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The Best Episodes of Santa Barbara

Every episode of Santa Barbara ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Santa Barbara!

Binge this in 89d 1h•Peaking at 8.2/10

Santa Barbara is an American television soap opera, first broadcast in the United States on NBC on July 30, 1984, and last aired on January 15, 1993. The show revolves around the eventful lives of

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Santa Barbara Season 1 Episode 36 - Episode 36
    8.2/10(9 votes)

    #1 - Episode 36

    S1:E36

    Joe finds Dominic at the gazebo, they find Santana & Channing's letters, Lionel watches Augusta & Peter in the presidential suite.

    Director:Rick Bennewitz
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. Santa Barbara Season 1 Episode 43 - Episode 43
    8.2/10(9 votes)

    #2 - Episode 43

    S1:E43

    Kelly's dressmaker turns out to be Ginger, Danny has a soccer match, Mason says CC slept around a lot before he met Sophia.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. Santa Barbara Season 1 Episode 44 - Episode 44
    8.0/10(9 votes)

    #3 - Episode 44

    S1:E44

    Joe goes to Alaska to find out info on Dominic. **First appearance of Jonna Leigh Stack (Summer Blake)

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. Santa Barbara Season 1 Episode 35 - Episode 35
    7.8/10(9 votes)

    #4 - Episode 35

    S1:E35

    Kelly missing, Dominic breaks into Santana's apartment and steals her letters, Dominic goes to the gazebo.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Santa Barbara Season 1 Episode 11 - Episode 11
    7.6/10(25 votes)

    #5 - Episode 11

    S1:E11

    Cruz arrives to help with the oil rig fire, Kelly asks Peter if he wants to move to New York.

    Director:Rick Bennewitz
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Santa Barbara Season 1 Episode 32 - Episode 32
    7.6/10(10 votes)

    #6 - Episode 32

    S1:E32

    Joe and Peter fight at Cruz's, Augusta and Lionel create their circle of truth, David Hasselhoff cameo, Kelly goes to see Joe at Cruz's and gives him the ring back.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Santa Barbara

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  7. Santa Barbara Season 1 Episode 37 - Episode 37
    7.6/10(9 votes)

    #7 - Episode 37

    S1:E37

    Peter records Mason and Veronica talking in the presidential suite, Cruz finds out from Joe about Santana's baby.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Santa Barbara Season 1 Episode 31 - Episode 31
    7.4/10(9 votes)

    #8 - Episode 31

    S1:E31

    Kelly and Joe meet at Cruz's houseboat, Danny saves Jade from the sleazy producer.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Santa Barbara Season 1 Episode 34 - Episode 34
    7.4/10(8 votes)

    #9 - Episode 34

    S1:E34

    Ted & Laken meet their parents at the snack bar, Peter & Kelly fight and she leaves, Santana tells Cruz she & Channing used to meet at the gazebo. **First appearance of Paul Burke (C.C. Capwell)

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. Santa Barbara Season 1 Episode 38 - Episode 38
    7.4/10(9 votes)

    #10 - Episode 38

    S1:E38

    Auction for the Lockridge beachfront property starts, CC takes Santana for a plane ride, Kelly returns to Santa Barbara.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. Santa Barbara Season 1 Episode 41 - Episode 41
    7.4/10(9 votes)

    #11 - Episode 41

    S1:E41

    Joe takes Kelly to meet Dominic, Ted, Laken, Danny, Jade look at renting the motel for a hangout, Santana meets Gina & Brandon.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. Santa Barbara Season 1 Episode 4 - Episode 4
    7.3/10(29 votes)

    #12 - Episode 4

    S1:E4

    Someone is making a bomb. Santana is about to take a bath when she spots Mason. Naturally, Santana becomes upset and gets Mason to leave. Kelly sees Joe, and Peter notices how if affects her. He thinks something should be done about Joe. C.C. arrives with two thugs, and Joe gets thrown into the water. Thanks to a carrier pigeon, Ted receives a note from Danny and learns that Danny wants to go to Hollywood. Jade pays a visit to the restaurant Danny is working.

    Director:Linda Day
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. Santa Barbara Season 1 Episode 40 - Episode 40
    7.2/10(9 votes)

    #13 - Episode 40

    S1:E40

    Kelly goes looking for Joe, Veronica juggles Lionel, Peter & Mason, CC offers Cruz a full-time job on the rigs.

    Director:Rick Bennewitz
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. Santa Barbara Season 1 Episode 42 - Episode 42
    7.2/10(9 votes)

    #14 - Episode 42

    S1:E42

    Ginger and her thugs show up at Peter's and blackmail him, it's revealed Dominic is a woman, CC and Santana make love.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Santa Barbara Season 1 Episode 5 - Episode 5
    7.1/10(23 votes)

    #15 - Episode 5

    S1:E5

    Laken has a romantic fantasy about Ted. John goes home and is shocked when he sees what happened to his house. Worried about his daughter, John wants Jade to stay with him. Jade refuses to make a choice between her parents, though. At the warehouse, the stranger informs Joe that he's the one who called the fire department tonight after the explosion. Joe reveals to the stranger, whose name is Dominic, that he found Channing dead with a guest at Channing's big party. However, the witness never came forward.

    Director:Rick Bennewitz
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Santa Barbara Season 1 Episode 1 - Episode 1
    7.0/10(45 votes)

    #16 - Episode 1

    S1:E1

    This great soap opera begins with a flashback to a party in honor of Channing Capwell Jr. in Santa Barbara, California in 1979. Channing and his older brother, Mason, are entertaining the guests until the butler, Phillip, gives Channing a note. Channing asks the maid, Santana Andrade, if he'll see her tonight. He then follows instructions to go to the Capwell study. When Channing enters the study, it's clear that someone was waiting behind the desk. The person points a gun and pulls the trigger. Seconds later, Channing is lying dead on the floor. ""Santa Barbara"" then cuts five years ahead in time to the San Quentin prison on July 30, 1984.

    Director:Jeffrey Hayden
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Santa Barbara Season 1 Episode 12 - Episode 12
    7.0/10(20 votes)

    #17 - Episode 12

    S1:E12

    Cruz in the hospital, Santana finds out her private investigator is working for CC, Dominic arranges a meeting for Kelly & Joe.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. Santa Barbara Season 1 Episode 13 - Episode 13
    7.0/10(19 votes)

    #18 - Episode 13

    S1:E13

    Peaches gets her purse stolen, Laken arrives in Hollywood, Joe & Kelly meet at the stables, Joe goes to work for Augusta.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. Santa Barbara Season 1 Episode 23 - Episode 23
    7.0/10(15 votes)

    #19 - Episode 23

    S1:E23

    A sarcophagus arrives at the Lockridge house, Santana out cold after falling off a horse, Lionel arrives in Santa Barbara. **First appearance of Nicolas Coster (Lionel Lockridge).

    Director:Rick Bennewitz
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. Santa Barbara Season 1 Episode 6 - Episode 6
    6.9/10(19 votes)

    #20 - Episode 6

    S1:E6

    Joe & Kelly argue on the yacht, Peter comes in with a gun, Santana leaves for Acapulco.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Santa Barbara Season 1 Episode 9 - Episode 9
    6.9/10(18 votes)

    #21 - Episode 9

    S1:E9

    Kelly reads some of Joe's letters, Jade arrives in Hollywood, Santana back from Acapulco.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. Santa Barbara Season 1 Episode 14 - Episode 14
    6.9/10(18 votes)

    #22 - Episode 14

    S1:E14

    Cruz goes to the Capwell house to rest, Peter and Augusta chat about old times.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. Santa Barbara Season 1 Episode 19 - Episode 19
    6.9/10(16 votes)

    #23 - Episode 19

    S1:E19

    Joe kisses Kelly (replays), Jade has a screen test with a sleazy producer, Joe gets drunk and goes to Augusta's, Kelly goes to Peter's.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. Santa Barbara Season 1 Episode 3 - Episode 3
    6.8/10(26 votes)

    #24 - Episode 3

    S1:E3

    Mason tells Santana that two people saw her with the gun yesterday. He reminds Santana that she had no permit to carry the gun. ""I'm here to help,"" Mason smiles. Santana doesn't trust Mason at all and decides to talk to a lawyer friend. Rosa feels betrayed by C.C. and decides to confront him. She wants to know what happened to Santana's child. C.C. claims he doesn't know and denies that he forced Santana to give up her baby. Rosa thought C.C. trusted her. After all, she started working for C.C. twenty years ago and mothered his children when his wife passed away. C.C. explains to Rosa that he had dreams for Channing and imagined that one day maybe Channing might even be president.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. Santa Barbara Season 1 Episode 7 - Episode 7
    6.8/10(19 votes)

    #25 - Episode 7

    S1:E7

    Ted & Danny arrive in Hollywood, Santana talks to the doctor who delivered her baby, Peter gets hurt at polo.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Best Episodes Summary

"Episode 36" is the best rated episode of "Santa Barbara". It scored 8.2/10 based on 9 votes. Directed by Rick Bennewitz and written by Unknown, it aired on 9/17/1984. This episode scored 0.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "Episode 43".