Classic Soaps Santa Barbara

Jason73

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I've been enjoying watching episodes of Another World from 1980 so much that I decided why not just fully immerse myself in 80's soap heaven and started watching episodes of Santa Barbara as well. I started with the first episode of the show, circa 1984.

I've never seen the first year or so of the soap. I started watching in 85, I think, after it had been on for about a year. I then watched it until it's cancellation. It's fun seeing these episodes for the first time.

Some first impressions:

Five episodes in and so far there is no Eden, Cruz, Lionel, Julia or Gina. I think that Cruz is the first of those key characters to turn up. I didn't realize Eden wasn't in it from the very beginning.

The current C.C. is the first of three. We are two recasts away from Jed Allen--the quintessential C.C. I'm not liking the original C.C. and hope he gets recast soon.

The original Santana is way more glamorous than the Gina Gallego version that I am used to from my first watch. I'm liking this original version so far, though I prefer Gallego's pill popping, Eden hating, Cruz loving, train wreck version that is to come. Santana has been featured a lot so far. The majority of the plot in these early episodes revolves around the fact that Capwell golden boy, Channing, was supposedly murdered by Joe Perkins. Santana had a secret baby with Channing that C.C. convinced her to give up for adoption and now she's regretting that. I know that Santana's son is actually with Gina who ends up marrying C.C. I can't wait for Gina to turn up. The original version of Gina is played by Linda Gibboney and while Robin Mattson owns the role, I really enjoyed Gibboney's take too.

The teen storyline with Ted Capwell, Santana's brother Danny and Lockridge daughter Laken is the worst part of the show so far. Their story revolves around trying to get a job in Hollywood. It's just dull. I'd forgotten that Missy Reeves was on SB as Jade Perkins, right before she joined Days. I think Jade ends up accidentally making a porno or something like that.

I love Lane Davies and Mason right out of the gate. He was always a favorite of mine. He's currently involved in some sort of cat and mouse game with Santana but I'm not really sure why.

My favorite storyline so far is the star crossed romance featuring Joe Perkins and Kelly Capwell. Joe has been in jail (wrongfully, he insists) for murdering Channing Capwell. His former girlfriend, Kelly, was the one who discovered him standing over the body and testified against him. Joe is released from prison and returns to Santa Barbara determined to find Channing's real murderer and win back Kelly. Dane Witherspoon (Joe) is BEAUTIFUL and also a great actor and Robin Wright (not Penn yet) is luminous and a wonderful actress right from the start. So far it's been a lot of Kelly feeling conflicted about her feelings for Joe and remembering the good times they had, and Joe trying to meet up with Kelly and remembering the good times they had. There's lots of longing stares and 80's power ballads and it's sucked me right in. Kelly is currently engaged to Peter Flint, who hasn't turned into the Carnation Killer yet. Joe is being aided in his quest to find Channing's real killer by the shadowy Dominick---who is going to turn out to be Sophia Capwell in disguise, the presumed dead mother of Ted, Kelly and Eden and C.C.'s ex-wife. (I also think Sophia is Channing's real killer, so I'm not really sure why she's helping Joe . . .)

I'm not sure how far into the series these episodes go. I know there are at least the first 100 episodes. I'd love it if was able to rewatch the storyline that got me hooked on the show: Gina (married to C.C.) disguising herself as Eden and framing Eden for pulling the plug on a comatose C.C.'s life support machines.
 
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Emelee

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Aaaaa, good memories. I've only seen about 1 or 1,5 year of SB - 1984 and 1985. Then they stopped the reruns. :( But I got to fall in love with Mason, Lionel & Augusta. My top trio of SB. And I remember how much I detested CC for how he treated Mason. :censer:
 

Michael Torrance

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Santa Barbara started rather slow, and it was at its creative peak during 1985 and 1986, when Mary-Ellis Bunim was at the helm as executive producer with the Dobsons in charge. Some of the most memorable storylines are from that era, like the one mentioned of CC in a coma and Gina framing Eden for it. Then in 1986 Mary Duvall appears as a nurse for CC and becomes a couple with Mason, Mary's ex shows up and rapes her, Kelley is accused of the murder of Dylan Hartley and can be exonerated with a videotape which again Gina ends up in possession of, and Cruz and Eden are the show's super-couple from different social strata. The show suffers then from a couple of mishaps, one it could not control (Robin Wright's absence due to filming The Princess Bride) and one it could, killing Mary off so it could push Julia and Mason together.
 

Jason73

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I really like this first Santana. She's feisty and smart and sort of the complete opposite of the later Santana's . The actress reminds me of a beautiful telenovela star. The C.C./Channing/Gina/Brandon/Santana story drives so much story on the show over the years and it's fun to watch how it all originally unfolded.


I'm fast-forwarding all the teen scenes and I'm considering skipping ahead a few episodes--maybe to Gina's debut.

Cruz has turned up. He's not a cop. He's working for C.C. as some sort of fixer. I'm not really clear about exactly what he's doing. There's quite a bit of chemistry between Cruz and this original Santana.

I forgot how much of a hunk the original Warren was and he really comes across as Nicolas Costers's son.
 

Zable

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I really like this first Santana. She's feisty and smart and sort of the complete opposite of the later Santana's.
So do I: my absolute favourite of the four; never understood why the others were so unlike her, almost as if they didn't want her character to be identified as one half of a supercouple. I rooted for Mason and Santana, mourned them, and pined for (the dark-haired) Ava Lazar. Hated the Julia-Mason coupling & loathed the CC-Santana pairing with a vengeance -- it was yucky parcelling her among sons & father.
 
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Gabriele

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I.live.in.Italy.Here.Santa.Barbara.was.a.very.fanous.show
I.like.in.the.biginning
It.was.a.different.show.
I.would.like.to.see.the.old.episodes,but,Youtube.deleted.the.show
 

Emelee

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So do I: my absolute favourite of the four; never understood why the others were so unlike her, almost as if they didn't want her character to be identified as one half of a supercouple. I rooted for Mason and Santana, mourned them, and pined for (the dark-haired) Ava Lazar. Hated the Julia-Mason coupling & loathed the CC-Santana pairing with a vengeance -- it was yucky parcelling her among sons & father.

I too rooted for Mason & Santana!
 

Jason73

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I'm watching on Youtube. I just searched "Santa Barbara full episodes 1984" and found a playlist. The episodes I am watching are in English with Spanish subtitles. Every once in a while the audio will lapse into French for a couple of seconds.
 

Jason73

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I didn't realize there were four different C.C.'s. I thought there were just three. I'm currently on C.C. number 2 and he's awful. C.C. should be imposing and domineering and this actor is nowhere close to either of those things. I know I've got a while until Jed Allen takes over the role--because he takes over while C.C. is in a coma--but hopefully C.C. number three shows up soon.

Gina has finally turned up! I had forgotten that she's introduced as a friend of Kelly's. I do think I remember that being mentioned once or twice later on when things get antagonistic between Gina and the Capwells.

It's taking forever to get to the bottom of the Channing murder mystery. But . . . Joe is so fun to look at that I don't mind too much that it is dragging out. He finally has Kelly willing to consider that he might be innocent of shooting Channing. As Kelly's relationship with Peter continues to deteriorate, I am just waiting for Peter to snap and start murdering some of these boring blondes on the show right now.

Eden arrives in seven episodes.

Still surprised by how much rooting value I am finding in Santana. She's practically the leading lady in the beginning of the series. She's currently bouncing between Mason, Cruz and C.C. It's a shame the writers weren't able to maintain this version of Santana as a heroine. She would have been an interesting contrast with the Capwell heroines as the series progressed.
 
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Michael Torrance

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Gina has finally turned up! I had forgotten that she's introduced as a friend of Kelly's. I do think I remember that being mentioned once or twice later on when things get antagonistic between Gina and the Capwells.

Although Gina herself was also played by two different actresses, with Robin Mattson becoming the quintessential Gina.
 

Jason73

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Although Gina herself was also played by two different actresses, with Robin Mattson becoming the quintessential Gina.

Mattson owns the role as far as I am concerned but I also really love Gibboney's take on Gina too and I've been looking forward to rewatching her time on the show. When I watched originally back in the 80's Gibboney was still in the role as, just like C.C., Gina switches faces during the C.C. in a coma storyline. She's so delicate and angelic looking which makes for a fun contrast when she really starts scheming. There's just something about Gibboney's mannerisms and vocal inflections that I find really watchable.
 

Michael Torrance

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Mattson owns the role as far as I am concerned but I also really love Gibboney's take on Gina too and I've been looking forward to rewatching her time on the show. When I watched originally back in the 80's Gibboney was still in the role as, just like C.C., Gina switches faces during the C.C. in a coma storyline. She's so delicate and angelic looking which makes for a fun contrast when she really starts scheming. There's just something about Gibboney's mannerisms and vocal inflections that I find really watchable.

I have never liked the switcheroo soaps play with actors, even since Jack Coleman replaced Al Corley.

On daytime I hate the "new direction" excuse when they just fire an actor/actress even though still available. B&B has gone through four Thornes now, with Ingo Rademacher currently departing, and every time lazy writing/directing is attributed to the actor. Then again, their new Ridge can act more with his little finger than Ronn Moss with his whole emaciated body and face.

When I was watching Santa Barbara in the 80s, I hated the change of Gina, but pretty soon I came to enjoy Robin Mattson. Santa Barbara was really notorious with the recasts: four Santanas, four CCs, four Kellys, three Masons, three Lakens, three Warrens, and more characters with at least two people in the role. For a 9-year old soap, it was ludicrous. But some recasts were for the better, like CC/Jed Allen you mentioned.

I do wonder why the Dobsons stepped down as head writers in 1987: the show was one of its kind when they were in charge, and while for some mysterious reasons they were winning all these awards from 1988-1990 (when the ratings were dropping precipitously), I think the Dobson era is what most people remember as Santa Barbara.
 
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Emelee

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This CC was great:



He played him so assholey that I hated CC with a passion!!!!
 

Daniel Avery

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I do wonder why the Dobsons stepped down as head writers in 1987
Though I was not paying close attention at the time, I do recall most of the soap press referring to the Dobsons being "locked out" of Santa Barbara, as if their departure was NOT voluntary. I'm sure the real story is out there on the internet somewhere. I seem to recall problems over ownership of the series....?
Hit me up when Rick Edwards hits the scene. I definitely remember his time on SB--I think he was instrumental in jump-starting my puberty. :10:
 
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Jason73

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The Dobsons were fired and locked out of the show. They settled in court and returned a few years later. Their return lasted about a year and then they left again. Then Pam Long took over until the end. I didn't care for most of the changes Long made, but then, Santa Barbara's best days were pretty much behind it by the late 80's.


Santa Barbara was really notorious with the recasts: four Santanas, four CCs, four Kellys, three Masons, three Lakens, three Warrens, and more characters with at least two people in the role. For a 9-year old soap, it was ludicrous. But some recasts were for the better, like CC/Jed Allen you mentioned.

It's insane how many recasts happened during SB's short run. The other thing I think SB did to its detriment was bring in a new crop of supporting characters, put them in a bunch of story for a year or so, then write most of them out and repeat. They never really gave any of the non-Capwell families much time to develop.

This CC was great:



He played him so assholey that I hated CC with a passion!!!!

I think he was in a coma by the time I started watching, so I am looking forward to seeing what he's like. Anyone will be better than the current actor who just comes across as somebody's grumpy grandpa.

Hit me up when Rick Edwards hits the scene. I definitely remember his time on SB--I think he was instrumental in jump-starting my puberty.

I liked Rick and Hayley. Meanwhile my SB crush from my teenage years--Brick--just started in the episodes I am watching.

 

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The other thing I think SB did to its detriment was bring in a new crop of supporting characters, put them in a bunch of story for a year or so, then write most of them out and repeat. They never really gave any of the non-Capwell families much time to develop.

Heck, replace "Capwell" with "Forrester" and this sentence could describe The Bold and the Beautiful during the past ten years or so.
 

Michael Torrance

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Heck, replace "Capwell" with "Forrester" and this sentence could describe The Bold and the Beautiful during the past ten years or so.

B&B can be maddening at times with what they are doing to characters, even Forresters (look at Thorne). But I like that 32 years later, the three core families the show started with, The Forresters, The Logans, and The Spencers, are still the main protagonists. Also how they continue some feuds in the next generation--aka Taylor vs. Brooke with Stefffy Vs. Hope. My biggest complaint is how Bradley Bell took his father's creation of Brooke Logan, a chemist who was infatuated with Ridge and created a product that was supposed to have revolutionized the fashion industry, and turned her into this airhead bombshell blonde who can hardly boil water.
 

Emelee

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B&B can be maddening at times with what they are doing to characters, even Forresters (look at Thorne). But I like that 32 years later, the three core families the show started with, The Forresters, The Logans, and The Spencers, are still the main protagonists. Also how they continue some feuds in the next generation--aka Taylor vs. Brooke with Stefffy Vs. Hope. My biggest complaint is how Bradley Bell took his father's creation of Brooke Logan, a chemist who was infatuated with Ridge and created a product that was supposed to have revolutionized the fashion industry, and turned her into this airhead bombshell blonde who can hardly boil water.

Spectras were brought in 2 years after the series started, and kind of died with Darlene Conley. However, I hear the "new" Sally Spectra is somewhat popular. Maybe more so without the dead-weight of the others in the Spectra group?
 

Michael Torrance

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Spectras were brought in 2 years after the series started, and kind of died with Darlene Conley. However, I hear the "new" Sally Spectra is somewhat popular. Maybe more so without the dead-weight of the others in the Spectra group?

They were brought back for a nostalgia factor, but only Darlene Corley could pull off the kind of comedy her character required. The current actress playing her granddaughter (named also Sally Spectra) caught a bad break, because just as she was going to be involved in a storyline with Thomas, the actor left. And then she was going to be paired with Liam, but Bradley Bell (correctly) decided that it was more effective to bring back Hope and resurrect the rivalry with Steffy.
 
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