Devil with the blue polka-dot dress on

After sharing via Facebook my vivid dream involving cast members from the '80s soap Santa Barbara, one of my friends pointed out something that I had completely missed: That vivacious heroine Eden Capwell Castillo (played by the great Marcy Walker) and doll-faced Mrs. Beasley (late of the '60s show Family Affair) were perhaps separated at birth.

Or at the very least doppelgangers operating in different spheres and times, only discovered through the magic that is summer daytime reruns.

The resemblance is uncanny, I'll grant you that.

Nevertheless, Mrs. Beasley may have worn it first--two decades before in fact--but Eden Capwell wore it best.


Plus Eden had big hair and Cruz Castillo (played by hunky, sensitive spitfire A Martinez) as a love interest while Mrs. Beasley had to put up with being alternately fondled and ignored by Buffy and Jody and no doubt just fondled by Mr. French when nobody was looking.

Simply no contest. Viva Santa Barbara!