In 1983, Susan Dey starred alongside a large cast of familiar faces in the two part TV movie Malibu (since it is only two parts it is generally not referred to as a miniseries but essentially it is one). The project was directed by E.W. Swackhamer who had previously directed Susan Dey in eight episodes of The Partridge Family (he also directed a first season episode of Susan Dey's later series L.A. Law). Malibu is glossy trash revolving around the overly wealthy, vapid residents of Malibu...but it still manages to be entertaining and enjoyable.
Susan Dey really does stand out amongst the huge cast, looking quite lovely with short, curly hair and big, beautiful eyes. She plays an innocent gal from Wisconsin who is thrust into the microcosm of Malibu. As soon as she feels her husband (played by William Atherton) is beginning to stray from their marriage, she too begins to test the waters. First, Susan Dey's character flirts with a washed-up TV star (played by Steve Forrest) but when she finds him to forceful, she begins a relationship with a seemingly honest club tennis pro (played by Chad Everett). Susan Dey does a fine job here and this role certainly prepared her for her upcoming role on the prime-time soap Emerald Point N.A.S.
Here are some original print advertisements for Malibu:
Here are some images of Susan Dey in Malibu (click any pic to see the original size):
