THE ‘SCRUPLES’ TV MOVIE

The 1980 Scruples miniseries on CBS was pure, addictive television. It perfectly packaged glamour, elite success, and scandalous romance among Beverly Hills' most beautiful people. Capitalizing on that frenzy, ABC picked up the mantle just over a year later. On Friday, May 22, 1981, the network premiered a sleek new television movie, aiming to transform Judith Krantz's bestselling world into the next great weekly soap opera.

I still remember thinking how bizarre it was to schedulea prime-time TV event on a Friday night. In an era before VCRs were a household staple, you couldn't just pause live TV or tape it for later, so I chose a night out at the theater with friends instead. For years, I felt like I had missed a massive piece of 1980s pop culture history. It took me exactly forty-five years to finally sit down and watch it, but the soapy drama absolutely lived up to the hype.

Picking up right where the original miniseries left off, the story immediately plunges its characters into turmoil. Billy, recast with the late Shelley Smith, tragically miscarries and learns she can no longer bear children. To make matters worse, she discovers that her husband, Vito (James Darren replacing Nick Mancuso), desperately needs an heir. Adding financial ruin to personal heartbreak, she is also forced to fight a ruthless business takeover designed to steal her beloved, world-famous boutique right out from under her.

Meanwhile, the fairytale romance between Spider and Valentine (now played by Dirk Benedict and Olga Karlatos) hits a massive speed bump with the arrival of Melanie. Recast this time around with Priscilla Barnes, Melanie completely throws a wrench into their happy ending by claiming she is pregnant with Spider’s baby—or at least, that is what she wants him, and us, to believe.

While these core relationships sizzle, the film's momentum slows down with its least interesting subplot. This thread involves Nora Gregson (Elizabeth Edwards), a would-be actress who finds work at the boutique, alongside a side story about a theft committed by her brother and his roommate. Though fine on paper, it ultimately lacks the spark needed to keep viewers engaged. Fortunately, the main cast delivers solid performances across the board, with the absolute standout being the brilliant and widely missed Jessica Walter as Maggie McGregor (a role originated by Connie Stevens). Playing a sharp television gossip reporter, she completely steals every single scene she is in. 

Ultimately, it’s a true shame that nothing ever came of this unsold pilot. Much like Dallas or Dynasty, it possessed all the right ingredients to become a fantastic weekly series. In fact, screenwriter Camilla Marchetta actually worked on both of those iconic prime-time soaps, proving she clearly had the talent and the vision to make a weekly version of Scruples truly shine.

 

Until next post--Martin