Berrenger's
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Berrenger's'' is an American prime-time
soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
television series created by Diana Gould that aired on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
from January 5 to March 9, 1985. The series revolved around the Berrenger family, a New York dynasty which owned the glamorous department store which bore their name. Following in the tradition of ''
Dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...
'' and ''
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
'', ''Berrenger's'' played up to the familiar motifs of 1980s soap operas – glamorous and beautiful characters, using money and power in games of love, business and betrayal. After nearly 3 months on the air, the series was cancelled due to poor ratings, leaving one episode unaired.


Development

Produced in the mid-1980s, ''Berrenger's'' bore all the hallmarks of the genre and the era - a lavish central set (in this case, the department store's main floor, using the real-life location of
Barneys Barneys New York Inc. is an American luxury brand founded in New York City in 1923. It has introduced major designers including Armani, Azzedine Alaïa, Comme des Garçons, Christian Louboutin, and Ermenegildo Zegna to the US market. Barneys N ...
in New York) and an expensive wardrobe budget, which dressed the cast, particularly the women, in current designer fashions. The series was made by
Lorimar Lorimar Productions, Inc., later known as Lorimar Television and Lorimar Distribution, was an American production company that was later a subsidiary of Warner Bros., active from 1969 until 1993, when it was folded into Warner Bros. Televisi ...
, who were producing ''Dallas'', '' Knots Landing'' and '' Falcon Crest''. The marketing material which accompanied the launch of the series sold it with the tagline "''... elegant clothes... beautiful people ... a powerful clan ...''" and "''Step through the etched-glass, art deco doors of this opulent retailer, where anything and everything can be bought or sold - for the right price - Berrenger's''."


Cast and characters

Simon Berrenger is a widower and the somewhat devious patriarch of the Berrenger department store empire. He has three children from his late wife Sarah. Paul, his eldest heir, and current president of Berrenger's, is unhappily married to socialite Gloria Brahms Berrenger (played by
Andrea Marcovicci Andrea Louisa Marcovicci ( ro, Marcovici; born November 18, 1948) is an American actress and singer. Life and career Marcovicci was born in Manhattan, to Helen Stuart, a singer, and Eugen Marcovicci, a physician and internist of Romanian desce ...
, credited as guest starring in every episode). They share a young son, David. Paul is having an affair with the stores' vice-president Shane Bradley. Simon's younger son, Billy, is in charge of public relations, and struggles with alcohol and gambling addiction. His only daughter, Barbara, is a divorcée and reformed party girl, who fights to prove herself to her father and make it on her own in the fashion industry. Other characters working in the department store include junior salesgirl Stacey Russell, who is promoted to boutique manager in the first episode; nymphomaniac store model Laurel Hayes, who seduces Simon; Barbara's daughter Melody Hughes; philandering window-dresser John Higgins, who has his eye on the needy, vulnerable Barbara; ambitious store comptroller Todd Hughes, Melody's ex-husband; naive salesgirl Cammie Springer, who shares an apartment with Stacey and Laurel; and Danny Krucek, grandson of Rinaldi (guest star
Cesar Romero Cesar Julio Romero Jr. (February 15, 1907 – January 1, 1994) was an American actor and activist. He was active in film, radio, and television for almost sixty years. His wide range of screen roles included Latin lovers, historical figures in c ...
), the sinister head of the conglomerate Trans-Allied, who has a mysterious vendetta against the Berrengers. Recurring characters include Julio Marales (
Eddie Velez Edwin Velez (born June 4, 1958) is an American film, stage and television actor. He is best known for playing Frankie Santana in the final season of the American action and adventure television series ''The A-Team''. Early life and education ...
), a hispanic fashion designer, and Max Kaufman ( Alan Feinstein).


Episodes


References


External links

* {{IMDb title, id=0088481, title=Berrenger's American television soap operas American primetime television soap operas 1985 American television series debuts 1985 American television series endings Television series by Lorimar Television Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios English-language television shows Television shows set in New York City