Forgotten soaps of the 00’s

[Carrie Fairchild]

It would have done better if the marketing focused more on the adults with the Romeo & Juliet element as a secondary focus.

Ironically, the meat (pardon the pun) of the story was the power struggle between the two fathers, with the teen romance really only being an added complication to the whole thing. The parents were onscreen just as much, if not more, than the kids themselves.

 

[Soaplover]

Ironically, the meat (pardon the pun) of the story was the power struggle between the two fathers, with the teen romance really only being an added complication to the whole thing. The parents were onscreen just as much, if not more, than the kids themselves.

The moms get more focus in the later episodes.. along with the adult movie industry where it also showed the journey of one new aspiring adult movie actress to break into the business.

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

The moms get more focus in the later episodes.. along with the adult movie industry where it also showed the journey of one new aspiring adult movie actress to break into the business.

I’ve watched four episodes but I’ve decided not to continue as the remaining episodes available are incomplete, with roughly the last ten minutes missing from each. Interestingly, the teen drama aspect, that was so heavily promoted by FOX, finally begins to be expanded on from episode 4 with the addition of Adam’s ex and Jewel’s two friends. However, these episodes never saw the light of day on FOX as they canned the show after episode 3.

Another takeaway, having watched half the series now, is that the production values looked rather cheap in comparison to the likes of 24 and The O.C, which were FOX’s big new hits that season. It looked like a UPN show. For all the money that Ron Silver’s character supposedly had, bar the pilot episode, we saw very little of it onscreen. Anyway, it’s a decent enough show that probably could’ve flourished with a bigger budget and better promotion.

 

[AndyB2008]

My late mom watched both of those shows (Lipstick Jungle & Cashmere Mafia), and she said of the two.. she liked Lipstick Jungle better.

Skin (2003) was a short-lived soap that was way ahead of its time. It was an updated Romeo & Juliet Story with the 'Juliet' being the daughter of a Jewish porn/adult movie maker and the 'Romeo' being the half-latino/half-Irish Catholic son of the district attorney out to catch the movie maker, while he's carrying on an affair with an associate of his (played by Laura Leighton of Melrose Place fame).

Only 3 episodes aired before it got pulled, but the remaining episodes were burned off on SoapNet.. and it looked as though there were some resolutions to the plotlines (including one involving real life adult movie actress Ginger Lynn Allen playing an adult movie actress).

The Romeo and Juliet scenario was also used for the Australian soap Family And Friends.

(That soap as well didn't capture the public's imagination like Skin, hence a retooling that the soap hinted at before it ended, namely ending the whole feud).

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

The Romeo and Juliet scenario was also used for the Australian soap Family And Friends.

Bevan Lee pitched it to Channel Nine as a Romeo & Juliet story but asked them not to promote it as such, because that premise had already been done to death. They promoted it that way anyway, during the show’s early days.

 

[ChrisSumner]

Two shows mentioned that I loved were Sex, Love and Secrets and North Shore. With North Shore, it had a strong cast and a good location but much like early Melrose Place, it was too earnest when it started. I thought the show really picked up when Shannen Doherty joined and I was disappointed it didn't continue. I think it could've easily broken out in a second season. Now Sex, Love and Secrets was a huge flop but I remember being shocked at how enjoyable it was. It had a great cast and Denise Richards did a great job leading the show. Unlike North Shore, it went full on Melrose Place from day one. I'm not sure why exactly it didn't work, maybe the bad title?

Two that haven't been mentioned yet, both from Fox:

Pasadena - This show starred Dana Delaney as the head of a rich family with tons of secrets. It was a very strong show that should've lasted longer. The cast also included Mark Valley, Natasha Gregson Wagner and Balthazar Getty. The show was created by Mike White of White Lotus fame and got rave reviews. The lack of success was attributed to the dark tone and premiering so soon after 9/11.

Point Pleasant - This was created by Marti Noxon of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. If I had to compare this to something I'd say The OC meets Peyton Place meets Dark Shadows (or Twin Peaks). Basically, a gothic, teen led soap about a girl who is washed ashore and brought back to life. The mystery was about who she was and I believe there was a supernatural element to it. The show is available on DVD and I think also on YouTube. I'd highly recommend it. It sucks that it didn't last longer but it does work well as a 13 episode mini-series. This show starred Grant Show, Dina Meyer, Richard Burgi, Susan Walters and Aubrey Dollar who I loved on Guiding Light. it hought this would be her big break but it wasn't meant to be.

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

Now Sex, Love and Secrets was a huge flop but I remember being shocked at how enjoyable it was. It had a great cast and Denise Richards did a great job leading the show. Unlike North Shore, it went full on Melrose Place from day one. I'm not sure why exactly it didn't work, maybe the bad title?

I wish it had lasted longer, as it and South Beach, were apparently part of a strategy by UPN to introduce more soaps to their schedules. As both failed spectacularly, the strategy was abandoned, depriving us of whatever other soaps they had in the pipeline.

Pasadena - This show starred Dana Delaney as the head of a rich family with tons of secrets. It was a very strong show that should've lasted longer. The cast also included Mark Valley, Natasha Gregson Wagner and Balthazar Getty. The show was created by Mike White of White Lotus fame and got rave reviews. The lack of success was attributed to the dark tone and premiering so soon after 9/11.

Pasadena deserved to do better. It was a really good show and its scripted time-slot competition (bar Reba) was pretty weak, ratings wise. Desperate Housewives mined similar territory only a few years later but I would’ve loved to see how Pasadena was going to develop.

Point Pleasant - This was created by Marti Noxon of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. If I had to compare this to something I'd say The OC meets Peyton Place meets Dark Shadows (or Twin Peaks). Basically, a gothic, teen led soap about a girl who is washed ashore and brought back to life. The mystery was about who she was and I believe there was a supernatural element to it. The show is available on DVD and I think also on YouTube. I'd highly recommend it. It sucks that it didn't last longer but it does work well as a 13 episode mini-series. This show starred Grant Show, Dina Meyer, Richard Burgi, Susan Walters and Aubrey Dollar who I loved on Guiding Light. it hought this would be her big break but it wasn't meant to be.

It’s on my list to watch. From what I’ve read, Buffy fans that would’ve initially flocked to the show were disappointed to find it was more of a teen soap than a supernatural saga, while teen soap fans were put off by the supernatural stuff, minimal as it apparently was.

 

[ChrisSumner]

It’s on my list to watch. From what I’ve read, Buffy fans that would’ve initially flocked to the show were disappointed to find it was more of a teen soap than a supernatural saga, while teen soap fans were put off by the supernatural stuff, minimal as it apparently was.

From what I recall, the supernatural element grew with time and likely would've gotten bigger had the show lasted longer. It was kinda like the early days of Dark Shadows with more of a gothic vibe rather than going full on.

 

[Soaplover]

Pasadena from 2001 finally got added to Tubi here in the states and it was wonderful to see the full 13 episode series since I didn't get to see it on SoapNet back in the day. Here are my thoughts on it after watching it.

What worked:

Dana Delaney: She was the star of the show bringing layers of comedy, fragility, and toxicity to her character of Catherine. The way she repressed her feelings by constantly redecorating rooms in her house, the way she was under the thumb of her domineering mother (played to perfection by Barbara Babcock), the way she repressed her feelings around her kids and husband, the way she controlled her kids, the creepy vibe between her and her brother (played by Mark Valley), and the way she leered at and made a move on her daughter's teenage boyfriend as he slept in the guest room especially after she said she could be a mother figure for him (foreshadowing).

Mystery: The show opened with a bang with the suicide of a mysterious guy in front of the lead protagonist Lily, while she gradually learns about some of the darkness that defines her family and is constantly at odds between doing the right thing and protecting her family.

Nate: The tragic brother that's the screw up, but we soon find out it ties to the central mystery and how what he saw has haunted him and caused him to fall off the wagon numerous times. It's a tragic thread.

What works/doesn't work:

Ending: It works because it reveals the mystery and what really happens, but it doesn't work because it leaves you feeling unsettled and based on the voice over at the end of the first episode... you don't see that play out.

What doesn't work:

Natasha Gregson Wagner: Appealing actress, but her character is under-written and doesn't really fit into the narrative of the show that much other then her dating the older brother of Lily's boyfriend. Had the show continued, perhaps her character would have gotten more focus.


It's a well written show, but you can tell when watching the show when the show runners got word that they weren't getting any additional episodes because they quickly start to tie up things in episode 11/12. Episode 9 introduces two new characters that quickly get written out in episode 11 just as their story arcs were starting. Nathan Fillion (Castle) as a minister type and Austin Nichols (One tree Hill Fame) as a possible spoiler for Lily/Henry.