Berrenger's

It had a classier cast than any of the other night-time soaps, in my opinion, and a classier look. It was sexy, of course (Jeff Conaway and Claudia Christian and Ben Murphy were hot as blazes). Andrea Marcovicci had a field day as a vain and grasping estranged wife. She was in a loveless marriage with Ben Murphy, who was in love with Yvette Mimieux (with a short haircut and legs of steel - Bob Paris should have cuts like that). Sam Wanamaker was the patriarch (interestingly, because I always wondered whether he had anything to do with the old Wanamaker's department store). Jeff Conaway was your basic stud on the make.

But the main feature of interest was Anita Morris, as a long-time hard-partying heiress who was finally getting her life together and turning herself into a rag-trade entrepreneur. Without sacrificing an iota of her kittenish lollapalooza personality, Morris became a tigress. It was such fun to watch her, it curled my toes. I've been a Morris fan ever since I saw her make herself comfortable all over a little white cube in the musical "Nine," wearing stiletto heels, a transparent jumpsuit, and pantyhose, singing "A Call from the Vatican." The woman could raise the dead.

I'm sorry her life ended so tragically early, and that Berenger's did too. I'd love to see Morris romping through 5 seasons worth of syndicated episodes.