I thought someone else was in charge of NBC Daytime during that period. Some guy who was formerly over the Sports Division.

Nope. It was most definitely Susan Lee who was directly responsible for the cancelling of Santa Barbara.

Apologies if I've missed out others. I forget the names of those who played Elena (), Victoria (who was awesome), Santana (Gia somebody I think) and Kirk.

I [!@#$%^&*] loathed Victoria Lane. The actress (Kristen Meadows) and character drove me nuts.

The only bright spot the last year or so on SB for me was Nina Arveson's Angela & her romances with Warren and especially Ted. Too bad both were dropped, and Arveson didn't even appear in the final episode.

Also, Eileen Davidson made a most atrocious Kelly those last years. In my opinion, she was the WORST re-cast of all-time, for any soap. I remember her chasing Cruz's plane, screaming & crying & begging for him to come back as he flew off to parts unknown I swear to you, Davidson didn't really find her groove until she the second 1/2 of her stint on DAYS. Anything before then she was awful IMO.

I didn't watch SB much after the early 90's, but I just watch Marcy Walker's last episode as Eden. When did she leave the show? That had to be the worse ending for such a beloved actress and character that I've ever seen. If Days did that now to Jennifer, I would quit watching the show. Did the writers totally ruin the character of Eden at the end? I just can't get over that they wrote out her character that way.

Cat,

Thanks for the pic.. brought back such wonderful memories..

I was such a huge Cruz & Eden fan..

Nancy Lee Grahn is beautiful today as she was 20 years ago..

I miss Keith and Gina's antics

Loved the Capwell family.

Cruz & Eden remain, to this day, my favorite supercouple of all-time and their grand wedding is still my all-time favorite wedding. I've got the entire week on video tape (thank you, ebay) and I still start to tear up as soon as the wedding march plays over the opening instead of the traditional theme music.

A Martinez and Marcy Walker seemed so connected as actors, that's what made Cruz & Eden an extraordinary Supercouple. I love the cap of them kissing in the ocean -- it seems to sum up everything swoony that I remember about them.

Santa Barbara could still churn out interesting SLs in spite of adverse circumstances. During the summer of 1988 (if I recall correctly), there were these frigging Iran Contra hearings that kept pre-empting the soaps. I was, like, what the heck's this?! Despite this and a brief Screen Guild writer's strike, Santa Barbara still managed to produce the compelling Kelly & Jeffrey on the run story (which I loved), Evil Elena, Mason goes missing and Julia goes undercover as a NUN ( well, it was a soap!) to find him, only to have the hottie ex-cop priest at the convent fall in love with her. Crazy and random but well executed and so much fun.

My fave moment: when Julia gave birth to Mason's baby in his office; he kisses her and tells her "She's ours. Our little girl." Lane Davies kinda got all choked up at that bit.