Benji was definitely AWFUL. He was the worst child actor that I have ever seen.

Other than Benji, I have to say the fact that they had the hot tub fight scene between Meg & Annie was pretty bad. Could they have picked a more unlikely character than Meg to fight in a hot tub?!

It's unbelievable how many stars I'll attribute to Sunset Beach nowadays:

- Laura (Elena) Harring: If anyone has seen her in "Mulholland Drive" you'll understand what a huge change it was from being police officer Paula!
- Eddie Cibrian: Though when I see him in interviews sometimes, like Jay Leno, for example, the host will say "So, I hear you were in a soap opera?" and he would blush and admit to another soap! Never SB! Where's the love, man?!
- Susan Ward: She looks totally different now, and it's hilarious to see websites comparing her awful boob job. To me, she'll always be as bitchy as she was in "Shallow Hal" lol. I was just looking at one of her fanpages, and I can't believe this link! I remember reading this Fear Street book too! Can't believe that was her!
- Kelly Hu: X2, and other movies I can't remember. Also, after she did SB, she was on that Sammo Hung CBS show "Martial Law"

I know I'm forgetting some other people who are mildly famous. I hope to see reruns of this show sometime!

There's always Adrienne Franz, who played Tiffany. I know it's already been mentioned she is on another soap opera now. Wasn't she dating the guy from the Goo Goo Dolls too?

I loved this show. It was so crazy. Surely, the best moment was Fr Antonio having a conversation with God, and God actually responding. I doubt very few shows would try to do that one!
Of course there was also the miracle "Xmas episode" when they all look out of the window, and "wow - its snowing" in Sunset Beach, even though the temperature is still boiling outside. It made me laugh every time.

Back when this show was still running, there were rumours that Clive Robertson (Ben/Derek) was a hot favourite in the running to take over from Pierce Brosnan as the new James Bond. I think that his chance has long gone now, but that would be just weird.

Promethea - major wordage to the Channel 5 announcer. He was as much part of the fun as the show itself. I also had a thing for Gregory. He was very good in "Alive". I couldn't stand Meg as well. It used to be so annoying that Derek just couldn't seem to shag her even though Ben was long tied up. He wasn't trying hard enough.

Ooh, I don't remember that - what did God say?

Heh, the Channel 5 announcers set up a Helpline when the show finished. We phoned it - I think it was a list of things you could do instead to fill your life.

I'll bet a lot of them had to do with watching other shows just starting on Channel 5!

As for what God said, I'm sorry I can't remember, but i doubt it was anything TOO profound!!

Not a day has passed by without me not thinking of Sunset beach. It was one of the best soaps ever. And yes, Annie did rule. She was totally the best, especially her funny fantasies and her coniving schemes and plots against "little miss sunshine" stupid Meg. I never understood why Ben was so intrigued by this silly cow. Actually everybody was and i still have no clue why. She was boring and had no personality in whatsoever.
But thing with Sunset beach is that 90% of the cast were absolutely great. They had some very interesting if not very amusing carackters.
Annie, Eddie, Tim, Gregory, Olivia, Vanessa, Bett.......oh yeah, and Derek. Why the heck did they cancel this great show? I still don't get it.

I hated Meg. Everyone raved about how sweet and nice and perfect she was. Please! She was the biggest bitch on the show.

LOL this ranks as one of my fave SB moments ever! others include

• Nights that lasted forever.....remember the night when caitlins baby was born!! / the night of paulas kidnap (thats right isnt it??)
• the infamous turkey baster
• Aunt Bette's matador dummy
• The Waffle Shop!!! OMG i think it mustve been some in joke on the scriptwriters den
• the chessboard dream sequence - hilarious
• annie in "entire cast in a bed romp"
• Mrs Moreau the old voodoo womans definition of Virginia "bad to da booooone"

please add as its been a while and theres undoubtedly treasure troves of moments ive forgotten

This info is for those who were/are fans of Christina Chambers ex-maria.

Ex-Sunset Beach actresses (maria) Christina Chambers will be playing Jacklyn Smith in the upcoming unauthorized story of Charlie's Angels. I believe it airs March 8th on NBC. I could be wrong though.

To see the pictures go here:
Photos of Christina Chambers

Thanks for the link bellyache. I always liked Christina, so good for her. She looks amazing.

Your welcome Prada. I hope this means we'll see her in other projects. At one time I heard she had a sitcom, but it didn't get picked up or something.

I just read in Soap Opera Digest that Kam Heskin and Randy Spelling who played Brother and sister on SB, are now dating in real life.

I heard about that too holdencaulfield2003. Not to be offensive, but Randy reminds me of a little weasel. lol. I hated the character of Sean with a passion. He just bugged the hell out of me. I could never understand what Emily and Amy saw in him, but a small guess would be his money. lol.

Sarah Buxton (Annie) is joining the cast of DOOL on April 21 in a recurring role.

This is...wow! I'm very happy to find that there's a thread for SB. I started watching it the six months after it began airing (the summer after I graduated from high school), and when I went off to college, I would record it every day. I think I still have some eps on tape.

How cool is that there are people who actually dislike Meg. I used to post on a board (MediaDomain), back when SB was still on and man could some of the Ben/Meg fans be over the top! Not all, of course, but the majority was way too over protective of Ben and Meg.

I also liked how the show featured a heavy minority cast, and the friendships were great. Count me in with those who loved Terror Island. I also loved Shockwave. I liked how SB wasn't afraid to do movie-style plotlines. Plus, like someone noted earlier, I think that this was the only soap to really take advantage of its location. Never had I seen so many location shoots -- from Cole's car chase up the canyon, to all the beach scenes with hunky Casey and Michael, to the exterior shots. Dare I say that SB was a trend-setter in those regards?

Loved Annie. One of my favorite Annie moments (besides all her fantasies) was when she was trying to get Gregory to tear up the pre-nup (I think?), and she threatened to jump off the ledge. As Olivia and Bette were watching the scene unfold, all I remember is Olivia taunting Annie with, "Jump, Annie. Jump. Do us all a favor." Oh, how I loved their catfights! I also loved Annie and Maria's friendship. Loved loved loved when Annie went over to Meg's place to rub it in Meg's face that Ben and Maria had slept together.

Um, what else. Loved the Malinda Fall (was that her name?The chick had a peg leg!)/Kendal Moon/Sara storyline, which totally ripped on the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky SexGate. Although I loved loved loved Frannie, I loved it even more when she died. It was such a dramatic send off when she pops out of the cake in the restaurant, and facing the group which included Cole, Cait, Gregory, Antonio, and Gabi, chokes out, "You!" before finally dying. I forget, who was it that killed Francesca? I want to say Gregory, but I can't be sure.

Wonderful!

What I loved about that Clinton/Monica takeoff was that it was so blatant. They even made jokes about it. Much cooler than just ripping it off without acknowledgement.

fashionista, you are bringing up some good memories of SB for me! The Melinda Fall storyline was so hilarious because it was so bluntly ripped-from-the-headlines. And Olivia taunting Annie to jump was so classic!


I think it was Gregory. Wasn't it? In the power plant? Or am I thinking of something else...

It was Gregory in the power plant.

The only reason I remember this is that I used to watch SB on Channel Five every day one summer before I went to work, during the whole "Who shot Francesca Vargas?" storyline and the hilarious guy who talked over the end credits used to go on and on about how long it was taking for them to discover the killer. So when it was finally announced the guy had an absolute field day. It was so funny..

I miss SB. I loved Annie, hated Meg and thought that Sean was a little snot who couldn't act his way out of a paper bag. Don't even get me started on Benji..

I loved that too. I wish more soaps would have more minority's on their show. Passions does a good job, but I hate that show and don't watch it anymore.

Oh, my God! I loved that guy. He just kicked ass. I think he could've recapped SB, you know. He even had all those hilarious nicknames for each character. I didn't feel so bad that I was hooked on this show when he'd snark at the end of every episode, and read out things viewers sent in, like "Ode To Gregory." Sniff. Those were the days.

Also, I'm really not very observant. I only discovered that "Third Watch" show a week or two ago, and I think my jaw hit the floor when I saw Cole in it. Not as exciting as when Annie was on C.S.I (In a blonde wig! As a stripper! Or something...), but pretty damn good all the same.

I really, really didn't like Meg, she just reminded me of a spoilt little girl, but I was loving the evil twin plot. Evil twins! Trying to figure out which one was which! Something I'm vaguely remembering about Ben's Swiss bank account! Wondering who would kill who! The one-way mirror/window thing that Derek rigged up! Sigh. TV has never been that great since SB left.

Sunset Beach is back on British TV! Anyone else watching it?
I saw the first episode today (I'm having to tape 'cos I'm at work) - what a brilliant introduction. It's got to be one of the best first episodes of a soap I've ever seen, it introduces everyone very well and the whole plot of Meg running away from her wedding (and meeting Bosley on the plane, hee!) was a great idea. Plus, nearly naked lifeguards.

I'd forgotten how much that jealous whinger Paula annoyed me though. And how cute Mark was.

I really hope that the Channel 5 announcers begin making funny comments over the credits again. I wonder if I could write to them and suggest it ...

I have to have those taped, seriously. I didn't know they were rerunning that show.

Just set your vcr to Channel 5 10.25am Mon-Fri ... you know you want to.

No one does over the top acting and overblown plot lines like SB. Who can remember the turkey basting incident? We can not have a roast without laughing. I was watching it when I was at Uni the first time around and now I am working so I wonder how other peoples lives have changed since it first aired?

Loved the sarky comments at the end and shouts to junior doctors from Sheffield - to think our lives are in the hands of SB fans... I need to get back to my scheming *speaking too loudly although the person standing by the potted plant mysteriously can not hear me* do I need to drug my husband and plant the baby or drug the baby and plant the husband and what do I do with 10 tablets of NIAGRA and the pre-nup??????

Oh, my God! I only discovered this today! I didn't watch it in the beginning, so it's all new to me. First thought: Hello, lifeguard guy. Casey, right? He doesn't seem to be the brightest crayon in the box, but those abs? Wow. If he just walks around shirtless and doesn't speak, I'm fine with that. And the Ben/Meg internet story is even cheesier than I imagined!

Promethea, I'd love it if they did those comments again. Does the guy who used to do them still do voiceovers on Five? Anyone know? I thought the witty comments were going to be back today, but it wasn't the same. He mentioned something about "Annie, get your gun!" but that was it.

I think he's moved on, but I'm sure the current announcers could do stuff - maybe they will later. There was a mention the other day about Ben wearing a thick sweater in the heat of the day, though.

Mmm, Casey - and goodness, also Mark! And, you know, I wouldn't object to Michael or Ricardo either. The best, though, is yet to come: Father Antonio.

Heh. Sunset Beach. My first soap opera ever.

I couldn't remember everyone, so like I dork I goggled and found this to refresh my memory Pictures of SB characters

The plotline I was stuck on was Casey and Sara. Poor Sara. Loved Casey and Sara. Probably because Sara spoke to my middle child complex.

I loved Olivia and was happy that her and Annie became friends at the end. Best ending relationship.

I also remember that couple- the harrisons, I think. And the mom slept w/ another guy because they both took medicine and they got confused... or just she did- and thought the guy was her husband.

I'm watching Sunset Beach at the mo on Channel 5. I can't really remember a lot of it from the first time around, probably cos I got into it really late. All I remember is Antonio sleeping with Gabi and the whole video tape storyline that dragged for months! And R&A's mum watching the tape and crying 'Antonio, Antonio' over and over again. Good stuff.

So who killed Del Douglas?

I can't remember! (Don't tell me)
It's good at the moment because they haven't yet started the constant flashbacks and repetitions - it's actually quite fast-moving!

Oh cool, a Sunset Beach thread!

I loved SB, it was so cheesy but they knew it was and totally played that up! I used to tape it everyday while I was at school, and later at college. A couple of times I forgot to set the video and I'd call home and have my mother or brother tape it. They thought I was nuts, but I just couldn't miss it!

I detested Meg. I got the feeling I was supposed to think she was the best thing ever but she came across as very self-centered and annoying to me. Actually the only time I kinda started to like Meg was when Susan Ward left for a while and the role was recast. With Sydney Penny in the role Meg just seemed to have more of a backbone. I remember it coincided with "Ben" messing with her head but she stood up to him and told him to leave her alone. I was starting to respect her a little bit but then SW came back and Meg went downhill again. I don't think SW was a very good actress and that, coupled with some lame writing, made me cringe during most of her scenes. I was totally rooting for Maria.

Annie was a classic character, I still laugh when I think about some of her scenes. She had the craziest imagination. I remember that giant chessboard scene well, and that weird talkshow dream she had, not to mention the wacky stuff with her dead dad. Annie had great scenes with a lot of people - Ben, Meg, Oliva, Gregory, Cole, Caitlin, Maria and Bette. She and Maria were definately my favourite characters.

I liked Caitlin, I actually felt a bit sorry for her. Losing her baby in that accident and then learning she could never have another child must have been awful, and then feeling like Cole would leave her if he knew just added to the pressure she was under. Okay, pretending you're still pregnant might not have been the best way to go about things, but I can, in a crazy soap opera way, see why she felt that was the way to go. This led into the one time I thought Annie really did something evil - taking Oliva's baby to give to Caitlin and making Oliva think that her baby had died. When Caitlin found out what had happened she handed Trey back to Oliva and said something like, "He's your baby now". I had a lot of respect for that.

When I started watching SB it was right before the Terror Island story, so you can see why I got hooked! Unfortunately that was the end of Mark, who I thought seemed really nice and was really cute, and then he was dead! No! Why couldn't it have been Shawn instead?! I still remember Mark's, "It was... Ben!" and my "Oh my God!!" reaction. I was still in school then (wow, a long time ago!) and a few people used to watch it so we all came in the next day freaking out about it! That was awesome!

I unfortunately don't have Channel 5 so I can't watch the repeats. I really wish the channel that showed SB in Ireland, TV3, would show it again from the beginning. I would definately watch!

Heh. When Channel 5 stopped showing it a while back, I was all "Damn! Why can't I get TV3?!" I tried really hard to get the reception purely for Sunset Beach (yeah, sad, I know), but it didn't work, I can't get the Irish channels. There has been much rejoicing from me since I realised it was back on Five. And yes, I have been trying to tape it every day. It's one of my guiltiest pleasures!

Also, from the site SimplyMichelle linked to: Hello, there. How long until Antonio is in it?

I also hated Meg. Now that I'm watching it all over again from the start she's annoying me even more. She just comes across as being such a self-centred bitch. Like when she was meeting "S.B." earlier this week, and every guy she came up to, she had to bitch them out for not being Ben. It's not like they could really do anything about that! Hate. Her.

I dunno, I'm kinda liking her more now I'm seeing it from the beginning. It was just such a crazy and brave thing to do, to head off into the unknown and try and find this guy. However, she seems much more immature than I remembered, like a child in comparison to Ben (it's no wonder that she's made friends with the teenage Tiffany and Mark, as well as Casey who has a rather childlike sense of fun). I also find it amusing every time there's a mention of anything SB and Dorothy wrote because it's so stunningly banal - like, "we agreed that Venice was the most romantic city in the world" or "I know SB loves sunsets". Those must have been the most cheesy chatroom exchanges ever. Although I do really dig the whole Internet aspect of it.

That carry on with knocking out the guy and wrapping him with duct tape and hiding him in the closet was farcical. And what was with the Three Stooges business?!

Mmm, Father Antonio. Sadly, he doesn't show up until after the whole Gabi/rape plot, which hasn't even started though she is in the credits.

Gawd, the guy who's playing Cole is freaky - I only started watching it from the time of Eddie Cibrian. This Ashley Hamilton guy is creepy and not attractive, it's weird the way Caitlin (and the original Caitlin is cute, I think) keeps swooning over how 'handsome' he is.

Seriously, watching my tape of the episodes every teatime is like the highlight of my day. So sad.

Sad? I envy you Promethea! I'm just gonna have to live vicariously through the Channel 5 viewers.

I started watching during the Eddie Cibrian years too so I just can't picture Ashley Hamilton as Cole. Eddie had this way of smirking that was just very Cole to me. Without that smirk, he's just not Cole!

Don't worry - I'm the same! I've missed the last few, unfortunately - that guy is Cole?! Whoa. I'd completely forgotten there was someone before Eddie Cibrian, even though I remembered the original Caitlin. Heehee, what was her nickname? Bambi? I thought it was Dumbo for a sec there, but I think that was Maria's.

Damn. I knew we'd be Antonio-less for another while. I do remember that horribly dragged out sex-tape-during-the-earthquake plot, however. But my all-time favourite SB storylines are the Rosario Jewels one (come on, the Zombies and everything!) and the evil twin hijinks with Ben and Derek. Sadly, IIRC, those two are much further into the show.

Zomnbies, evil twins and Shockwave are my faves too. And at least the horribly dragged out tape plot involved seeing Antonio's sex face three times every episode. However, the also interminably dragged out Baby Trey plot is something I'm not looking forward to revisiting, though it will be interesting to find out how Cole and Olivia hook up, as I was never sure how that had happened.

Ricardo: hot or skeevy? I can never quite decide.

Love the credits. All the men do the most cheesy teeth-baring grins (watch Tim and Mark) and the women all turn and push out their breasts, especially Meg and Tiffany. Apart from Vanessa Dorman who does this terribly coy "who - me?" look-up thing that you know she rehearsed for hours.

I wish they would start playing Sunset Beach on SoapNet...so not fair ;( Are you guys and gals overseas going to get to watch the whole show from the beginning to the end?

Hopefully. It started running in the first week of September IIRC, and we've been getting it from the beginning (which is cool, since I think I only started watching after the whole island storyline... the murder there with Tim or Mark or someone.)

Damn me! I keep forgetting to tape it everyday. Loved the suspense with Annie going to County jail and Ben and Ricardo having to get there in time. But what's happened with Uncle Al? I know Bette was, err, entertaining him in the hot tub, but did he just die with those silly goggles on his face?

Re: Ricardo. He's always hard for me to decide on as well. He reminds me of some sort of monkey or chimp at times. I don't like that cop he was/is/whatever dating, though. She's all pouty and annoying. And has Gaby even made an appearance? I've seen her in the credits, but she's never actually there.

Also, Cole #1? So not used to him yet. I really cannot picture him as Cole. He seems completely different from the Cole I knew and loved. This one we have now sort of reminds me of a serial killer. I keep thinking he's plotting Caitlin's death or something.

Well, if I remember rightly, he was meant to be a bit evil originally. But yeah, his face is creepy.

Monkey Ricardo! Hee! But I do like his crazy grin. No, no sign of Gabi yet. It's weird that she's in the credits. Paula is so annoying and clingy and game-playing that I feel sorry for him.

Apparently Uncle Al had a brain aneurysm in the tub - ewww. And somehow rigor mortis set in within five minutes, supposedly, because Bette got stuck with him on top of her and Meg & Ben had to pull him out. No, not like that. Well, at least I hope not like that.

I love that they've suddenly decided the lifeguards need depth, so it turns out that Casey is studying to be a lawyer - first we've heard - and Michael has a shady South Central gang past. Hmm, I can't think why they decided to make the black guy an ex-gang member. He totally doesn't seem or speak as if he's from SC, does he?

So who's the worst actor? Sean? Cole #1? Tiffany? Rae's parents?

It pains me to watch Sean, aka Spawn of Spelling (tm fun little announcer guy who is sorely missed), at times. That whole scene with him standing up to Gregory? Cringey. I also didn't know that Gregory was Ben's mentor - it's so fun finding out these little things I didn't pick up on later in the series.

That whole Lashanda (sp?) plot with Vanessa and Michael is so silly. As I said, I do forget to tape the odd episode, and so it cracked me up when Michael was all "Oh, yeah. Why'd you kiss me then? You know Rae gave him that amnesia drug!!" I knew something wacky would have to happen to get the creepy guy off their back.

Oh, wow. Uncle Al. Of course, I had a feeling something would happen there, what with Annie and Ben unable to say anything else other than "Uncle Al is the best lawyer in town! He'll get Annie out!" Annie seemed so confident that he was the best. Hee. I like how she snapped at Meg.

Also, not sure if this has been linked before, but it looks like a pretty good site for news on the Beach. Haven't checked out the forums yet, not sure what they're like. And they're missing some of the nicknames! I can't believe they don't remember Ricardo's was Retardo!

Annie was in CSI tonight! There is no escape for me even at the weekend!

Cool site by the looks of it. My favourite nickname was Smeg. I don't think the Americans got it.

I followed a link from there to an article quoting a review in The Times which is just brilliant:

Hee! Thanks for that - it's hilarious! I'd heard about how it ended, but I never actually saw the episodes. Heh.

I missed the CSI with Annie episode yesterday - but the first time it aired, I was so excited! It was much better than the time Meg was on Friends, but of course I did do my crazed Sunset Beach dork routine and tell my friends what she'd been in before. SB is such a guilty pleasure show, and it makes me love it even more!

Oh, and Trey's relationship to Olivia and Caitlin creeped me out at times. Usually it was just plain confusing. I do remember seeing the episode with the baby voice overs. That? Was also weird.

Ashley Hamilton's Cole only lasted, what, a month? Thank goodness Eddie Cibrian took over just in time for the Olivia/Cole affair. I always thought, by the way, that Cole/Olivia had much more chemistry than Cole/Caitlin.

I noticed someone said they couldn't remember who actually killed Del Douglas, and I just realized that I can't remember either. I can remember so much of that storyline--Annie being "cremated", Ben's eulogy, Ricardo writing his resignation, Aunt Bette's tears...okay, obviously I mostly remember Annie's "death". But that was just some really good emotional drama.

Count me in as one of the people who preferred Maria, and before her, Annie. Anyone But Meg, really. Hated her.

Despite the stereotypes of the minorities--the hotheaded Latino, the ex-gangbanger black--I still thought that overall SuBe was one of the best soaps ever in this regard. They did move on past the obvious cliches and flesh out both Ricardo and Michael as characters. Honestly, how many other soaps have ever had both blacks and Latinos constantly frontburner and also interacting often with the white characters? They weren't token characters and they weren't segregated, the two traps that daytime most often falls into. And the older characters too--okay, Kathleen Noone never had the screentime she deserved, but Olivia and Gregory were also frontburner most of the time.

I don't know enough about other US soaps to tell if it is rare to have an ethnically diverse cast, but I liked it, I liked how they mixed together and were friends with the other characters rather than just having their own storylines, and they didn't (apart from the gang and Rae's arranged marriage) have 'typical' stories.

Hee, I'd forgotten Annie's funeral! Excellent. I think the actress is in another soap now, right? As is Ben? Yes, I have IMDBd the cast. Amazingly Fr. Antonio hasn't been in much, which astounds me.

Gasp! They should get him in another soap, now! He's letting those good looks go to waste!

Also, loving Annie's whole escape thing so far. I hadn't seen this the first time SB was on. Heh.

Ok, question. I didn't see Thursday's episode, and I have no idea what happened after Vanessa realised who "Jojo" was. Did they get away? Did Michael realise what was going on and save the day? I can't believe I actually care about this.

Re: Worst actors. I know I already mentioned Sean, but seriously, that whole episode with Sean, Tiffany and Mark at Ben's house? Killed me. Their acting just seemed unnatural and strained, and wow, I was cringing at it. But then Mark's James Bond fantasy scene almost made up for it. Almost.


I really, really hope you're right. This dude is creepy, and I prefer Cole #2 so much more.

You know, they didn't actually appear in Thursday's or Friday's episodes. On Monday it turned out she put the kid and the mother in a motel and went to see Rae at the medical centre.

Incidentally, I thought Ben's grief acting was a new low, but then there was Bette's wailing and weeping "Annnieeee! I looooooved you!! Noooooo!" and I realised there's always a lower thespian place on Sunset Beach.

Ahh! Annie and Ben! Ricardo and Paula! Gabi as Cleopatra!

Seriously, Annie faking her death was ridiculous (and entertaining), but stop with this Ben/Annie stuff! 'Tis weird.

Meg really is bugging the shit out of me. I want to like her, I feel like I should since it seems she's meant to be one of the main characters (because well, her running out on her wedding seemed to start everything), but I just can't. That actress really overacts everything and I hate her reactions and facial expressions most of the time.

But I agree - there are worse moments: Bette's wailing was truly awful, as you mentioned. Then there's CreepyCole's whole shtick, and that Jojo guy's manic laugh. What was up with the Bette/Olivia/Elaine flashbacks? That was so over the top!

I admit, I actually liked Paula/Ricardo today, but I know it's not going to last because of Gabi, even though she hasn't done anything yet. The costumes were also fun. Hee.

I actually found Ben and Annie ... um ... kinda hot. I can't believe he turned that down for the sake of ickle girlie Meg (who is far too young for him), I was totally rooting for him to get some and cheer up. Meg really does overact. And her annoying habit of fiddling with her hair all the time is really distracting, as are her eyebrows. I do like the set-up of her story and character though, but I wish she'd grow up a bit. I remember when they brought in another woman to play the role for a few weeks, who was actually a better actor, but somehow it didn't work as well, probably because the character is made to suit a bad actor.

Gobby! Finally! I lost patience with P&R somewhere around the ten-hour marriage proposal (Ricardo manically pretending they were having a baby was a new low). Paula is absolutely gorgeous but all she ever does is make eyes and whine about Ricardo not loving her.

The costumes were great. I think Tim as Travolta (nice dark hair) and Mark as Elvis were my favourites. I get the feeling that the guy playing Mark was just amusing himself a lot of the time. He's fun, I'm surprised he hasn't turned up in some other show. But wasn't the "music" at the club appallingly lame? They obviously don't have the rights to play any actual, you know, SONGS.

I'm fastforwarding over all the Cole/Caitlin stuff, it's too sickening. Why do they both dress like they've just stepped out of the Fifties? They could have gone to the party without changing and said they were extras from Grease. I keep expecting their dialogue to be "Gee Caitlin, wear my class ring and come to the drive-in with me!" "Boy, you're peachy keen Cole!"

The first Caitlin was dreadful. Her acting bored me. The second was a much better actress.

Vanessa Dorman (the first Caitlin) did well opposite Lesley Anne-Down and was horrible with everyone else, I thought. I never saw enough of the second Caitlin to make a judgment, but I just thought it was weird that SuBe had finally recast her after VD had been there so long. Man, the "acting" she did when learning of her miscarriage and that she could never have children again? My college roommate and I were laughing our asses off and mimicking her.


She's meant to be not just one of the main characters, but the classic heroine of the show. I don't think she ever goes backburner for the entire run of the show. Hate! (TM Sars)