Bare Essence

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Bare Essence
GenreSoap opera
Based onBare Essence (1980)
by Meredith Rich
Developed byRobert Hamilton
Written by
  • Robert Hamilton
Directed byWalter Grauman
Starring
Theme music composerBilly Goldenberg
ComposerMarvin Laird
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes11
Production
Executive producerChuck McLain
Running time60 minutes
Production companyWarner Bros. Television
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseFebruary 15 (1983-02-15) –
June 13, 1983 (1983-06-13)

Bare Essence is an American prime time soap opera television series which aired on NBC from February 15 to June 13, 1983, during the 1982–83 season. It starred Genie Francis as Tyger Hayes, and explored the intrigues of the perfume industry.

Miniseries (1982)[edit]

Bare Essence first appeared in the form of a two-part, 4-hour TV miniseries shown over two nights on October 4 and 5, 1982 on CBS. Based on the 1980 novel of the same name by Meredith Rich, it was directed by Walter Grauman and written by Robert Hamilton. The miniseries starred Bruce Boxleitner as Chase Marshall, Linda Evans as Lady Bobbi Rowan, Genie Francis as Bobbi's daughter Patricia "Tyger" Hayes, Lee Grant as Ava Marshall, Joel Higgins as Matt Phillips and Donna Mills as Barbara Fisher. Francis Benard, John Dehner, Jonathan Frakes, Susan French, Belinda Montgomery and Tim Thomerson appeared in supporting roles. It garnered excellent ratings, but CBS passed on a proposed series, which NBC picked up instead. By the time the series went to air in February 1983, the roles which had been played in the miniseries by Evans, Mills, Grant, and Boxleitner were taken over respectively by Jennifer O'Neill, Jaime Lyn Bauer, Jessica Walter and Al Corley. Francis reprised the lead role of Tyger in the new series.[1]

Weekly series (1983)[edit]

Synopsis[edit]

Bare Essence starred Genie Francis, Ian McShane, Jennifer O'Neill, Jessica Walter and Michael Woods, with Jamie Lyn Bauer, Laura Bruneau, John Dehner, Jonathan Frakes, Susan French and Wendy Fulton in supporting roles. The show revolves around the efforts of Tyger Hayes (Francis) to succeed in the business world. In the first episode, her new husband Chase Marshall (guest star Al Corley) is killed in a racing car accident. Chase's father Hadden (Dehner) opposes Tyger's efforts to join the family business, Kellico, but she is encouraged by Hadden's sister Margaret (French) to try her hand with a new line of perfumes. Ava (Walter), the widow of Hadden's other son, is concerned that any success Tyger might have will undermine the position of her son Marcus (Frakes) in the company. Ava plots with Marcus' wife Muffin (Fulton) to undermine Tyger's success. It is later revealed that Muffin had Tyger's husband killed when she had someone sabotage his car. Ava eventually seduces and marries Hadden. Tyger's mother, Lady Bobbi Rowan (O'Neill), falls in love with a Greek millionaire, Niko Theopolous (Ian McShane), who wants to exact revenge on the Marshalls. Penny Fuller and Morgan Stevens join the cast midway through the season, while Ted LePlat, Richard Backus, Anulka Dziubinska, Paula Holland and Michael Nader appear in recurring roles.[2]

Reception[edit]

Despite a great deal of promotion (with commercials like "Love her. Use her. Or destroy her. Everyone wants a piece of Tyger Hayes."),[1] Bare Essence was unsuccessful and canceled after its first season, with cliffhangers left unresolved.[3] Christopher Schemering called the series "a routine story of murder and family mayhem" in The Soap Opera Encyclopedia, describing Walter's Ava as "a stock villainess obviously modeled on Joan Collins's Alexis in Dynasty."[1] Tom Shales of The Washington Post wrote that Bare Essence "comes up lacking on almost all counts. A better title would be Bare Minimum." He praised the female cast members, but noted that "writer-director Walter Grauman has given this talent little to do that isn't ridiculous on the face of it."[4]

Cast[edit]

Role Miniseries Weekly series
Chase Marshall Bruce Boxleitner Al Corley
Lady Bobbi Rowan Linda Evans Jennifer O'Neill
Patricia "Tyger" Hayes Genie Francis
Ava Marshall Lee Grant Jessica Walter
Matt Phillips Joel Higgins
Barbara Fisher Donna Mills Jaime Lyn Bauer
Armand Habib Francis Benard
Hadden Marshall John Dehner
Marcus Marshall Jonathan Frakes
Margaret Marshall Susan French
Melody Youngblood Belinda Montgomery
Billy Youngblood Tim Thomerson
Niko Theophilus Ian McShane
Sean Benedict Michael Woods
Cathy Laura Bruneau
Muffin Marshall Wendy Fulton

Episodes[edit]

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
Miniseries2October 4, 1982 (1982-10-04)October 5, 1982 (1982-10-05)
111February 15, 1983 (1983-02-15)June 13, 1983 (1983-06-13)

Miniseries (1982)[edit]

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUS viewers
(millions)
1"Part 1"Walter GraumanTeleplay by : Robert HamiltonOctober 4, 1982 (1982-10-04)19.7[5]
2"Part 2"Walter GraumanTeleplay by : Robert HamiltonOctober 5, 1982 (1982-10-05)22.4

Season 1 (1983)[edit]

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUS viewers
(millions)
1"Hour One & Two"Walter GraumanRobert HamiltonFebruary 15, 1983 (1983-02-15)15.0
2
3"Hour Three"Walter GraumanRobert HamiltonFebruary 22, 1983 (1983-02-22)14.3
4"Hour Four"Walter GraumanRobert HamiltonMarch 1, 1983 (1983-03-01)11.9
5"Hour Five"Walter GraumanRobert HamiltonMarch 25, 1983 (1983-03-25)10.7
6"Hour Six"Walter GraumanRobert HamiltonApril 1, 1983 (1983-04-01)10.3
7"Hour Seven"Walter GraumanStory by : Robert Hamilton & Pat Falkin Smith
Teleplay by : Robert Hamilton
April 8, 1983 (1983-04-08)10.1
8"Hour Eight"Walter GraumanKathleen A. ShelleyApril 15, 1983 (1983-04-15)8.9
9"Hour Nine"Walter GraumanKathleen A. ShelleyApril 29, 1983 (1983-04-29)10.2
10"Bare Essence: The Final Chapter"Walter GraumanJames FritzhandJune 13, 1983 (1983-06-13)13.5
11

US TV ratings[edit]

Season Episodes Start Date End Date Nielsen Rank Nielsen Rating
1982–83 11 February 15, 1983 June 13, 1983 85[3] 11.9

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Schemering, Christopher (September 1985). The Soap Opera Encyclopedia. pp. 37–38. ISBN 0-345-32459-5.
  2. ^ Copeland, Mary Ann (1991). Soap Opera History. Mallard Press. ISBN 978-0792454519.
  3. ^ a b Clawson, J. "1982–83 Ratings History: Soap Bubbles Rise, Several Veterans Part and NBC Renews Poorly Rated Masterpieces". The TV Ratings Guide. Archived from the original on 2018-03-18. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  4. ^ Shales, Tom (February 15, 1983). "Such Gloss! Such Dross! It's Bare Essence!". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  5. ^ 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]