» Watch Over Me Options

[Bill C]

Just making it official.

Watch Over Me, starting tonight at 8pm EST, is the fourth of My Network TV's telenovela adaptation projects (and technically the second in their Desire sub-series of 65-episode adaptations, though that part of things is never mentioned any more). The plot goes like this:

A beautiful psychology student, Julia, is engaged to be married to Michael, a wealthy but ruthless man, who loves Julia despite his philandering nature. Unbeknownst to her, Michael's business enterprise is involved in nefarious activities. Because of this, Michael hires a bodyguard, Jack, ex-Special Forces, to protect himself and his one true love, while Julia has no suspicion that the very person she must ultimately be shielded from is her own fiancée.

An intense attraction forms between Julia and Jack. Jack tries not to let his growing feelings for Julia cloud his judgment on the job, but he is torn between duty and desire. Despite their attempts to hide their genuine feelings for one another, rumors begin to spread among the staff regarding their undeniable attraction. Neither one of them realizes just how much peril they are in. As the lovers struggle with their feelings for each other, they begin to uncover the web of deceit and murder that Michael has woven around their lives.

The main cast, so far, is:

Dayanara Torres (Julia Rivera)
Todd Cahoon (Jack Porter)
Marc Menard (Michael Krieger)
Caitlin McCarthy (Caroline Krieger)
Casper Van Dien (Andre)
Catherine Oxenberg (Leandra Thames)

[jjfc]

My one problem with "Watch Over Me" is how they are going to add the interesting supporting characters that "Desire" and "Fashion House" had. A rogue bodyguard for the wife of an evil business man just seems like a very contained universe to me.

[Knots Landing]

I can't believe they have Casper Van Dien and Catherine Oxenberg, two well known actors and aren't using them in the promos. Whoever they've cast as the female lead is terrible based on the promo.

I also found it weird that Fashion House had Tippi Hedren and never mentioned it.

[Bill C]

Dayanara Torres at least has potential. She did a two-episode bit on Y&R a couple of years ago (Jack Abbott's tennis-playing fling, Elise) and did okay with it. Of course, two episodes does not a series make.

If anything, I'm kind of surprised Catherine Oxenberg--definitely the biggest "name" attached to WOM--isn't (apparently) getting the la Fairchild treatment or so on. Then again, the opening credits haven't aired yet...

[Knots Landing]

Oh I remember that tennis fling, IIRC she was to make Phyllis jealous right? But I'm most looking forward to seeing Oxenberg again. I always loved Amanda on Dynasty and her family was so beautiful on her Lifetime reality show. I also believe she looks better now than she did when she was younger.

[Bill C]

Color me surprised...this at least is starting out a lot more serious in tone than FH did.

And Tatum O'Neal is already rocking the BSC look from the get-go...

[Lyle Lyle]

I can't believe they have Casper Van Dien and Catherine Oxenberg, two well known actors and aren't using them in the promos.

I wonder if that has anything to do with how much said stars will agree to go out and do promotion for their series, figuring if Tippi Hedren won't talk up Fashion House to Good Day LA, there's not much point in sending out press releases touting her presence.

[Charlie Baker]

Hmm...this looks more standard-issue romantic suspense soap with as someone pointed out, not a lot of room for the campier stuff.

Also some recognizable faces beyond Mr. and Mrs. Van Dien: John Callahan, Lisa Ann Walter (who didn't appear in Ep 1?), and Roxana Zal.

[hypertwink]

AfterElton hints that Casper Van Dien's character is gay. Interesting.

[mandragor]

I find a really distracting resemblance between Caspar Van Dien and Caitlin's creepy boss. It it just me?

Also love the bartending broad ("Chessy" from the Parent Trap remake--a really great character actress--this one seems to have better talent across the board than FH and Desire)

Anyone else spot "Stami" from Alison Sweeny's maternity leave on DOOL?

Bill C, the ESL description for Dayanara is right on--I've seen her be really expressive and sweet in Spanish so I think it's just a language thing. I have sympathy for anyone in JLo's wake;)

Ah. *Swoon* Cahoon. Hot Toddy, Hot Toddy.

[mandragor]

Please allow me to humbly retract my former statement:

WOM seem[s] to have better talent across the board than FH and Desire

Yeah. Sorry about that.

There is *some* decent acting, but as much as I'm digging the swoon-worthiness of Todd Cahoon's "nightman" jaw, there's just not a lot of redemtion in Buzzcut's "I sell viruses and DEATH, get it?!" one-dimensional bad-guy-ness, the cardboard cut-out "best friend" characters, the LITERAL cardboard hospital sets from SH!Gloria, and the flat (well her acting, anyway) va-voom weapons tycoon of death person(?) who I suppose is meant to be WOM's version of SH!. But so far I'm only seeing the S!

Am I the only fool watching [over] this thing?

[candicissima]

I watched Thursday and I really can't believe that Krieger is Boyd from AMC. He looks way different! Dayanara Torres is a really bad actress. I'm pretty amazed that Casper Van Dien and Cathering Oxenberg in the show has gotten like zero attention. And they're not even too bad in it...yet.

[Lyle Lyle]

While WOM has its share of flat acting, it's not bothering me so much. Somehow, Desire's bad acting was much more irritating for me.

Anyway, I'm still watching this one, partly because Todd Cahoon is so nice to look at but the show's also holding my attention better than Desire, or the first month of Fashion House did.

[mandragor]

Maybe it's because the whole "bio-weapons" dealer thing is so much more original than yet another mafia plot thing?--on top of the usual forbidden love sudser stuff.

I'm liking most of the ancillary characters too--Dayanara's yogi gay brother was a nice addition.

Pete is a complete moron--can't imagine he's coming out of the freak lab o' death alive now?

[mandragor]

Well damn. We'd actually gotten this thread going--were we up to 5 or 6 pages?

*stabs palm with pair of sissors in demented anger*