My brother and I discovered Sidney Sheldon's books in 1995. Make no mistake about them, though: they're not for kids. People have called him a schlockmaster; that all his books are trashy soap operas filled with goody-two shoes sexpot heroines, nasty villains, very little logic, and plenty of steam. Yet, once you start reading one, you won't stop; it's lurid fun and he has a way with words to describe what's happening. With his patented "italics", which describe what the characters are really wanting to say or are thinking (much like Martin Tupper from "Dream On") and his exotic locales, the man has been a success. Yes, his books are sleazy, nasty, sex-filled escapades, but they're great fun. A guilty pleasure.
I was looking forward to seeing this T.V. miniseries because "Nothing Lasts Forever" was the first book we bought. The story is about the lives of three women doctors from different backgrounds who work at a county hospital in San Francisco. Granted, there was stuff in the book that couldn't be shown on T.V., but most of the story was compelling and tame enough to show. Instead, somebody decided to completely re-write the story in some half-assed fashion, and the result is awful for anyone who was a fan of the book. It would take "forever" to mention the changes, but the one I love is the casting for Dr. Betty Lou "Honey" Taft. Ms. Taft was described as an average-looking woman. They cast BROOKE SHIELDS! BROOKE SHIELDS!! Well, I guess those crazy eyebrows hurt her looks...
I don't think this miniseries is on video or DVD, but if it is, and you haven't read the book and you'd like to see Gail (NYPD Blue) O'Grady, Vanessa (Mrs. Rick Fox/Penthouse Scandal) Williams. Brooke, Gregory (B-Level Hunk/Gonzo) Harrison, and Chris (Sex And The City) Noth in a tame film with horrible fully clothed sex scenes (the one with Noth and Williams is pathetically done), go on ahead. Otherwise, read the book and just imagine.
