill India and frame an unstable Vietnam vet. He hit her in the head and hid her behind the sofa while the Vietnam vet had a meltdown and took a hostage. This went on for weeks and weeks, even though it was the same night. By the time the vet was arrested, India came to and said her husband had attacked her. India then left on a cruise which she never returned from.

Here's a 1976 episode.

Please register in order to view this content

[sungrey]

I wish Coolwafferman would put up the rest of this show. I don't know if he has it, though...

[DRW50]

June 1976 TV Radio Mirror

[Khan]

I get Joel Crothers being photographed half-naked. But must they run that ridiculous title -- "ANYTHING WORTH DOING IS WORTH DOING HARD!" -- underneath? Even for the porn-loving '70's, that's a bit much.

[DRW50]

This is the height of the "No that's not really what that means, we promise," era (Village People anyone?).

[DRW50]

Edited September 19, 2011 by CarlD2