B&B: November 13 Discussion Thread

[Maxim]

Yeah. I was just getting into the idea of quitting B&B, but after crazy eyes Brooke slapped Bill like that... I'm back home with B&B, where I belong. :D :D

[ChitHappens]

Thank you Cheap! I even read where some think Brooke is redeemed! Puke! Brooke stands there and asks Bill "how can you do this to my sister"? Like [!@#$%^&*] his wife's sister wasn't that bad (only because it was Brooke)! Brooke had sex with Bill, blamed her sister, was set to move in with Bill and marry him, yet Miss Snot Nose thinks she some sort of hero? GMAFB! Bill better get both them bitches!

[SouthOfSoap]

I guess everything you write is valid, yes the character has real b@lls but I just don't his d-baggery very convincing on this show because it is played very camp and that detracts from its need to be taken seriously.

[Aback]

Don Diamont is not convincing AT ALL. I'm amazed at how many fans he's managed to get on B&B, everytime he's playing the tough guy he looks like he's trying hard not to burst out laughing. His character's supposed to be B&B's Victor Newman, but DD cannot pull it off. He's too much of a good guy and a mediocre actor IMHO

[edgeofnik]

But as we both said - it's camp - and that definitely falls in the B&B "universe." It's never pretended to be anything else. It would be different of B&B were a "grounded" show like Y&R or ATWT, but it never has been and I doubt it ever will. That's what makes it different from the rest. They know their formula - in many seasons it has fallen flat, but the past two years they found the right mix of young characters/actors (something the show really struggled with) as well as compelling adults and vets. I think about how dumb B&B was with the Eric/Donna pairing. Gross. Donna should have hooked up with Justin as soon as Marcus came to town - it seemed so obvious and would've been a different type of relationship for B&B at the time.

[SouthOfSoap]

Tbh, I feel like this show is missing something since Susan Flannery left. Yes, I know her story had been played out years ago and I'd be very hesistant to call to her a moral centre of the show, but she (and Taylor to an even lesser extent) kept the show anchored. Now it just floats from affair to affair - I can can accept it for what it is and it is great to watch when Brad gets it right, but ultimately it's all so shallow, pointless and without consequence even within its own universe.

[Juliajms]

I think B&B was a grounded show during the first few years, but at some point things changed. My memory isn't good enough to pinpoint when things really got campy. It's definitely outrageous camp now, which is why I can't get upset long term at some of the things that go on. Can you even imagine some of the conversations that have gone on between Billy/Katie/Brooke happening on Y&R? As someone else said KKL is one of the best actresses out there just for managing to keep a straight face. Don Diamont doesn't play it as straight as KKL, but I think he does alright.

[DRW50]

The show got more campy in the late 90s.

[Juliajms]

Thanks Carl.

[DRW50]

For me at least. I think the biggest difference in tone was when Stephanie went from being more grounded to just going full on OTT nuts. This was also the time of Brooke's Bedroom, and of Amber's debut, and Amber was very campy.

[Cheap21]

that sounds about right but I associated it with Sheila at the height of her craziness. They were running out of excuses to keep her viable towards the end of her run as she was just getting more and more over the top and insane

[DRW50]

True. The weird part is I actually thought Sheila was more restrained than some of the other stuff starting around that time. I guess because of Kimberlin's acting style.

[Maxim]

I think it has always been a bit campy, but it got REALLY campy when Brooke went after Thorne in 1999.

[Aback]

I'm sorry but the show turned really really uber campy when Pam showed up and Brad got fascinated with her silly stunts.

[Sapounopera]

Things changed for me with Taylor as Princess Leila and Sheila keeping James prisoner. I think it was 1994.

Another HUGE change was turning classy ice queen Stephanie into Stefano DiMera.

Everything became a joke after Brooke started marrying Ridge, his father or his brothers every six months.

Things went insane when Taylor (who was the show's good girl) started getting involved with Brooke and Ridge's relatives and became a drunk at one point. There is nothing dramatic about a show where everybody is a slut. You need some people with morals.

Not to mention that prior to Bill Spencer Jr, Amber was the last new character who made an impact to the show. Everybody else would leave the show after six months. Even Jack Wagner's Nick who was interesting at first (B&B's own Lucas Prentiss?) became a bore. Steffy was also a hit with viewers, but she was wasted in a boring triangle with Hope and Liam, when she should be in a hot triangle with Bill and Brooke.

The show never recovered from losing Sally, who was a unique character.