The sun set too soon

What I was-afraid-of almost happened. Iain left the TV on when he went to work, I changed the channel only to see a daytime soap opera. I don't know which one, maybe The Bold and the Beautiful or General Hospital. Anyway I found myself watching for 5 minutes and starting to get interested, until I realised it would never be Sunset Beach.
Sunset Beach was the pinnacle of television, the reason FOR television.

I started watching from one of the very early episodes, but even then the special qualities shone through, and it meant I didn't have to do too much catching up, which can be a problem with soaps. Who was married to who, who used to be an international jewel thief, who fell overboard in a storm, all the usual day to day stuff from a town in Southern California.
Sunset Beach had it all, evil long-lost twin brother, check.
Star crossed lovers, check. Mystery disease, corrupt police, fortune teller and a witch doctor, earthquake leading to tidal wave - check, check, check to all of it.
The combined earthquake and tidal wave meant that every one in the cast was involved, from the ones out on the cruise ship turned over by the tidal wave(cue Poseidon rip-off, I mean homage) to the whole Gabi and Antonio trapped in the rubble, alone.... apart from the building surveilence cameras getting the whole thing of them together, did I mention that it was Father Antonio?
There were so many reasons to watch for an hour FIVE days a week(the Saturday omnibus wasn't as good it was only 3 hours so they usually cut out some the the most mental dream sequences). What will Annies latest plot be? Will Casey and Michael go surfing or go to work (as lifeguards)? Will Sean stay in hospital for longer than 2 days after his brain surgery? Will anyone go see any other doctor or will Dr. Tyus treat everyone for everything? Who is going to die on Terror Island? Will Ricardo look like he got dressed in the dark again?
Speaking of Ricardo...



















or rather Detective Torres, brother of Maria(the one lost overboard) and Antonio, was another reason to watch the show....
Shame about his fruit-loop of a mother Carmen who was the fortune teller and always having visions.


Then there was the fan-tas-tic dialogue. Here see for yourself...

Antonio: "We have come here before God and this company to join this man and this woman. If there is anyone here who objects to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace."
Eddie: "I object, and so should you, Meg. This man's a fraud. He's not Ben."
Meg (looks at Derek): "What?"
Eddie: "He is Ben's evil twin, Derek, and he's just after Ben's money."
Derek: "Meg, it's not true. Don't listen to him."
(Ben comes down the stairs; everyone looks at him.)
Ben: "It's true, Meg. But he's not going to get my money because he doesn't have the password to my bank account. And I'm never going to give it to him."
(Meg looks from Ben to Derek to Eddie; finally, she looks at Antonio.)
Antonio (shrugging): "Don't look at me. I'm just the priest."


Wikipedia here has a pretty good write up on the show and mentions the earthquake/tidal wave storyline line and reminded me of the Jerry Springer episode and the TV show-inspired fantasy sequences, like Charlie's Angels and Friends.

I was so obsessed with the show I even went to the little town where it was filmed. (We were in the area anyway on holiday) in a place called Seal Beach, south of Los Angeles.
When it was cancelled I was disappointed but some fans were very upset. A campaign was started to try to get NBC to change their minds, letter writing and two Sunset Beach Conventions later it was not to be, it finished in the States on December 31st 1999 and suddenly I had an extra 5 hours a week.
I still miss it...