From: marks@skat.usc.edu (Louise Marks)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv.soaps
Subject: Re: SB: Troy (was Re: SB: Supernatural experience
Date: 9 Apr 1992 14:06:59 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: skat.usc.edu

tea@cis.ksu.edu (Troy E. Anderson) writes:


>The recent de-aging of the characters in an attempt to attract younger
>viewers is bugging me, too.  For example:  Warren.  A responsible newspaper 
>editor and world renouned photographer suddenly gets a rock band and 
>begins singing again, 

--you know they're gonna have to find SOME reason for Jack Wagner to
  sing occasionally :-)


then begins teaching and wants to drink beer 
>with his students to try to get along with them better?  

--to me this doesn't seem out of character for Warren


Santa Barbara's 
>push to attract younger viewers [just how young, by the way?  I'm 23 and 
>I don't like it :-)  ] is leaving viewers who have histories watching SB 
>hanging on watching characters who often seem like pod-people  ( IMHO )
>(i.e. Suzanne, Mason, Julia, Warren, Gina, CC & Santanna vs CC & Sophia...)

--I definitely agree.


>There are days when glimpses of the characters' old selves shine through,
>but to me these are few and far between.  I really like SB and hate to
>sit through Lily, Saywer, their friend (can't remember her name),Troy, Rafe,
>the sorority girl, etc... shown as acting 'cool' and having 'real'
problems

--I don't enjoy teenaged angst much, either.  On the other hand, Lily
  and Rafe, IMHO, are interesting characters regardless of their age.


>in comparison to Angela and Warren (for instance) who are portrayed 
>as hopelessly aged adults trying to recapture their youth.  (i.e. the scene 
>at the Windsurfer on Wednesday when Warren and Angella 'hung out' with the
>'kids' until they got the chance to 'get out of there' to somewhere more
>'adult').  My point here is that I don't think that Warren and Angella in
>reality would necessarily think the Windsurfer is beneath them, yet in order
>to emphasize this recent age theme, they are being written to act as though
>they do. 

--I didn't see this as an age gap, but rather a cultural gap for
  Angela, who's been running in high society for a long time.  I
  think Warren was annoyed that Angela took such an interest in Troy.


>I've been mulling this over in my mind for several weeks (since the
>arrival of Pam Long, I suspose) and decided to share my opinions to see
>what the rest of you think.  :-)

>I'm anxious to hear your responses,

--Yes, I miss my old favorites, too.  Especially Mason and Julia.  I
  was just thinking that the only characters who still seem really
  themselves are Gina and Lionel (thank god!).  Since Pam Long and
  staff have managed to introduce some very interesting new characters
  (and actors), I hope they won't overlook the jewels who were already
  there.

--New writers inevitably bring changes, some good, some bad.  And, of
  course, SB is fighting for its life in the ratings.  It may be that
  the very things that we diehard fans love about the show make it less
  commercial than other soaps. All we can hope is that SB survives, and
  doesn't become unrecognizable in the process.


Many of these changes predate the change in writers, but I have the
urge to CLASSIFY everything:

Bad Mistakes:

Kelly!!!
CC & Santana
Vilifying Cassie and then dumping her
Trivializing Mason and Julia (I read somewhere that they were going to
	become the "stable" couple of SB.  Julia & Mason stable? HAH!)
Dumping Louise Sorrell (Augusta)
Dumping Timothy Gibbs (Dash)

Good Moves:

Lily 
Rafe the smarmy sweet talker
Jody & Reese
Keeping Warren & Angela together
David gets a personality
Gina gets a storyline


Hope for the future:

Jody will get Cruz away from Kelly
Suzanne will get a love interest worthy of her (the guy who walked in
	on her in yesterday's preview is a GREAT actor.  I can't
	remember his name, but he played Michael Grande on OLTL)
Santana will be so pissed off by CC's concessions to Gina that she'll
	leave him (but not the show)
Sophia will have a wacky (but passionate) affair with Lionel


OK, this is an invitation to make up your own list, or add to mine!

BTW, Craig fans.  John Callahan has just been hired by AMC.

-- 
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