DRW50

Gary Swanson was very handsome (the rest I was confusing with the man Gail Rae Carlson was married to). I wonder if Gene Bua's soap experiences burned him too much.

I thought she was around a lot longer than that. Thanks. So Ellen - the only remaining original cast member - wasn't even there at the end? That's a shame. I wonder why they treated her that way, since she'd been so popular on AW. Executives always ruin things.

Avis was on around a year? I can't remember. I wish I could see her. Did you see Vicki Paisley as a great character (as some soap critics did)? What about the Ellen/Dale romance? Do you think it shouldn't have been ended?

What did you feel about Audrey Landers, Sigourney Weaver, Ted Danson, Jobeth Williams? Did you think they'd go on to big things? I always wonder if the last year of the show was the big improvement which some of the soap press said. Sorry to keep asking questions.

Who were the others? What did you think of Joel Crothers?

Thanks to being styled like a hobo his entire ATWT run, Grayson looked older. Mark with martha Byrne (who looked very blowsy by that time) would have been a little odd.

Mark wasn't a great actor but he improved and I liked him on AW. I can't see him as Dusty (too young) but I wish someone had cast him.

December 99 Digest Hank Cheyne and Mark Mortimer tested for AMC's Jake recast.

May 2000 Digest - Vanessa Evigan (ex-Brittany, Y&R) was one of the actresses who tested for B&B's Bridget recast.

That's interesting stuff. I've heard her say this before (about story ideas) but hadn't ever known it was to that extent. I guess that's also why they went along with the whole Shakepeare's Sister routine with Rachel/Carl, which didn't do much for me.

The new opening is great. Very 60's. Vicky being very immature. True to her character though. I love all the warm moments of friendship leading up to the wedding.

I always wonder if for a while she played Rachel nastier than Robin did - Robin's work has so much more vulnerability, from the little I've seen.

Didn't recognize Julie at first. I do remember this from DTR. It is just raw pain. I can see why Mimi Torchin said this death was far more powerful than BJ's.

It's always so tough for me to know how to respond because I've seen so little of Robin's Rachel. The little I have seen is great, as she plays up that vulnerability and that clawing. I think Wyndham played that too, especially when Rachel felt cornered, but I can definitely see where she was a big change for the character. Robin was so OTT in OLTL's last years but she did love the character. I think Wyndham said she mostly only stayed at AW in those last years for the fans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNHWmey0kiY&feature=autoplay&list=ULvLy5vzzWR48&playnext=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83YJTL2e0b8&feature=autoplay&list=ULJNHWmey0kiY&playnext=2

Barbara had the worst hair ever.

Rauch and Strasser had a bad relationship at OLTL, which she said she mishandled (of course he won't say that). Her airtime and wardrobe steadily worsened, with her last story being one where her daughter stole Dorian's boyfriend. Robin quit. A few years later Rauch met with her for lunch and they mended fences, but she declined a return.

I never understood the issues Lemay and Rauch had with Strasser, as I thought she only returned until they could find a replacement. You'd think she was some burden they were stuck with. Margie Impert was before their time wasn't she?

That seems so cruel to fans.

I think they should have never had them get close enough to a relationship before she found out who he was. I think it would have been a little more interesting if she'd learned who he was, then slowly accepted him, and perhaps they had a relationship. I know SOD felt they lacked chemistry, but then I think Julia mostly just had that with David Canary, and then sometimes John Callahan. I would have had Josh's arrival shake Brooke up a little and take away some of the suffocating qualities the character had at that time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKS0ycFQNec&feature=channel&list=UL

Too bad they couldn't keep Taylor with Prince Omar - always hated her with Ridge, always will. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLhPteJZcN0

So the BAFTAs reward the message that women asked to be raped and that women shouldn't report a rape because their lives will be destroyed and the rapist will be acquitted anyway? How nice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vPKigvkNCs

And NBC never had ratings on that level for their other new soaps, did they? Not for long anyway. Maybe with the 90 minute expansion NBC should have just revived Somerset. Georgann Johnson was still working on P&G soaps at that point, and they could have brought Nic Coster back, I'm sure others too.