Yeah, I tend to think P&G chose Marland for GL because he was known as bringing GH back from the dead and they were concerned about things like bringing in new young characters, which the Dobsons hadn't been all that successful at (I know that characters like Ben and Eve and Amanda filled something of that bracket but they weren't exactly "young"). I think they saw ATWT as being rotted out and were hoping the Dobsons could build it up the way they'd rebuilt GL.
Sometimes I'm surprised that CZ survived the 80s on ATWT as she sounds a little...difficult.
I always hesitate to say that no one cares about a character, because I have cared about people no one else cares about (I must be the only Pam Wagner fan around), but I have never seen a Brad fan anywhere.
Are they around? Do you know any? Anybody?
I don't know why Melinda was killed for angst over this man.