This week, the beginning of a new year, in Atlanta, GA, the beautiful, brilliant, iconic, Creator, Writer & Producer Bridget Dobson, at the age of 85 passed on to that great afternoon timeslot in the sky. We will be diminished by the loss. She gave us so many characters. She gave us so many hours of entertainment on GH, GL, ATWT & Santa Barbara. She was the daughter of Frank & Doris Hursley. Her long-time partner, co-creator, co-writer, co-producer & husband Jerome Dobson has our many condolences. 

https://soaphub.com/days-of-our-lives/news-days/santa-barbara-creator-bridget-dobson-dead-at-85

 

     

4 minutes ago, Khan said:

Ironically, I think a major reason why SaBa told their rape story was to take a swipe at Laura's rape on GH.  But the twist of having her rapist turn out to be her gynecologist was just so tasteless that it ruined the rest of the story for me.  Only a man (Chuck Pratt?) would think that would be an okay way to wrap up a rape story.

They definitely were on message their rape vs. Luke raping Laura, yes, that's clear. Been articles about it, etc. 

NLG tribute to Bridget on her IG

2 hours ago, Khan said:

  It's like, most of the time, whenever they actually had something good going, they'd always find some way to sabotage it.

I think a great example of this was killing off the character of Mary.

1 minute ago, 1974mdp said:

I think a great example of this was killing off the character of Mary.

Exactly!

2 minutes ago, 1974mdp said:

I think a great example of this was killing off the character of Mary.

Oh, but, it is such black humor. Who would kill off a character by having a giant letter C fall on them? 

18 minutes ago, Donna L. Bridges said:

They definitely were on message their rape vs. Luke raping Laura, yes, that's clear. Been articles about it, etc. 

NLG tribute to Bridget on her IG

She’s probably not kidding either - I get the sense Julia was who NLG wishes she could be in real life…

I know NLG can be exasperating sometimes, too, but she's another actor who never bores me.  IMO, she was BORN to play Julia.

13 minutes ago, Khan said:

I know NLG can be exasperating sometimes, too, but she's another actor who never bores me.  IMO, she was BORN to play Julia.

I concur. 

I am wondering if she has left UglyX. 

18 minutes ago, BetterForgotten said:

She’s probably not kidding either - I get the sense Julia was who NLG wishes she could be in real life…

I loved that Sara Bibel said as a child she wanted to grow up to be Bridget. 

25 minutes ago, Khan said:

I know NLG can be exasperating sometimes, too, but she's another actor who never bores me.  IMO, she was BORN to play Julia.

Agreed. That was just a perfect melding of character and actress. And Julia-Lane Davies Mason remains one of my favorite soap pairings.

I think the Dobsons' Santa Barbara had (many) moments of sheer brilliance sandwiched in between a fair amount of substandard material, and the inconsistency was its downfall.

1 hour ago, Khan said:

Rita Stapleton Bauer is so fascinating to me.  As I said years ago, Rita basically was a decent person, but with one major flaw: the truth just wasn't in her, lol.  Like with OLTL's Tina, though, I never thought she lied with the intent of hurting people.  Rather, she lied, but she lied for the right reasons.

I love this assessment of Rita, and I agree. Another character that comes to mind is Peyton Place's Betty Anderson, in the early years at least. Those women live in their own minds, and you never really "know" them, if that makes sense. There's always a feeling of they're trying the best they can to "be good," but their very valid needs and desires are in conflict with what people think is "good" for them.

15 minutes ago, teplin said:

Agreed. That was just a perfect melding of character and actress. And Julia-Lane Davies Mason remains one of my favorite soap pairings.

 

ME TOO!

15 minutes ago, teplin said:

I think the Dobsons' Santa Barbara had (many) moments of sheer brilliance sandwiched in between a fair amount of substandard material, and the inconsistency was its downfall.

Also that they had an absurd corporate WAR in the middle of the show's run. No show could get past how horrible that is, overall. I will never stop thinking that NBC was just totally foolish not to just fire Anne Howard Bailey. 

Jerome & Bridget Dobson writing for GL in the 1970's.

 

17 minutes ago, SoapDope said:

Jerome & Bridget Dobson writing for GL in the 1970's.

 

Babies! When we just celebrated an EON date I posted a picture of Sharon Rose Gabet that is the youngest I've ever seen, so of course she came to the forum that day. She said she calls pictures like that "Baby Raven".  We had a good laugh. Same has happened in the past with very very young pix of Maureen Garrett & of Ellen Wheeler. 

3 hours ago, teplin said:

And Julia-Lane Davies Mason remains one of my favorite soap pairings.

LD was fortunate to have two great pairings on SaBa: one, with Harley Jane Kozak's Mary; the other, with NLG's Julia.  Sweet Mary was such a delicious contrast to tortured Mason, while Julia stimulated him intellectually and sexually through 1930's-style wit while keeping his ego in check.

3 hours ago, teplin said:

I think the Dobsons' Santa Barbara had (many) moments of sheer brilliance sandwiched in between a fair amount of substandard material, and the inconsistency was its downfall.

I agree!

The thing is, if SaBa had been more consistent - if the writers had taken more care to craft solid storylines and not just great episodes (that could help them win more Emmys) - would the show have been as special?  I think you could glimpse some of what I mean in the final year with Pamela K. Long as HW.  For the first time in I-didn't-know-when, SaBa was making a concerted effort to be more traditional and tell long-term stories with impact - B.J.'s sexual abuse tale comes to mind - but in the process, a lot of the quirks and eccentricities that had come to define SaBa were evaporating.  Even Mason and Julia weren't as delightfully screwball as they had been before.

4 hours ago, All My Shadows said:

I love this assessment of Rita, and I agree. Another character that comes to mind is Peyton Place's Betty Anderson, in the early years at least. Those women live in their own minds, and you never really "know" them, if that makes sense.

It does, and you are absolutely correct, @All My Shadows!

Man!  Now I'm wishing (again!) for someone to reboot/revive/re-whatever PP for a streaming outlet!  As iconic as the original series was, I think it's the kind of property - locale, characters, overall themes, etc. - that would play just as well today with modern audiences as it did back in the '50's and '60's.

4 hours ago, All My Shadows said:

There's always a feeling of they're trying the best they can to "be good," but their very valid needs and desires are in conflict with what people think is "good" for them.

Another anti-heroine who fits that bill (IMO)?  EON's Raven.  Especially in the beginning, before Sky Whitney gave her what she wanted most: someone who loved her and understood her needs, but never wanted to tie her down.  (That brief monologue she gives about how she came to re-naming herself is just so good, lol).

Some thoughts:

SB would have been much better as a half-hour show.
I was madly in love with Mason Capwell as a kid and found his relationship with Julia fascinating. In my mind they were the show's real supercouple.
What was more fascinating was reading how many things Mason and Bridget had in common.
At one point SB became too "funny". I prefered the original, dramatic version of the show. 

The rumor about the Dobsons writing for AW, was it during the time it was rumored Mason and Julia would be joining the show?

The Dobsons's GL was amazing. Sophisticated, adult soap, I still watch.

RIP Mrs Dobson.