Best and worst 1987
Soap Opera Digest, 1987	Home   Cette page en Français

Funniest show : Santa Barbara

For the second year in a row, we've voted Santa Barbara as funniest daytime soap. The reason is simple : the writers pack a wallop of humor in their scripts. The other shows emphasize serious drama and action/adventure but offer few laughs. Santa Barbara puts the accent on fun and the result is an outrageously delicious soap. Characters have a wit and a spark that make them appealing (just listen to characters like Mason, for example, and you'll see what we mean). While the show has had its share of pointless plots and uncharismatic couplings, a lack of humor has never been one of its problems. Santa Barbara has some of the funniest moments in daytime - which is important. All too often, soaps come off as extremely melodramatic. Santa Barbara has learned that a little humor goes a long way.

Most entertaining couple : Keith & Gina

What is it about these two ? We're supposed to be disgusted by them - aren't we ? After all, Gina is nothing but a gold-digger, right ? Who can forget how Gina let Eden think she pulled the plug on her father's life support system ? And wasn't Gina the one who possessed the evidence that could prove that Kelly killed Dylan Hartley in self-defense but, instead of turning it over to the police, blackmailed C.C. into marrying her for a second time - keeping him from his beloved Sophia ? And Keith. Well, he's sleaze personified. What can one like about a D.A. who gets perverse pleasure out of putting Cruz, an innocent man, behind bars for the rest of his life ? Gina and Keith deserve to be hung by their toes from a chandelier and whipped with wet noodles, right ? Wrong. They'd probably enjoy it. As hard as we try not to like these two, we do. Their scheming may cause much heartache for the Capwells, but many laughs for us. They're outrageous. They're campy. They like nothing better than to spend the afternoon in Gina's apartment thinking up new ways to use jello and whipped cream. There's never a dull moment with this duo.

Most tortured love story : Cruz & Eden

Cruz Castillo and Eden Capwell's tale of woe could aptly be titled, The Agony and Very Little Ecstacy. What horrific crime did they commit in a previous life to merit such misery ? Can their fate be blamed on bad karma ? In between emotional crises, this pair took turns being rushed to the hospital with life-threatening emergencies like wine poisoning, a cliff fall, a jailhouse stabbing and the odd car accident. Nineteen eighty-seven was an abyss with no exit. After Eden miscarried their baby, Cruz believed she died in a plane crash and endured the torture of mourning the woman he loved more than life. Meanwhile, paralyzed from a murder attempt, Eden was marooned in the mountains. After some time, they were reunited - but not for long. An innocent Castillo was arrested for murder; Eden suffered a relapse and was back in her wheelchair. The last straw was when Keith Timmons (wallowing in his own slime), convened a kangaroo court, engineered Cruz's conviction and got him sentenced to life imprisonment. Santa Barbara's hero in wrist and ankle manacles ? Timmons railroading every witness ? Please. For three years, Santa Barbara has maneuvered Cruz and Eden in an endless game of break-'em-up and put-'em-back-together. That the audience retains any interest whatsoever can be directly attributed to the strong chemistry and talent of A Martinez and Marcy Walker. Time and again, the actors inject believability into the unbelievable. But, no mas !

Best fantasy : Cruz & Eden

Even when Cruz Castillo and Eden Capwell were apart, they were united - in fantasy. Santa Barbara wisely went on location to shoot several different sequences that aired during the pair's long separation. The outdoor setting served as a natural backdrop for romantic dreams that were touching and passionate. The direction was sensitive, the scoring subtly blended in with the action and the acting. Well, by now A Martinez and Marcy Walker are quite adept at giving Cruz and Eden's love scenes a realistic feel.