Another great and absorbing read, @Reverend Ruthledge !
Thank you for taking time and care in writing and sharing these invaluable historical summaries.
In 1942, John Ruthledge was such a cornerstone of the show, I can only imagine the firestorm of fury which the listeners would have rained down upon TGL if he had decided to leave town to work elsewhere.
Back then, the audience was glued to their radios and immersed in every episode. The human drama, recognizable emotions and complicated/layered characters which you wrote about in this synopsis became impossible to resist. That all dissipated over the decades, and the insipid, colorless writing we get from most soaps today just cannot compare. No wonder the medium has dwindled down so much. But back then, soaps really were stellar entertainment.
Do you have favorite characters and storylines from this era/year? I've always been drawn to the reverend's circle, but even people like Torchy were captivating.
As someone with a deep appreciation for soaps' history, I've daydreamed about how beloved characters from the distant past could be woven into shows' modern canvases.
Are there early characters (or their canonical descendants) from TGL whom you feel could have had an interesting and/or effective impact on the show after it lost its way and collapsed in the disastrous 1980s?
I always wanted Rev. Ruthledge's granddaughter Happy Holden to pop up. And, of course, Trudy Bauer Palmer and some of her kids.
Keep up the good work!
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vetsoapfan ·
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