Sunset Beach (NBC 1997-1999, Lesley-Anne Down, Eddie Cibrian)

At the time Sunset Beach was the first new daytime serial to hit the television airwaves in eight years, Sunset Beach was also Aaron Spelling’s first foray into the daytime arena.

The dynamic cast of 21 includes veteran actress Lesley-Anne Down, who plays Olivia Richards, the trophy wife of a high-powered silver-tongued attorney; Sam Behrens as Olivia’s husband, who’s a born manipulator with the moral code of a snake; Susan Ward as Meg Cummings, a young woman from Kansas; Clive Robertson, who portrays Ben Evans, a mysterious and wealthy entrepreneur who exudes quiet power and devastating charm; Leigh Taylor-Young as Elaine Stevens, owner and manager of Elaine’s Waffle Shop and the unofficial town confidant; Kathleen Noone as eccentric Aunt Bette, a wild and personable socialite; and Ashley Hamilton as Cole St. John, the grandson of Sunset Beach’s legendary founder, Armando Deschanel.

Also featured are Sarah Buxton as Annie Douglas, Ben’s sexy, rich and spoiled next-door neighbor who’s impulsive, unpredictable and a real schemer; Timothy Adams, who is Sunset Beach’s king of the beach and senior lifeguard, Casey Mitchum; Jason George, who plays Casey’s street-wise partner Michael Bourne; Peter Barton, who plays Eddie Connors, a good cop gone bad; Kelly Hu as Dr. Rae Chang, a career-driven physician who’s capable and confident in all areas except romance; Sherri Saum as Vanessa Hart, an aggressive rising star reporter at the local newspaper; and Vanessa Dorman, who plays Caitlin Richards, a daddy’s girl who’s also a successful college student with a bright future.

Additional cast members include Laura Harring, who portrays Paula Stevens, a Sunset Beach police officer who’s smart and feisty and lives to uncover the truth in work and life; Hank Cheyne, who is Ricardo Torres, a newly promoted police detective who loves what he does and operates from the gut; Adrienne Frantz as Tiffany Thorne, a troubled young runaway who’s learned to live by her wits; Nick Stabile, who plays Mark Wolper, a popular waiter at the Java Web and The Deep who takes Tiffany under his wing and into his heart; Dax Griffin as Tim Truman, Meg’s jilted boyfriend from Kansas City; Priscilla Garita, who plays Paula’s beautiful but conniving half-sister Gabi Martinez; and Randy Spelling, who portrays Sean Richards, a young man who holds a secret that could destroy his entire family.

Sunset Beach is set in a small Southern California coastal community where everyone knows everybody else’s business. The residents of Sunset Beach live in dwellings that range from a beachfront palace to a rundown shack. They often meet at the funky blues/rock club, The Deep, or at the cyber-coffeehouse, Java Web. They work as police officers, lifeguards, newspaper reporters, waiters, restaurant owners, and some just work at having fun and living life on the edge. Most of all, the community is home to a circle of friends who share each other’s dreams and disappointments, whether they be sitting around a corner table at Elaine’s Waffle House, struggling through a hard day at work, or strolling on the pier as the sun is setting over the Pacific.

production details
USA | NBC – Spelling | x50 minutes | 1997 – 1999

Creators: Charles Pratt Jr, Robert Gaza Jr, Josh Griffith
Executive producers: Gary Tomlin, Aaron Spelling, E. Duke Vincent
Head writer: Robert Guza
Music: Dominic Messinger, Teri Smith and Michael Licari

cast
Eddie Cibrian as Cole Deschanel
Kathleen Noone as Bette Katzenkazrahi
Nick Kiriazis as Father Antonio Torres
Lesley-Anne Down as Olivia Richards
Sarah Buxton as Annie Douglas Richards
Susan Ward as Meg Cummings
Priscilla Garita as Gabi Martinez
Timothy Adams as Casey Mitchum
Dax Griffin as Tim Truman
Jason George as Michael Bourne
Clive Robertson as Ben Evans
Sherri Saum as Vanessa Hart
Leigh Taylor-Young as Elaine Stevens
Hank Cheyne as Ricardo Torres
Sam Behrens as Gregory Richards
Nick Stabile as Mark Wolper
Laura Harring as Paula Stevens
Sydney Penny as Meg Cummings
Peter Barton as Eddie Connors
Gordon Thomson as A.J. Deschanel
Adrienne Frantz as Tiffany Thorne
Kelly Hu as Rae Chang
Randy Spelling as Sean Richards
Vanessa Dorman as Caitlin Richards
Dominique Jennings as Virginia Harrison
V. P. Oliver as Jimmy Harrison