Sunset Beach (1997–1999) User Reviews

So much fun to be had...

[hamid-mobasheri · 7/10 · 29 November 2018]

...making fun of the acting and characters. The pinnacle of cheese and cringe. So cheesy it's brilliant. Probably the only place you're likely to find a woman impregnated by means of a turkey baster.

SB on DVD?????

[sophiewessberg · 7/10 · 5 July 2006]

I first started following the show in 98', when I was going trough a really difficult time. No other show has come to mean so much to me. Sure, SB is no master piece, and it has certain obvious flaws, but at a time when I needed shelter anywhere I could find it, it kept me sane and gave me somewhere to regain my confidence.

Anyway - someone told me you could buy the episodes on DVD in England, but he didn't tell me where. Does anyone know? I have looked for episodes in Sweden, but there doesn't seem to be any. Plus, my video refused to let me tape any episodes - especially not the ones with Ben and Meg in them.

e-mail me at: [e-mail]

Still weeping over the demise of "Sunset Beach"...

[sharbaug-1 · 7 January 2005]

This was a great soap opera. Although sometimes the acting left a bit to be desired (and I'll admit that despite being a huge fan), it was one of the most creative and interesting soaps on TV. Many of the stars of this show went on to really bright careers (Eddie Cibrian and Jason Winston George among them), but some have faded into Hollywood nothingness. Sometimes the show was cheesy, but that was what made it so great. It wasn't old and tired like some of the other soaps. It was completely fresh, new, vibrant and colorful. It needs to be put back on the air so other soaps stop rehashing the same ideas. This soap was funny, entertaining and really great. Terror Island was one of the greatest soap angles of all time. Aaron Spelling's finest achievement ever.

I can't forget it!!!

[Angel-Marie · 9/10 · 14 April 2001]

Sunset Beach was the best show on NBC. I even prefer that over the Passions. They're storylines were great and they didn't spend a whole month on one night. I hope the US has the nerve to put it on syndication because I miss this soap.

It still lives whether it is Sunset Beach, CA or Ludlow, KS

[Totallyrad80 · 10/10 · 4 October 2003]

I remember I checked out the first episode of the show, I thought it was different (film, not tape) and I remember I wasn't impressed till I heard that Eddie Cibrian (one of my favorite actors) joined the show and I said maybe I check out the show and after that I got hooked. I was hoping somewhere NBC would keep the show on as of today but they cancelled it and I kind of figured that once Eddie was leaving to do "Third Watch" I said to myself goodbye Sunset. But it had some hilarious stories to watch and I love the cast. It was different for the 90s as well as up to date stuff like cyber romance, Annie's craziest fantasies, (which I am glad that NBC never cut the scene out that Annie fantasized that Sean and Caitlin walked on their mother in bed with Rose, the maid) and kudos to the crew for putting that structure of that story together and sticking by it when they knew they were going off the air. I miss the show, but thank God for VCRs which I taped most of the episodes. So I could say I still live back in Sunset Beach. Just wish they were newer episodes, that someday Aaron Spelling would do a miniseries of the show and show us what these characters are doing. I also had the laugh when Meg finally married Ben and she fell asleep and dreamed she was in Ludlow after all these years with the existing cast there. I want the show back.

So bad yet sooooooooo gooddddddddddd

[tiggiedapuss · 10/10 · 6 March 2020]

I nearly died when this ended me and my friend ( both male) and NO. used to watch it together it was the most ridiculous show , but for whatever reasons , we were addicted to it and absolutely loved it especially the *itch in it and we hated wet blanket Meg , I'll never forget that show until I pop my clogs

Best soap I have watched...

[TwisterHaze · 10/10 · 18 October 2018]

I started watching sunset beach in 1998 at first I thought what the hell is this. After watching it for a while I got addicted, I loved the wild storylines and the cast which came across nice and genuine on screen. Sunset beach was such a good show. I liked it that much that when channel 5 announced it was coming to an end, I was one of many who wrote a letter trying to persuade NBC ( think it was NBC ) to continue producing the show . I hope it comes back !!! So if anyone is reading these comments who was apart of putting Sunset beach on t.v. please bring Back SUNSET BEACH .

Cheesy as hell but so entertaining

[tastelikecandy · 2 November 2004]

I started watching SB as we fans call it when Channel 5 (UK) showed it around 5pm. Instantly I got well hooked if you are a fan of the cheese sub-genre of Spelling you will love it. The trick with this soap is to treat it as light,spoof entertainment. All in all I love it but like Danish blue cheese it may be an acquired taste. If you are one of these people who only watches quality shows with really good subversive story lines with a perfectly crafted backstory DO NOT tune in but if you need a bit of light fluff to brighten your drab work-a-day life I would suggest you just sit back and enjoy the total fantasy of these sexy guys and gorgeous girls on Sunset Beach.

The first Post-Modern Soap Opera

[clivy · 10/10 · 21 August 2003]

Many US soaps have glamorous women, gorgeous guys, outrageous costumes, cheesy acting, and melodramatic storylines that veer into the totally vapid and unbelievable. Sunset Beach had a great cast, especially in

Tiffany(Adrienne Frantz), Jude (Sean Kanan), and Lesley Anne Downe. It had the love triangle to end all love triangles in Meg, Ben, and Maria. It had black magic and a woman using a turkey baster to get her love rival pregnant. And best of all it had the fabulous Sarah Buxton as Annie Douglas Richards, maneater and snake charmer supreme.

What made Sunset Beach the best thing to hit daytime TV was its courage in poking fun at itself and the soap opera genre. The episode with Annie dreaming of her life story as "Search for Dignity" told me more about soap opera than ten volumes of media studies texts. In addition, it was the best presentation of feminism I've seen on US network TV.

Sunset Beach came to an undeserved and premature end, but it ended with all guns blazing, still taking risks with the conventions of genre. I would love to see it come back! I would love to see more shows push the boundaries of storytelling on TV!

Loved the show

[usersince03 · 10/10 · 6 September 2013]

I first got into this show in 1999 the year it ended, I would watch it now and then but started to get into it when it was thought Gregory was dead.

Watching old episodes on the Internet I have to laugh at some of the scenes like some of the lines or some of these fantasy's. There are some story's that were over the top e.g Annie giving Olivia some potion to make her drink again.

There are some character's I was never crazy about A.J, Sara, Casey, Gabby. I was disappointed at the fact that Gregory married Annie, she was an interesting character but I liked Gregory and Olivia better as a married couple.

Hilariously slow and unforgettable

[roisinweymes · 9/10 · 20 January 2017]

I think most viewers will agree when I write that this was a super enjoyable show back when it aired! I was around 15 and my older sister around 21 and it always aired on Saturday afternoons (in Ireland anyway) and she and I were only too delighted to do all the ironing for the entire household every Saturday as it basically involved a bit of work and a lot of laughter. The scenes moved along so slowly that you could easily see a shocked face, look down, iron an entire shirt, hang it (or fold it) and look back up and the shocked face would still be on screen. It was just so slow and dramatic. Like a drama club teaching kids how to hold poses or something. Hilarious stuff. But apart from that, it was just so enjoyable with the ridiculous story lines and wildly beautiful yet troubled characters. So far fetched that you couldn't become depressed by these "too beautiful" characters but you just had a laugh instead. It's probably difficult and slightly irrelevant for someone to start to watch it now as it would require sourcing and downloading (society is lazy now, don't forget!), but watching it while it was being aired just MADE our Saturdays. It still makes my sister and I laugh 18 years later! Enjoy folks! It's one of a kind that's for sure :-)

the best of the best...

[stillpaulapaula · 9/10 · 17 August 2006]

sunset beach was one of the best TV soaps that was ever aired on our TV screens!!the story lines were great!the acting was brilliant!!and it had the sexy Lesley-Anne down!!some of the best story lines is the "terror Island" story, and the earthquake/tsunami story were several characters were trapped on land under the rubble and then others trapped on a ship which a large wave had capsized, which was caused by the earthquake! one of the others was the two murder mysteries that showed us the murder of Del Douglas and the seductress Francesca Vargas who in a surprise twist was one of the main characters Gregory Richards. the worst thing they ever did was axe the show. the show was gripping, romantic, funny and also a bit over the top. but still i loved it, you loved it, and we will always love it.....

The Only Soap I'd Ever Watch

[buffbabe23 · 13 June 2001]

I hadn't really ever watched a soap opera before, but "Sunset Beach" isn't really your average soap. It was much better. That's probably partly due to the fact that Aaron Spelling was behind it. I remembered seeing ads for it and then during the summer I decided to see what it was all about. After the first episode I was hooked! I would tape it everyday, so I would never miss an episode. Sadly, NBC decided to trade it in for "Passions", which I liked at the beginning, but that's another story... Basically, I just wish that it was still on the air. The plots weren't very realistic, but they were fun to watch (especially the "Terror Island" special. A great take-off on "Scream"), and that's what TV and soap operas are all about. The show had such a wonderful cast- I'll really miss them - It was such a wonderful show!!

Worst show ever - fantastic!

[andrew-hill515 · 10/10 · 2 December 2019]

I loved this show. It was TERRIBLE.

The acting was wooden, and the actresses seemed to be so full of Botox they couldn't show any expressions. The scripts were so bad that people had to stare, blankly because of all the Botox, into a mirror while a voiceover explained the feelings and stuff, because the writers couldn't figure out a way to write dialogue, and the actors couldn't express the emotions the voiceover said they were feeling.

There was an evil red-headed step sister! There was a reformed jewel thief! There was a pregnancy of a wife with her father in- law, another secret pregnancy with the mother in law, followed by an evil switcheroo by the evil step sister, after a miscarriage and a fake pillow-up-the-jumper pregnancy the husband didn't notice!

I think at some point there was some kind of haunted, or serial killer infested (I can't remember if it was a ghost story or an I Know What You Did Last Summer rip off) involving a spooky boat house or something.

It was perfect. I used to watch it all week, and then the omnibus on a Saturday, because it was amazing.

Put Sunset Beach on the web!!!

[civicluver07 · 10/10 · 18 October 2009]

I absolutely loved Sunset Beach! I've been looking around online to see if I could get a hold of some episodes on DVD or something so I could watch it again... And the only place I've been able to find any at all was in the UK! Now i realize it would be difficult and expensive to put over 750 episodes onto DVD's for sale... but what if they just put it on the web? Or re-aired it on a channel like Soapnet? No offense to 90210 lovers but they've got the old episodes of that on Soapnet and Sunset Beach is a far better show! I don't understand why so many people believe that this show was a failure in the US. Look at how many nominations and awards it received in three years... not to mention that it was actually on for three years. How many TV shows are failures and still last for 750+ episodes? Moonlight lasted what 14 episodes? And how many other shows have been canceled half way through their first season? Those were failures (even tho Moonlight was awesome!) So why does the UK get access to re-watch this amazing show but those of us who loved it in the US are completely out of luck? NBC, Spelling Productions, Paramount, whoever it is that has the rights to this show should seriously consider releasing it on the internet.

SB on DVD

[jalalaliyu · 10/10 · 4 March 2007]

Hi SB fans, We really miss SBits so bad, its good!!! My favorite characters are the bad guys Eddie, Derek, i also like good old Bette, Annie, Cole and Ricardo. I love/hate Meg and Ben is cool!!Luckily lately its available on DVD, i have a lot of episodes on DVD and will trade with any one who also has them on DVD,I have episodes from the first year 1997, and the second year 1998,I have the Babyswitch, Terror Island, Shockwave and the Rosairo jewels plots, the episodes i am looking for are those from the final year 1999. Email me: [e-mail] if u want to trade or buy!!. So don't hesitate, get in touch please!!!!! Sunset Beach lives for ever!!

I Love the show it rocks my socks!!!

[green_tic-tac_baby1175 · 10/10 · 3 July 2006]

I love the show sunset beach, I'm 14 years old right now I use to watch it ever since i was 10. I was so flipping mad when the show ended! It was my all time favorite soap Oprah of all time it still is. The stories are so frikin amazing! And the guys are so frikin hot!! loll :P.. I ADORE the theme song! Every time the theme song would play at the end , I would always imagine that I was at sunset beach!..the song is perfect for the show! ( good job the guy who came up with the theme song .. it ROCKS)... well I just wanna say that the show was awesome while it lasted and all the actors and producers and directors and the whole entire cast and crew were fantastic/awesome/amazing/perfect/sweet/talented!! k well I'm guna go now .. sorry about the horrible spelling and gramair. you all rock my socks!.. PS. I really miss the show..:(

A most enjoyable escapism

[thomas-jennings1 · 11 December 2004]

Upon viewing Sunset Beach for the first time, I like most others viewing this show will be instantly thrown by the garish, bright colours allowed by the particular camera lens used.

Add to this the masses of fantastically healthy-appearing, bronzed characters with their all too perfectly sculpted facial and bodily features and I would defy anyone not to be hypnotized by this show.

Having seen "The Bold and the Beautiful", "The Young and the Restless", and "Melrose Place", after initially having been hypnotized for a brief 5 minutes or so I began to see this programme with my active-mind. Rational thought took over and the bad memories of the aforementioned soaps began to taint Sunset Beach. However, upon viewing only one episode, it was clearly apparent to me that this was special.

For me what makes this such effective, enjoyable escapism is the acting performances from most of the cast. Sure, the acting can be "Over The Top" (meaning unnecessary) at times most of the cast are actually very good. One of the most impressive of the cast in my own opinion is Peter Barton as the bad Police officer Eddie Connors. Barton's manipulative, devious yet likable delivery gives this role fantastic credence. Barton is followed closely by fellow Police officer (actually detective, hem hem) Hank Cheyne as Ricardo Torres. Ricardo is the heroic sort who you find it difficult to dislike. Cheyne symbolises truth and honesty, however there is a great deal of emotion beneath this.

Most impressive of all however - and directly opposed to the Torres character in the sense that there is almost no emotion shown - is Sam Behrens portrayal of successful business man, meddling father and often sinister Gregory Richards. Behrens's delivery of the debonair, amazingly practical, driven and successful Richards is almost always utterly captivating. In fact the entire Richards family have the bulk of the best story lines in the first year of Sunset Beach, each one is fantastically delivered by Behrens.

If ever there is a moment coming where you feel that Richards will have to show some emotion, chances are he will not. When a rare moment of emotion, other than the slightly frequent anger/impatience/intolerance is displayed by Behrens it is quite something to behold.

Therefore, as the characters are so well represented, the story lines deserve a lot of credit.

In my opinion the first 10 months of Sunset Beach was most enjoyable. However that fantastic scenery of the beautiful beach and its surrounding domestic habitat's, coupled with the bold story lines and mainly great characters elevates Sunset Beach above any other daytime soap EVER.

Sunset Beach Episodes

[sunsetbeachepisodes · 10/10 · 8 July 2014]

"When the moon rises early, just as the Santa Ana winds kick up out of nowhere, and the sun is just dropping out of sight, whoever you meet at the far side of the pier, is the one you're destined to be with".

All 755 Episodes (Containing High Quality versions that are not available anywhere on the internet not even youtube) of the much loved Soap Opera Sunset Beach, all contained on a portable hard drive. Using this device is as easy as plugging it into your PC or Laptop and opening a folder. DVDs can be damaged and skip, This device is also covered for 3 years! now you can own the entire collection check out our official site for further info www.sunsetbeachepisodes.com

My God I will miss this soap!

[The Movie and television fan! · 9/10 · 15 August 2000]

I can´t believe that NBC cancelled the best television show on earth! Lucky for me because I live in Sweden and we have 1.5 years left to watch the best show with the most exciting storylines and great performance! And Sweden (TV4) are showing repeats of show from the beginning and there are we only on the 75 episode! sunset Beach 2 times a day in over a year lucky me and Lucky Sweden (in Sweden is "SB" a real HIT! and are more popular then some of our News-Programs!)

Sunset Beach will live on 4-ever!

NBC! Please Please pick up Sunset Beach again!

I loved this soap!!!

[friedfysh · 13 November 2005]

Back when I was about 14 (21 now) i used to tape this thing everyday so I could watch it when i went home for lunch and every day a couple of my mates would come watch it too. We loved the Ben / Derek plot sooo much (I may have even made a tape where edited those bits together n cut all the rest- i'm usually quite normal, honest). A funny thing I noticed recently is that on one of my other favourite shows, British sit com Game On they used to mention watching sunset beach like they were taking the mess out of how rubbish it was- but this was 2 years before SB existed so I have my suspicions that someone saw game on and decided to make said crappy soap. Anyway I did prefer the original theme tune (the one used at the end of later episodes written by one Tim Truman, which I notice happens to be the name of one of the characters, in case you forget it was the guy who had a flashback where he shouted noooooo for about 3 months when he was in a coma. For addictive crappy TV SB is far and away the best. Its so bad that its brilliant!!! its also a load of fun when you see the stars in other stuff. Paula was in mulholland drive and the punisher! and Meg was in.. Wild Things 3 or was it 2?- use the search if you are interested. Alas Ben, once tipped as 007 is in general hospital!

Essential viewing

[Sarah-60 · 7 March 1999]

Wobbly scenery, hysterical acting, unbelievable plotlines - someone tell me how TV could possibly get any better?

Please please - don't let it get cancelled. If the rest of the world (judging from the comments here) doesn't want it, we in Britain certainly do!!

And I want to be an Assumpta Fitzgerald to Antonio's Father Peter!

Simply the best soap ever. Someone gave it 0 out of 4 - I can only assume they meant 10 out of 4!

Ironic goodness

[laura_j_morton · 19 October 2004]

Hi I loved Sunset beach, and I am really enjoying the reruns on UK TV at the moment.

If you like your soaps gritty and realistic then don't even bother watching, but if you want to laugh till your sides split, and get taken away from your humdrum life, then tune in to SB.

It has everything that normal soaps try their best to disguise, for example; sets that shake every time a door is slammed, recurring scenery, and best of all absolutely ridiculous plots.

It points the finger at so many soaps out there, and takes the mickey out of them, if you like ironic and sarcastic humour then this is definitely the soap for you.

From the masked killer on Terror Island to the earthquake and simultaneous tidal wave, (that put all the cast in jeopardy), it is the best and funniest soap to ever be made.

You may think that the story lines covered in the three years that the show ran are so ridiculous that they would not appear on other soaps, but most seem to be loosely based on story lines from other, trying to be serious, ones.

It is plain and simply a take on all the soaps ever aired, and I'm so glad that it was made. Thank you Aaron Spelling, you made the best daytime soap ever.

The Sun Should Never Set!

[Nevaeh_Rain_Marks · 6 December 2004]

Sunset Beach was, and is, the best thing ever on TV. There's never been anything like it and to be honest I don't believe for a minute that there ever again will be either. It is SO full of hopes and dreams. And very much like in real life, some of them come true and some of them don't. But it does give the viewer some hope of a better tomorrow. Just enough excitement, romance, action, humor, and bizarre things to suit even the pickiest viewer. GREAT acting! Really makes you sometimes confuse it with reality, but you notice the difference when you look around yourself and don't see such hunks around you :(. The worst mistake ever made by the human race was axing the show. Now so many people will be missing that little escape from reality and it's really sad :(.

My First Favorite Soap Opera.

[AshWink17 · 12 August 2005]

Although I did not catch the show from the beginning, I did catch it in the summer of... 98 if I'm not mistaken. I caught it the summer that they did the whole Shockwave storyline where this ship that Caitlin, Cole, and others were on went upside down in the water. Catching this show at my 10th year of life, I was into it because it was interesting and it was one of the few soap operas I liked (Guiding Light being another one).

I was totally distressed when it was canceled at the end of 1999. I miss it and I was a huge fan of Caitlin and Cole, in fact, for a long time Caitlin was a favorite name of mine. But I digress. It was a great soap, and even though it had few fans, those few fans were very loyal to it (I still love this show even after 6 or 7 years!) and should have fought it ending. I hope to one day see it on DVD. It would bring back some many wonderful memories of my 10th and 11th and 12th year of life. May this show stay in our hearts.