Classic Soaps Santa Barbara

[thomaswak]

I am looking for some examples of characters gone, but not forgotten. Characters who died or left, but are still mentioned from time to time.
Were there any in Santa Barbara ? I know that Mary Duvall dying left with a big impact on some characters. But was she mentioned after her passing?

 

[Thinker]

Not all of his dirty dealings came to light. Gina was the only one who found out that Kirk had replaced Eden's birth control pills with dummy pills. But she never told Eden about it. Even though Kirk wasn't a drug trafficker when he was married to Eden (he would become a drug trafficker after divorcing Eden and spending some time in prison), he still had access to fake birth control pills.

I forgot to mention something. There was a scene that had Mark and Mary in it, and Mary requested that Mark write a new prescription for antibiotics for Eden. She said that Eden didn't trust the pharmacy the original prescription was written for because that's where she had gotten her birth control pills. So, it's not clear if Eden felt the pharmacy was bad or she actually suspected Kirk had done something with the pills.

 

[Monzo]

Soap Opera Digest has an eight-page feature on Santa Barbara in its January 16, 2023 issue: four-page synopsis and a four-page interview with A Martinez, in which he talks primarily about Cruz & Eden and the international success of the soap.

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

Soap Opera Digest has an eight-page feature on Santa Barbara in its January 16, 2023 issue: four-page synopsis and a four-page interview with A Martinez, in which he talks primarily about Cruz & Eden and the international success of the soap.

30 years off air this month! I can’t get my head around anniversaries like this, as it feels like some shows are only a few years ago and then I see the dates. Like, today is actually 26 years since the launch of Sunset Beach! I’m starting to feel rather old now.

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

Random question time. In Ireland and the UK, Santa Barbara always aired in a 30 minute format (including ads). Does anyone know if they just chopped the original hour long episodes in half or were they edited down versions, meaning not all of the action would have been seen?

 

[Daniel Avery]

It sounds like they would have to have done a bit of both. They would have split an episode in half, but for continuity they might have deleted some material, or perhaps shifted a scene or two into another episode. It also sounds like a logistical nightmare, and despite the effort, confusing to watch at times.

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

It sounds like they would have to have done a bit of both. They would have split an episode in half, but for continuity they might have deleted some material, or perhaps shifted a scene or two into another episode. It also sounds like a logistical nightmare, and despite the effort, confusing to watch at times.

It does sound messy. Despite probably splitting episodes in two, the Irish run mirrored the American one (1984-1993) so I can only presume we never actually reached the end of the series here (it only aired sporadically in the UK, beginning 1988). They used to split A Country Practice’s hourlong episodes into two 30 minute segments too but that was two hours a week in Australia being broadcast as 4 or 5 episodes a week here, so the series ran more or less concurrently with most of the action intact (certain stories were dropped or edited down because of the adult content).

 

[Daniel Avery]

(certain stories were dropped or edited down because of the adult content).

Oh, yeah...I forgot that aspect. SB could be very "naughty" at times (I'm reminded of Gina and Keith, Lionel and Augusta, etc.) and downright gratuitous at times (Eden being raped by her gynecologist). The censors may have helped the editing process along by having some of the innuendo and outright 'naughtiness' excised from the final half-hour episodes.

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

Oh, yeah...I forgot that aspect. SB could be very "naughty" at times (I'm reminded of Gina and Keith, Lionel and Augusta, etc.) and downright gratuitous at times (Eden being raped by her gynecologist). The censors may have helped the editing process along by having some of the innuendo and outright 'naughtiness' excised from the final half-hour episodes.

Sorry for the confusion, I was actually talking about A Country Practice being edited down because of content (it being originally aired in primetime in Australia vs daytime in Ireland and the UK). Although I wouldn’t be surprised if there were elements of Santa Barbara cut out for similar reasons, particularly on ITV. When Home and Away only hinted that Isla Fisher’s character Shannon was in a relationship with a woman, ITV cut scenes from that storyline. The result of this being Shannon appearing to have a rather sudden exit to Paris because a lot of the build up to her departure wasn’t shown on the ITV screenings.

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

I watched the 80's British film My Beautiful Launderette this weekend and after reading up on it, I found that Shirley Anne Field (Pamela Capwell Conrad #1) is one of the supporting cast. Her stint as Pamela was brief and I know that Santa Barbara were partial to recasts but I was wondering if anyone knew why she left so quickly? I found an interview where she described the show as "A graveyard for actors. Like going to the office". Did she leave of her own accord or was she sent packing to make way for the incoming Marj Dusay, who would've been a "starrier" name to US soap fans?

 

[Daniel Avery]

This was kind of fun to research.

From an interview with Bridget Dobson (in 1988):

"Jerry and I had conceived Pamela many years ago but NBC did not want us to bring on another forty-ish character. But we kept pushing because we know it could be hot stuff." Once the powers gave in, movie queen Samantha Eggar was signed, but quickly got cold feet when the rigors of daytime grind were fully explained to her. Fellow British actress Shirley Anne Field was cast instead. "She was Ann and Chuck's first choice," reports Bridget. "Marj Dusay was my choice but we cast Shirley Anne because we wanted the head writers to be excited. To me, Marj is a great beauty and seemed to be the kind of person that CC (Jed Allan) would have once been attracted to. Ann and Chuck's perceptions were not marginally different from mine - they were very different."

Ironically, Field wound up delivering a tepid, colorless performance and was given the heave-ho after three months. The replacement? Marj Dusay. Perhaps just as ironically, Dusay came on board as nothing short of brilliant with each icy line reading revealing encyclopedias full of character. Clearly, the plot possibilities were endless and the likelihood that the actress would emerge at the forefront of Santa Barbara - much as Elizabeth Hubbard rules supreme as Lucinda on As the World Turns - must have seemed delicious to loyal watchers. Guess again. Dusay was on the unemployment line before she knew what hit her and the dandy part was foolishly tossed into limbo.

I think the decision to write Pamela out was vindictive, likely because she was a character the Dobsons had created and wanted to use more.

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

Once the powers gave in, movie queen Samantha Eggar was signed

Presumably a decision had been made to have a British actress as the ex-wife a la Alexis. I’d always wondered how Field, who’d been a regular of British independent films, ended up on an American daytime soap. The explanation in the video makes sense now, regarding wanting to be close to her newfound family. I wonder what she means when she says “I could have been in it for much longer and I should’ve been”? I got the impression that she was dropped in favour of Dusay, therefore the choice to stay wasn’t really hers.

 

[Daniel Avery]

Contracts for US soap actors give the show's producers an option to fire/let the actor go when the contract hits certain calendar dates---typically every thirteen weeks, or four times per year. In short, it allows the producers the chance to get out of a contract, but not just toss someone out at any time. The actor, however, is signed for anywhere from one year to three years and they have no option to leave if they want.

The bit in the article about "getting the heave ho after three months" is an interpretation of this contract cycle. Another way of saying it would be "They fired her and recast at the very first opportunity," since 13 weeks is about three months. Her saying she "could have been there longer and should have been" is likely a reflection of having signed a three-year contract.

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

Contracts for US soap actors give the show's producers an option to fire/let the actor go when the contract hits certain calendar dates---typically every thirteen weeks, or four times per year. In short, it allows the producers the chance to get out of a contract, but not just toss someone out at any time. The actor, however, is signed for anywhere from one year to three years and they have no option to leave if they want.

The bit in the article about "getting the heave ho after three months" is an interpretation of this contract cycle. Another way of saying it would be "They fired her and recast at the very first opportunity," since 13 weeks is about three months. Her saying she "could have been there longer and should have been" is likely a reflection of having signed a three-year contract.

Thanks. The world of soap contracts often sounds as complex as some of their storylines (Beverlee McKinsey’s on Guiding Light for example).

 

[Daniel Avery]

As much as the producers would like to standardize contracts for actors, it's not fully possible since every actor has representation (agent) seeking the best deal for their client, and depending on how much the show wants a certain actor, everything is open to negotiation. If they're hiring some newbie with a thin resume, the deal is pretty standard since the actor's agent has little negotiating power. But if you're popular with fans or have some special draw, it's normal to "customize" your deal to suit your needs. Over on the GH thread I mentioned how the show has three actors who take entire summers off as part of their contract, forcing the show to come up with "excuses" for their characters' absences every year. And of course the Bev McKinsey clause is legendary not only because she got it, but got to use it in such an F-U way.

 

[whitelighter27]

I think there should've been a Santa Barbara/Falcon Crest crossover but was hoping others might have some thoughts. I envision it taking place in the spring of 1985. My ideas are:
- It'd be established that CC's mother was the older sister of Angela's late ex-husband, Douglas Channing, who owned the newspaper the San Francisco Globe.
- It could be tied in with the Amanda Lockridge treasure storyline, since around this time a crime cartel was trying to get hold of treasure buried under Falcon Crest
- It could be tied in with Amy's baby storyline since he ex-boyfriend, Jeff, lived in San Francisco and Brick went up there to investigate him. Also, the actor who played Dr. Renfro on SB appeared on Falcon Crest earlier that season as a character involved in the buried treasure storyline; perhaps this could turn out to be the same character.
- At some point Angela & Augusta would square off.

Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[AndyB2008]

Apparently the head writers wanted Fields for Pamela but Bridget Dobson wanted Dusay. I found this on another soap forum:

From a 1988 interview with Bridget:



"Jerry and I had conceived Pamela many years ago but NBC did not want us to bring on another forty-ish character. But we kept pushing because we know it could be hot stuff." Once the powers gave in, movie queen Samantha Eggar was signed, but quickly got cold feet when the rigors of daytime grind were fully explained to her. Fellow British actress Shirley Anne Field was cast instead. "She was Ann and Chuck's first choice," reports Bridget. "Marj Dusay was my choice but we cast Shirley Anne because we wanted the head writers to be excited. To me, Marj is a great beauty and seemed to be the kind of person that CC (Jed Allan) would have once been attracted to. Ann and Chuck's perceptions were not marginally different from mine - they were very different."



Ironically, Field wound up delivering a tepid, colorless performance and was given the heave-ho after three months. The replacement? Marj Dusay. Perhaps just as ironically, Dusay came on board as nothing short of brilliant with each icy line reading revealing encyclopedias full of character. Clearly, the plot possibilities were endless and the likelihood that the actress would emerge at the forefront of Santa Barbara - much as Elizabeth Hubbard rules supreme as Lucinda on As the World Turns - must have seemed delicious to loyal watchers. Guess again. Dusay was on the unemployment line before she knew what hit her and the dandy part was foolishly tossed into limbo.



Dusay lasted only until the summer of 1988, then returned for a week in March 1991. When SB was canceled, she had this to say about the experience:



"I always thought Santa Barbara was a very good show and liked the work on it. But when I went in it seemed to be just going to hell in a hand basket. I truly believe they had their problems within the show, and they just more or less hired me to get rid of the character. Pamela was the baby of the Dobsons, and when they had their struggle [with NBC, which resulted in their outster from the series they had created] somebody had to take it over, and by then the character couldn't go anyplace. It evidently was so much politics, and if I had known that it would have helped me feel a lot better. I thought Pamela was going to be a wonderful character, and she might have been had the Dobsons stayed. It felt good to return, because there was something of real substance for me to play, and I was much more comfortable. I liked the way the Dobsons brought Pamela back and where she was coming from. It's a shame the show was canceled and I'm sorry for all my buddies there."

Of course the head writers (not the Dobsons) wanted Samantha Eggar to play Pamela to begin with, until she realised it wasn't going to be like Walk Don't Run, Dr Doolittle or The Collector, as daytime soaps were different production wise.

 

[ClassyCo]

'Santa Barbara' Episodes May See Light of Day Yet; Will the Beloved Soap Opera Come to Streaming? https://michaelfairmantv.com/santa-...will-soap-opera-come-to-streaming/2024/06/22/

 

[Jason73]

'Santa Barbara' Episodes May See Light of Day Yet; Will the Beloved Soap Opera Come to Streaming? https://michaelfairmantv.com/santa-...will-soap-opera-come-to-streaming/2024/06/22/

I saw this and I'm trying really hard not to get my hopes up, but it would be so amazing if this happened. I'm having the hardest time finding full episodes in English on Youtube anymore. I would subscribe to whatever platform ended up streaming it.

I really want Peacock to put classic Days on their platform. Who is gatekeeping all these classic soaps? I know there isn't a lot pre-80s because of wiping but I'll take anything that's not current and in any condition. It seems like even making a little money off of these would be better than making no money. Is it that costly to upload them onto a streaming service?

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

A show with some great cast members

Robin Mattson, Lane Davies, Christopher Norris, Jed Allen, Robin Wright, Eileen Davidson,
Gordon Thomson, Terry Garber, Jon Lindstrom

A better show than so much stuff today