DRW50

@Paul Raven Thanks! Lots of endless pseudo-intellectual navel-gazing, typical of a number of TV Guide soap articles in those years, but invaluable for all the story information and even the dialogue recited which we may not know otherwise. Roy Winsor's views on the youth viewer haven't changed that much.

Thanks @Paul Raven I'd never heard of that miniseries. Odd that they are trying to put him out to pasture at 53. Some of his biggest hits were ahead of him. I'd never heard of Friends, or his horror pilot (not sure if that ever aired).

@Franko Thank you for the promo and the song. Weird how I did not remember Cathryn Damon, even though I adored her on Soap, but I remembered Loretta Swit. Maybe this was before I watched Soap... As @Paul Raven said, what a killer cast. And how nice that it was all-women even in major roles behind the scenes. And they didn't have to fly up in a Jeff Bezos junker for ten minutes to show equality... NBC really was letting it all hang out in the late '70s and early '80s to try to get interest. Many times, it failed, but what fascinating failures - some of the most fascinating in TV history.

I remember when I was a kid, I was disturbed by some TV movie that was repeated on Lifetime. It had Loretta Swit, among others. Sorority sisters with a secret. I remember near the end or over the closing credits they were singing a song like "beta cappa chi."

The same could be said for that cult TV-movie she made where the daughter who was left in an about-to-explode car returns as a spirit to kill her entire family, starting with grandma Ruth Gordon. Pauline Kael ranted about this at length, as she loved the Carol Burnett Show and in the late '60s said it was better than any film comedies of the time. (even in her last years she was panning Jim Carrey for trying to be a dramatic actor)

Brief glimpse of Emmerdale 1989. This is uploaded by the director of the episode. The full episode doesn't seem to be around on his channel, sadly.

I wish they could have brought Greg Vaughan back for Sami's return. The Eric/Sami relationship is one that always feels like it should have been more important than it was.

I think Amy often felt like a caricature, but Shell did have a sweetness, and viewers saw Amy grow up on the show (not technically, but Amy was a young woman when we first met her). There's no real need to have a replacement.

That was a very difficult time for her on the show, so to be fair to her, maybe she just wasn't close to anyone beyond those she had already worked with. I never liked her as Lily, and I'm glad I never did. My Lily will always be Heather Rattray, wherever she is now.

Definitely. A husband and father are going away. I empathize. Unfortunately, she supports a man who would gladly put many of us in camps, so my empathy is always underscored by a reminder that she does not share the same empathy for us.

That's a shame.

My main memory of Sid was some backstory of him starting fires in Chicago (?) and this being used to make him a suspect in the Fifth Street Fire. Lots of very iffy writing surrounding him as well as Griffin a year later.

She reminded me of Josh in that they both bored me to tears, although I have seen good work from McKeon elsewhere (like Supernatural). Bundy wasn't fantastic, but she was likeable and had a spark, which the show was struggling with at the time. It didn't help that rumors swirled she was fired because of her weight. Bundy and Billy Kay both had somewhat distinct personalities. After they were moved out (or Kay may have quit, I have no idea) Marah and Shane become Identikit.

Thanks @chrisml. Such an eerie still. I can see why Flora Campbell (I assume it's her) was annoyed. She had to sell the stories and then someone is around constantly [!@#$%^&*] talking. I wonder if there are any interesting stories in that By Emily Possessed book. One that always interests me is how the actors felt about the last months of the show - it had been canceled and then they had to stretch the cancellation date out while their new show (which was a big flop) was being prepared. I like the bits I've seen of Valiant Lady. I hope more shows up.

Thanks. I guess the only remotes for Jeremy was the action/adventure stuff with Erica.

Depends on how many other distractions they find first. (distractions being completely destroying our economy and government) This law is the type of focus all fascist slaughterhouses turn to and we'd probably be there even faster if Trump wasn't so busy golfing and begging Russia to love him. If we ever get President JD, I imagine it's at the top of his list, along with humiliating his wife and tweeting about how "based" he is.

Sid had a lot of fanfare early on - I am not sure if he would have been a higher-profile character if JFP had lasted.

Very sad. We will have that within a few years.

In the photo she does look like a younger woman with heavy makeup. Hopefully the show will manage that.

Has he ever been better? Maybe he has improved in those Hallmark films...

I don't necessarily mean more romantic partnerships, as Blake had already speed-run the Spaulding men (unless they wanted to try Nick/Blake), just her still being involved in the company and various schemes. I do wish they'd had Philip react more to the whole mess with Rick, Blake and Ross. At that time he only seemed to have the dropped story with Annie...and swearing vengeance on Alan over Alex which was promptly forgotten.

Blake probably should have had longer-running ties to the Spauldings. I think a combination of Ross/Blake being more popular with viewers than the show anticipated along with a lack of interest in writing for Liz Keifer (plus the decision to saddle her with kids) isolated her. I haven't ever watched that story closely but the early idea with Alan's 1994 return where he lured in/kept tabs on various women he'd had ties with, Blake included, should have gone further.

Sparks was so dreary to me...and somehow they cast her in a dual role.

Thanks. I'm glad they see it. I don't really remember the inbreeding part of the show being an issue later on - unless they mean the various teases of Teddy/Mitch. I think Georgie slept with someone Teddy's daughter had been with but I may be wrong as I had already quit by then.

I wonder how much of ABC's decision was based on RH still being in a hole ratings-wise when the show improved and brought back Labine and Mayer in 1983. If they felt nothing was left, then giving the show to a new timeslot may have been more feasible. You may have to tell me, but I think Ava did quietly say, "I lost a baby, too." At first I thought she meant the baby she lost in 1988, but now that you mention the story in more detail (I've never really seen any of it), she may have meant the baby she lost while with Jack. I need to read the bible at some point as I never get around to it. I had forgotten they were going to have an interracial marriage. We went from that to no major black characters for 10 years.