From J.R. Ewing And Blake Carrington to Amanda Woodward and Susan Mayer, Prime Time Soaps left us with some memorable characters.
By Lucie M. Winborne, ReMIND Magazine
When soap operas made their mark on the evening airwaves, they retained every bit of their daytime counterparts’ nail-biting drama. Here we look at a few of prime time’s most famous soaps.
Dallas
Oh, those oil-rich, feuding Ewings! Set on the Southfork cattle ranch, which is still a popular tourist destination, Dallas began with a focus on Bobby (Patrick Duffy) and Pamela Ewing (Victoria Principal). But scheming J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman), Bobby’s swaggering brother, gradually stole the spotlight, and was the only character to appear in every episode. Anchored by Barbara Bel Geddes as matriarch Miss Ellie and Jim Davis as rugged patriarch Jock, the series was famous for its “Who Shot J.R.?” cliffhanger and Duffy’s “dreamy” return, winning four Emmys and landing onTime magazine’s list of “All-TIME 100 TV Shows.” The series ran for 14 seasons from 1978 to 1991.
Knots Landing
Though David Jacobs pitched it to CBS a year before creating Dallas, Knots Landing finally made it to the air as a Dallas spinoff, centering on Ewing family black sheep Gary (Ted Shackelford), his new wife Valene (Joan Van Ark) and their lusty neighbors in the fictional California cul-de-sac Seaview Circle. Though the series, like plenty of other nighttime soaps, was fraught with behind-the-scenes drama, Knots Landing lasted 14 seasons, bolstered by a top-notch cast and plenty of Dallas crossover appearances, including Patrick Duffy’s Bobby Ewing, Larry Hagman’s J.R. Ewing, Charlene Tilton as
Gary and Valene’s daughter Lucy Ewing, and Mary Crosby as Kristin Shepherd.
Dynasty
We all know that the wealthy aren’t like the rest of us … they’re larger than life! Like Denver’s Carrington clan, headed by oil tycoon Blake (John Forsythe). Marrying his secretary, Krystle (Linda Evans), didn’t sit well with either her ex-lover Matthew Blaisdel (Bo Hopkins) or Blake’s spoiled, promiscuous daughter Fallon (Pamela Sue Martin), nor did it sit especially well with Blake that his son Steven (played by Al Corley, and later Jack Coleman) was gay. When the silver-haired patriarch accidentally killed Steven’s former lover and was tried for murder, who showed up to testify against him but his devious ex, Alexis Carrington (the delicious Joan Collins)? And that was just the first season. Initially derided as a Dallas clone, Dynasty’s highly campy plots and over-the-top fashions were on par with Dallas for the coveted spot of No. 1 TV show in the U.S. and inspired the spinoff series The Colbys.
Peyton Place
When producer Paul Monash decided to bring a scandalous novel by Grace Metalious to prime time TV, he preferred to call his new show a “high-class anthology drama.” The series adapted plots from both the book and the 1957 film of the same name while altering certain details and updating the unnamed state to present-day Massachusetts. And while some of the more salacious storylines were toned down, there was still enough double-dealing, adultery, teen pregnancy, hidden paternity and murder to keep things spicily controversial. The series aired from 1964 to 1969 and actually started in black and white, before turning to color in 1966.
Falcon Crest
The campy younger sib of Dallas and Dynasty, Falcon Crest was created by The Waltons’ Earl Hamner Jr. Debuting in December 1981 and centered on a family of feuding wine magnates, the drama marked glamorous Hollywood golden girl (and former Mrs. Ronald Reagan) Jane Wyman’s return to a starring role on series television after nearly a quarter century and augmented a young Lorenzo Lamas’ heartthrob status. As notorious for Wyman’s offscreen feuds with the show’s writers and her castmates,Falcon Crest also starred Susan Sullivan, Mel Ferrer, Celeste Holm, Robert Foxworth, Margaret Ladd and Morgan Fairchild.
Melrose Place
A spinoff from Beverly Hills, 90210 executive producer Aaron Spelling was the uber-popular Melrose Place, which followed a group of young adults living in the same apartment complex (4616 Melrose Place). They survived everything from bankruptcy and drug addiction to impotence and helicopter crashes, AND even being buried alive, but at least they were young, fit and genetically blessed. The series made stars out of its cast, and Heather Locklear, who first appeared in Season 1 as a special guest star, defined what a bitch of a boss could be with her character Amanda Woodward. Locklear continued with the series until its final episode in May 1999. Noteworthy for featuring one of network TV’s first gay characters, the show wrapped after seven seasons since, according to producer Carol Mendelsohn, “You could not believe after seven years these people, who had actually attained some stature in their careers and had some money, were living in that building.”
Desperate Housewives
Like Peyton Place, everyday life in the suburbs wasn’t as picture-perfect as it might seem for divorcée Susan Mayer (Teri Hatcher), Martha Stewart clone Bree (Marcia Cross — former Melrose star), ex-model Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) and frazzled mom Lynette (Felicity Huffman), friends whose world is rocked by the suicide of friend and neighbor (and series narrator) Mary Alice (Brenda Strong). While the tragic reason for Mary Alice’s untimely demise is revealed in the first season, things only escalated as the ladies of Wisteria Lane both humorously and movingly navigated all manner of secrets and lies (and occasional crimes) along with the normal ups and downs of domestic life. It also starred Nicollette Sheridan of Knots Landing fame.
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