DRW50

The location work here is very nice (and there's some sweeping music among the computer oddities and the odes to Three Women) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQAOtyqqfxk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yGf1u9IZWw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlZ6bvExII0

I think I remember reading that he wanted to leave, to expand his security business, but I'm not sure. I felt like Robinson had more chemistry with Leslie Charleson than he did with Denise. I haven't watched those clips in a few years but my main memory is sad Terri Webber and her bad singing. I can see why Monty was so horrified by the lighting.

This isn't my first memory (my first memory is probably Chelsea, or Reva reuniting Dylan and Sam in Florida), but it's close.

From what I remember, the incest part is just a brief mention, which probably makes it even worse. Yes, Ivy was terrible, although I guess she got paid back in the end, as she died alone and unhappy. You can read both books as they sort of go together, but they aren't closely linked. Overall I'd say the WWII one is better, as you get great characterizations for vital Corrie stars like Elsie - laughter and tears (like the best years of Corrie). I still remember the part where she goes to get an abortion.

Not to defend Tomlin, but given all the huge changes AW had went through backstage, I'm not surprised if there was limited info around. I remember Harding Lemay saying he got details from a long viewer letter he never would have had otherwise. He should have talked to Courtney herself, but realistically, Alice wasn't going to have a lot to do no matter what. P&G had decisively moved away from older characters on every single one of their soaps. Even on AW, Mac and Rachel mostly just existed as parents or part of umbrella stories in these years, with brief side stories like Rachel getting shot (again) and having medical problems.

That "whitewash the rapist" promo from '96 makes me a little queasy.

I read those books cover to cover (unfortunately I don't have them anymore). You can tell he gave them a harder time since he could do whatever he wanted with them, but they were very vivid creations, some of them with only a few brief descriptions. I especially like Ken's aunt, the showgirl. I read them not long before that smiley hack Phil Collinson did the tram crash that some self-appointed Corrie purity brigades considered to be the ideal (they kept quiet when the whole thing amounted to nothing in less than a month). There was a section in the WWII book where a bomb attack did real damage to the Street. The women were just as involved as the men in trying to help. What were the women doing on Collinson's Corrie? Screaming and yelling and hissing.

I wonder what the average fan at the time felt about Anna Stuart's Vanessa. Maybe they just said, "Oh that stupid Vanessa," as most of the characters did. Personally, I have a blast watching her, especially since she isn't just imitating Maeve (Maeve veered between fragile and I'll-cut-you-bitch). Springfield at this time was so uber-sincere it needs all the flies in the ointment possible. I'm enjoying everything with Alan and family on the run. Instead of a lot of scenes of characters talking about whether he's changed, we see that Alan hasn't changed entirely (he still doesn't want to face the law), but he's changed to a degree (letting Hope and A-M return to Springfield). Chris Bernau brings a lot of depth to Alan's internal crises, and Don Stewart plays the voice of law and order and family. You can also see the love between Hope and Alan here, whereas by 1982 they started seeming bored to me. Morgan and Kelly - I'm torn between cringing and yawning at all that coddling and all that righteous anger. It just feels silly seeing all this drama over a birthday and seeing people baby Morgan. And that cruise ship singing of his isn't for me. I wonder if they had any plans to pair Quint and Nola at this time or if that came later. I guess maybe they were just gradually weaning Nola away from the Morgan/Kelly story? I can't tell. Either way, I enjoy getting a look at this early, extremely weird Quint, and Nola doing her best, for whatever reason, to make him think Kelly was her baby daddy. Yet they also gave Nola that strong moment where she's reduced to tears over Floyd's song - likely because of shame at how many times she has used him. Denise Pence also did well there, as Katie feels a combination of pride and sorrow for her brother. Amanda's fashions are so dowdy in so many ways. I swear she sewed together every inn table cover in Lucille's mansion. If I never have to hear Tony telling people he's not like his sister ever again, it will be too soon. This group (Tony, Hilary, often Katie) are written so sanctimoniously that they just feel like a drain. We didn't see this part of The Hideout very often did we?

Extremely rare 1919 Houdini film was finally sold last year by the man who owned it (he'd bought it from Houdini's estate in 1949), has been restored, and will be premiering on TCM. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/harry-houdini-movie-set-tcm-766234 I had to laugh when I saw some sneering AV Club article insisting that if this were the 80's, TCM would have colorized it. Apparently no one told AV Club that TCM wasn't around in the 80's.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXXdfCjPOi4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q5b3PiBCUM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alStO-KTYLk

Is that Bobby Breen the child star?

I think there's some low quality video on AWHP.

It was a fun story. I enjoyed every minute, along with the friendship between Janet/Skye/Erica. I was sorry to see it end and go back to misery 101.

It's a tale of two shows - one half generic, offputting shouting (led by Tony, because no one can bellow louder than Tony), and genuinely interesting mystery and drama with a little heart (Sydney/Richard). I enjoyed the Buck/Sydney banter too. And it's nice to see more of Molly's mania. At least there's Carla to make me watch the other half. (there was a ton of endless shouting and faux-macho aggression on ABC soaps at this time - I think that's one of the reasons their ratings were in the crapper)

Thanks.

I wonder if she's going to name him Robbie... (then again she wasn't that close to Robbie was she?). I keep seeing people say her relationship with Declan was incestuous. Did you get that vibe? I mostly prefer Nicola when she's comedically spitting venom at people but I'll have to check some of that out. Remember when she and David were plotting to kill The Valeyard? It's hardly the same characters now. (I wish they'd order Matthew Wolfenden not to shave his head) What did you think of his story with Priya?

No, Ben, I already read them. Thanks for the recaps. I guess I should go look for some of these episodes (it's hard to find a lot of Emmerdale stuff from the last few years). Not sure I really want to yet, in case I tune out again. I mostly end up watching clips so it's tough to get back into a full episode format. For instance, I have no idea what Jimmy and Nicola are doing...(still not a huge total fan of that pairing, although it could be much worse) I wish James was a more dynamic character.

Thanks for the articles. Those are a real find. I wish we could see those characters. I wonder why the show didn't keep them on. I cheated and watched a little of the new episode - it looks like they got Lydia Bruce some new clothes (I liked the zebra print dress). I wonder if they brought Jody Lee in in a hurry, if they hadn't expected Terry Kiser to leave. Jody fills the same role of loudly telling funny stories that John Rice often filled (although not in a somewhat forced Southern accent). Seeing Matt wander around shirtless in baggy pajama bottoms, the way a lot of guys did, was such a stark contrast to today's soaps, where he'd either be fully dressed, or wearing ridiculously tight underwear straight out of gay porn.

Who is this woman? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hro-NRr8sGA