DRW50

Thanks. I can't believe Annette is gone. I wonder how the decision to have Ingo with Jenny will go - isn't she a recast? Does anyone like her? What will they do with Deniz since he and Sarah (or whoever) have split?

As for Anne, I never minded comic Anne. I loved her bitchy and at times tender relationship with Paige - they both hid behind quips, and sex appeal. Anne was so sexy and sleek, yet also vulnerable and funny. The only time I disliked Anne's storylines was when she had to hang around that horribly annoying fat man who was a fixture on TV at that time. I think he disappeared without a trace once the show went on hiatus. No big loss. I also felt like her last few years of stories were kind of depressing, as she was never going to have a chance with Greg, and I just thought she became a little too serious. Her rivalry with Claudia felt like filler, and Claudia never should have been kept on the show after she killed her own son.

I think the show had a lot of women in that age group so they may not have seen a need for Robin. I do think she did a nice job, although I never felt like the role was worth expanding. Then again, I think Karen needed someone who could be an equal to her and call her out, and unfortunately, given how much power Michelle Lee had as time went on, I don't think that would happen (even Abby stopped being that character in her last years). I did not like Tom at all. I thought he was smarmy and I hate that faux-whisper acting. I also hated his hair. I liked Paula. I think that she was an LML character inserted into the show, and that meant she was OK on her own, but was not a fit. They seemed to do this at Y&R, with characters like Tammy Lauren's Maggie, who was great, but never integrated. I think Paula just wasn't right for that time. I thought the corporate stuff was a lot of fun at this time - was this the season where Mack was with the blow-up doll? I liked the goofy guys at work, whatever their names were. I also remember this season for the brilliant sequences where Greg's daughter returned, and was quickly murdered. Stacy Galina was incredible as Mary Catherine - she was never as good as Kate, but I can see why they wanted to bring her back. This story was by far Greg's best after Laura died. I still have those sad scenes in my head where he went to spend time with Meg after Mary Catherine died. I never forgave Knots for taking Meg from him

Beautifully written, if heartbreaking.

This isn't it is it? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Yg3Lwuqba4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jZEf20Xzik&feature=channel&list=UL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTR3JMajdLA&feature=channel&list=UL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe6ykzjGaHw

Hover mostly seemed to be known for his being big in the "muscle" photo era. I guess that would have been an interesting story for Russ... Did Groom play out any of the Cindy story?

In Lemay's book he made it seem like one of his early stories was killing off Cindy.

I think Richard left at the right time. His character was so heavily tied to Laura, and their story had come to an end - the sense of shame he felt when he realized just how much better Laura was than him and that Laura would never allow herself to be rid of him, was an incredible exit. I do agree that he wouldn't have left his kids, but he was a very weak man. John Pleshette was probably the best actor on the show, and I did miss that. I felt like the show gave up on Laura once she married Greg, which is a shame, as she was still a fascinating character. Greg was never the same without her - he became very one-dimensional. What was season 11 about? Is that the one where Mack kept screaming DIRTY COP DIRTY COP? Between that and Amanda's friend, I wasn't overly impressed, although I loved Linda.

It seemed like Russ never really had any big popular romances.

Ron Martin seemed to get a lot of soap press for being involved with Susan Macdonald, who played his sister on the show (I guess that relationship didn't last). I have a soap magazine article with Fawne modeling wild fashions. I wonder if she was like that on the show.

Thanks for the details, both of you. It's too bad his work is mostly lost. Was Anne Howard Bailey liked at any soap? It seems like her best received work was at GH.

That sounds nice. How long was Paula around?

I never knew an AW Christmas episode from then was available.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wulqo6dxEG8

Nice scenes with John/Ashley (probably the only John/kid relationship I have any fond memories of), and an example of a Victor who is long gone. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDYIpZwe7d0&feature=autoplay&list=UL0Uku8K4KJKg&playnext=4

I know what you mean, but I put that down to bad writing more than her character's irrelevance. In later years the show often seemed to ignore the Laura/Val friendship (aside from a little towards Laura's last season or so), but I never felt like this meant the friendship wasn't important. It's not bad in terms of being a mother, just in terms of drama (for me). I much preferred the damaged relationship they had in Lillimae's first visit. To me, that was the peak of the character. When she came back regularly and they had to save her from the con man, or whatever, it was never the same for me. I think there was too much baggage for Val to ever truly get over the past. I haven't watched that episode in years, but it was never one which jumped out at me. I mostly didn't care for the episodes about Laura being weak and victimized. I know that was a part of her, but I preferred her wit, and her complexity.

As for "fake," I meant mostly in the whole musical instrument playing, happy-face stuff, covering a self-righteous persona. I kind of just wanted someone to smack her at those moments.

I'm not sure if Ginger's past was more fabricated than Karen's or Laura's. All we knew about Laura was that Richard resented her father, and that her mother had died young. We knew Karen was an activist and that Sid had been married before. Laura was, on paper, the most undeveloped character when the show started. It's one of the reasons I don't love a lot of her first season stories, where things just sort of happen to her or she reacts to things happening to Richard. Constance McCashin is a much better actress than Kim Lankford, but part of Laura's success was they did try to show her character grow. I never said I would write Lillimae out permanently - I would have kept her as a recurring guest. I don't think it's as much about who is the better actress, because it's about the character's role on the canvas. Nicolette Sheridan is, IMO, a weak actress, but she was wonderful within the range KL gave her once Paige got out of the brooding daughter role. I just didn't think that Lillimae hovering over Val, babying her, and snapping at Gary/Abby/etc. brought drama. I thought it stifled Val and kept her from having more of a voice of her own. I'm not saying that Lillimae was a huge drag on the show, or that the writing issues with Val were her fault, but I think that Lillimae should have come and gone. They could still have stories like Chip, and Josh, with some breaks. It was the day-to-day existence of Lillimae on the cul-de-sac which didn't work for me.

That's interesting. I always heard that the Bachman story was the best part of the show. Did Edelstein write any other soaps? This show has always sounded to me like it may have been better as a mini series.

I didn't know that. He looks like Glen Campbell. How many recasts did Somerset have? If there are any articles you want to post, let me know, and if I have them I won't post them.

What if you could time travel in the kitchen? I always get the feeling that the actors mostly made the Mr. Big stuff popular. ATWT's other forays into the fantasy realm, like Barbara's past life, didn't seem as well-received.

Doesn't that make Romney clinging to him even more bizarre? Some in the media are even praising Romney for this strategy, saying that he gets to appeal to the base without having to say the words himself. The main problem with the economy is that as long as we keep focusing on what we have to cut, nothing will ever improve. That's all we ever hear about. Cut, cut, cut, cut. Both parties do this. Where has it gotten us? Where has it gotten Europe?

Considering that Romney is still using birther surrogates, you can't be surprised if people blame racism, can you?