(Creator, writer, director and producer of the indie series THE BAY)
Today I’m presenting to you the interview that Gregori J. Martin has granted exclusively to "Santa Barbara Blog". Gregori J. Martin is an award winning, record-breaking director, having directed seven feature motion pictures by the age of 30. Mr. Martin is currently involved in his tenth feature film, THE SOUTSHIDE. Under LANYfilms, his newly formed productions company, Martin is the creator, producer, and director of the highly popular independent serial drama THE BAY, a new online series starring a roster of iconic daytime and primetime television stars. THE BAY was recently featured in the issue of TV Guide Magazine as Top Shows Worth Watching this 2010/2011. Martin was awarded the 2011 WE LOVE SOAPS Indie Award for OUTSTANDING DIRECTING for his work on THE BAY. In the cast of this wonderful series we can find Lane Davies, Jed Allan and Nicolas Coster, our beloved Mason, CC and Lionel from Santa Barbara.
During this interview we will examine the daytime soap operas and especially "Santa Barbara". Your soaps came to Italy in the 80’s. Capitol, Loving, Santa Barbara, B & B and Guiding Light were the most successful. In Italy the other soaps have been resounding failures and they aired briefly. Capitol, Loving and SB aired until their last episodes. B&B and GL still airing here. How can you explain these differences between our ratings and yours?
That's a really good question. While I have never tuned into Capitol, I totally understand why shows like Loving and Santa Barbara were successful in Italy. My family is from Italy. I'm first generation Italian and I can understand the culture and the passion that drives most Italians. Both Santa Barbara and Loving were filled with that passion. That sense of culture. It's certainly bigger and more relatable then some of the other daytime soaps. I think my series THE BAY is following in those same footsteps.
SB began in 1984 and it ended in 1993. Throughout its existence, it remained at the bottom of ratings, but it has won year after year, huge critical acclaim: with 24 Emmys and several Soap Opera Digest Award. I remember clearly the first episode: the murder of the young Channing Jr., the humor of Dame Judith Anderson (Minx), the natural talent of the wonderful Robin Wright (Kelly Capwell) ... All in one episode! I stood thunderstruck! In your opinion, why did the show have such few viewers?
You know, I think audience comes with time. Most daytime soaps last 30 to 40 years. Santa Barbara only lasted 9. Had the powers that be stuck together and the networks pushed for the show, in my humble opinion, it would have been a phenomenal success. The Bold & the Beautiful which is currently the shortest running daytime drama is a perfect example of that. I just believe due to some unforeseen dramas behind the scenes, that show was let go a lot sooner than it should have been. It wasn't a cheap show to produce either.
Personally I don’t care about the ratings, I look at the quality, the soul of a product. SB was bursting with soul! From the beginning, the dramatic tension to solve the murder of Channing Capwell jr. was balanced by the lightness of the younger characters (the misadventures of Ted, Laken, Jade and Danny in Hollywood) and especially the bickering between vitriolic Minx (Dame Judith Anderson) and Augusta (Louise Sorel). This was perfection for me. On other soaps everything seems to be tedious and "already seen". What do you think about that?
Well, I am a big fan of Another World for it's sense of humble family dynamics. It was great to see a show that centered around middle class families instead of the higher, upper class ones. It also carried a sense of warmth and was helmed by one hell of a cast. With Wendy Riche as Executive Producer of General Hospital and Claire Labine as headwaiter, that show tackled some heart-felt and heart-warming tragic stories that kept you glued to your TV's. Santa Barbara on the other hand, was edgy, sharp, explosive… they often took you on an exciting roller coaster ride, filled with suspense, trauma, excitement and peppered with lots of humor. It was my favorite show, and a true inspiration to my new series THE BAY.
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| N. Coster and L. Davies on The Bay |
In my opinion the Dobsons are very brilliant. They have created characters such as Mason for example. I think he was one of the most complex and most complete characters on daytime. Do you agree with me?
Oh certainly. I've heard wonderful things about the Dobsons. I've never met them. But Mason was one of my favorite characters on a daytime soap. In fact, I thought all three actors who played the part were outstanding, but there was something a little extra special about Lane Davies. I had to have him on THE BAY. He's wonderful as Detective Mackenzie Johnson.
In your opinion, what made SB unique and special? Do you believe that SB will remain in history? For what?
I think I've mentioned several reasons why Santa Barbara is so special. So unique. It had a masculine sense that lured in male audiences. General Hospital started that with the Luke and Laura days and I think SB picked that theme right up and conquered it. It has certainly gone down in history.
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| Kelly Capwell' recast |
What did you like most about SB? What did you not like about SB? Which are the main negative criticism that you would say about SB?
I think the main problem with Santa Barbara is they had too many recasts. It was new and fresh and I think a lot of the talent that joined the show expected a lot. I heard some diva stories from some personal SB friends of mine that I'll keep hush, but that, and the fact that the PTB couldn't find a happy medium MOST of the time, caused its demise. That's probably my biggest negative criticism. Had they only gotten along behind the scenes, we could still be watching SB today :)
Can you tell us which were the best storylines in your opinion? and the worst?
Well, anything having to do with Robin Wrights Kelly Capwell. They wrote some wonderful material for her. Her love for Joe, his struggle to win her back, his death on their wedding night. All great classic storytelling. I certainly loved the Capwells and Lionel (Nicolas Coster) was the perfect nemesis. His chemistry with both Robin (Gina) and Louise (Augusta) was just breathtaking.
Another reason that made me fall in love with SB is that SB was not afraid to take risks and to dare. For example, when they decided to kill Mary crushing her with a big C. Mary was a much beloved character at that time and a soap generally tends to use their beloved characters until the end. And then I think about when Eden was raped by Zack (Leigh McCloskey), the gynecologist who examined her after the rape. What do you think?
Those are two perfect examples of epic story telling. Santa Barbara was classic indeed!
Then the Dobsons came back in 1991. The spirit of SB seemed to be reborn, but the following year they left again. I have not yet figured out if they left or if they were fired again. If they decided to leave, or why they did it?
I don't know if I could answer this question fairly. I've never worked on SB and was not there to see. It's sad when the PTB can't find happy grounds.
Some actors who made their debut on a soap do not deny their past (such as Julianne Moore), while others seem to be ashamed of it (Robin Wright). I love Robin Wright, but in a recent interview she seemed annoyed by the questions related to SB. The fans suffer this kind of attitude / approach...What do you think?
Well, I certainly agree actors should be proud of where they came from. I think Robin has come a long way from the soap world. And has grown immensely as an actress. I'm sure if she has any ill-willed feelings toward the show, it could possibly be in her acting chops then in comparison to what she has to offer now. I'm a big fan of Robin and her work. I'm really not sure what her feelings are toward SB, but I'm sure she's smart enough to appreciate her roots as an artist.
In the USA “Santa Barbara” always remained at the bottom of the ratings. In the rest of the world and especially in Europe it has had excellent ratings. Furthermore, despite having low ratings, it has been the most award-winning soap and still there are dozens and dozens of sites dedicated to this soap, unlike the other soaps cancelled. How do you explain this?
Again, I think it just may be a difference in style, culture. There was something more passionate, more culture-driven about SB. And I certainly believe the US is not as passionate or culture driven as most foreign countries. Just my opinion.
In the last three years four soaps have been canceled and since 1999 no new soap has been produced. It's 'obvious that the soap genre is in steep decline. I do not think the fault is the high production costs and the success of reality shows. The main fault in my opinion is that the soaps have not been able to reinvent themselves. They have been the same for decades. Following what circumstances does it come time to cancel a soap?
Well, I'm not sure about this. I personally believe soaps haven't been given the attention they deserve by the powers that be. In recent years the networks found cheaper ways to produce products that folks will watch and so they ran with that. It all started with the O.J Simpson trial. The case was broadcast on television and folks were glued to their screens. The PTB saw that and ran with it. They found in their sense of the word "creative" ways to save money by producing court shows, reality shows and products that were overall cheaper to produce and so little by little they let go of their desires to continue putting money into the scripted daytime drama formats. However THE BAY is still kicking and we will do everything we can to bring you quality drama with some of your favorite stars from Santa Barbara, The Bold & the Beautiful and all the other classic soaps of today and yesterday.
And now few quick questions: Which is your favorite soap of all time?
Santa Barbara, Another World, General Hospital for the reasons mentioned above. And of course THE BAY.
And the best soap ever?
Santa Barbara in my humble opinion. And now THE BAY...
The worst?
It's hard to say which is the worst. They all have their up and down moments. Passions IMO. Just wasn't my cup of tea.
The most overrated soap?
Again, probably Passions. Honestly, I never quite understood Passions. It had an audience though so who am I to judge.
The most underrated?
Well first to come to mind for me is "Generations." It was a very short lived soap on NBC. It centered around a core black family. It was a different time then today and I think at that particular time the networks weren't ready to invest into a show centered around core black characters or shall I say, changed their minds. I can't be certain because I wasn't their but I think it wasn't given a chance. Loving is also often overlooked here in the states.
Now can you tell us something that has never been told about SB? something spicy: antipathy between the actors? tensions of which has not been discussed? Anything you want to share, even the smallest details ...
I'm sorry, I'm going to have to plead the 5th again. For the most part most of the actors I know and have become friendly with today have been very respectful to one another and have not spread any nasty rumors or gossip.. That's a special trait.
Do You think that one day SB will re-run on TV or on DVD?
That would be nice. I think once they get their music rights sorted out, it's a huge possibilities. To my understanding that's their biggest problem at the moment. I'm sure amongst others that I'm not aware of.
Gregori, you created a wonderful indie-soap: “The Bay”, a worldwide success! Now it will run its second season. Can you talk about your soap for the few of us who have not seen the first season. What will happen in the second season?
Well, I plan to reunite a couple of Santa Barbara favorites. That's certainly a plus for those reading this I'm sure. The show will revolve around a core family, like SB, it will be filled with passion, culture, love, romance, excitement and will be very explosive. My goal is to create characters that lure in the audience (I have the perfect actors to do so) and to keep the fans enthralled, like Santa Barbara, with epic storytelling. You can log onto our website for more details and watch Season One and Two, by clicking here.
This interview is designed primarily for the Italian public. In our country, “Santa Barbara” was very much loved and followed. Have you ever been to Italy? What do you know about our country? Do You want to say something to the Italian public?
Yes. I know a part of the Italian culture. I'm a proud first generation Italian. My father was born in Calabria Italy and I have lots of family who still reside there. Though I've never been to Italy it's on the top of my list of places I NEED to see. It's exciting for me to know that Italian's are watching THE BAY. Italy, from what I've gathered is a BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL country! I can't wait to visit!
Thanks so much Gregori for your kindness. And now a little bit of THE BAY.
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