DRW50

He was on AMC from around 82-84. He was obsessed with Jenny Gardner and accidentally killed her via a jet ski while he was trying to kill her husband Greg.

Do you remember any of the story changes around then? I was still watching in 1993 but my interest was fading...when they wrote out Lyla and Iva, that was a big issue for me, especially Holden taking Aaron even though I didn't believe he had any love for his son. By 1994 I think it was just the Janice story that was capturing my interest. I do think the party was going to be over even if Marland had lived - there was no way the scale of his ATWT could have been sustained. I just wish we could have seen how he would have scaled down the show, that is if he hadn't quit, either due to his own soap, or because of the changes coming to P&G.

@Maxim Great stuff again. Yes, that was the clip. A version of it was on OLTL's wedding tape, I believe. A real highlight for Pat Elliott. The dig about Blair not being of the best stock was a favorite of mine, as it was the epitome of classy shade. They allowed Renee to have dignity in a messy situation. Being moved away from the Bo pairing was a real boon to Cassie. I can see why Elaine's Dorian would be in the country club circuit, but at her heart that's never who Dorian would want to be. I always wished they'd done more with the Jason/Dorian pairing.

Male nudity is the breaking point for a lot of people. The same reason why any time an actor had full frontal nudity in a film it was treated as a scandal and endless attention was paid, acting like there was an epidemic. Even if Nipplegate hadn't happened I think that trend would have stopped soon.

I do wonder what would have happened if Frank/Eleni hadn't clicked. Sometimes I think they would have gotten more story out of having her in a real romance with Alan-Michael but given the state of the Spauldings by that time, maybe not. Pre and post-Eleni, Frank seemed to be at a loss and lucky to be there. I think Frank's basic likeability and easy connection with those closest to him (as Buzz and Harley were meant to be bigger characters than he was) helped him out. And being the main cop on the show. I liked the Frank/Blake FWB relationship as it was another example of how fluid and intelligent relationships were on the show in those years. And Frank and Sherry had very good chemistry. Saundra had her moments as Carmen (I remember some strong scenes with Danny or with Maria), but she mostly just did what was on the page. I do think she was a good fit for Carmen. I don't think Ron ever was. I just don't think he had the right charisma and I don't think he could believably play Alan's darker side. I'm sure he had charisma onstage, but there was just something missing. It didn't help that they could not write any of the complex relationships with women they wrote for Chris' Alan, but when Alan did have romantic relationships with women, he felt too generic to find potential layers. I think he seemed most comfortable when he got to play Grandpa Alan with HP's Lizzie. I was joking about what Abby said to Claire @alwaysAMC although I wish she'd said that... Thank you for the last chapters of Kim's book, and all your summaries. And thanks for the Reva and Philip clip. I wish they'd done more with them in later years, although she really suited John Bolger more than Grant (Grant was too uptight). They did have a few scenes. I suppose the friendship mostly ended after Philip betrayed her in his plan against Alan (and Reva was mostly taken out of Alan's sphere). I had forgotten that it ends with Alex doing a handshake with Philip and cutting a rug with Warren. A rarity for Bev's Alex to be quite that light...but then you remember she really wasn't that old and given her old groupies days she probably loved that song back when it first came out. She had to lost most of that side after Lujack died (and the character seemed to age further).

I do wonder what the full plans would have been. Would he have been paired with Holly? Would Cara have had his child? I agree that the commitments were big issues...it has only been in the last few months that Susan and Karl haven't felt like part-time characters for me, and Holly never really recovered from their absence. I'm not sure how planned Wendy's break was, but the exit trashed the character and they have somehow trashed her even more since her return. The Rodwells were one of my favorite parts of the revival but now I don't feel anything and kind of hope Andrew and Wendy split up for good.

I agree the feel is closer to a UK soap (or a very budget version. I have watched some of the finale again recently and there are any number of moments I enjoy, but the muzak is not among them. If people can fix and change episodes so much now I wish they could do that here. I don't care about AI upscaling an episode from 1960 - I just want to stop hearing that I-won-a-contest-because-everyone-else-dropped-out music. Grant aged extremely well, as did Robert Newman, among others. Not sure whether you want the answers or would rather be surprised so I'll put them in spoilers:

The only way I'd be interested in Sonny and this ADA is if they have their own version of the Mary Hartman story where a younger social worker fell in love with Grandpa and was clearly in the midst of some mental breakdown or had major daddy issues. I'd love to see Sonny's reaction to that...

For some reason I think Ron was dropped to recurring several years earlier and then put back on but I may be wrong about the dates. Grant said in a recent interview that he was first asked back within weeks (I think it was weeks) of his exit. Marj is asked back to GL in late 1998, on recurring. Her material is better than a good deal of what she got the first time around, but she left within a few months because AMC was offering her a contract. She made the right choice as Vanessa was the perfect role for her. After the show finally managed to make Nick likeable, I do wonder what might have been (Susan, sadly, probably would have been killed off), but getting rid of Alan Michael was the really big mistake. I wonder if they even had him in any scenes with Rick in his flop late '00s return.

Thanks. He barely did anything with Amanda after Marj was written out, so I suppose he just wasn't interested. Alex had story for a brief period before Marj went to AMC, and they never really tried to replace her, unless you count Vicky, who was barely on. The only Spauldings he seemed to want to write for were Philip, Lizzie and Alan.

Thanks. That must be what I was remembering. I think I remember Rauch saying the Spauldings were all the same, which was true at that time, but wasn't how it ever should have been.

Someone uploaded an episode I don't see elsewhere. (June 24, 1993).

Did she work a lot with JHC? She still seems to be close to Pratt. https://www.soapcentral.com/soapcentral/news/2021/0120-charles_pratt_tracey_thomson_sulphur_springs_interview.php

Someone at Locher Room's comment section yesterday was saying that she was potentially offer the role in 1985 (leaving Loving but Marland decided to give Martha more of a chance) or 1989 (when Martha left). I don't know if that's true but she might have fit in better in those years. She didn't by the end but that's down to how Lily had changed and the show's failings. I think she worked best with Liz Hubbard. Trisha going on GH would be interesting.

You're right, that is a dark rendition. And fitting. I watched most of the movie a few years ago (didn't get to see the end). I didn't love it, although I was glad to see Cheri Oteri getting a chance.

I suppose marrying and living well was the best recognition she ever could have had but I do think her work as Trisha deserves more credit. It's not easy to play heroines, but she always managed to give Trisha sincerity and not become too cold or sanctimonious.

Thanks. So I just remembered the Fridays... They had finally given Hearst more in his last year, but I'm not sure they would have if he'd stayed. The A Spaulding story clumped the whole family together. Similar to Fiona, Beth Ehlers originally just has a guest appearance. Rauch convinces her to return in the summer. Thanks for the reminder about Zachary. That story never really did much for me, although Brody Hutzler was certainly pretty. I am still half-surprised they didn't try to keep him around as I had vague memories of them implying he could come back as human.

We've lost the wonderful Rebekah Del Rio. Rebekah Del Rio Dead: ‘Mulholland Drive’ Singer Was 57 While her Mulholland Drive appearance is rightfully famous, I think I love her Return appearance even more.

Thanks. (welcome back) I'd never seen that. Sometimes I forget just how young Noelle Beck still was at that time. By her last few years as Trisha she has more confidence.

Welcome back! The Santa Barbara thread is never the same without you.

If so, that's a shame. I know she came back in 1998 and 2000 and talked a bit about the show when it ended. At least we have those returns.

Always enjoy reading your reviews. The 60th has some good moments - the returns are well-done, mostly, especially since GL never did this as well as they could have through the '80s and '90s. There was a good amount of talk at the time about what Rauch did to the diner, as well as the garish lighting (which is still spoken of on here). Rauch did not do poverty or class differences. I never could remember if Buzz was the one who decided to end the marriage to Reva. I do remember Deas giving some nice performances in that period. Michael Dietz was almost definitely fired. Sonia Satra had been on the show for three and a half years so she may have wanted to leave, but it was also clear they had lost interest in Lucy. Did they tease Zachary/Lucy early on? I can't remember. Getting fired was probably the best thing that could have happened to Dietz, as he got a lead role on Port Charles, where he only lasted a few years, but he also met his wife who was also on an ABC soap at the time (she played That Kit Fisher Person), and they are still together. Lucy and Harley meet soon, and it's a real passing-of-the-torch moment, as Lucy was brought in as such a blatant Harley replacement (she debuted in the very same episode Harley left in, I believe - they did not interact at that time). I don't even know if Lucy is mentioned after she leaves Springfield. Maybe once or twice. I was so mad when they got rid of the cast photos in the closing credits. I adored them. Whatever the quality of the show in those years, there was something special about that Friday (IIRC it was on a Friday) where you saw the shots one by one. I remember I used to look at them and count which characters I liked and which characters I couldn't tolerate (Lillian rarely escaped my bad list at that time...).

Thanks @wonderwoman1951 That's beautifully written. I love the part about how when they were kids, they would say not all people are good, and he told them in some people the goodness was just never able to grow. That's the type of fiber ATWT had in its best years.

https://deadline.com/2025/06/grosse-pointe-garden-society-canceled-nbc-peacock-1236443923/ Melissa Fumero was a lead on the show.

Thanks. Tonja Walker had such amazing presence as Alex in these years. I can't remember if Thom Christopher was let go or wanted to leave at this time, but it seemed like Carlo was firing on all cylinders as he was written out - he was at his best not having to deal with his kids or niece.