In the Spotlight with.. Angela Channing

[Angela Channing]

Hey @pete lashmar, thanks for your questions:

46. Can I ask if you actually like wine, and, if so, what is/are your favourite(s)? @pete lashmar
I don't really drink wine that much, when I do drink alcohol I prefer beer but these days I'm mostly teetotal. When I do drink wine, like the real Angela, I like cabernet sauvignon but quality wine is wasted on me as I can't tell the difference between an expensive bottle and the cheapest supermarket own brand wine.

47. Also, as a savoury person (I am too), what would your stay in and watch a good film consist of as far as drinks and snacks are concerned? @pete lashmar
I'm easily please and would be happy with a can of Pepsi Max and a packet of honey roasted peanuts. I also like prawn cocktail crisps and salted popcorn.

48. What would be the first thing you'd buy after a jackpot lottery win? @pete lashmar
I would definitely move house and buy something bigger and closer to the centre of London, maybe somewhere in Marylebone or even Mayfair.

 

[Barbara Fan]

Thank you @Angela Channing for all your great answers

England certainly put fans thro the mill at Football - I almost cant bear penalty shoot outs = and i say that as someone who has 50 % English blood coursing thro my veins!! (Gave up on Scottish football - RIP - a very long time ago, its so amatuer)

I loved to watch Gazza play, he was huge here and loved at Rangers, such a talent, could change a game with a touch of the ball and i still rewatch his Euro 96 goal against Scotland but like so many great players had his demons, sad really

Another few questions.............

What advice would you give your 13 year old self?

What is the best concert you have ever been to ?

And who would you like to have seen but never had the opportunity or they have passed away?

Thanks BF xx

 

[pete lashmar]

Thanks for all your answers @Angela Channing - you're obviously a big football fan, do you watch many sport related films/documentaries, and if so which one(s) have impressed and/or surprised you the most?

 

[Angela Channing]

Thank you @Angela Channing for all your great answers

England certainly put fans thro the mill at Football - I almost cant bear penalty shoot outs = and i say that as someone who has 50 % English blood coursing thro my veins!! (Gave up on Scottish football - RIP - a very long time ago, its so amatuer)

I loved to watch Gazza play, he was huge here and loved at Rangers, such a talent, could change a game with a touch of the ball and i still rewatch his Euro 96 goal against Scotland but like so many great players had his demons, sad really

Gazza's decline is a tragedy. He was the star of the 1990 World Cup when England got the the semi-finals (and lost an agonising penalty shoot out) and during that period he was one of the most beloved footballers in the country. The most iconic image of the entire World Cup was him crying after being booked and it dawned on him that if England went through he couldn't play in the final. It's sad to see how alcoholism has made him a shadow of his former self but nothing can take away the memories of his brilliance when he played in an England shirt.

 

[Angela Channing]

49. What advice would you give your 13 year old self? @Barbara Fan
I think the best advice is summed up by the Linda Creed lyrics in the The Greatest Love of All, and that is "learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all". I didn't like myself very much when I was 13 because I was painfully shy which stopped me from doing so many things. Looking back, I was actually quite a nice guy but I judged myself purely on my inability to feel comfortable in social situations instead of focussing at all the things I was good at. So I would tell my 13 year old self not to worry about how other people see me, just do you best, be a good person and get out there and enjoy yourself.

50. What is the best concert you have ever been to ? @Barbara Fan
Probably Lady Gaga at the O2 in 2011 as part of her Monster Ball Tour. I wasn't a massive fan of hers at the time but I really like her album The Fame Monster and on the strength of that I bought tickets for the concert. I don't think I've ever seen a performer so multitalented (singing live, dancing energetically, and playing the piano). How she effortlessly switched from doing a loud bombastic fast tempo number to a slow, quiet emotionally charged song was incredible. The staging was amazing and she performed for a long time. She completely blew me away that night.

51. And who would you like to have seen but never had the opportunity or they have passed away? @Barbara Fan
I'm not a massive jazz fan but I would say Ella Fitzgerald. The way she interpreted songs was second to none. She could make a hackneyed old song that was covered numerous times sound completely new and original. She didn't need lyrics and often would improvise and make stuff up on the spot so every concert she gave was unique and to see that live would be very special.

 

[Angela Channing]

52. You're obviously a big football fan, do you watch many sport related films/documentaries, and if so which one(s) have impressed and/or surprised you the most? @pete lashmar
I recently watched the documentary Anelka: Misunderstood which was a fascinating insight into the man who often seemed to be a disruptive player but he came across as being really likeable and quite a lovely guy which I didn't expect. I also watched The Last Dance a few months ago which was a documentary about the Chicago Bulls but focussed on Michael Jordan. I ending up not liking him very much. He was driven, focussed and determined but also selfish, arrogant and not particularly supportive of some of the people around him. I found myself liking Scottie Pippen far more than Michael Jordan after watching that documentary which did surprise me. Both were good documentary though.

The best sports film I've seen in recent years was probably Ford v Ferrari (also known as Le Mans '66 in some countries). I'm not a big fan of Formula 1, in fact I find it a bit boring at times, but this was a good film which was more about rivalry and how to win rather than the sport itself. My favourite sports film is the Rocky series (including both of the Creed films) with the exception of the truly ghastly Rocky V.

 

[Gioberti84]

Hi @Gioberti84, how are you? Thanks for your question:

45. Have you seen the unaired FC predecessor "The Vintage Years", posted online? @Gioberti84
Yes, I have, I saw it for the first time around 2 years ago. They recycled the storyline for the plot of an episode in season 1 but it was very different. Angela looked like my current avatar: she wore a grey wig and wore cardigans and everyone called her "Angie". I much prefer how she was portrayed once the full series went ahead. It was interesting to see how the series was originally planned to look and the producers clearly learned a lot from the pilot because the changes they made to how the series finally looked were an improvement.

What did you think of it?

I'm good thanks! Hoping you are fine too. I think parts of TVY were incorporated into episode 4 but I understand why the pilot was tweaked to become what we know as Falcon Crest. Chase and Maggie in TVY were just not convincing enough to be involved in a power struggle with Angela and Jane's grey wig had to go. Then there was Dorcas.

 

[Angela Channing]

I'm good thanks! Hoping you are fine too. I think parts of TVY were incorporated into episode 4 but I understand why the pilot was tweaked to become what we know as Falcon Crest. Chase and Maggie in TVY were just not convincing enough to be involved in a power struggle with Angela and Jane's grey wig had to go. Then there was Dorcas.

I'm great, enjoying being in the spotlight.

Apparently, Jane Wyman said to the producers she was old and the viewers knew she is old so she doesn't need to wear a grey wig to show her character was meant to be old.

As well as Julia having a different name In The Vintage Years Chao-Li also had a name change. He was originally called Lee Fong which seemed like a clichéd name for an East Asian American so switching it to the actor's real name was a good move.

I didn't mind the original Maggie but the original Chase was terrible.

 

[Michelle Stevens]

Hello again Angela. Any plans for another round of World Cup of Soaps in 2021?

 

[Angela Channing]

53. Hello again Angela. Any plans for another round of World Cup of Soaps in 2021? @Michelle Stevens
I had planned to do one this year but I got completely side tracked by the covid-19 lockdown. Maybe next year, either Dallas supporting characters or end of cliffhangers of all the major soaps, I've not decided yet.

 

[Sarah]

3Hi @Angela Channing -

1. I know I've teased you about it in the past, but that day you were out running and saw Larry Hagman in London ( and didn't stop!) , what were your thoughts? Did your heart leap? And would you have stopped your run had it been Jane Wyman??

2. Who did you prefer meeting - me or Melinda Messenger?

3. What were your thoughts when no one showed up at The Defectors Weld?

4. Do you enjoy living in a big city like London?

 

[Englishboy]

Hi @Angela Channing

Thank you for taking time out to answer these questions.

1. Who do you regard as Britain's greatest post war Prime Minister and why?

2. If you were to be elected as Britain's Prime Minister tomorrow what are the first 5 policies you would implement in your new role?

3. Do you post on any other forums outside of tellytalk.net?

 

[Angela Channing]

Hi @Sarah, thanks for your questions.

54. I know I've teased you about it in the past, but that day you were out running and saw Larry Hagman in London ( and didn't stop!) , what were your thoughts? Did your heart leap? And would you have stopped your run had it been Jane Wyman?? @Sarah
For those that don't know the story, many years ago when I was training for the London Marathon, I was running through London near Buckingham Palace when I ran past a couple who looked familiar. I turned around and it was Larry and Maj Hagman. By then I had already passed them and I was trying to complete my run within a specific time so I just kept on running.

To be honest, it was nice to see them but I have no regrets about stopping. They seemed to be enjoying their walk and I think they might not have appreciated being bothered. I just thought to myself "there's Larry Hagman" and that was it. I wasn't even especially excited. Had I been walking, I would have said "Hi Mr Hagman, Mrs Hagman" and seen what response I got and based what I did next on how they reacted. Had it been Jane Wyman in exactly the same situation I would have done the same.

55. Who did you prefer meeting - me or Melinda Messenger? @Sarah
I'm sure Melinda Messenger is a lovely person but I'm not sure what her talent is beyond baring her breasts so I was totally indifferent about meeting Melinda Messenger although I did approach her after the show to say hi (I was at a recording of the TV show Loose Lips). I was far more excited to meet you because it was the first time I met someone from this forum and we used to have so impassioned discussions (even arguments) on here about Sue Ellen so I curious to see what you were like in real life. I thought you were charming (as was Melinda Messenger).

56. What were your thoughts when no one showed up at The Defectors Weld? @Sarah
Was that the pub we all agreed to meet in after Wogan Now and Then? I don't remember the name of the place. I went in a looked around and didn't see anyone that looked like they were forum members, although other than you I didn't know what anyone looked like. I left and walked around the area thinking I had the wrong venue and there must have been another pub with the same name close by. When I couldn't find one, I went back and looked around inside again but still didn't see anyone. I bought a half pint, sat somewhere prominent near the door and waited while reading the Evening Standard. After about half an hour I realised no one else was going to turn up so I left. I was disappointed but not overly concerned,

57. Do you enjoy living in a big city like London? @Sarah
Yes, I've lived here all my life and I still love it. I visited some great cities around the world but London is still my favourite city, London is big but different areas have a completely different look and feel so it's like several different cities rolled into one. There's always things to do, places to explore and people to meet so it's hard to get bored here.

 

[Angela Channing]

Hey @Englishboy, how are you? Thanks for posing some questions for me.

58. Who do you regard as Britain's greatest post war Prime Minister and why? @Englishboy
Clement Atlee. In terms of leaving a lasting legacy that has change the UK for the better and continues to do so it's hard to match the achievements of Atlee. The creation of the National Health Service, a comprehensive system of social security, compulsory free secondary education for all, a massive house building programme which enabled millions of people to have high quality homes and oversaw a period of virtually full employment were just a few of his successes.

59. If you were to be elected as Britain's Prime Minister tomorrow what are the first 5 policies you would implement in your new role? @Englishboy

• climate change is the key and most urgent issue facing humankind so I would set a target of 10 years to make the UK carbon neutral and achieve this by investing in wind and solar energy, investing in public transport, subsidy of electric cars. I would also increase tax on polluting cars. The investment would pay for itself in the long term because renewable energy will be cheaper and cleaner than fossil fuels.
• end poverty pay by increasing the minimum wage to at least £10 for all workers (probably more), including those under 24, and end zero hour contracts.
• Tax top earners to provide funds to invest in the NHS and to introduce a comprehensive national social care service
• Build more council houses and scrap right to buy
• introduce a guaranteed minimum income to end poverty

60. Do you post on any other forums outside of tellytalk.net? @Englishboy
Yes, I post on Digitalspy forums (TV, films and other entertainment), XDA forums (android and tech) and Naked Science Forum (science discussion) but not as much as on here.

 

[James from London]

This has been a very enjoyable thread and I’ve finally thought of a question! I’ve noticed you have an interestingly eclectic taste in music, Angela. Was music a bit part of your upbringing and in what way? Where you influenced by your parents’ and siblings’ tastes in music? How do you think your relationship to music changed over the years?

 

[Angela Channing]

Hey @James from London, how are you? Thanks for your question.

61. I’ve noticed you have an interestingly eclectic taste in music, Angela. Was music a bit part of your upbringing and in what way? @James from London
Yes, I do have a very eclectic taste in music. I have a playlist on my phone which I listen to regularly which includes songs by Bob Dylan, Ella Fitzgerald, Peter, Paul and Mary, The Manic Street Preachers, Peter Tosh, The Chemical Brothers, Diana Ross, Elvis, Jean Michelle Jarre, Lady Gaga, and Jacques Brel amongst many others. I'm not sure where my wide taste in music came from because it wasn't a big part in my upbringing. We had an old record player which I only remember as being broken and there were greater financial priorities than buying a new one so the only music I heard was on the radio or singing in church. There was a pile a records belonging to my parents that never got played but I remembered some of the artists and when I started buying music I bought some of their albums which is how I was introduced to the music of The Platters, Ella Fitzgerald, Elvis and Ray Charles.

There weren't as many radio stations when I was young just the BBC ones and a few commercial stations but it felt like I listened to them all as we didn't have any loyalty to any one station so maybe that was how I got exposed to a wide range of music.

62. Where you influenced by your parents’ and siblings’ tastes in music? @James from London
I wasn't heavily influence by my parents' musical choices when I was young but that changed completely when I got to my 20s. I was however heavily influence my by brother who liked bands like Madness, The Specials and The Pretenders and my sisters who liked Abba. My mother was a Motown fan. I recall buying my mother a Diana Ross Greatest Hits album as a Christmas present as she was a fan but I ending up playing it more than she did as the music was so good and she remains my favourite artist of all time to this day. That album was my gateway to Motown, especially Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops and the incredible Tammi Terrell, and I still listen to their music all the time.

63. How do you think your relationship to music changed over the years? @James from London
I kind of touched on this in my previous answer. When I was young I mostly liked the music that was in the charts but as I got older I broadened my tastes and started to listen to a lot more music from the 1950s and 1960s. I also got into world music, especially music from France (I really like Jacques Brel, Charles Trenet and Michel Legrand). I listen to a lot more music now than I did 20 years ago mainly because I have so much of it on my phone which is always with me.

 

[Jock Og]

I know you have a particular fondness for the Greek billionaire Peter Stavros, during the nine seasons of FALCON CREST. The debonair gent injected quite a bit of middle eighties, to give the show a fresh impetus. However I always thought Peter had things too plain sailing, for most of his time. Should Angela have let the mast down quicker, despite the Peter vs Angela showdown over Kit's (Skylar) identity reveal storyline being a fantastic scene.

Sofia was like the long lost woman of the 'A-Team' and Eric put money the wrong way, to our eyes. Imho they needed Anthony Quinn as Peter's long lost brother, to outdo Peter. Alas the show changed hands and unfortunately Jeff didn't continue with this season 5 loose end. How would you have envisaged an Anthony Quinn FALCON CREST season 6?

N.B. didn't know you lost your father, mother and sister, during my 20 years of oil barons / soap chat / telly talk. So sad! You are in my thoughts tonight.


Lance and Melissa's wedding reception is happening. Many neighbouring vintners including other business people are attending. Peter and Angela have a difference of opinion and then he raises his voice, (a scene from season 6, 1986 - '87):

Angela: "Do you realise how far your voice can carry?"

Peter: "Around the world Angela Channing Stavros and don't you forget it!"

 

[Angela Channing]

Hey @Jock Og , thanks for your questions.

64. I know you have a particular fondness for the Greek billionaire Peter Stavros, during the nine seasons of FALCON CREST. The debonair gent injected quite a bit of middle eighties, to give the show a fresh impetus. However I always thought Peter had things too plain sailing, for most of his time. Should Angela have let the mast down quicker, despite the Peter vs Angela showdown over Kit's (Skylar) identity reveal storyline being a fantastic scene? @Jock Og
Peter Stavros was one of my favourite characters for several reasons but mainly because I just thought Cesar Romero was a jaw-droppingly good actor. I had only ever previously seen him as Joker in the TV series Batman and so I had a limited idea of his acting range. He also had great chemistry in Angela and their relationship was one of equals, unlike her other marriages where you always felt she was the one calling the shots. I liked that there was tension between them and at times and they didn't fully trust each other because that edge to their relationship was what made it interesting and that brings me to the answer to your question. Angela generally acted out of affection, respect and love for Peter and I think that underpinned her actions regarding Skylar. Peter was happy mending his relationship with his daughter, so much so that even when he found out she was an imposter, that didn't change his view of Skylar. It was important for him to make good on his past bad parenting and Angela couldn't take that away from him.

65. Imho they needed Anthony Quinn as Peter's long lost brother, to outdo Peter. Alas the show changed hands and unfortunately Jeff didn't continue with this season 5 loose end. How would you have envisaged an Anthony Quinn FALCON CREST season 6?
It's a great shame that the planned storyline of Anthony Quinn playing Peter's brother wasn't realised. I always felt that Eric and Sophia weren't particularly interesting characters and Peter deserved better storylines outside of his relationship with Angela and his brother would have provided that. A think a storyline where the brother would wrest control of the shipping company from Peter causing Peter to use his position in Falcon Crest as a base from which to fight back. Ultimately, it would lead to Falcon Crest repaying it's gratitude to Peter for saving it for Angela which would reinforce the idea that Angela and Peter had a marriage of equals.

N.B. didn't know you lost your father, mother and sister, during my 20 years of oil barons / soap chat / telly talk. So sad! You are in my thoughts tonight.

Thanks @Jock Og, that's very kind but I'm fine. My dad died when I was in infant school, which was a very long time ago, and my mum and sister died a few years ago now and although the grief is still there, I have moved on from the worst of it.

 

[Karin Schill]

Thanks Karin.

Sadly my mother died a couple of months after my sister in what was my annus horribilis. That was 4 years ago; it was a difficult time for my family but we came through it.

I am very sorry to hear that you lost both your sister and mother in the same year. How awful for you. Sending you a

On a happier note. You mentioned that you had been a film extra, I was wondering if you could tell us a bit more about this experience?

Also which movie was it?

Finally just wanted to say what a very cool story how you passed by Larry and Maj on the street of London while you were out jogging!
It really is a small world sometimes.

 

[Angela Channing]

I am very sorry to hear that you lost both your sister and mother in the same year. How awful for you. Sending you a

Thanks. There's a time for grieving and a time to move on with your life, I'm now doing the latter.