Jump to content
Email System Update

Eldorado (1992-1993)

DRW50

By DRW50
in DTS: Foreign Soaps

 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 16
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

  • 2 months later...
  • Members
Vee Grand Master

Vee

Posted
  • Members
Posted (edited)

You know we're in year 3 of a pandemic when I'm watching the first few episodes of this on a bored lark. It's definitely bizarre, but the location and several of the central characters could've worked. I know non-actors were apparently Julia Smith's idea which I understand as a concept (and it often works out for some films), but it obviously didn't play. I wonder how much was changed from Tony Holland/Jordan/etc.'s original ideas, because the structural bones of the British family, the villain and the lounge singer seems sound. The whole thing with Bunny and the young girl is grotesque.

Edited by Vee
0
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Members
DRW50 Grand Master

DRW50

Posted
  • Author
  • Members
Posted

Oh I need to get back in (I think I only got up to episode 3). I'd love to hear your thoughts as this goes on. Or your thoughts on the  Families episode I posted. I forgot to mention that Russell Davies was a script editor on that show (he uses a lot of the concepts he'd use on his other soaps a few years later, like Revelations and Springhill).

0
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Members
dc11786 Experienced

dc11786

Posted
  • Members
Posted

The early episodes are not memorable. I watched the show last winter and can barely tell you what happened in the first three months. The plots are mostly light or lightly dramatic. With thin characterization, everything lacks the sort of gravitas needed to make anything worth engaging with long term. Bunny and Fizz seemed like they were suppose to be a more complicated relationship that neither the acting nor the writing lived up to. Fizz was a grifter whose motives we are suppose to question because she is clearly using Bunny, but she may truly have developed feelings for. Similarly, Bunny seems to have married Fizz on the brink of an emotional break of his own with his sister's death making him vulnerable, but Bunny wasn't really looking for a sexless marriage either so Bunny's own motives weren't pure. The nicest moment in the story was the start of the friendship between Fizz and Joy when they leave Los Barcos to go out on a shopping trip. Kathy Pitkin's Fizz is dumped by Julia Smith in Smith's final episodes. 

When Corinne Hollingsworth arrives in episode 42, it is an immediate turnaround. Characters start gaining more depth. Story threads start to develop over multiple episodes. Characters start interacting outside their narrow circles. Once Olive King hosts her safari night party, the show is enjoyable. Upon Hollingsworth arrival, the show starts to tell stories about characters being forced to face the past they are trying to escape. Marcus and Pilar's romance is given a bit more weight when Pilar has to deal with both a letter from Tracey talking about Marcus' baby and then later being kidnapped by the Singh brothers who are looking to avenge their father's suicide. Rosemary Webb's life in England arrives in a very real form of her son by her first husband, Stephen Law, who is determined to prove that Stanley Webb is a liar. The arrival of Natalie Jackson in Los Barcos and the impact she has on Freddie Martin's life is wonderful. Joy Slater's ex Terry Raymond coming to Los Barcos to rekindle their relationship leads to a role reversal in the relationship between Joy and Trish, which is very well done. 

The character who benefits the most from Hollingsworth arrival is Faith Kent's Olive King who goes from a one-note busybody to a more complex lonely spinister who acts as the defacto matriarch of Las Terrazas. Similarly, the mixed marrieds story with the Svendsens and the Leducs goes from paper thin to much more interesting with the development of Phillipe and Lene as individuals and the decision that Phillipe and Lene were going to get back at their spouses. 

I stopped around episode 100 and the show was still pretty strong. Alex Morris had just been introduced who seemed set to give not just Marcus and Pilar story but Trish Valentine some as well. Rosario Fernandez, who was exploring the newfound freedom that women are experiencing in Spain, has started to take college courses and found a life outside of being a wife and mother when she discovers that she is pregnant. Her pregnancy threatens her future happiness, which requires her to reflect on her own reaction to Ingrid Olson's pregnancy earlier in the year when Ingrid considered an abortion. 

If I were to restart the show, I'd probably suggest around episode 35 or so to see the final episodes of Fizz and see the dramatic change in those early Corinne Hollingsworth episodes. The Freddie/Natalie story is worth the viewing alone. 

 

0
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Members
BetterForgotten Veteran

BetterForgotten

Posted
  • Members
Posted

And Hollingsworth was later brought over to EastEnders to tidy things up as well not long after Eldorado, so the BBC must have been impressed despite the poor ratings. 

ITV wasn't even trying to hide how much they wanted to kill this show from the beginning by scheduling the first hour-long Coronation Street episode directly against the premiere Eldorado episode, lol. 

0
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...

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.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.


  • Recent Posts

    • janea4old
      DAYS: May 2025 Discussion Thread

      By janea4old · Posted

      Christie said in her interview this week that she recently started taking acting classes again, and has been doing some work in England, so that helped her to jump into Carrie for this (as well as it being all so familiar, it really was home.)
    • AbcNbc247
      DAYS: May 2025 Discussion Thread

      By AbcNbc247 · Posted

      Andrea Barber aka Kimmy Gibbler did have a few scenes with Drake too, when he first came on. Christie came in the middle of that storyline 
    • Franko
      DAYS: May 2025 Discussion Thread

      By Franko · Posted

      Carrie, as played by Andrea Barber, was at Bo & Hope's wedding. She was the flower girl. The ringbearer was Zachary Parker, the little boy that Megan tried to pass off as her and Bo's son. Andrea's Carrie was at Tony & Anna's real wedding (Aug. 5, 1985). She appeared for the last time on March 21, 1986. Christie's Carrie debuted on April 14, 1986. It appears that Carrie remained in Salem, just off-screen, during that near-month. Christie picked up with what Andrea had been playing, apprehension over John.
    • Toups
      BTG: May 2025 Discussion Thread

      By Toups · Posted

      I don't think she is. I think she just created some really boring characters and for some reason doesn't know what to do with them.  But let's say that she is being force to write these characters that she doesn't like or want to write for.......that's a really bad sign that the creator of the show is being told what to do from the very beginning.  With so many EPs, I was worried there could be too many cooks in the kitchen, too many people giving notes - all those EPs are representing companies who have a stake in the show.    Canada continues to be one episode ahead. Thursday's US episode is another lacklustre episode, even with Leslie in it.  We'll see if Friday or Monday's episode in Canada will be a repeat. 
    • P.J.
      Guiding Light Discussion Thread

      By P.J. · Posted

      Like a lot of soaps, once relatives left, they kinda dropped off the face of the earth and out of conversations. I don't know why writers do that. If they just don't want to confuse viewers, or don't think it matters, or want the liberty kind of revise history to make their stories work. After Josh left in '84, he's barely mentioned. Even when Billy's railing against Kyle and refusing to accept him, it'd be the most natural thing in the world to say "Kyle's NOT by brother, JOSH is!" and I don't think he ever really says that.  The only writer I can recall who didn't do that is Doug Marland on ATWT. 
    • DRW50
      Guiding Light Discussion Thread

      By DRW50 · Posted

      IIRC, there is a line during this time period where Reva says something like Marah is her first-born child, which fans were not thrilled with.  Dylan makes a few appearances through the rest of the show (and a much later recast that isn't really worth talking about, with a face that is familiar to you). He will make one briefly during 1997, if you get that far.
    • Toups
      GH: May 2025 Discussion Thread

      By Toups · Posted

      Another great episode.  GH has been pretty good this year, loading up the chamber, because now there's many bullets to fire, and another one was fired today when Nina found out Michael is the father of Sasha's baby.  I hope this secret comes out at the hearing.  I've also liked the slow burn with Gio/Emma. There's just so many things to look forward to on this show now.  GH is finally back to being really good. 
    • MontyB
      GH: May 2025 Discussion Thread

      By MontyB · Posted

      I'm all for it. Get them Nina!   

      Please register in order to view this content

    • j swift
      DAYS: May 2025 Discussion Thread

      By j swift · Posted

      I am blown away that Christie Clark is 51, and she debuted 39 years ago. They gave her a lovely script today.  But, I could not think of any other examples in culture of someone able to jump right back into the skin of a character, after virtually retiring from acting years ago. I was trying to recall if Carrie left for a bit with Anna after Roman died (because she wasn't at Bo & Hope's wedding), and then returned as a pre-teen Christie?  Or if she was just SORASed off-screen?  But, whenever I see the character I am reminded how much more trauma she's endured than Sami, and yet she remains such a nice person.
    • carolineg
      GH: May 2025 Discussion Thread

      By carolineg · Posted

      Weirdly I feel like Nina was the most sus about the entire situation.  Normally I would have given this one to Carly, but Nina was always kind of trying to make it make sense. I think Nina (and Alexis) are actually really smart characters.  They just constantly get in their own way with dumb plans lol.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

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

  I accept