TV Meme Day 28
Day 28 - First t.v show obsession
Sunset Beach
In January 1997, when I was only 16, a new Soap Opera started on NBC. I'd watched Another World for years with my mum and another friend had me watching Days of our Lives with her (yes ninefiend, I'm looking at you!), so I was no stranger to soaps but I was intregued by the idea of being able to watch one from the beginning. So I tried the first episode and I LOVED it.
There was a love story of course - the "Super-couple" so to speak, Ben and Meg, and I totally shipped them. They were the main reason I watched at first. But it was also funny, and the characters were interesting to me and so I tuned in every day, (well I recorded it on my VCR since I was still in High School), but, at first, that was about it.
And then, on my 17th birthday, my mum gave me an AOL account. Now this was in the early days of the internet, but already there were discussion groups and chat rooms and this whole new world of experiences and lo and behold, AOL had a soaps forum. I started talking to other fans of the show and before I knew it, I'd made some great friends and I was more obsessed than ever. I was as active member of the fandom - I even had my own Sunset Beach website and biweekly email newsletter!!!
TWICE I went to LA and met up with other fans to have a bit of a convention and to go to the Soap Opera Digest awards! On both of these occasions members of the cast came to the event and I got to talk to them and shake their hands and everything. It was a very exciting time for my teenage self. The second time was bitter sweet as the show had been cancelled after 3 years, and had been over for 2 months before the gathering - but still it was a lot of fun.
My last few years of HS were tough and SB was an escape that really got me through. For several years afterward I carted around a MASSIVE collection of VCR tapes with almost every episode on them. A few years ago I finally parted with them. It was actually kind of therapeutic.
I decided to see if I could find any clips on youtube and I was surprised that there are tons! It was fascinating to watch bits of this again after so many years. Some of it made me giggle because it's VERY soap opera and I've outgrown that, but at the same time, Clive Robertson's voice still makes me melt and I'm reminded of why I loved this show. Isn't it ironic that my first obsession/ship involved a sexy British man (Clive Robertson) who looks fantastic in blue? (unfortunately THAT particular clip has embedding disabled but you can see it here
ARGH all the good clips have embedding disabled! I really wanted to post this one where Ben reads a poem called "Where does this tenderness come from". I swear I could listen to this voice forever. (I see now that this was all just a warm up for my current adoration of one David Tennant - okay, so DT is Scottish but you know what I mean...).
This clip is crappy quality, but it's embeddable, plus it's the very last scene of the show ever. It's one that made me giggle partly because of the plot "twist-twist":
Click to viewPast
Day 01 - A show that should have never been canceled ~ New Amsterdam
Day 02 - A show that you wish more people were watching ~ Life Unexpected
Day 03 - Your favorite new show (aired this t.v season) ~ Parenthood
Day 04 - Your favorite show ever ~ Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Doctor Who, and Gilmore Girls
Day 05 - A show you hate ~ The Family Guy
Day 06 - Favorite episode of your favorite t.v show ~ Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Tabula Rasa, Doctor Who: Partners in Crime, and Gilmore Girls: Last Weeks Fights, This Weeks Tights
Day 07 - Least favorite episode of your favorite t.v show ~ Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Beer Bad, Doctor Who: The Long Game, and Gilmore Girls: Partings
Day 08 - A show everyone should watch ~ The West Wing
Day 09 - Best scene ever ~ Church Scene from "Two Cathederals", The West Wing (Also known as the scene MS should have won an Emmy for.)
Day 10 - A show you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving ~ Doctor Who (Hon Mention to: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The West Wing.)
Day 11 - A show that disappointed you ~ Gavin and Stacey
Day 12 - An episode you’ve watched more than 5 times ~ "Raincoats and Recipes" from Gilmore Girls
Day 13 - Favorite childhood show ~ Full House
Day 14 - Favorite male character ~ Josh Lyman The West Wing
Day 15 - Favorite female character ~ Lorelai Gilmore Gilmore Girls
Day 16 - Your guilty pleasure show ~ Skating With Celebrities
Day 17 - Favorite mini series ~ Anne of Green Gables
Day 18 - Favorite title sequence ~ Gilmore Girls
Day 19 - Best t.v show cast ~ The West Wing
Day 20 - Favorite kiss ~ Various (Okay, so I'm indecisive and therefore there are 5 winners for this category...)
Day 21 - Favorite Ship(s) ~ Doctor/Rose, Donna/Josh, Lorelai/Luke, Lois/Clark, Chloe/Oliver
Day 22 - Favorite series finale ~ Charmed
Day 23 - Most annoying character ~ Howard Wallowitz - The Big Bang Theory
Day 24 - Best Quote ~ Various Gilmorisms - Gilmore Girls
Day 25 - A show you plan on watching (old or new) ~ There's a whole list, including Blackpool, Doctor Horrible, Chuck and more...
Day 26 - OMG WTF? Season finale ~ Any season of LOST.
Day 27 - Best pilot episode ~ The West Wing, Doctor Who, Gilmore Girls
Future
Day 29 - Current t.v show obsession
Day 30 - Saddest character death