Bare Essence

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.

Bare Essence
GenreSoap opera
Based onBare Essence (1980)
by Meredith Rich
Written byRobert Hamilton
Walter Grauman
Directed byWalter Grauman
Starring
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes11
Production
Executive producer(s)Philip Saltzman
Running time60 minutes
Production company(s)Warner Bros. Television
Release
Original networkNBC
Original releaseFebruary 15 (1983-02-15) –
June 13, 1983 (1983-06-13)

Development

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. Alongside Francis were costars Linda Evans as Tyger's mother Lady Bobbi Rowan, and Donna Mills as Barbara Fisher, Lee Grant as Ava Marshall, and Bruce Boxleitner as Chase Marshall. The miniseries 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. It aired for 11 episodes from February 15 to June 13, 1983.[1]

Plot

Bare Essence revloves around the efforts of Tyger Hayes (Francis) to succeed in the business world. In the first episode, her new husband Chase Marshall (Corley) is killed in a racing car accident. Chase's father Hadden (John Dehner) opposes Tyger's efforts to join the family business, Kellico, but she is encouraged by Hadden's sister Margaret (Susan 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 her son Marcus' (Jonathan Frakes) position in the company. Both Ava and Marcus' wife Muffin (Wendy Fulton) plot to undermine Tyger's success. To this end, 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.[2]

Reception

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

US TV ratings
Season Episodes Start Date End Date Nielsen Rank Nielsen Rating Tied With
1982–83 11 February 15, 1983 June 13, 1983 85[3] N/A N/A

References
  1. 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. 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.
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