Summary
Berrenger's is an American prime-time soap opera television series created by Diana Gould[1][2][3] that aired on NBC from January 5 to March 9, 1985. The series revolved around the Berrenger family, a New York dynasty which owned the glamorous department store which bore their name.[4]
| Berrenger's | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Soap opera |
| Created by | Diana Gould |
| Theme music composer | Jerrold Immel |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 12 (1 unaired) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | David Jacobs Stuart Sheslow |
| Producer | Tom Cherones |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production companies | Roundelay Productions Lorimar Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | NBC |
| Release | January 5 – March 9, 1985 |
Following in the tradition of Dynasty and Dallas, Berrenger's played up to the familiar motifs of 1980s soap operas – glamorous and beautiful characters, using money and power in games of love, business and betrayal.
After nearly 3 months on the air, the series was cancelled due to poor ratings, leaving one episode unaired.
Development edit
Produced in the mid-1980s, Berrenger's bore all the hallmarks of the genre and the era - a lavish central set (in this case, the department store's main floor, using the real-life location of Barneys in New York) and an expensive wardrobe budget, which dressed the cast, particularly the women, in current designer fashions.
The series was made by Lorimar, who were producing Dallas, Knots Landing and Falcon Crest. The marketing material which accompanied the launch of the series sold it with the tagline "... elegant clothes... beautiful people ... a powerful clan ..." and "Step through the etched-glass, art deco doors of this opulent retailer, where anything and everything can be bought or sold - for the right price - Berrenger's."
Cast and characters edit
- Jonelle Allen as Stacey Russell
- Laura Ashton as Laurel Hayes
- Claudia Christian as Melody Hughes
- Jeff Conaway as John Higgins (eps. 1–7)
- Art Hindle as Todd Hughes
- Leslie Hope as Cammie Springer
- Yvette Mimieux as Shane Bradley
- Anita Morris as Barbara "Babs" Berrenger
- Ben Murphy as Paul Berrenger
- Jack Scalia as Danny Krucek
- Robin Strand as Billy Berrenger
- and Sam Wanamaker as Simon Berrenger
Simon Berrenger is a widower and the somewhat devious patriarch of the Berrenger department store empire. He has three children from his late wife Sarah. Paul, his eldest heir, and current president of Berrenger's, is unhappily married to socialite Gloria Brahms Berrenger (played by Andrea Marcovicci, credited as guest starring in every episode). They share a young son, David.[5] Paul is having an affair with the stores' vice-president Shane Bradley. Simon's younger son, Billy, is in charge of public relations, and struggles with alcohol and gambling addiction. His only daughter, Barbara, is a divorcée and reformed party girl, who fights to prove herself to her father and make it on her own in the fashion industry.
Other characters working in the department store include junior salesgirl Stacey Russell, who is promoted to boutique manager in the first episode; nymphomaniac store model Laurel Hayes, who seduces Simon; Barbara's daughter Melody Hughes; philandering window-dresser John Higgins, who has his eye on the needy, vulnerable Barbara; ambitious store comptroller Todd Hughes, Melody's ex-husband; naive salesgirl Cammie Springer, who shares an apartment with Stacey and Laurel; and Danny Krucek, grandson of Rinaldi (guest star Cesar Romero), the sinister head of the conglomerate Trans-Allied, who has a mysterious vendetta against the Berrengers. Recurring characters include Julio Marales (Eddie Velez), a hispanic fashion designer, and Max Kaufman (Alan Feinstein).
Episodes edit
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | US viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Overture" | Larry Elikann & Nicholas Sgarro | Diana Gould | January 5, 1985 | 11.9[6] |
| 2 | |||||
| 3 | "For Gloria's Benefit" | Lorraine Senna Ferrara | Lynn Marie Latham & Bernard Lechowick | January 12, 1985 | 11.6 |
| 4 | "Of Boardrooms & Bedrooms" | Barbara Peeters | Susan Baskin | January 19, 1985 | 9.5 |
| 5 | "Fame & Misfortune" | Robert Becker | Alan L. Gansberg | January 26, 1985 | 9.5 |
| 6 | "Seductions" | Nick Havinga | Robert Rabinowitz | January 27, 1985 | 12.8 |
| 7 | "Dangerous Ground" | Bill Duke | Scott Hamner | February 2, 1985 | 9.2 |
| 8 | "Power Play" | Nick Havinga | Lynn Marie Latham & Bernard Lechowick | February 9, 1985 | 9.3 |
| 9 | "Best Laid Plans" | Philip Leacock | Scott Hamner | February 16, 1985 | 7.5 |
| 10 | "Roll Tape" | Linda Day | Brad Bailey | February 23, 1985 | 8.9 |
| 11 | "Hidden Agenda" | Robert Becker | Robert Rabinowitz | March 2, 1985 | 8.6 |
| 12 | "Maelstrom" | Michael Preece | Diana Gould | March 9, 1985 | 5.8 |
References edit
- ^ Variety, Jan 9, 1985.
- ^ Kitman, Marvin. (1985). Newsday. February 3, 1985.
- ^ “Berrenger’s.” Variety. January 4, 1985.
- ^ Schemering, Christopher (1987). The Soap Opera Encyclopedia (2nd ed.). Ballantine Books. p. 43. ISBN 0-345-35344-7.
- ^ Copeland, Mary Ann (1991). Soap Opera History. Publications International. p. 263. ISBN 0-88176-933-9.
- ^ Bruce B. Morris, Prime Time Network Serials: Episode Guides, Casts and Credits for 37 Continuing Television Dramas, 1964-1993, McFarland and Company, 1997.
External links edit
- Berrenger's at IMDb
