wgranger
I thought Paper Dolls was a pretty entertaining soap opera as far as this genre goes. There were plenty of conflicts and drama to hold one's attention during its brief run. Some big names were featured here such as Lloyd Bridges, Dack Rambo, Brenda Vaccaro, etc. However, some of the characters were fairly clichéd such as Brenda Vaccaro's role as the greedy hard-driving mother. On the other hand, Morgan Fairchild was perfect in her role as head of a model agency and I would put her performance up there with with other notable femmes fatales.I think the reason Paper Dolls did not last longer than a year was twofold: fashion industry tends not to draw male viewers, and the American public was starting to tire of prime time soaps after Dallas and Dynasty. Even with its shortcomings, it still made for an entertaining hour.
gothamciti
This was a hoot of a show. And yes, too bad it only lasted for 13 episodes including the 2-hour pilot. It certainly showed a lot of promise. It was also disconcerting that it ended so abruptly with plot lines that were never resolved including a stalker, an impending takeover and the missing at sea (current) Mrs. Grant Harper. Fun cast too with Mimi Rogers, Lauren Hutton, the young Terri Farrel and Nicolette Sheridan, and of course the seemingly ageless Ms. Fairchild. The quips and barbs were fast and loose. The clothes were mind numbingly awful(With the exception of the pieces showed by Mr. Michael Volbracht). And all the shenanigans too fun. One particular favorite line of mine on this show was delivered by scion Wesley (played by the late Dack Rambo): Ah, the Harper family dinner - forks on the left, knives in the back. back
tex-42
Based on the 1982 TV movie of the same name, Paper Dolls centers around two teenage models, one veteran and one newcomer, as they deal with the glamorous/scandalous world of modeling. The show also follows the exploits of the Harper family, with patriarch Grant who is the chairman of Harper Worldwide, scheming brother Wesley, aging model Blair and her husband, the qausi-successful sportswear designer, David Fenton.The standout of the show though is Morgan Fairchild as Racine, the owner of the modeling agency. She gets most of the show's best lines, and plays the devilish Racine wonderfully.The show itself is a standard soap opera with meddling parents, stalkers, characters having affairs with each other, kidnappings and the like. It's an enjoyable show, though a weakness would be that there are too many characters and plot lines, so some plots seem rushed, while others drag out. Overall though, the show is well worth a look.
15231
From a trashy movie pilot came a series based upon the premise that:The modeling world can have a dark side. (HORRIFYING!) Parents might use their child as an income source. (SCANDALOUS!) Models can be bitchy. (DEPLORABLE!) Modeling is not all glamor. (SHOCKING!) Not every model is happy. (TERRIBLE!) People can be cruel to each other. (OUTRAGEOUS!)I think that about sums up the basic themes of the show.
Unfortunately, by the time this night time soap came out, the Ewings of Dallas, the Carringtons of Dynasty, and the Channings of Falcon Crest already had numbed the public to the `glamor' and much more shocking bills of fare than what most considered to be the fluff world of modeling. The movie pilot utilized all the good parts of the story and left little for the series to use.The show's glamorous spark fizzled out quickly.