Ladies of the '80s: A Divas Christmas

Shindler's List this movie is not. Hell, it's not even Devil Wears Prada but it's fun and nostalgic with some sharp pop culture writing zings. I grew up watching all these ladies on TV and VCR'd everyone one of their shows when I couldn't watch it live. Linda Gray was always my fav actress and it was great to see her on TV again having fun. I read a couple of reviews that stated this could be an annual reunion movie with additional diva actresses brought in for new storylines. A future storyline could be a Diva Challenge Special with the ladies of The Great Lakes competing against another rival soap from the 80's The High Hills with Joan Collins, Susan Sullivan, Joan Van Ark, Michelle Lee and Charlene Tilton. Let's see more of these ladies Lifetime.

I really wanted to like it, as I enjoyed most of the ladies before in iconic roles, especially Morgan Fairchild and Nicolette Sheridan. But this flick suffers from very lame writing, and characters that miss the fire we know from earlier roles. It is like a weak rip-off of THESE OLD BROADS with Joan Collins and Debbie Reynolds, which wasn't perfect but much much better. DIVAS CHRISTMAS has some fun moments and it's nice to see these icons together, but I was hoping for more pizzaz. And, as other reviewers mentioned, the love story of the younger characters is especially weak, and their acting is bad.

These ladies are so sweet and there is great chemistry between them all. The tone and the sets are very sumptious and Christmassy too and it is good to see these actresses again after first seeing them back in the 1980s. I just wish they had all left their faces alone. They have all had far too much work done and the tooth veneers get in the way....the words are not pronounced properly. Linda Evans looks the best & the most natural. However, they all seem to have had fun making the film. It would have been great seeing naturally older women but it seems that is unforgivable in the States! Shame.

Ladies of the 80s: A Divas Christmas is Lifetime Network's attempt to turn 80s era night-time soap characters into a Christmas movie. For this movie, they brought Donna Mills, Morgan Fairchild, Nicolette Sheridan (Knots Landing), and Linda Gray (Dallas) characters back to life in the mythical soap, "The Great Lakes." They have also included Loni Anderson (best known for WRKP in Cincinnati) who was an 80s diva though not in a soap. The story revolves around The Great Lakes cast being forced to share an architecturally interesting house to film a live finale episode. As the cast gathers in the house, we learn the Divas real lives are as complicated as the characters they portray in the soap. The drama creates headaches for the show's writer-producer Alex (played by Travis Burns who is best known for the Australian soap Neighbours) and director Nell (Taylor Ann Thompson). Nell and Alex also serve as the romantic element of the movie. They were college friends who intermittently work together. Nell had long desired this friendship to be something more. Alex was always too busy with his career to notice Nell's interest and the Divas decide to band together and help Nell get her man.

It was a great premise for a holiday movie and an ambitious attempt to not only reunite these 80s soap stars but take nostalgia to the next level by weaving their past characters into an entirely new storyline. Everything was in place for a potentially great Lifetime Christmas movie with a unique twist. I thought Lifetime would pull it off, but the movie never reached its full potential. Nell and Alex's characters felt very forced, and their romantic storyline was going nowhere. I wondered why it was even included in the movie. The Divas needed less focus on their soap caricatures and more development of their character's backstories to facilitate the reconciliation storylines that were critical to the movie's ending. Even Christmas itself was just a background and not really part of the story.

Was it all too much to expect from a Lifetime Christmas movie? Perhaps, but I did enjoy seeing all the Divas in one movie and watching them resurrect their most infamous characters. It was just enough of a draw to hold my interest to the end. If you are not a fan of 80s soaps or they were before your time, it's probably best to skip this one for another Christmas movie. If you are a fan of those shows or the Divas, then it's worth your time just for the pleasant trip down nostalgia lane.

The fact is we all grow old. Yes, these actresses have been well preserved (they sleep in full makeup). Yes, it's really really cheesy. Hooray for this gang of experienced actresses getting a chance to play a spin on their 80s characters, kind of. Those decadent evening soaps from the 1980s were amazing with their outrageously wealthy lifestyles, homes, lovers and raunchy behaviors. I was a young adult and remember being so excited to watch Knots Landing, Dallas and Falcon's Crest each week. The makeup, clothing and hair! I avoid Lifetime/ Hallmark shows due to the corny content but so glad I saw this, brings back lots of memories. I wish these actresses happiness in their golden years (note- Nicolette is actually much younger). Let's celebrate and embrace our years.