Think it's easy producing nine shows, reading about your family in the tabloids and learning the daytime ropes? If it isn't, you'd never know it from talking to Aaron Spelling, arguably the most successful man in television. In the middle of what seemed to be a busy day at the office, a very gracious Spelling, executive producer of SUNSET BEACH, MELROSE PLACE and BEVERLY HILLS, 90210 (to name a few), sat down in his plush Los Angeles offices to chat about daytime, prime-time and being a dad.

Digest: SUNSET BEACH has been on the air a year and a half. Are you happy with what the show is doing?
Spelling: I love what it's doing now. I have to learn that it takes time for a daytime soap to really catch on. It's like a daily struggle. I think we all know what we're doing now. I think we've all learned from it.
Digest: Have you found a lot of difference between daytime and prime-time?
Spelling: The biggest difference I found, strangely enough, is that writers and actors and actresses can do an hour a day. It is just amazing. I see Randy's [Spelling's son, who plays Sean on BEACH] calls; he'll work until 2 o'clock in the morning and have a 6 o'clock call. I don't know how they do it.
Digest: What mistakes do you think you made in the beginning?
Spelling: The first thing Susan [Lee, NBC's senior vice president of daytime] said to me was, "You're moving too fast." I didn't know how you were supposed to do this. We thought. "Let's do something different in daytime." We did a new look, shooting on film, which cost us a lot of money to make it more glamorous, and we got so many letters from fans saying they didn't like that. And then with our sets, some were painted in white and light colors. We reprinted them dark: then began to realize when I was watching other soaps that there is more sense of mystery if the set isn't so bright. There's a different sense of drama. It's like, "We'd like to suffer with you." Isn't that really what it is? I used to say that when people would say, "Why are you doing DYNASTY?" I'd say, "To show you that rich people have bigger problems than poor people." No one objected, because they loved to see the rich suffer.
Digest: Do you deliberately go after daytime talent to put on your prime-time shows?
Spelling: Everybody from daytime is just remarkable. We just signed Vanessa Marcil [soon-to-be ex-Brenda, GENERAL HOSPITAL, on BEVERLY HILLS, 90210]. I think she's fantastic. I saw about a week of tapes of her. I didn't even have to meet her. I even have a list of all the people who started on daytime. I used Tommy Lee Jones [ex-Mark, ONE LIFE TO LIVE] in the pilot of CHARLIE'S ANGELS. I knew about Meg Ryan [ex-Betsy, AS THE WORLD TURNS]. I knew about some of the others, but it is the greatest training ground for actors and actresses. I am amazed by it. I would love some of the stars of SUNSET BEACH to maybe do one or two episodes of MELROSE or 90210 or anything. You should see the looks I get from other producers: "Oh, you're gonna use another star from daytime?"
Digest: You just hired Daniel Cosgrove [ex-Scott, ALL MY CHILDREN].
Spelling: He came dressed today in a T-shirt and I said, "That's it! On 90210, we don't wear suits and coats or anything." We sent him five scripts; he's read them all because he starts on episode five. So he wanted to read one, two, three and four. I love that! You'd be surprised; we've had some prime-time actors who don't care what happened before.
Digest: How do you stay in touch with your fans?
Spelling: I have this terrible habit: When the [tour] bus has stopped in front of my house and I'm coming in, I get out of the car. I go out and talk to them.
Digest: Do you?
Spelling: They built that house. I just like to ask them what kind of shows they like, what are they watching. It used to be 90210 and MELROSE PLACE, now it's SUNSET BEACH, 90210 and MELROSE PLACE. It really makes you feel good. I ask them to talk about shows and I learn more from them about what you like, what you like in other shows and series. It's amazing. Those are real fans. Producers should talk to the fans sometime.
Digest: Does Tori [Spelling, 90210's Donna; Spelling's daughter] still watch DAYS OF OUR LIVES?
Spelling: She drives me crazy. Now, she seems to be watching all of them because I have to get her tapes from every show. Someone at the house has to tape them. She has a stack in her apartment. She wrote me a critique of SUNSET BEACH the first week. But it was really dear. She said, "Dad, you're not used to this, but aren't you going too fast?"
Digest: Does it upset you that the press picks on Tori?
Spelling: I feel so sorry. She's done four theatrical pieces now, counting Scream 2. She's done five television movies, and every review out in the paper when she does a television movie says, "Here's Tori Spelling in another one of her dad's movies." She won't do a movie for us because of it. We haven't ever done a television movie with Tori. It's really sad. She said last night, "I'll always go through that, but at least Randy doesn't have to." They never picked on Randy. Randy did MALIBU SHORES for us, Randy's done four 90210s, here he is on SUNSET BEACH.
Digest: Your family also seems to make it into the tabloids.
Spelling: I see the trash sheets and I now learn that Randy's been dating Ginger Spice. I read that Tori is executive producing the movie Charlie's Angels and she has become good friends with Ginger Spice and is going to try to talk her dad into using Ginger Spice in the movie. I have nothing to do with that movie. I did Mod Squad, the movie. I had a lot to do with that, but Randy has never met Ginger Spice! It said he sent her six dozen tulips or something. Six dozen! Randy said, "Dad, I wouldn't send her a rose. What should I do about this?" I said, "Shut up. It's great publicity for the show [laughs]!"
Digest: Any changes you want to make to BEACH?
Spelling: I think we need more sensuality, not sexuality. We've had romances where nobody kisses. I'm not talking about MELROSE PLACE sexuality, I'm talking about sensuality. How do you stay in love without kissing? I can't imagine leaving my house without kissing my wife.
Digest: Any final thoughts?
Spelling: It's been a great experience, it really has been. I think the next thing I'll do is radio. Or variety shows. But I just admire the actors and actresses on every daytime drama. I wouldn't do another one because we have eight other shows and it would be too much, but this has been a joy. I never thought I would enjoy it so much. The sun is not setting on the BEACH, I feel. I hope not. It's taken me this long to learn it.