All My Shadows

I love Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman to death, but it's just a show that was a product of its era. It was a commentary on what was going on in that time and place, and I just don't see what's going on in today's world translating into a soap opera satire the same way. You just can't use today's "issues" the same way they used that time's "issues." So many of the characters from MHMH just don't exist in today's world. Also, the show was an incredibly slow-moving soap, which was something good and sometimes not-so-good. Nobody makes stuff like that anymore.

Oh my GOD, now is NOT the motherfcking time!

Classic episodes of TPIR on Pluto include a good bit of licensed music for showcases, but I'm not sure what the particulars are about that.

Thank you! I knew I had it wrong in a way, but now I remember. She had an outclause that allowed her to leave with an eight-week notice, which she used as she embarked on a six-week vacation (with the show being ahead two weeks). Just a real gangsta move.

The clause in Bev McKinsey's GL contract that allowed her to take vacation time whenever she wanted, and she chose to do it at the perfect time so that it would line up with when her contract ended so that she could leave way earlier than she was "supposed" to. Someone who knows more about it (or has the lengthy interview where she explains it) can go into detail.

The best soaps are the slow-moving ones with a pace that is true to life, IMO. Once you start getting wrapped up in the idiotic sci-fi and action/adventure crap, I'm out.

Nina was said to be sickly throughout most of her childhood and had diabetes. I believe it was something along the lines of appendicitis that put her in the hospital and into Cliff's orbit. The blind storyline came after they already met. I think the 1980 wedding was supposed to be at Cortlandt Manor. Palmer and the Dobermans was at a masquerade held for Nina's birthday at the manor in February 1980. EricMontreal, a longtime SON poster, generously posted the two episodes on YT years ago. I hope they're still there. Monique's last name was "Jonvil."

Palmer was super controlling of Melanie and her love life, but I wouldn't say it was as bad as it was with Nina. Hopefully, by then, he'd learned his lesson - the harder you try to keep them apart, the more likely they are to end up together.

But...Elizabeth Montgomery is dead. I'm confused.

It was Jim Craig who had that line, not Vinnie. He did have Karen and Larry recreate the “first cake-cutting” moment later in the episode. I’ve watched the 1975 ep and first 1977 ep so far, and they were SO GOOD. It’s weird to watch a pre-Buchanan OLTL because the show had so many established characters who were tentpoles that would eventually be written out not even five years after these episodes aired. Eileen seemed like such a neurotic 70s mom, contrasting with cool and calm Anna and Carla. Then you have Jim, Joe, Steve, and Ed basically running Llanview. I’ve never been big on the Buchanans, but getting a real taste of how the show was before their arrival just makes them less appealing to me. The music score - so big and sweeping!

Amazing finds, and I can't wait to watch them! Hopefully this is just the beginning of that channel sharing more from soaps from that era. It seems like there are quite a few channels with miscellaneous tapes from the early/mid 70s out there.

I started this last weekend and am squeezing it in when I can. Not much to say other than I'm enjoying it and SH!T that Simon could get it.

I was unaware of the Simone spin-off until y'all brought it up. Just read up on it, and I can get behind the concept, just not interested in seeing her as the center of a show. That could have easily been Kia. A Laura/Mo conflict would hit SO hard!

Thanks for the tag! Phoebe is too precious, all concerned about "Corinth society" as she very vaguely has an air of "Thank God I'm from the Valley and not this place!" And of course, Enid back at home dying to know what's going on even though none of it concerns her one bit.

I also enjoyed the premiere. It was so easy to get back into these characters, whom I've missed so much! Not much to say besides...I strongly dislike Simone. I love love love Patience. I'm really nervous about a Spencer/Olivia/Asher/Layla quad - I do love a good quad, but I'm not sure if this can be a good quad. The show's strengths have been in concepts that aren't as blatantly soapy, but if they can make it happen, I'm ready for the ride. Lamon Archey is ABSOLUTELY sexy as hell as the new principal. I'm with you on Mo, @ChitHappens. Everything about her since her arrival has been classic soap villain-goddess, and I absolutely want that to continue, but at the same time...I could love her as a rough upstart trying to clean up the streets. Side note - the call-backs to Coach's mom being a legendary history teacher at South Crenshaw are always so sweet. The one thing that Friday Night Lights let me down on back in the day was the lack of establishing Dillon High as an actual school with teachers and a culture outside of football.

I haven't watched any of the soaps with any regularity in a long time, so I can't really comment on what it's like without sex scenes, but I'm just thinking of how many times an episode-long conflict between a couple was punctuated with a love scene. It's definitely one of soaps' favorite tropes, and it's just one of those things that made the genre what it was. It's not the same to just open the next episode with the couple glancing at each other and making vague comments about "last night." Let us fade to black on some heavy petting, please!

I think that tweet is stupid lol Sex has definitely driven plenty of plot points in real life, so yes, it's often necessary to at least see some of it in a movie or TV show. Is it always necessary? Probably not. But to make a blanket statement saying that they're complete unnecessary is foolish.

Between Three's Company, Dynasty, and his one-off appearances on other shows, Peter Mark Richman is definitely one of my fave TV stars of all time. May he rest.

Am I understanding this right - her boyfriend was with her in the hospital, and when she closed her eyes, he assumed she died, so he just left the hospital without telling anyone...but he told the rep when he showed up??? That sounds...weird. And the video of him receiving the phone call that she's alive? Do we trust this dude? He seems off as hell to me.

Thanks for sharing, Forever8! I originally posted that audio on YouTube, ripped from another source, so it's nice to see people appreciating it. All four of the basic AMC themes (including 2013) were great, IMO. I know the David Benoit composition from the late 90s/early 00s isn't a favorite for most, but I always thought it had more of a "classic AMC" feel than the Barber/Israel theme.

I don't think it'll ever happen unless more seasons are released on DVD. You'd think that the two that have been released would pop up somewhere at least, but I don't think they ever have. Even Falcon Crest is available for streaming purchase on Prime.

AMC was about the same thing basically any other soap was about - the drama between people who live in the same town. Some like to go on long tangents about each soap having a central theme to every storyline, but I don't really think that's true. The basic premise is the same for most soaps - what makes each one unique are the characters and the tone. To know AMC is to know its characters, and to understand AMC is to understand its sentimentality and humor. Yes!! The Decades network had a nice little profile of her this evening to celebrate her birthday. Love that girl!

Yes! They’re either too aware of themselves and goofy or too serious and dark. For fifteen years, I’ve gotten excited when a new show is described as being a primetime soap “like Dallas,” but none of them have ever managed to match that balance of light fun and serious business. Yellowstone impressed me until we had main characters committing murder.