Santa Barbara
Created by Bridget Dobson, Jerome Dobson
On NBC
A witty, affectionate soap opera built on romantic entanglement and family drama among wealthy Californians, sustained across a decade with self-aware humor and genre-savvy tone.
Santa Barbara is an American television soap opera, first broadcast in the United States on NBC on July 30, 1984, and last aired on January 15, 1993. The show revolves around the eventful lives of the wealthy Capwell family of Santa Barbara, California. Other prominent families featured on the soap were the rival Lockridge family, and the more modest Andrade and Perkins families. Santa Barbara aired in over 40 countries around the world and is best remembered for its witty dialogue and sometimes tongue-in-cheek situations that often seemed like an affectionate parody of the genre. The show won 24 Daytime Emmy Awards and 18 Soap Opera Digest Awards among various other awards.
Essence
Ensemble
Like Santa Barbara
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as Santa Barbara
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like Santa Barbara, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like Santa Barbara, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like Santa Barbara, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.
