DRW50

Tabyana's post feels a bit like a goodbye, although I don't know when her contract is up.

Thanks. Maybe it plays more in the summaries.

Thanks. Not sure how I would have felt about seeing so much of Marty and his family at 15 minutes a day. I wish we knew how it was bracketed per episode.

Thanks @alwaysAMC glad she is still doing OK.

I never knew they were asked about that. How embarrassing to not know Peggy's maiden name as she was still a fairly important character when they arrived. I guess, as Harding Lemay mentioned about AW, there were no archives in place.

Thanks @VelekaCarruthers for the extra info. So clearly something changed quickly as there's no mention of Peter having a wife. It sounds like his involvement with Janet was given to Ken Norris. The "activities in Russia" of Peter's father made me laugh - some things never change. Clearly they kept some of these ideas around for scraps as Stanley's secretary was a Conway (Linell) and her mother was named Marion. @Reverend Ruthledge Thanks for the script summaries. That odd Soapcentral profile of Meta doesn't mention this return. I'd love to see Meta meet Sara. Irna didn't seem to do much with Sara but she matches a lot of the tropes of past Irna heroines - I wonder how she might have felt about her. I wonder if Irna is the one who came up with Marty or if he was already in the works. The whole thing is extremely '60s - the rich boy who wants to rebel and can't leave the streets. And the mention of his mother's fears that he will be drafted. Irna would then go on to have Tom Hughes drafted, IIRC, and do the whole Vietnam PTSD story. She tried to stay current even when she may have had an old-fashioned mentality in some other places. It sounds like Marty gobbles up tons of airtime from day one - had they expanded to 30 minutes yet or was that still just around the corner? Clearly Tracy and Marty at this point were meant to just keep Johnny and Peggy apart, but it seems like Marty is getting more focus than Johnny, even though he doesn't last all that long. Then again, neither does Johnny as he's gone by 1972. Seemingly everyone close to Peggy was written out by the early '70s, which probably made it easier for the pairing with Roger, but it helps explain why the character seemed to be forgotten so easily after she left. Giving Peggy a son by a conniving character who only lasted a year or two is also a surprise. I'm especially surprised they never just killed him off, as soaps loved doing in the '60s and '70s. Barring one or two more random episodes that may appear before we all turn to dust, this is the closest we'll ever get to this high transition period, so thanks. It's like going home again. Soapcentral entries aren't that reliable but Charlotte's claims that after Marty (who had been blackmailing Charlotte over the truth) was murdered, Charlotte, who felt guilty as Peggy was on trial for the murder, confessed her real identity. Sara and Johnny cut her out of their lives, but Charlotte helped bring Marty's killer to justice and Mike (who'd been representing Peggy) married Charlotte soon after.

@VelekaCarruthers Thanks for all these details. I know nothing of the Wexlers - I see on Wiki that Peter was recast, which may have dampened their interest. Wiki also mentions that he had a wife played by Margie Impert who killed herself. What was that story about? Peter then presumably left town. Margie Impert was cast on AW just a few years later. I wonder if that was down to her work here. Unless the Dobsons were also superfans of the Wexlers I assume Lucille had no ties to the family.

Gavin Blyth.

I just saw that Michelle Botes passed a few months ago. I wish the early episodes were still on Youtube as they display how much she dominated Isidingo from the getgo and how much she helped make the show a success. https://www.nationalworld.com/culture/celebrity/iconic-actress-dies-aged-63-rare-form-blood-cancer-tributes-paid-star-beautiful-spirit-4919757

I think he's somewhat friendly with her before she helps sink him - I could see that leading to her hiring him again if he's a pariah elsewhere, or to some hate sex. Iva and Lucinda and their shared history with men also makes me wonder.

I imagine Frost was going to leave anyway as she had a solid primetime career for a while, but I do find her very compelling to watch, partly because she balances warmth and maturity so believably. In real life, there's no way in hell Betsy would have been friendly with Craig, but she makes it work (along with how inherently sympathetic Scott Bryce was in the part). Betsy is only ever a B-character her last few years on the show, but you still care about her. I can see Steve/Iva being a story point if he hadn't given his notice. I could also see him ending up in Lucinda's bed.

I think Steve last appears around November, maybe a little later. After that we start hearing of him doing trucking runs in Greece. By that spring (?) he is locked up and cuts ties with Betsy.

I don't remember them ever having a minister or preacher as a regular. There was often mention of faith but it was more in the personal lives of the characters. I think the core of the show could have played on a regular network - other than some of the heavy-handed moments the earlier episodes aren't as faith-centric. It is more intrinsic later on but not suffocatingly so. @dc11786 So many great insights. I'm going to keep those in mind when I get to those episodes. They definitely should have done more with Peter and Nancy and with Peter feeling like the odd one out of his family.

I think some Betsy/Steve moments are available - unfortunately a lot of what we should see, especially once Steve starts working in Greece, takes place offcamera due to Frank Runyeon having left the show, IIRC.

The late '60s are such a time of upheaval for GL, with only Bert and Papa Bauer as long-term actors/characters (and I'm not sure how much Papa was still appearing). They were fortunate that the recasts of Mike and Ed worked out and that viewers accepted Peggy, Leslie and Sara enough for the show to propel those characters to the heart of the canvas.

Not sure if this was posted before, but a few years ago someone uploaded a brief clip from The Survivors (with plenty of Lana Turner Eye Acting). There's a preview for the show in the first few minutes of this - the same as a clip that has been on Youtube for years, but timestamp aside this is better quality.

Based on how flat the new characters and most of the returns have been in recent years, it's hard to care, but best of luck to them.

I was never a huge fan, but I'd say there's quite a bit. She has a sister on the canvas as well as the man she was in love with when she left (Adam).

Soaps aired five days a week and were looked down on (and still are), so there was never the care or effort to keep them. And some of the moments that were kept were destroyed in fires. They aren't usually that successful when repeated, although Dark Shadows did well, probably due to only being on about five years and being seen as more of a horror/fantasy show.

And of course, Republicans are ignoring this or claiming they are plants. Republicans always do whatever they want, even as Democrats are constantly worried on public opinion.

https://ew.com/lynne-marie-stewart-dead-pee-wees-playhouse-actress-78-11684690 So underrated. Hilarious and sad on Always Sunny and sweet and sad on Pee Wee. That Groundlings era - Phil Hartman, Cassandra Peterson, Paul Reubens - had all time talent.

https://newrepublic.com/article/191702/trump-musk-national-institutes-health-wrecked

It's very sad to live in a world where Amazon will get more of Mr. Beast ripping off Squid Game but not this. Given the ever-shrinking economy and the industry supporting actors and creatives less and less, I do wonder if we will ever see any real support for soaps. I think the revival just made some very weird choices, maybe down to budget issues - it's never good when your show is run by guest characters and much of your cast is part-time - but even if it had been superb I don't think they would have had another year. I still think 15 minute soaps, with just a few cast and a few sets, may be the way to go.

George Armitage Dies: 'Grosse Pointe Blank' Director Was 82 One of Armitage's key early jobs was being an associate producer on Peyton Place, which he discussed in more detail in this interview. https://www.filmcomment.com/blog/interview-george-armitage/

It would be very short-sighted but I wouldn't be shocked.