Paper Dollsis an Americanprimetimetelevisionsoap operathat aired for 14 episodes onABCfrom September 23 to December 25, 1984. Set inNew York's fashion industry, the show centered on top modeling agency owner Racine (Morgan Fairchild), her conflicts with the family of cosmetics tycoon Grant Harper (Lloyd Bridges), and the careers of two teenaged models (Terry FarrellandNicollette Sheridan). The series was based on a 1982television filmof the same name. The show suffered in the ratings, despite positive reviews, and was cancelled midway through the first season.[1]
| Paper Dolls | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Soap opera |
| Created by |
|
| Written by | Stephen Black Jill Gordon Jennifer Miller Don Roos Henry Stern |
| Directed by | Edward Parone Leo Penn Arthur Allan Seidelman Ralph Senensky |
| Starring | Lloyd Bridges Jennifer Warren Brenda Vaccaro Dack Rambo Mimi Rogers Richard Beymer Anne Schedeen John Bennett Perry Nancy Olson Nicollette Sheridan Terry Farrell Lauren Hutton Morgan Fairchild |
| Theme music composer | Mark Snow Andy Summers |
| Composer | Mark Snow |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No.of seasons | 1 |
| No.of episodes | 14 (+ 1 TV film) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Leonard Goldberg |
| Producer | John Ziffren |
| Cinematography | John C. Flinn III |
| Editor | Jack Harnish |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | September 23– December 25, 1984 |
Overview
edit1982 television film
editPaper Dollsfirst aired on May 24, 1982 as anABC Monday Night Movie,which revolved around the lives of two teenage models, Taryn and Laurie, and their strong-willed mothers. The cast includedJoan Hackettas Julia Blake,Jennifer Warrenas Dinah Caswell,Daryl Hannahas Julia's daughter Taryn,Marc Singeras Wesley Myles,Antonio Fargasas photographer Oliver,Barry Primusas Alan (credited as "also starring" ),Alexandra Paulas Dinah's daughter Laurie (in her first role, credited as "introducing" ) andCraig T. Nelsonas husband Michael.Joan Collinsappeared as Racine, the conniving owner of Taryn and Laurie's modelling agency, credited in the opening as a "special guest star".Eric Stoltz,William Brian Curran,Jeffrey Richmanand Lillibet Stern appeared in co-starring roles. The film was directed byEdward Zwickand written by Casey T. Mitchell and Leah Markus, with a theme song written byMark Snowand performed by Brock Walsh. It garnered 20.5 million viewers.
1984 television series
edit
In 1984, MGM decided to produce a weekly series based on the original film. Jennifer Warren and Jeffrey Richman (in the minor role of Conrad) were the only actors to reprise their roles, with Hackett (who died unexpectedly before production), Hannah, Paul, Nelson and Collins replaced byBrenda Vaccaro,Nicollette Sheridan,Terry Farrell,John Bennett PerryandMorgan Fairchildrespectively.
New characters included Grant Harper (Lloyd Bridges), the manipulative chairman of the conglomerate Harper World Wide,[2]who was frequently at odds with Racine (Fairchild); his second wife Marjorie (Nancy Olson); his son Wesley (Dack Rambo), chief executive of Harper Cosmetics, who allied with Racine against his father, blaming him for the accidental death of his mother, Virginia, Grant's first wife; his daughter, Blair Harper Fenton (Mimi Rogers), Racine's top model; and Blair's husband David Fenton (Richard Beymer), head of Tempus Sportswear, a business rival to Grant.
During the series, Blair is 30 years old, pregnant and fearing the end of her modelling career. Despite health problems, she was determined to carry her baby to full term. David is too proud to accept financial assistance, and resorts to accepting money from loan sharks to fund his upcoming collection, putting him and Blair in danger. Eventually, he is forced to ask his father in-law for help, resulting in Tempus being brought under the Harper World Wide banner, paying off the loan in full, and also the interest.
Meanwhile, Racine struggles to manage Taryn Blake (Sheridan), the top teen model in the business, who has problems with drugs and alcohol, and a sensationalized romance with 1980s pop starJohn Waite(playing himself in a recurring role). To keep Taryn and her demanding mother Julia (Vaccaro) in line, Racine decides to promote a new fresh teen face, a young woman named Laurie Caswell (Farrell). The naive and innocent Laurie still attends public school in Stonehurst in Long Island and is not prepared for the fast life, despite her mother Dinah Anderson Caswell's (Warren) best efforts to keep her grounded. Dinah, a former model herself, focuses too much time on her daughter's career, putting a strain on her marriage to Michael Caswell (Perry), Laurie's stepfather.
Despite their vast differences, Taryn and Laurie become good friends, while the rivalry between their two mothers, Julia and Dinah, intensifies. The vindictive and mean-spirited Julia sees her daughter as a meal ticket, and dreads the day Taryn that turns 17 and becomes more financially independent. Rounding out the cast is Blair's friend Sara Frank (Anne Schedeen), a sensible lawyer, who is involved with Mark Bailey (Roscoe Bornin a recurring role), a reporter doing a story on the fashion industry. Mark becomes enamored with Racine, much to the horror of Sara, who despite agreeing that she's "done well for a girl named off of a map ofWisconsin",warns that Racine has" been in more beds than a hotel breakfast tray! "
Cast
editMain
edit- Lloyd Bridgesas Grant Harper
- Jennifer Warrenas Dinah Caswell
- Brenda Vaccaroas Julia Blake
- Dack Ramboas Wesley Harper
- Mimi Rogersas Blair Harper Fenton
- Richard Beymeras David Fenton
- Anne Schedeenas Sara Frank
- John Bennett Perryas Michael Caswell
- Nancy Olsonas Marjorie Harper
- Nicollette Sheridanas Taryn Blake
- Terry Farrellas Laurie Caswell
- Morgan Fairchildas Racine
- Lauren Huttonas Colette Ferrier (episodes 8–12)
Recurring
edit- Jeffrey Richmanas Conrad
- Jonathan Frakesas Sandy Paris
- Roscoe Bornas Mark Bailey
- Alan Fudgeas Dr. Van Adams
- Mark Schneider as Sammy
- John Reillyas Jake Larner
- John Waiteas himself
- Don Bowron as Chris York
- Sue Giosa as Marie
- Larry Linvilleas Grayson Carr
- Thom Mathewsas Lewis Crosby
Episodes
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | Harry Winer | Story by : Jennifer Miller, Casey T. Mitchell & Leah Markus Teleplay by : Jennifer Miller | September 23, 1984 | 18.4[3] |
| 2 | "Episode One" | Harry Winer | Jennifer Miller | September 25, 1984 | 13.6 |
| 3 | "Episode Two" | Ralph Senensky | Donald Paul Roos | October 9, 1984 | 12.7 |
| 4 | "Episode Three" | Alan Smithers & Arthur Allen Siedelman | Jeff Stuart | October 16, 1984 | 12.1 |
| 5 | "Episode Four" | Ralph Senensky | Michael L. Grace | October 23, 1984 | 14.8 |
| 6 | "Episode Five" | Edward Parone | Stephen Black & Henry Stern | October 30, 1984 | 10.4 |
| 7 | "Episode Six" | Ralph Senensky | Jill Gordon | November 13, 1984 | 12.0 |
| 8 | "Episode Seven" | Leo Penn | Stephen Black & Henry Stern | November 20, 1984 | 12.1 |
| 9 | "Episode Eight" | Edward Parone | Donald Paul Roos | November 27, 1984 | 9.9 |
| 10 | "Episode Nine" | Leo Penn | Stephen Black & Henry Stern | December 4, 1984 | 12.6 |
| 11 | "Episode Ten" | Edward Parone | Carol Saraceno | December 11, 1984 | 9.3 |
| 12 | "Episode Eleven" | Leo Penn | Jill Gordon | December 18, 1984 | 9.9 |
| 13 | "Episode Twelve" | Edward Parone | Donald Paul Roos | December 25, 1984 | 10.1 |
Syndication and international broadcast
editReruns of the series have been shown on theSOAPnetcable channel in the United States. The series was also shown in the United Kingdom by theITVnetwork in the mid-1980s, though schedules varied per region. It was also shown in Italy onCanale 5under the nameIl profumo del successo(The Taste of Success), and in Germany under the titleKarussell der Puppen(Doll Carousel). In South America and Spain, it was broadcast asMuñecas de Papel.In Sweden, it was broadcast 1986 on TV2 under the nameModedockorna(The Fashion Dolls).
Reception
editThe series attempted to ride the wave of popular glossy nighttime soaps, such asDallasandDynasty.WhenPaper Dollspremiered in September 1984, the first episode achieved an 18.4 rating, and featured the requisite stock pleasures of the genre, such as big business, glamour, intrigue, catfights and verbal spats (particularly between Racine and the other cast members). In one scene, Mark enters Racine's office while she is getting a massage, asking "Do you want me to wait outside until you're decent?" Racine responds "How much time do you have?" In another scene, an irate Julia, brandishing a Barbie-style fashion doll of her daughter, storms into Racine's office. "This will not be the new Taryn Blake doll!" she barks. "The eyes are brown!" Coolly, Racine quips, "I guess they couldn't quite match that bloodshot tone."
Even with a series of rave reviews inPeopleurging viewers to give the show a chance,[4]ratings were low and the series was not able to find an audience, due in large part because it had been pre-empted on some weeks by the baseball playoffs. The final episode of the series found David on the verge of failure after an influential fashion critic is blackmailed by Wesley and Racine to pan his new sportswear collection; Marjorie is feared dead in a plane crash; and Racine receives a call from Mark intimating that his digging into her secretive past and had uncovered something very interesting. The cliffhangers were left unresolved.
References
edit- ^Copeland, Mary Ann (1991).Soap Opera History.Publications International. pp. 273–274.ISBN0-88176-933-9.
- ^O'Connor, John (1984-09-23)."TV VIEW; 'PAPER DOLLS' IS A GLOSSY POP FANTASY".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2023-05-12.
- ^Bruce B. Morris,Prime Time Network Serials: Episode Guides, Casts and Credits for 37 Continuing Television Dramas, 1964-1993,McFarland and Company, 1997.
- ^Schemering, Christopher (1987).The Soap Opera Encyclopedia(2nd ed.). Ballantine Books. pp. 180–181.ISBN0-345-35344-7.
External links
edit- Paper DollsatIMDb(1982 television film)
- Paper DollsatIMDb(1984 series)