All My Shadows

I hated the voices doing the GL verse, kid and adult. The middle school guidance counselor voice that gave us “Comes baaaaack, into our ownnn” was the worst. I just like a good strong announcer. ATWT’s last theme was great, but it just did not fit the show at all. That was a teen drama theme.

Re: the opening. Visually, it’s gorgeous (though I tend to prefer a title card to only show up once at the end). That theme music is totally dull and reminds me of The Haves and the Have-Nots. I like a melody! Still enjoying the daily specials (I’ll look to see if the February thread is where that conversation is supposed to happen). The mention of when there 19 soaps on the air at once (March-September 1970) made me smile because in the midst of all the excitement of a new black-led soap, my heart still views and accepts BTG as yet another entry in the long, long history of my favorite genre.

Anita?!?!!

I’ve enjoyed both specials so far. I will say this - the immense care and thought being poured into the show makes me hungry for more new soaps that are traditional daytime dramas exploring untapped character/story resources. I want my rural daytime soap, damn it!! Love that they highlighted the soap experience of Tamara, Daphnee, and Karla (and Cady and Jon). A part of me was hoping they’d go super old school and bring out a clip of Clifton Davis from the series finale of “A World Apart” just to drive home the fact that the core four have all done daytime. I’ll be completely honest and say that meeting “the others” was the first time I even knew who most of those characters would be. I think I want to be introduced to everyone as they appear on the show next week. It’s my first feeble attempt at being spoiler-free for this bad boy. Re: the gay son dating a white man. I don’t think it needs to be explained or be a thing at all lol it’s 2025, people date inside and outside their race.

I get more and more obsessed with Jean McBride with every episode, article, etc. I wish we had so much of this before she passed as I honestly might have gone out on a limb and tried to get a letter or something to her. And it's funny, when watching the little that we have of Tudi, you can definitely see some of the same neurotic mannerisms just heavily seasoned with a weariness that's set in from a lifetime of such neuroses. It really reminds me of early Corrie.

So, ITV is basically putting their soaps on a US soap schedule? That surprises me for some reason, since one of the fundamental differences between the two countries for decades has been that the UK soaps were not everyday affairs. This makes way more sense than Corrie airing basically three hour-long episodes a week. I don't know how anyone could regularly watch it in that format. Idk why it seems more cumbersome than our daytimers airing an hour five days a week, but it just does.

Cathy Abbi was unpopular in general, correct? I seem to remember CHH saying either on YouTube or somewhere else that she was not well-received by the cast and that she had body odor lol

I watched those years ago when CHH first posted them, but watching them again so soon after my 50s LOL deep dive freshens it up for me. Ray Slater is still a joooooooke, the image of him lifting up the end table to hit Tony is still hilarious. Van and Meg needed to be out last scene. One of the biggest fumbles in soap finale history.

Which is funny because the show had hardships aplenty, and some criticize it for being one tragedy after another. It really was somewhere in the middle, and part of its appeal is that you can tune in for something purely goofy and silly like "Fred" and then tune in for something so heartbreaking and poignant like "The Wisdom of Solomon" in the same season. Then, the following season, you can get something melodramatic like "Whisper Country" and then something sweet and low-key like "I Remember, I Remember."

The late danfling? Doesn't he still post here?

I'm just gonna keep urging you to go back and watch the early 80s. I think there's a solid month's worth of episodes from fall 1984 that will solidify your love for Erica and all the rest.

I think I misworded what I meant re: the Dobsons and the Stewarts, and it really wasn't the Dobsons' doing. Killing off Dan accomplished what I was really thinking about - moving on from when "the Stewarts" meant leading men Paul and Dan (though Paul had been gone for a while) and into "the Stewarts" being a family dominated by younger women. In a way, that probably saved the family and certainly stopped poor Ellen from having to be a 70-year-old woman by the time Pat Bruder was turning 50. Funny thing is, Colenback was actually younger than John Reilly. It probably would have been tough to de-age Dan after such memorable storylines with Kim and Susan.

Most of the original LHOTP cast are supportive of whatever it is Netflix is making, mainly because this isn't a remake/reboot of the TV series. It's another adaptation of the books that will aim to follow the story of the books more accurately, which makes sense considering the involvement of Ed Friendly's son. Friendly and Landon clashed from the very beginning of LHOTP because Friendly's top priority was adapting the books and Landon's was to make an entertaining TV series. And considering it's been on the air nonstop for over 50 years now and still stands out in DVD sales, cable reruns, and streaming (plus all of the anniversary events last year were massive successes, even though quite a few were botched by event planners), Landon was on to something. That's not to say that Friendly was wrong to want to stick to the books, but it's been thoroughly discussed by the cast and crew in recent times why adapting the books in the form of an episodic/mildly serialized TV drama in the 70s would not have worked. Once you had a foundation build around the Ingallses, Olesons, and others living in Walnut Grove, you couldn't just move on from that after a season or two (and then move on again after another season, and again after another two seasons, etc). Especially as it became clear early on just how strong some of the supporting cast were. Re: it being progressive. While I do think MG likes to play it up a little more, I don't think the show gets enough credit for being generally liberal-minded. Obviously it has strong Christian themes, but you saw those expressed through love and acceptance of people of all kinds more often than you did through fundamentalist evangelism. I forget where I read it, but either Alison Arngrim or Melissa Gilbert has said that ML envisioned an LGBT-focused episode but never bothered to write it or pitch it because he knew it wouldn't happen. I'm gonna ride hard for LHOTP every time lol It's been my #1 comfort viewing, above any and everything else, for close to a year now, and rediscovering it has gotten me through some tough times recently. If you have any interest in the show, I highly suggest checking out the extensive and informative (not to mention hilarious) episode reviews at Walnut Groovy. It looks at the show through modern eyes while still recognizing the hold it has on so many of us all these years later. Okay, I'll shut up now.

Currently watching the 1979 ep. More comments to come, but Dan’s presence makes me even more livid than the Ellen/David/Annie scene from ‘73. Patsy was FORTY YEARS OLD, and not only was John Colenback two years OLDER than her, but he looked at least 5 years older than his actual age. Part of me understands why MEB and the Dobsons moved away from the core Hughes and Stewart characters - when you get to the point where an actor is older than the woman playing his mother, how do you not just scrap the whole thing? Thankfully they fixed Tom before it got rough on that end. With no SORAS, Dan is in his 20s throughout the 80s and becomes a leading man in the 90s, giving Ellen and David reason to still be around as regular characters. With more moderate SORAS, he’s in his 30s during the Marland era and (rightfully) serves as a contemporary for Tom. I wonder how much of this is the fault of wanting/needing to stick to the Hughes/Stewart core by the time the show was hitting the 70s. No excuse, though. David could have had brothers. We could have seen more of the Lowell side of the family (we still have no footage of Judge Lowell, btw). It’s just lazy and devastating what they did to the family. Seeing Mary always makes me mad that they never tried Teddy again in the 00s or ever brought in Christina. We needed more Hughes characters, and Casey needed cousins. They really tried to make us think of Will and Jenn as Hughes, and by extension, sure, but having more blood Hughes around would’ve allowed them to keep Will and Jenn’s Sullivan roots alive, building a dynamic little set-up with Barbara and Kim. I really spent ATWT’s last five years bemoaning its wasted potential, and here we are again. The tools were there, man. The fugging tools were there! I loved Jade and the role she played in the teen group, but aside from her introductory revelation as Rose’s daughter, all of her stories could have gone to Christina Hughes.

You’re right. I’ve seen so little of GH’s early years (and in general, honestly), and I just associate it with the rather grandiose piano scores I’ve heard in the few episodes I’ve watched. I haven’t cracked all the way into the recent 66-68 postings yet, but I hear organ in them - though in a much different style from the P&G way. OLTL. So, I watched all of Mitch’s episodes today, and though all of the episodes focused heavily on Dorian and Matt, I don’t think I could ever tire of watching those two. They’re exactly what RC thought he was doing with Dorian and David, except there’s actual depth here. I remember when Dorian was totally camped out circa 2008-2010, and there were people who were unimpressed with the writing and Robin’s portrayal because they remembered Pinkerton, and now, I see it. I totally see it. You’re always left wondering how the wheels are turning in NP Dorian’s head. She’s like a simmering pot that you know will boil over, but when? Will she remain cool, calm, and collected, or will she finally snap?

I don’t want to hijack this thread bc right now, the OLTL, GL, and ATWT threads can all easily slide into becoming general classic soap discussion (maybe we need a thread for general talk?), but yes yes yes, welcome back, @EricMontreal22! Your presence makes it feel like the SON of old around here. Re: the stylistic differences between ATWT/GL and other soaps of the time. Have any of yall read Her Stories? It’s a pretty good soap history book that came out a few years back. There’s a lot of fresh insight into the various soap “brands,” and ATWT and GL hit the traditional/old-fashioned grand slam of being P&G soaps that originated out of NYC, aired on CBS, and were created by Irna. As much as we associate the organ with vintage soap opera, only P&G and/or CBS soaps were still using it by the mid-60s. I would bet that even those one-year wonder NBC soaps in the 50s didn’t use it. None of the California soaps ever did (except for probably the last few months of The Brighter Day, which was produced in CA). Even Love is a Many Splendored Thing began with orchestral music before going to the organ as a cost-cutting measure.

I wrote a longer reply in agreement with this earlier, but the site went crazy when I hit the post button. Anyway, I’ve watched this episode 3 times since last night, and the more I watch, the more I want. Nancy really was a unique character at this time, and she was a character - a real character. Just from her energy, you can tell she wasn’t just sitting around pouring the coffee and listening to everyone else. There’s a vitality in her in this ep that I’ve never seen before, but it’s not a particularly benevolent energy. This is a woman who could (rightly) get told off in the most disrespectful way. But at the same time, she’s still having kitchen conversation with Grandpa. This is truly the World Turns I’ve always wanted to see. If we could get just a month or two’s run of episodes, I’d be set.

YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This post was a long time coming, and I support you guys 100%.

I am utterly speechless! So much of what I asked for in that holy grail thread is surfacing! This really feels like Nancy’s golden age. Her hair and wardrobe were more flattering than any look she had in the 50s and 60s, and she’s loads more interesting here than she ever was from the 80s and on. I love that even this deep into it, we were still getting those great Nancy/Grandpa scenes that were a hallmark of the show for so long. Grandpa! Never imagined I’d ever see anything of him in his last few years on the show. The David/Ellen scene ticked me off bc Patricia Bruder was 36 years old at the time, and this is what they have her character doing. Jay Stallings was hot as hell and so different from what your typical ATWT man looked like at the time. She deserved to let that hair down and get her some. Kim and John!! Early Kim with the long hair that I alluded to literally a week ago with no expectation of seeing any time soon. The extended sequence with the voiceover “thinking” is so of the time, and it’s crazy to know that this is the story that pushed Irna out for good. I so wish we could have seen Jen here too, which I was kinda surprised to her them call her just Jen. Her granddaughter would be just Jen thirty years later. Was Barbara gone by this point? And then to have a credit roll. Something, anything, with Alma Miller has to show up. I need to see Lisa and her mother. You can tell the organ was on its way out. The episode barely had a score, and I can’t imagine Charlie Paul was still up to playing live every day at this point. The orchestral theme had to debut by like November. Thanks so much for the tag, @Vee!!

Yes. When Livia returned in the early 00s, Tom was an infrequent recurring character, and they were still together. He made maybe two dozen appearances over 2004-2005. Mark showed up a few times during the same era, and it really felt like they were thisclose to bringing them both back as recurring on a regular basis. Okay, I remember now. It was actually Mario Van Peebles as Samuel and his father Melvin played Samuel’s dad. Dre was involved with some kind of rock band or something. Was it B&E who also brought back Mimi and did that whole story with Lamman Rucker? I know I can easily just look this sht up myself, but

I managed to forget all about this until now. I was so checked out of AMC by 2006-2007, I know there are whole storylines and sets of characters that I simply do not know. Weren't Mario Van Peebles and his son on for a minute? You know, I never really put it together in my head how young LR was at the time. I just looked it up, and she's a little over a month younger than me. At 15, I was coming home from 10th grade to watch my VHS of the day's show, and at 15, she was playing out a love story with a man nearly twice our age. Yikes. I actually never knew the gap was so big between Mick Hazen and Meredith Hagner. Six years doesn't sound like much, but when it's a gap between 16 and 22 years old, it's huge. Not only uncomfortable for the kid, but if I'm a 22-year-old actress on a soap, I don't want to be paired up with a child. But you know what? Yet another reason why a certain extremely popular supercouple really was the worst.

Why do these people make it so hard to watch this show??? As much as I love watching, I barely keep up with it as it is because I loathe having to click through dozens and dozens of episodes to find where I left off every single time I want to watch. Now that they’ve added ads, it plays fine through the first ad and then the first chunk of show you get, then it’s buffer city immediately after the second ad. It makes it very hard to tune in for 2-3 episodes a day if that’s how you want to watch it.

I feel like her hair was even bigger in that clip than it is in this photo. I never thought to do a screenshot of it at the time because I assumed it would never be taken down, considering it was just a few seconds of a scene and then a closing billboard. The only way I can describe how I remember it is that it was sort of a cross between later Elizabeth Collins Stoddard and early Mary Richards, just with more hair on top and less on the bottom. Wait!!! I found a picture of her with the hair!

WoST had a clip of the blooming flower opening, but I haven't seen it anywhere since the website shut down, not even a screenshot. I want to say 1957 is when they went from the statue to the flower to the starry sky, but the sky opening might've started in 1958 to coincide with the expansion to 30 minutes.

Thanks!!!!!! "Follow As the World Turns--" Honey, after just a scant 20 seconds, I am ready to follow it into the fire!! The people who saved that tape decided to save the newsbreak but not the programs that came on before or after it, and I will never understand that.