B&B: Old/Classic Discussion & Articles

[Videnbas]

I didn't know John McCook recorded an entire album!

By the way, did anyone else see the duet with John McCook and Bobbie Eakes and immediately felt grateful that the show never went there with a Thorne/Macy/Eric triangle? 

[sheilaforever]

Doey anyone why B&B used Vicki Lawrence in her then TV talk show "Vicki!" to feauture a fake/staged interview with Charlton Heston to "promote" the Salute to Hollywood fashion show???

 

According to wikipeda Vicki! was syndicated (and not a CBS show), so I was quite surprised that B&B decided to incoprate her with her real talk show.

[Soapfan8]

What era/years do you think these major classic characters were at their best writing and potential wise, more specifically Stephanie, Brooke, Ridge, Taylor, Sally.

[Pedro]

I Wonder what is happening with the Vault change.... I am concerned. Hoping everything is alright

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[yrfan1983]

In 1587, Sally says that Stephanie is responsible for Thorne and Macy breaking up.

What is she referring to? I missed that whole story as I only started watching when Sheila arrived.

[sheilaforever]

Sally means the lack of support from Stephanie and the rest of the Forresters. Or in Sally's view: the family always showed hostility and/or lack of trust to Macy because they hate Sally.

 

The only real event shown onscreen: the police going after Macy on behalf of the Forresters over the theft of the BeLieF formula.

Edited September 21, 2022 by sheilaforever

[yrfan1983]

Thanks… aw that makes me sad. Stephanie could have been a good mother figure for Macy if she had put forth the effort.

[Planet Soap]

Looking back at Betty White's exit, B&B was really excellent at handling charachters deaths. Ann & Stwphanie's deaths were very realistic and hard to sit through.

It was kind of insulting that Stephanie died in Brooke's arms only for Brooke to sleep with her sister's husband the very next year.  Beautiful scene nonetheless though, lol.

[Videnbas]

Yes, that, and "events by omission" - such as Stephanie having many friendly and supportive scenes with her other daughter-in-law Taylor, but virtually none with Macy.

It was especially jarring in late 1993 when Thorne/Macy and Ridge/Taylor had virtually identical marital problems (Ridge and Macy having to work closely with someone who was clearly attracted to them, because it was so important to their respective companies), and the entire Forrester family rallied around Ridge and Taylor and supported Ridge working with Brooke and encouraged Taylor to be understanding so they could get control of their company back, yet NOBODY encouraged Thorne to be equally understanding of Macy working with Anthony, who was literally Spectra's last hope.

[yrfan1983]

Up to 1589… wow, I am in awe how the show is firing on all cylinders. Every story is working for me. The only scenes I FF through are Ridge and Taylor’s multiple rounds of lovemaking. 

How fun was the Fabio bachelorette party! Back when soaps had a budget. So interesting for Taylor to be in the mix. It bothers me that Taylor, the psychiatrist, is so clearly judgmental with people.  First, she was almost hostile with Sheila, without a straightforward reason. One could chalk that up to Taylor being a shrewd judge of character. But then she is not welcoming to Macy. Geez, Taylor and Macy are sisters-in-law! Why can’t Taylor show some empathy to Macy, instead of immediately putting on her psychiatrist hat?

Interesting that Macy broke up with Sly off-screen. I would have liked to have seen that! At least we saw the aftermath. But the writers definitely downplayed the fact that Macy must have been very sad to be with Sly romantically. Like – we should have seen Macy and Sly start to have sex, and Macy trying to keep herself from crying.
Macy’s “dark night of the soul”, where she rolled around the gutter among the garbage and the rats, reminded me a bit of Days ’95 Mar-Devil when Marlena was wandering through the slums trying to fight off the devil and ended up naked at Bo and Billie’s engagement party. But with Macy, I think the show could have gone much further with her “hitting bottom”.

The character of Jack is an enigma to me, and kind of a bust. I have no concept how Jack feels about Sally or how Jack really feels about Stephanie. Chris Robinson was such a success on General Hospital, but so generic on B&B. I guess it’s thus the writer’s fault?  I’m assuming Sally and Jack’s impending wedding doesn’t come to pass. Surprised Jack makes it up til 1995. 

I feel like something went sideways story-wise with Steve Crown. On one ep – Eric gave Steve a deadline of one week to get close to Brooke. Next ep and the next 20 eps – Steve is absent and that plot point is ditched. Steve then only appears for 2 more eps to wrap up the story, before Elliott takes over as the lawyer. I wonder if something happened off-screen with Perry Stephens that prevented him appearing more. I’m so used to seeing Robert Gentry on All My Children with a moustache. So strange to see him on B&B clean-shaven!

[BoldRestless]

So they finally started uploading the 1996 episodes but they are labelled 2011.

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[Videnbas]

Yes, the show was really in a good place in the summer of 1993!

Interesting point that Taylor and Macy are sisters-in-law but don't seem close at all. But at least they actually have occasional scenes together (approximately one every other year or so). Brooke and Macy, as far as I know, have yet to have a single conversation. I wonder how long it will be.

All the things that you wished to see with Sly and Macy, I'm actually almost sure did play out on screen. Like there was this time early on when she was drunk and we were led to believe that he took advantage and had sex with her, but then we found out the next episode when he apologized for coming on too strong that they actually hadn't slept together. And then we did see how Macy finally made the decision to sleep with him (after living with him for months without having sex with him) because he suggested she should move in with her mother, and she panicked because she knew she couldn't drink if she moved in with Sally, so she decided to sleep with Sly in order to stay with him and be able to continue drinking without her mother finding out. And I also think we did get a breakup scene where Macy moved out and Sly realized she never loved him. As for thinking the show could have gone much further with Macy "hitting bottom"... well, I won't spoil it but let's just say Macy lying drunk in the alley wasn't her true "dark night of the soul" - that is yet to come.

I agree with you about Jack - he is strangely lackluster as a character. I liked him in the mob storyline, but after that was resolved, he simply seems to lose energy. He simply can't keep up with a dynamic character like Sally, and his involvement with Stephanie also doesn't really work.

[Contessa Donatella]

I truly loved it being KKL and Flannery that day & it being outside & so calm, so serene.

[sheilaforever]

It's super weird that they are beginning with September episodes. Not just because it was not the proper season beginning but also because many stories were almost headed for climax back then. Anyway, I'm glad that they do because I'm very anxious for closing credits. The first four uploads had no cast or crew credits yet, so hopefully tomorrow's uploads will deliver. I've wondered for years who played henchman Rocky...

BTW: for those who don't know. Model Kim Swanson is palyed Cindy Ambuehl. Today (well for more years...) she is a high calibre realtor and known as Mrs. Don Diamont.

I didn't like the gambling plot either, although it was something different. Similar to James' introduction or Jake's The show was at least trying to add unique characters. Nowawayds they are all just designers and models - and yet we don't get fashion shows anymore. Yawn!

But back to Jack: the show really missed out on developing Jack as a father figure because Taylor is seen with Jack occasionally but the bond with Stephanie is so much stronger. And all other aspects of Jack did get way too little storyline material as well. Looking at fall 1993 it is indeed shocking that he will be around for two more years before going for annual visits from 1996-1999.

 

[Pedro]

The witch-hunt seems to be working quite efficiently. First the Vault, now Gilson says something happened with videoland that his VPN stopped working and he cannot find any new suitable VPN for videoland that would actually work for recording the episodes. Is this the end for these good quality episodes and we are forced to watch these low quality episodes on their official youtube channel  ? Anyone knows what is going on  ? 

Edited September 23, 2022 by Pedro