Meg Cummings

Last updated
Meg Cummings
Meg Cummings.jpg
Susan Ward as Meg Cummings (1997)
Sunset Beach character
Portrayed by Susan Ward (1997–99)
Sydney Penny (1999)
Duration1997–99
First appearanceJanuary 6, 1997
Last appearanceDecember 31, 1999
Created by Robert Guza, Jr.
Introduced by Gary Tomlin, Aaron Spelling and E. Duke Vincent
Classification Former; regular
Profile
OccupationWaitress
Executive Assistant
Business woman
HomeSunset Beach, California

Meg Cummings is a fictional character from the US NBC soap opera Sunset Beach , played by Susan Ward. Meg was the serial's protagonist throughout the whole run. Sydney Penny temporarily took over the role while Ward was filming the movie The In Crowd .

Contents

Character development

Susan Ward was cast in the role of Meg after her agent submitted her for the role. [1] Ward was already known to series creator Aaron Spelling after starring in his series Malibu Shores . [2] Ward requested "to be put up for the nice girl", via her agent. She also said she preferred playing "nice girl" Meg more than mean characters she had previously played. [1] Ward began filming a role in the 2000 film The In Crowd . While she had to leave on a temporary basis, Sydney Penny took over for one month, until Ward returned. [3] The serial's creator, Spelling, was impressed with Penny's portrayal of Meg so he cast her in another series he created. [4]

She thought she would meet her handsome friend and immediately ride off into the sunset. Yet as soon as she walked on the beach, she had her backpack stolen. She began to realize things were not as easy as she expected. [5]

Meg is featured in the first scenes of Sunset Beach. Her storyline sees her arrive from Kansas to escape her unfaithful fiance Tim Truman (Dax Griffin) and find a man she has been talking to over the internet, Ben Evans (Clive Robertson). [6] However, Meg is not aware of Ben's identity. Ward said that Meg is just a "small town girl" who "follows her heart". Meg wants to "find out what the world has to offer"; finding out the identity of her internet romance is the "first thing she has ever been passionate about." [2]

Storylines

After leaving her fiancé Tim at the altar, Meg travelled to Sunset Beach to find a man she had been chatting with over the Internet. Without any knowledge as to that person's real identity, Meg slowly got to know the residents of the town, people who helped her when she fell off a pier after trying to catch a girl who stole her backpack. She took a job at a local bar owned by Ben, a lonely widower, and soon realized Ben was actually her Internet soul mate. The two began to fall in love, but things didn't go as smoothly when Ben's neighbor Annie Douglas (Sarah Buxton) decided she wanted Ben for herself, and was prepared to stop at nothing to achieve that. Meg also learned that her ex-fiancé Tim had followed her to Sunset Beach, though she had no idea that he was helping Annie to damage her relationship with Ben.

In one of their crazy attempts to break the couple, Annie and Tim lured Meg to a cave that later collapsed, without realizing that Ben had followed her. The couple made love for the first time, but Meg had no idea Ben was delirious, thinking that he was making love to his late wife Maria Torres Evans. Annie's plot revealed that Ben had no memory of making love to Meg, and a hurt Meg decided to return to Kansas. Ben refused to give up and he followed Meg, convincing her to return. Annie's scheming continued throughout the series.

While spending the holidays on a private island, Meg and her friends were attacked by a mysterious murderer. The murderer was revealed to be Ben, but once the terror was over, it turned out that Ben was being impersonated by his twin brother Derek Evans (Clive Robertson), who was holding Ben captive in an abandoned warehouse. Meg had no idea she was being scammed until she found a picture of Ben and Derek together. After a final showdown, Derek was presumed dead, and Meg and Ben resumed their happiness and started planning their wedding. However their happiness was short-lived, as Ben's presumed-dead wife Maria arrived at their wedding - alive, but suffering from amnesia.

"Meg, the suffering virgin, is in her early 20s. This is the Juliet role. Her primary function is to cry. She sleeps only with her intended. She has true friends and true love, but everything conspires to keep her from the bliss we want her to have. For example, her recent wedding ceremony was interrupted by the arrival of her new husband's presumably dead wife, a victim of five years of amnesia. Only Meg has two "normal" parents, who have trivial roles." [7]

—The Journal of Sex Research on Meg. (1999)

Ben struggled to decide between the two women he loved, a situation complicated when a strange woman, Tess Marin (Tracy Melchior), claiming to have been Maria's close friend during the years she could not remember, arrived with a child, Benjy, she claimed was Ben and Maria's son. DNA testing confirmed that Benjy was Ben's son, and for a time Ben, Meg, Maria, Tess and Benjy all lived under one roof. Meg eventually broke up with Ben, and found comfort in her close friend Casey Mitchum (Timothy Adams), who had recently broken up with her sister Sara Cummings (Shawn Batten). Meg and Casey eventually broke up, realizing that they were better off as friends. Ben then started acting strangely, committing to Maria and their son yet chasing Meg at the same time. However it was revealed that Ben had once again been kidnapped by Derek, and that Benjy was Derek and Tess's son, conceived as part of a plan to murder Ben and Maria and have Benjy inherit his money. Tim discovered Derek's identity, and was murdered by Derek. Maria was the second to discover Derek's identity, leading to Derek imprisoning her with Ben. During their imprisonment, they talked and Maria realized and accepted that Meg was Ben's true love. Next, Casey and Sara discovered Derek, and were duly also taken prisoner. Finally Maria's mother Carmen asked Meg for help, leading to her searching Ben's house and also discovering Derek's identity. Meg attempted to overpower Derek by pretending to seduce him in order to grab his gun, but soon found herself prisoner too. With Ben's help, Maria managed to escape and overpower Tess, leading to a mass fight between the two captors and five prisoners, which resulted in Derek being shot and killed. Tess was jailed, and Maria decided to adopt Benjy, the child she regarded as her own son. The series culminated with a romantic double wedding between Ben and Meg, and their friends Vanessa Hart (Sherri Saum) and Michael Bourne (Jason Winston George). In the final episode, Meg awoke from a dream to realize that she was still in Kansas and that her life in Sunset Beach was all a dream - then awoke in bed with Ben in Sunset Beach, and realized that that was a dream, and her life in Sunset Beach with Ben was reality.

Reception

In 1998, Meg and Ben were nominated in the category of "Best Couple" at the Soap Opera Digest Awards. [8] Michael Saunders of The Boston Globe said that if you watched the serial, you just watched "the adventures of Meg Cummings, the headstrong lass who left Kansas for Sunset Beach." [9] Candace Havens of the Kingman Daily Miner opined that the character set the "tone and pace" of Sunset Beach. [10] In 2011, Bibsy M. Carballo of The Philippine Star said the growing trend of destroying wedding dresses against tradition in the Philippines, originated from Meg destroying her dress. [11] The Daily Record said that Meg's final dream sequence was "possibly the best" ever one featured in the soap, adding that it was unmissable. [12] While Merle Brown from the publication said the love triangle storyline with Meg, Ben and Maria lasted for too long. As Sunset Beach made no "excuses" about the duration of the storyline, Brown said it was one of the serial's qualities. [13]

Darrin Farrant of The Age said that Meg seemed like a "naive" character. He added that "poor Meg" had no idea Ben was her internet lover and opined that because the Sunset Beach story pace seemed slow it would probably "unfold over many episodes". [14] His Age colleague, Simon Hughes, said that Meg was a "country mouse" in comparison to her "city cousin", Tiffany Thorne (Adrienne Frantz). He opined that Meg's "inarticulateness" was part of her charm. [15]

Related Research Articles

<i>McLeods Daughters</i>

McLeod's Daughters is an Australian television drama program created by Posie Graeme-Evans and Caroline Stanton. It was produced by Millennium Television and later Southern Star for the Nine Network, and premiered on 8 August 2001, becoming one of the most successful series on Australian television, as it was met with critical acclaim. Initially, the series starred Lisa Chappell and Bridie Carter as two main protagonists, with Sonia Todd, Jessica Napier, Rachael Carpani, Aaron Jeffery, and Myles Pollard in leading roles. John Jarrett had a recurring role as a Killarney station hand and Meg Fountain's love interest, Terry Dodge. Following the third season, the series took a different direction, as main cast members began to depart, with a high cast turnover occurring throughout the remaining years. After eight seasons and 224 episodes, the series was cancelled and the final episode was broadcast on 31 January 2009.

<i>Sunset Beach</i> (TV series)

Sunset Beach is an American television soap opera that aired on NBC from January 6, 1997, to December 31, 1999. The show follows the loves and lives of the people living in the Orange County coastal area named Sunset Beach, on the coast of California. Although there is a town in California called Sunset Beach, California, the show's beach scenes were shot on nearby Seal Beach, California. The show was co-produced by NBC and Spelling Television.

<i>Love of Life</i>

Love of Life is an American soap opera televised on CBS from September 24, 1951, to February 1, 1980. It was created by Roy Winsor, whose previous creation Search for Tomorrow premiered three weeks before Love of Life; he created The Secret Storm two and a half years later.

Mavis Wilton Fictional character from the ITV soap opera Coronation Street

Mavis Wilton is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, Coronation Street, played by Thelma Barlow. A long-running series regular, Mavis appeared in the show for 26 years from 1971 to 1997. Introduced for a one-off cameo appearance, she proved popular with producers and viewers and subsequently became a regular.

Jessica Buchanan

Jessica Eugenia Buchanan is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live. She is the daughter of original heroine Victoria Lord and Clint Buchanan. The character is the fraternal twin sister of Natalie Buchanan, and is born on-screen in the episode first-run September 23, 1986, with the birth year later revised to 1978.

Ruth Wilkinson

Ruth Wilkinson is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Ailsa Piper. She made her first on-screen appearance on 3 October 1996. Ruth was a divorced single mother, who came to Erinsborough as Helen Daniels' new physiotherapist. Ruth began a relationship with Philip Martin, which attracted some opposition from their children. Ruth and Philip also had to cope with Ruth's long lost son, Ben, arriving to meet his mother. Philip and Ruth married in 1998, amid a breast cancer scare for Ruth. Producers decided to write the Martin family out of Neighbours and they departed on 20 October 1999. In 2005, Piper reprised her role for the show's 20th anniversary.

Sarah Galbraith Buxton is an American actress. She has appeared in films such as Lovelines (1984), The Sure Thing (1985) and Less Than Zero (1987), as well as guest starred in a number of television shows in her early career. On television, Buxton is best known for playing female protagonist/heroine Annie Douglas Richards in the NBC soap opera Sunset Beach from 1997 to 1999. She later played soap villain, Morgan DeWitt, on The Bold and the Beautiful.

Abigail Deveraux Fictional character

Abigail Deveraux is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network. Abigail was created by scriptwriter Sheri Anderson and executive producer Ken Corday. Abigail's storylines often focus on young love and budding romances. She is a member of the high class, core family, the Hortons. She is also the daughter of popular super couple Jack Deveraux and Jennifer Horton. Abigail was often titularized as the show's younger leading heroine during her time on the show and is known for her popular fan pairing with Max Brady, which spanned from 2005 to 2007, when her character left for London, England, to be with her parents. The character returned to the series in March 2011 under the portrayal of Kate Mansi, and departed in June 2016. Marci Miller stepped into the role from November 2016 to November 2018. Following Miller's exit, Mansi returned to the role for multiple extended stay visits; her latest stint lasting from November 2019 to May 2020, when Abigail leaves Salem for Florida to seek medical treatment. In September 2020, Miller returned to the role.

Tina Lord

Tina Lord Roberts is a fictional character from the American daytime soap opera One Life to Live, originally and last played by Andrea Evans. The character is the daughter of original series patriarch Victor Lord, and sister to long-running characters Victoria Lord and Todd Manning.

Olivia Richards

Olivia Richards is a fictional character from the US NBC soap opera Sunset Beach, played by Lesley-Anne Down.

Bette Katzenkazrahi

Bette Katzenkazrahi is a fictional character from the US NBC soap opera Sunset Beach, played by Kathleen Noone.

Annie Douglas Richards

Annie Richards is a fictional character from the US NBC soap opera Sunset Beach, played by Sarah Buxton. The character's creation was announced in 1996 prior to the serial going on air. Series creator Aaron Spelling helped create Annie's appearance and style. Annie has been characterised as a reformed girl. The character has also been central to various fantasy sequences through her duration. These have been favoured by some of the serial's critics. Buxton has been nominated for one award for her portrayal and Annie has been branded one of the programme's most popular characters.

Sean Richards

Sean Richards is a fictional character from the US NBC soap opera Sunset Beach, played by Randy Spelling.

Gregory Richards

Gregory Richards is a fictional character from the American television soap opera Sunset Beach, portrayed by Sam Behrens. He made his first appearance during the show's debut episode broadcast on January 6, 1997. Gregory is an attorney and the serial's antagonist.

Tim Truman (<i>Sunset Beach</i>)

Tim Truman is a fictional character from the US NBC soap opera Sunset Beach, played by Dax Griffin from January 6, 1997, to December 31, 1999.

Virginia Harrison Fictional TV character

Virginia Harrison is a fictional character from the US NBC soap opera Sunset Beach, played by Dominique Jennings. Virginia is characterized as a "bad girl" and has been central to a controversial storyline in which she impregnates a fellow female character without their consent.

Cole Deschanel

Cole Deschanel is a fictional character from the US television soap opera Sunset Beach. Ashley Hamilton played the role of Cole from his introduction on January 21, 1997 to February 19, 1997. The producers decided Eddie Cibrian would fit the role better and the actor took over on February 21, 1997. Cibrian departed on October 14, 1999, to pursue a career in primetime. He made a guest appearance for the series finale on December 31, 1999.

Derek Branning Fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders

Derek Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Terence Beesley in 1996 and then Jamie Foreman from 2011 to 2012. Derek is the eldest child of Jim Branning and Reenie Branning. He first appears in episode 1282, which was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 29 April 1996, for his sister April Branning's wedding and departed on 2 May. The character returned as a regular in the episode broadcast on 24 November 2011, played by Foreman. In October 2012, it was announced that Foreman would be leaving EastEnders in December 2012 as part of a Christmas storyline. On 20 December 2012, it is revealed that Derek was the person who Kat Moon had an affair with. He dies of a heart attack in the episode broadcast on 25 December 2012.

Eva Price

Eva Price is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, Coronation Street, played by Catherine Tyldesley, her character and casting was announced in May 2011 and she made her first appearance on screen on 17 June 2011. Eva was introduced as Stella Price's daughter. On 24 August 2014, Tyldesley announced that she was expecting her first child. Eva left the show on 23 February 2015. Tyldesley returned to filming on 13 July 2015, and Eva's return scenes aired on 16 September 2015. It was announced on 1 December 2017 that Tyldesley had decided to leave the show to pursue other acting roles after seven years. Tyldesley filmed her final scenes on 20 June 2018 which were broadcast on 3 August 2018.

References

  1. 1 2 M. Reichardt, Nancy (30 March 1997). "Ex-vixen Ward prefers new 'nice girl' role". Austin American-Statesman . (Cox Enterprises). Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  2. 1 2 Beck, Marilyn (24 July 1997). "Meet 'Sunset Beach's' couple-to-be". Manila Standard . (Kamahalan Publishing Corporation). Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  3. ↑ Havens, Candace (26 July 1999). "Switching stars no day at the 'Beach'". New York Post . (News Corporation). Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  4. ↑ Havens, Candace (31 December 1999). "New writer at 'OLTL' ; Hall not always on 'Days'". The Daily Courier . (Prescott Newspapers).
  5. ↑ Susan, Ward. "Kansas Girl". Soap Opera Magazine. Archived from the original on 2009-08-04. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
  6. ↑ O'Connor, John J. (15 January 1997). "Looking for Someone On a Crowded Shore". The New York Times . Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  7. ↑ Woods, Mark G. (1 August 1999). "The Soaps: Their Sex, Gratifications, and Outcomes". The Journal of Sex Research . (Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality). Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  8. ↑ "Daytime Television's Brightest Stars Selected; Nominations for 15th Soap Opera Digest Awards Announced; Fans Can Vote for Their Favorites". PR Newswire . (UBM plc). 13 November 1998. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  9. ↑ Saunders, Michael. "Spelling's 'Sunset Beach' is just a low-tide soap". The Boston Globe . (The New York Times Company). Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  10. ↑ Havens, Candace (3 January 1997). "Sunset Beach: Spelling takes dive into daytime". Kingman Daily Miner . (Western News & Info Inc.). Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  11. ↑ M. Carballo, Bibsy (15 January 2011). "Will 'Trash the Dress' trend destroy wedding tradition?". The Philippine Star . (PhilStar Daily, Inc.). Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  12. ↑ "SOAP of the week; Sunset Beach, Ch5, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 10.20am". Daily Record . (Trinity Mirror). 26 February 2000. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  13. ↑ Brown, Merle (13 March 1999). "Soap watch; An old favourite returns to haunt the Close". Daily Record . (Trinity Mirror). Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  14. ↑ Farrant, Darrin (2 April 1997). "Sunset Beach". The Age . (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  15. ↑ Hughes, Simon (6 April 1997). "Sub-Baywatch beaches". The Age . (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 16 October 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.