Paper Dolls
Encyclopedia
Paper Dolls is an American
prime time soap opera
which aired for 14 episodes on ABC
from September 23, 1984 to December 25, 1984. Set in New York
's fashion industry, the show centered around top modeling agency owner Racine (Morgan Fairchild
), her conflicts with the family of cosmetics tycoon Grant Harper (Lloyd Bridges
), and the careers of two teenage models (Terry Farrell
and Nicollette Sheridan
). The series was based on a 1982 TV movie of the same name.
, Daryl Hannah
and Alexandra Paul
in the roles that would be taken by Fairchild, Sheridan and Farrell in the series (Jennifer Warren and Jeffrey Richman were the only two actors to appear in both the TV movie and the 1984 series). The movie's theme song was "Paper Doll" written by Mark Snow
and performed by Brock Walsh.
) was the modeling agency owner and was frequently at odds with Grant Harper (Lloyd Bridges
), who helmed the board of Harper Cosmetics, a division of his family's corporation, Harper WorldWide Incorporated. Playing both sides was Grant's son Wesley (Dack Rambo
) who thirsted for more power in the family business and allied himself romantically with Racine. (Wesley also resented his father, whom he blamed for the accidental death of his mother, Grant's first wife, Virginia.) Grant was then married to his second wife, Marjorie (Nancy Olson
).
Wesley's sister, Blair Harper Fenton (Mimi Rogers
) was a supermodel, (in fact, she was Racine's first client when she opened her modeling agency) who was fearing her career was on the downslide now that she was 30 years old and pregnant. Despite health problems, Blair was determined to carry her baby to full term. Blair's husband David Fenton (Richard Beymer
) was a sportswear designer (he owned Tempus Sportswear). Unfortunately, because David was too proud to accept financial assistance from his in-laws, the Harpers, his business partner had to resort to accepting money from loan sharks to fund his upcoming collection, which put David and Blair in serious danger. Eventually, David did ask his father in-law for help, the results of which brought Tempus under the Harper WorldWide banner, paid off the loan in full, and also the interest.
Racine was also at odds with Taryn Blake (Nicollette Sheridan
), the top teen model in the business who was proving to be a liability due to unprofessional behavior, problems with drugs and alcohol, and a sensationalized romance with 1980s pop star John Waite
(playing himself for several episodes). To keep Taryn and her demanding stage-mother/manager Julia (Brenda Vaccaro
) in line, Racine decided to promote a new fresh teen face, a young woman named Laurie Caswell (Terry Farrell
).
The naive Laurie wasn't prepared for the fast success, despite her mother, Dinah Anderson Caswell's (Jennifer Warren
) best efforts to keep her grounded. Dinah, a former model herself, and having had previous modeling experience, spent a lot of time on her daughter's career which in turn started causing problems in her marriage to Michael Caswell (John Bennett Perry
), who was Laurie's stepfather. Michael disagreed with Laurie being a model; while Dinah saw it as a rewarding experience for Laurie, which would help her build up her low self-esteem and it also reminded her of her own days as a model.
Despite their vast differences, Taryn and Laurie became good friends. Laurie attended public school in her hometown on Long Island, despite her being a model. Taryn wished that Dinah, who was much more compassionate than the overbearing Julia, was her mother. Vindictive and mean-spirited Julia merely saw her daughter as a meal ticket and Taryn, who only wanted to be a normal teenager, clearly resented that. Julia also dreaded the day that Taryn would turn seventeen, because then, her daughter would be considered legal age as a model and the money would go directly to her and not to her mother. Julia and Dinah would also become rivals because of Taryn and Laurie being models.
Because her life as a successful model was severely regimented, Taryn, who had been a model ever since she was a small child, was very lonely and she wasn't often allowed to socialize with other people her age. Because of this, Taryn saw Laurie as the only real friend she had, and she offered to teach her all she knew about the world of modeling and fashion.
Mark Bailey (Roscoe Born
), a reporter doing a story on the fashion industry, became enamored with Racine, causing problems in his relationship with sensible lawyer Sara Frank (Anne Schedeen
), who was Blair's best friend. A suspicious Sara cautioned her boyfriend on becoming too interested in Racine, commenting "She's been in more beds than a hotel breakfast tray!"
and Dynasty
, when Paper Dolls premiered in September of 1984, the first episode achieved an 18.4 rating. It featured the requisite stock pleasures such as big business, glamour, intrigue, catfights and verbal spats (particularly between Racine and most of the other characters). In one scene, Mark entered Racine's office while she was getting a massage. He asked, "Do you want me to wait outside until you're decent?" Racine responded, "How much time do you have?" In another scene, an irate Julia, brandishing a Barbie-style fashion doll of her daughter, stormed into Racine's office. "This will not be the new Taryn Blake doll!" she barked. "The eyes are brown!" Coolly, Racine quipped, "I guess they couldn't quite match that bloodshot tone."
However, even with a series of rave reviews in People
magazine urging viewers to give the show a chance, ratings were low and the series was not able to find an audience. The final episode of the series found David on the verge of failure after an influential fashion critic was blackmailed by Wesley and Racine to pan his new sportswear collection; Grant's wife Marjorie (Nancy Olson
) was feared dead in a plane crash; and Racine received a call from Mark intimating that his digging into her secretive past had uncovered something very interesting. The cliffhangers were left unresolved.
cable channel in the United States. The series was also shown in the United Kingdom
by the ITV
network in the mid 1980s, though schedules varied per region and also in Italy on Canale 5
under the name "Il profumo del successo" (The taste of success).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prime time soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
which aired for 14 episodes on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
from September 23, 1984 to December 25, 1984. Set in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's fashion industry, the show centered around top modeling agency owner Racine (Morgan Fairchild
Morgan Fairchild
Morgan Fairchild is an American actress. She achieved prominence during the late 1970s and early 1980s with continuing roles in several television series, in which she usually conveyed a glamorous image. Fairchild has also performed in live theater and played guest roles in television comedies...
), her conflicts with the family of cosmetics tycoon Grant Harper (Lloyd Bridges
Lloyd Bridges
Lloyd Vernet Bridges, Jr. was an American actor who starred in a number of television series and appeared in more than 150 feature films. Bridges is best known for his role of Mike Nelson in Sea Hunt, the most-popular syndicated American TV series in 1958...
), and the careers of two teenage models (Terry Farrell
Terry Farrell (actress)
Theresa Lee "Terry" Farrell is an American actress and former fashion model. She is perhaps best known for her performances in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Becker.-Early life:...
and Nicollette Sheridan
Nicollette Sheridan
Nicollette Sheridan is an English film and television actress. She is best known for her roles as Edie Britt on Desperate Housewives and as Paige Matheson on Knots Landing.-Early life:...
). The series was based on a 1982 TV movie of the same name.
1982 TV movie
Prior to the TV series, a TV movie had been made and shown in 1982. The TV movie was based more around modeling than the fashion industry, and featured Joan CollinsJoan Collins
Joan Henrietta Collins, OBE , is an English actress, author, and columnist. Born in Paddington and raised in Maida Vale, Collins grew up during the Second World War. At the age of nine, she made her stage debut in A Doll's House and after attending school, she was classically trained as an actress...
, Daryl Hannah
Daryl Hannah
Daryl Christine Hannah is an American film actress. After making her screen debut in 1978, Hannah starred in a number of Hollywood films throughout the 1980s, notably Blade Runner, Splash, Wall Street and Roxanne and Kill Bill.-Early life:Hannah was born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Susan...
and Alexandra Paul
Alexandra Paul
Alexandra Elizabeth Paul is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Lt. Stephanie Holden in the television series Baywatch from 1992–97. She has starred in over 60 movies and television programs.-Personal life:...
in the roles that would be taken by Fairchild, Sheridan and Farrell in the series (Jennifer Warren and Jeffrey Richman were the only two actors to appear in both the TV movie and the 1984 series). The movie's theme song was "Paper Doll" written by Mark Snow
Mark Snow
Mark Snow is an American composer for film and television.Born in New York, he grew up in Brooklyn, graduating from the High School of Music and Art and, afterwards, the Juilliard School of Music...
and performed by Brock Walsh.
1984 TV movie pilot and series
In 1984, MGM decided to produce a weekly series based on the TV movie for ABC, recasting several of the original roles from the 1982 production. Racine (Morgan FairchildMorgan Fairchild
Morgan Fairchild is an American actress. She achieved prominence during the late 1970s and early 1980s with continuing roles in several television series, in which she usually conveyed a glamorous image. Fairchild has also performed in live theater and played guest roles in television comedies...
) was the modeling agency owner and was frequently at odds with Grant Harper (Lloyd Bridges
Lloyd Bridges
Lloyd Vernet Bridges, Jr. was an American actor who starred in a number of television series and appeared in more than 150 feature films. Bridges is best known for his role of Mike Nelson in Sea Hunt, the most-popular syndicated American TV series in 1958...
), who helmed the board of Harper Cosmetics, a division of his family's corporation, Harper WorldWide Incorporated. Playing both sides was Grant's son Wesley (Dack Rambo
Dack Rambo
Norman Jay Rambeau , professionally known as Dack Rambo, was an American actor, most notable for appearing as Walter Brennan's grandson Jeff in the ABC series The Guns of Will Sonnett, as Steve Jacobi in All My Children, as cousin Jack Ewing on CBS's Dallas, and as Grant Harrison on the NBC soap...
) who thirsted for more power in the family business and allied himself romantically with Racine. (Wesley also resented his father, whom he blamed for the accidental death of his mother, Grant's first wife, Virginia.) Grant was then married to his second wife, Marjorie (Nancy Olson
Nancy Olson
Nancy Ann Olson is an American actress.In Sunset Boulevard she played Betty Schaefer, for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress...
).
Wesley's sister, Blair Harper Fenton (Mimi Rogers
Mimi Rogers
Mimi Rogers is an American movie actress and competitive poker player.-Early life:Rogers was born Miriam Spickler in Coral Gables, Florida, the daughter of Philip C...
) was a supermodel, (in fact, she was Racine's first client when she opened her modeling agency) who was fearing her career was on the downslide now that she was 30 years old and pregnant. Despite health problems, Blair was determined to carry her baby to full term. Blair's husband David Fenton (Richard Beymer
Richard Beymer
George Richard Beymer, Jr. is an American actor known for playing Tony in the 1961 film version of West Side Story and Ben Horne on the 1990 television series Twin Peaks.-Life and career:...
) was a sportswear designer (he owned Tempus Sportswear). Unfortunately, because David was too proud to accept financial assistance from his in-laws, the Harpers, his business partner had to resort to accepting money from loan sharks to fund his upcoming collection, which put David and Blair in serious danger. Eventually, David did ask his father in-law for help, the results of which brought Tempus under the Harper WorldWide banner, paid off the loan in full, and also the interest.
Racine was also at odds with Taryn Blake (Nicollette Sheridan
Nicollette Sheridan
Nicollette Sheridan is an English film and television actress. She is best known for her roles as Edie Britt on Desperate Housewives and as Paige Matheson on Knots Landing.-Early life:...
), the top teen model in the business who was proving to be a liability due to unprofessional behavior, problems with drugs and alcohol, and a sensationalized romance with 1980s pop star John Waite
John Waite
John Charles Waite is an English rock singer and musician. He was lead vocalist for The Babys and Bad English. As a solo artist, he scored several international hits, including 1984's "Missing You", a top ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, reaching #1 in the...
(playing himself for several episodes). To keep Taryn and her demanding stage-mother/manager Julia (Brenda Vaccaro
Brenda Vaccaro
Brenda Buell Vaccaro is an American stage, television and film actress.-Early life:Vaccaro was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Italian American parents Christine M. and Mario A. Vaccaro , both of whom were pioneers in Italian cuisine...
) in line, Racine decided to promote a new fresh teen face, a young woman named Laurie Caswell (Terry Farrell
Terry Farrell (actress)
Theresa Lee "Terry" Farrell is an American actress and former fashion model. She is perhaps best known for her performances in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Becker.-Early life:...
).
The naive Laurie wasn't prepared for the fast success, despite her mother, Dinah Anderson Caswell's (Jennifer Warren
Jennifer Warren
Jennifer Warren is an American actress and film director.Warren was born in the Greenwich Village section of New York City, the daughter of Paula Bauersmith, an actress, and Barnet M. Warren, a dentist. Her uncle was Yiddish theatre actor and director Jacob Ben-Ami. Warren graduated from Elisabeth...
) best efforts to keep her grounded. Dinah, a former model herself, and having had previous modeling experience, spent a lot of time on her daughter's career which in turn started causing problems in her marriage to Michael Caswell (John Bennett Perry
John Bennett Perry
John Bennett Perry is an American actor and former model. He is the father of actor Matthew Perry.-Life and career:Perry was born in Williamstown, Massachusetts, the son of Maria Schaefer and Alton L. Perry. He married twice...
), who was Laurie's stepfather. Michael disagreed with Laurie being a model; while Dinah saw it as a rewarding experience for Laurie, which would help her build up her low self-esteem and it also reminded her of her own days as a model.
Despite their vast differences, Taryn and Laurie became good friends. Laurie attended public school in her hometown on Long Island, despite her being a model. Taryn wished that Dinah, who was much more compassionate than the overbearing Julia, was her mother. Vindictive and mean-spirited Julia merely saw her daughter as a meal ticket and Taryn, who only wanted to be a normal teenager, clearly resented that. Julia also dreaded the day that Taryn would turn seventeen, because then, her daughter would be considered legal age as a model and the money would go directly to her and not to her mother. Julia and Dinah would also become rivals because of Taryn and Laurie being models.
Because her life as a successful model was severely regimented, Taryn, who had been a model ever since she was a small child, was very lonely and she wasn't often allowed to socialize with other people her age. Because of this, Taryn saw Laurie as the only real friend she had, and she offered to teach her all she knew about the world of modeling and fashion.
Mark Bailey (Roscoe Born
Roscoe Born
Roscoe Born is an American actor, born in Topeka, Kansas, who is best known for playing a variety of roles over the years in successful television shows, most recently in The Young and the Restless.-Career:...
), a reporter doing a story on the fashion industry, became enamored with Racine, causing problems in his relationship with sensible lawyer Sara Frank (Anne Schedeen
Anne Schedeen
Luanne Ruth Schedeen , known professionally as Anne Schedeen, is an American actress, best known as Kate Tanner on ALF, which ran from 1986-1990....
), who was Blair's best friend. A suspicious Sara cautioned her boyfriend on becoming too interested in Racine, commenting "She's been in more beds than a hotel breakfast tray!"
Reception
The series attempted to ride the wave of popular night-time soaps such as DallasDallas (TV series)
Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
and Dynasty
Dynasty (TV series)
Dynasty is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. It was created by Richard & Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, and revolved around the Carringtons, a wealthy oil family living in Denver, Colorado...
, when Paper Dolls premiered in September of 1984, the first episode achieved an 18.4 rating. It featured the requisite stock pleasures such as big business, glamour, intrigue, catfights and verbal spats (particularly between Racine and most of the other characters). In one scene, Mark entered Racine's office while she was getting a massage. He asked, "Do you want me to wait outside until you're decent?" Racine responded, "How much time do you have?" In another scene, an irate Julia, brandishing a Barbie-style fashion doll of her daughter, stormed into Racine's office. "This will not be the new Taryn Blake doll!" she barked. "The eyes are brown!" Coolly, Racine quipped, "I guess they couldn't quite match that bloodshot tone."
However, even with a series of rave reviews in People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
magazine urging viewers to give the show a chance, ratings were low and the series was not able to find an audience. The final episode of the series found David on the verge of failure after an influential fashion critic was blackmailed by Wesley and Racine to pan his new sportswear collection; Grant's wife Marjorie (Nancy Olson
Nancy Olson
Nancy Ann Olson is an American actress.In Sunset Boulevard she played Betty Schaefer, for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress...
) was feared dead in a plane crash; and Racine received a call from Mark intimating that his digging into her secretive past had uncovered something very interesting. The cliffhangers were left unresolved.
Cast
- Racine ... Morgan FairchildMorgan FairchildMorgan Fairchild is an American actress. She achieved prominence during the late 1970s and early 1980s with continuing roles in several television series, in which she usually conveyed a glamorous image. Fairchild has also performed in live theater and played guest roles in television comedies...
- Grant Harper ... Lloyd BridgesLloyd BridgesLloyd Vernet Bridges, Jr. was an American actor who starred in a number of television series and appeared in more than 150 feature films. Bridges is best known for his role of Mike Nelson in Sea Hunt, the most-popular syndicated American TV series in 1958...
- Marjorie Harper ... Nancy OlsonNancy OlsonNancy Ann Olson is an American actress.In Sunset Boulevard she played Betty Schaefer, for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress...
- Wesley Harper ... Dack RamboDack RamboNorman Jay Rambeau , professionally known as Dack Rambo, was an American actor, most notable for appearing as Walter Brennan's grandson Jeff in the ABC series The Guns of Will Sonnett, as Steve Jacobi in All My Children, as cousin Jack Ewing on CBS's Dallas, and as Grant Harrison on the NBC soap...
- Blair Harper Fenton ... Mimi RogersMimi RogersMimi Rogers is an American movie actress and competitive poker player.-Early life:Rogers was born Miriam Spickler in Coral Gables, Florida, the daughter of Philip C...
- David Fenton ... Richard BeymerRichard BeymerGeorge Richard Beymer, Jr. is an American actor known for playing Tony in the 1961 film version of West Side Story and Ben Horne on the 1990 television series Twin Peaks.-Life and career:...
- Laurie Caswell ... Terry FarrellTerry Farrell (actress)Theresa Lee "Terry" Farrell is an American actress and former fashion model. She is perhaps best known for her performances in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Becker.-Early life:...
- Dinah Caswell ... Jennifer WarrenJennifer WarrenJennifer Warren is an American actress and film director.Warren was born in the Greenwich Village section of New York City, the daughter of Paula Bauersmith, an actress, and Barnet M. Warren, a dentist. Her uncle was Yiddish theatre actor and director Jacob Ben-Ami. Warren graduated from Elisabeth...
- Michael Caswell ... John Bennett PerryJohn Bennett PerryJohn Bennett Perry is an American actor and former model. He is the father of actor Matthew Perry.-Life and career:Perry was born in Williamstown, Massachusetts, the son of Maria Schaefer and Alton L. Perry. He married twice...
- Julia Blake ... Brenda VaccaroBrenda VaccaroBrenda Buell Vaccaro is an American stage, television and film actress.-Early life:Vaccaro was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Italian American parents Christine M. and Mario A. Vaccaro , both of whom were pioneers in Italian cuisine...
- Taryn Blake ... Nicollette SheridanNicollette SheridanNicollette Sheridan is an English film and television actress. She is best known for her roles as Edie Britt on Desperate Housewives and as Paige Matheson on Knots Landing.-Early life:...
- Mark Bailey ... Roscoe BornRoscoe BornRoscoe Born is an American actor, born in Topeka, Kansas, who is best known for playing a variety of roles over the years in successful television shows, most recently in The Young and the Restless.-Career:...
- Sara Frank ... Anne SchedeenAnne SchedeenLuanne Ruth Schedeen , known professionally as Anne Schedeen, is an American actress, best known as Kate Tanner on ALF, which ran from 1986-1990....
- Christopher York ... Don Bowren
- Sandy Paris ... Jonathan FrakesJonathan FrakesJonathan Scott Frakes is an American actor, author and director best known for his role as Commander William T. Riker in the Star Trek franchise, as well as for his tenure as host of Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction ....
- Jake Larner ... John ReillyJohn ReillyJohn Reilly may refer to:*John Reilly , Irish traveller and source singer*John Reilly , American lawyer, author and businessman*John Reilly , U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania...
- Colette Ferrier ... Lauren HuttonLauren HuttonLauren Hutton is an American model and actress. She is best-known for her starring roles in the movies American Gigolo and Lassiter, and also for her fashion modeling career.-Personal life:...
- Grayson Carr ... Larry LinvilleLarry LinvilleLawrence Lavon "Larry" Linville was an American actor. He was known for his portrayal of obnoxious, pious, self-important and inept surgeon Major Frank Burns in the television series M*A*S*H.-M*A*S*H:...
- Lewis Crosby ... Thom MathewsThom MathewsThom Mathews in Los Angeles, California is an actor who is perhaps best known for his appearance in the horror films Return of the Living Dead and Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives.-Career:...
- Dr. Van Adams ... Alan FudgeAlan FudgeAlan Fudge , was an American actor known for being part of the cast of four television programs: Man from Atlantis, Eischied, Paper Dolls, and Bodies of Evidence, along with a recurring role on 7th Heaven.Fudge was born in Wichita, Kansas...
- Conrad ... Jeffrey RichmanJeffrey Richman-Producer:* Stacked:* Frasier: executive producer* Charlie Lawrence : executive producer* Stark Raving Mad : co-executive producer* Wings : producer-Writer:* Stacked: 1 episode, 2005...
- Marie ... Sue Giosa
- Sammy ... Mark SchneiderMark SchneiderMark Schneider is a Democratic politician who formerly served in the Ohio House of Representatives. A former Cuyahoga County assistant prosecutor, Schneider opted to enter the race in 2008 to try and defeat one-term incumbent Carol-Ann Schindel. A contentious race, it proved to be one of the...
- John WaiteJohn WaiteJohn Charles Waite is an English rock singer and musician. He was lead vocalist for The Babys and Bad English. As a solo artist, he scored several international hits, including 1984's "Missing You", a top ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, reaching #1 in the...
... Himself
Syndication and International Broadcast
Reruns of the series have been shown on the SOAPnetSOAPnet
SOAPnet is an American cable television channel that broadcasts current and past soap operas and primetime dramas, along with some original programming. The channel launched on January 20, 2000, and is owned by Disney-ABC Television Group, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
cable channel in the United States. The series was also shown in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
by the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network in the mid 1980s, though schedules varied per region and also in Italy on Canale 5
Canale 5
Canale 5 is an Italian private television network of Mediaset, the media branch of Fininvest. Canale 5 was the first private television network to have a national coverage in Italy in 1980, based on a local channel, TeleMilano 58, founded in 1978....
under the name "Il profumo del successo" (The taste of success).