Sunset Beach

I hadn't really ever watched a soap opera before, but "Sunset Beach" isn't really your average soap. It was much better. That's probably partly due to the fact that Aaron Spelling was behind it. I remembered seeing ads for it and then during the summer I decided to see what it was all about. After the first episode I was hooked! I would tape it everyday, so I would never miss an episode. Sadly, NBC decided to trade it in for "Passions", which I liked at the beginning, but that's another story... Basically, I just wish that it was still on the air. The plots weren't very realistic, but they were fun to watch (especially the "Terror Island" special. A great take-off on "Scream"), and that's what TV and soap operas are all about. The show had such a wonderful cast- I'll really miss them - It was such a wonderful show!!

Wobbly scenery, hysterical acting, unbelievable plotlines - someone tell me how TV could possibly get any better?

Please please - don't let it get cancelled. If the rest of the world (judging from the comments here) doesn't want it, we in Britain certainly do!!

And I want to be an Assumpta Fitzgerald to Antonio's Father Peter!

Simply the best soap ever. Someone gave it 0 out of 4 - I can only assume they meant 10 out of 4!

Sunset Beach was, and is, the best thing ever on TV. There's never been anything like it and to be honest I don't believe for a minute that there ever again will be either. It is SO full of hopes and dreams. And very much like in real life, some of them come true and some of them don't. But it does give the viewer some hope of a better tomorrow. Just enough excitement, romance, action, humor, and bizarre things to suit even the pickiest viewer. GREAT acting! Really makes you sometimes confuse it with reality, but you notice the difference when you look around yourself and don't see such hunks around you :(. The worst mistake ever made by the human race was axing the show. Now so many people will be missing that little escape from reality and it's really sad :(.

I remember I checked out the first episode of the show, I thought it was different (film, not tape) and I remember I wasn't impressed till I heard that Eddie Cibrian (one of my favorite actors) joined the show and I said maybe I check out the show and after that I got hooked. I was hoping somewhere NBC would keep the show on as of today but they cancelled it and I kind of figured that once Eddie was leaving to do "Third Watch" I said to myself goodbye Sunset. But it had some hilarious stories to watch and I love the cast. It was different for the 90s as well as up to date stuff like cyber romance, Annie's craziest fantasies, (which I am glad that NBC never cut the scene out that Annie fantasized that Sean and Caitlin walked on their mother in bed with Rose, the maid) and kudos to the crew for putting that structure of that story together and sticking by it when they knew they were going off the air. I miss the show, but thank God for VCRs which I taped most of the episodes. So I could say I still live back in Sunset Beach. Just wish they were newer episodes, that someday Aaron Spelling would do a miniseries of the show and show us what these characters are doing. I also had the laugh when Meg finally married Ben and she fell asleep and dreamed she was in Ludlow after all these years with the existing cast there. I want the show back.

Upon viewing Sunset Beach for the first time, I like most others viewing this show will be instantly thrown by the garish, bright colours allowed by the particular camera lens used.

Add to this the masses of fantastically healthy-appearing, bronzed characters with their all too perfectly sculpted facial and bodily features and I would defy anyone not to be hypnotized by this show.

Having seen "The Bold and the Beautiful", "The Young and the Restless", and "Melrose Place", after initially having been hypnotized for a brief 5 minutes or so I began to see this programme with my active-mind. Rational thought took over and the bad memories of the aforementioned soaps began to taint Sunset Beach. However, upon viewing only one episode, it was clearly apparent to me that this was special.

For me what makes this such effective, enjoyable escapism is the acting performances from most of the cast. Sure, the acting can be "Over The Top" (meaning unnecessary) at times most of the cast are actually very good. One of the most impressive of the cast in my own opinion is Peter Barton as the bad Police officer Eddie Connors. Barton's manipulative, devious yet likable delivery gives this role fantastic credence. Barton is followed closely by fellow Police officer (actually detective, hem hem) Hank Cheyne as Ricardo Torres. Ricardo is the heroic sort who you find it difficult to dislike. Cheyne symbolises truth and honesty, however there is a great deal of emotion beneath this.

Most impressive of all however - and directly opposed to the Torres character in the sense that there is almost no emotion shown - is Sam Behrens portrayal of successful business man, meddling father and often sinister Gregory Richards. Behrens's delivery of the debonair, amazingly practical, driven and successful Richards is almost always utterly captivating. In fact the entire Richards family have the bulk of the best story lines in the first year of Sunset Beach, each one is fantastically delivered by Behrens.

If ever there is a moment coming where you feel that Richards will have to show some emotion, chances are he will not. When a rare moment of emotion, other than the slightly frequent anger/impatience/intolerance is displayed by Behrens it is quite something to behold.

Therefore, as the characters are so well represented, the story lines deserve a lot of credit.

In my opinion the first 10 months of Sunset Beach was most enjoyable. However that fantastic scenery of the beautiful beach and its surrounding domestic habitat's, coupled with the bold story lines and mainly great characters elevates Sunset Beach above any other daytime soap EVER.