Jump to content

B&B: Old/Classic Discussion & Articles


Recommended Posts

  • Members

I am sure that Bill Bell pretty much controlled the process till the early 2000s... that's when the show got really bad. Before that they had amazing moments... I am sure that Bill Bell was watching over the process...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 7.4k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Members

To my dying day: Thorne/Brooke is not given enough credit as something that unexpectedly really worked and provided great drama and this was the longest Brooke managed to keep out if Ridge's orbit and still be compelling. Sacrificing it carelessly to lazily trod the same Ridge ground again is in my Top Five of Bell mistakes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I'm amazed that for nearly 2000 episodes... there have been maybe like 10-20 bad episodes... 2-3 bad script decisions and 2-3 bad characters... Everything is SUPERB. I would say that every 450- 500 episodes something very big and amazing happens... the show just continues to grow and grow... I will be interested to see when it starts going dowhnill EXACTLY.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I'm happy to hear this and jealous at the same time! I just reached around 520 and I'm in 1989 waiting for Macy to arrive. I'm excited because I'm at a part where we're starting to get some new characters and some changes in the storylines. I'm glad to see the Logan's out and Sally Spectra has been such a good addition to the show. Literally from her first episode Darlene Conley knew exactly what she was doing and was a formidable presence.

Now the one thing I will say is that Caroline has taken a complete nose dive in likability for me. I'm beyond ready for her to be killed off. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

We will never now, but I would ask for caution by asssuming that good stuff automatically equals William J. Bell and that Brad Bell does not have the talent. IMO; B&B reached its creative peak and unique flavor during his headwriting tenure in the mid-90s. It was mentined in several interviews that back in 1992 Bill Bell took a break of at least 2 months to travel to Europe to enjoy the Winter Olympics and that he handed producting and head writing duties to his son in the meantime. Bill Bell was also known for giving many writers try-outs for scripts/story-projections etc. even if they did not receive on-screen credit yet.

 

Going by interviews, we also know that by 2002 Bill and even moreso Lee (!) were no longer actively involved with storylines at B&B. Mrs. Bell used to pitch mostly topical stories on HIV, disabilities, addictions. I think their influence was already minimal by then; my guess is that as soon as they were no longer serving as official executive producers of B&B, they more or less stayed out of Brad's orbit and only had their hands over Y&R.

Darlene Conley's presence was an instant sensation, even though they kind of retooled the character within a very short time-span and weren't really giving a logical explanation. We just saw more of Sally (plus her troops and daughter) and her darker traits become less obviouss aka. disappeared within two months.
 

Looking at the long foreshadowing of Spectra Fashions, IMO, it however debunks rumours that Sally's character was ever intended to be a short-term character because Bill Bell had worked with Conley before when she was Rose DeVille on Y&R. They might have expanded the character's universe due to Conley's abilities, though, by adding Macy and using Donna as a model.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Yes, it is clear almost from the start (late 1987) that Spectra Fashions is meant to be an integral part of the show. They are this unknown and unseen entity that we only hear about in dialogue until Sally makes her glorious entrance.

What I do think was less clear, though, was HOW Spectra Fashions would fit into the fabric of the show. I believe at first the idea was to make Sally more of a mob boss type threat, and then very soon it became clear that the humor and camaraderie between the Spectra crew was a more viable way to go. Then I think the addition of Macy was really crucial for the long term viability of Sally's character, because it humanized Sally, gave her a motivation for her actions, and gave us the viewers a window into the soft core of Sally's character.

@sheilaforever, are you still watching the 1993 episodes? What do you think about the "current" (for us) storylines?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I just watched episode 1066, and this guy delivered flowers to Macy, a small speaking role. I can't find any credits but for the life of me I feel like I have seen him before in a larger regular role, and more than likely a soap? Does anyone recognise him? thanks! 

Please register in order to view this content

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   1 member




  • Recent Posts

    • I didn't rewatch that period, so I'm not really sure how much Bill is on. I recall something about him living at the boardinghouse. I think Van made Matt his guardian, and why she didn't name Josh would be a mystery to me, other than the HW decided they needed to keep Bill in Matt's sphere. Nola is also his aunt, although they don't know each other well, and Van wouldn't have trusted her anyway. There's Dinah---but she's unreliable. Billy gets out of jail around NYE.
    • Please register in order to view this content

         
    • That's on Kimmer. As someone posted above...she was offered roles in pilots but she would be part of an ensemble or supporting. She didn't want that so she came back to GL. I don't know what she thought would happen..someone offering her "Here's Kimmer!" or The "Zimmer Comedy Powerhouse Hour" variety show..but her housefrau fans did not have the same pull in HW as they did on the soaps. Forbes and Watros knew that you had to take small parts to get noticed ands start a career in primetime. I know she was in consideration for the wife in Evening Shade, but when you go up against Marilou Henner, the soap diva looses. I could see her frustrated in a role like that, where she has to be the understanding wife with a bit of sass, but she could have made it work, if it wasnt for her huge ego.  I think it would have been an issue haveing all the powerhouse comedy actors surrounding...(lets face it..Alice Ghostly woudl have wiped the floor with her...) but it would have been a good launching padd.
    • Oh good, so I don't have to wait too long haha. I'm glad she cares about seeing Bill graduate. I'm guessing I'm in for a bumpy ride between Bill and Matt, if he's going to be his caretaker? Who else could it be, maybe Josh?
    • John Spencer      pg. 445    THEATER THE GLASS MENAGERIE    October 1979     Gentleman Caller      NYC THE GLASS MENAGERIE    1979 - 80    Gentleman Caller        Tyrone Guthrie Theater   Minneapolis   MONSIEUR DE MOLIERE     1979  - 80      Tyrone Guthrie Theater   Minneapolis   ROMEO AND JULIET     1979 - 80        Tyrone Guthrie Theater   Minneapolis  LAKEBOAT      1981                  NYC     007 CROSSFIRE      1984      Romanov      Actors Theatre of Louisville     CAROUSEL      1986 - 87    Jigger  The Opera House at the Kennedy Center     Washington, D. C.     FRANKIE AND JOHNNY AND THE CLAIR DE LUNE  
    • Maeve makes a few sporadic appearances, but returns full-time the next spring/summer. She's back in time to see Bill and Michelle graduate, although she skulks around town and wasn't going to tell anyone she was alive. She comes back wearing this HUGE hat---which was a throwback to the old Vanesaa. lol.
    • Aww, yeah it's very heartbreaking and I mostly enjoyed the Nola/Vanessa scenes because they finally let their walls down and came together in a beautiful moment. So Nola was at the hospital already and bumped into Vanessa, who had MRI papers that fell out of her hand and Nola went down to pick them up and asked her what was going on. Later, Vanessa confided in her about her disease. Then, Nola told Zachary on the beach (he prodded her and already alluded to knowing something was going on with Van), and then Vanessa found out she told him and got a little upset. Now, however, Nola is strangely absent while everyone is mourning her death. I'm curious if Nola will actually tell people about her MRI results. I would assume so. Only Nola, Rick, Roger and Zachary know anything, although there is the MRI results letter from the mail that everyone has missed seeing at home. I'm sure it'll all come out at some point. But... I just saw the next episode and the opening already cut Vanessa out and added Dahlia and Zachary. I guess Maeve is gone for a long time

      Please register in order to view this content

       That will break my heart seeing the town continue to mourn her and assume she's dead. I can't wait to see her return though, and I have to imagine feelings will be torn between loving that she's alive and being very angry she did all of this. While I hate what Vanessa is doing, I'm happy to hear it's not totally against her character. I think you're right, had Henry still been around, she wouldn't put him through this. I'm still surprised she is with Bill, though. I get her feelings on Matt, because she wants him to move on, but still very heartbreaking. I'm glad this was Maeve's choice to have a break vs. being fired.    Interesting, so I'm curious to see who they eventually pair Phillip with. They're flirting with a Phillip/Annie pairing, but I'm not sure if they'll go that route with the Jeva drama, her growing pill addiction, and Rick's past with her.  Ugh, yeah I'm so sad to see Bridget do a total 180 in the last couple weeks. She has always been a strong character from what I've seen, but now she's just bending over backwards to get Hart to love her and it reeks of desperation. Yeah, sure, this new Hart is eye candy, but I'm already tired of seeing Hart/Dinah have sex all over Springfield and the Cayman Islands haha.
    • Yes.  I remember them together during the early summer of 1986.  They didn't share scenes again for 30 years until 2017 because Carrie wasn't on the show when Anna returned during Sydney's kidnapping.
    • I can see Kim being that way. Well, Kyle didn't have to say yes. LOL. The suicide attempt feels plot-driven. I don't know if even Long could've made it work. She'd spent so much time trying to make Reva and Kyle into a couple, it feels odd to just have them give up. Not to mention how odd it is to have Maeve agree to marry him. Re Charita---surely they could've at least tried  finding clips with who was still there. Maybe they wouldn't have been "big" moments, but surely she'd interacted with Ross, Vanessa, and Henry. Vanessa had dated Ed, FCOL. But Mo and Rick were there---surely they could've bothered to find some clips of her with them (and they did interact a fair amount) and used them. And with Ed they could've found some shot of her talking to him and just not cut to whoever was playing Ed in the clip. That to me is what feels lazy---they had more than a year to figure it out, and they went with a bunch of photos. If you were sort of centering it on Rick anyway---then find clips with them and use 'em.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

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