DRW50

He was repulsive in how he behaved towards her. This was when ABC had taken over and when Behr was out and we got things like the "hunkifying" of the show - with generally unappealing or boring (IMO) slabs of beef who dragged their stories down, if they even had a story (I think Daniel Cosgrove spent a year playing out two scenes - "can I get into your pants Laura" and "Laura you're so bitter, but I understand"). I think this streamlined AMC involved stories about women in peril, women paying a price, women emotional and out of control. Liza had to be significantly dumbed down to go along with that. I don't think she ever recovered.

I hated the story with Liza. All he did was judge her and shame her for months and I blame that story for ruining Liza as a character. I also thought they had no chemistry. Generally he had two modes - smug and constipated. I liked him a little more with Allie, but that story went straight to hell within a few months.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFdn5Y9XUY0

August 2, 1983

Oh I enjoy doing this - it's nice to remember the show's history and it makes me feel less silly for having all this stuff in scans. It takes some time but I'm going to try to do up to 1984 or 1985.

The problem is that people like Palin not only make stupid remarks, they are extremely proud of them. There's a strange sense of pride in ignorant views. If Obama went around constantly making stupid comments and then going on about "lamestream media," then politically speaking, he'd be where Palin is now.

I remember Schemering praising Rauch and the Corringtons (not sure on them, might have been another writer) for the scenes of Will taking Samantha off life support. Then he said the show collapsed in crime dramas. OLTL tended to write out a lot of characters, or even worse, write them out then bring them back just to kill them off or waste them. The last few years were especially bad for this. It annoys me thinking of the wasted story in killing Melinda solely so that Gina Tognoni could have an excuse to look pained. June 7, 1983

It was unique in that these were the same actors playing entirely different characters (or playing actors playing characters), but you're right, I didn't think it was a big change. Then again this is not something you see on British or Australian soaps.

It seems like a lot of characters hung around mostly through the strength of the Karen/Marco/Jenny/Brad/Larry stories and as those characters waned, the supporting players were weeded out one by one. I think Will Vernon was dumped right after Sam was killed...kind of a slap in the face for fans of the Vernon family. What fascinates me is how long the Buchanans and the Karen-era characters did mingle with each other. It seems like Rauch, or the producer before him (Jean Arley?) got rid of most of those who weren't heavily tied to the Buchanans or Viki. I'm kind of surprised Larry made it through.

May 10, 1983 Digest May 24, 1983

April 12, 1983 Digest I don't have the last page right now.

Which characters coming and going did you mean?

I don't think it did, although I wasn't watching regularly in those years, as I thought the show sucked.

March 18, 1983 Digest

February 15, 1983

It was just a special episode, outside of everything. The only connection to the present day was a brief opening scene of Jonathan and Tammy, when Tammy was dead, or dying.

I seem to remember a lot of Republicans also criticizing Romney for his firing comments. Are they foolish, or are they what he truly feels? This is the third or fourth comment he's made that casts him as a man of comfort, either looking down on the struggling or trying to pretend he's not looking down on them. I think "jokes" like saying he's unemployed or "jokes" like saying he enjoys firing people are more revealing than any Dan Quayle-esque blunder.

When Lowry fell out of the tree, they claimed he'd changed his name to see more mature, or something like that.

AMCHistory posted a fascinating Michael Brainard interview in the They Almost Became thread. It helped answer one of my questions about why he was not asked to return to the role on a permanent basis. I still wish they had asked him though - the few bits I've seen of him in the 1995 anniversary episodes are better than anything with Michael Lowry, whom I despised in the role.

Thank you for letting me know! I took a break for a day or so because I've been trying to find the 1983 recaps I have. I don't have all that many, but will post what I have. 1984 is closer to when more Youtube material is available, but just let me know if you also want to see 1984 issues.

Well that might explain the ratings at the time... I guess the Luke/Laura part isn't too sad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yG2yn6Pji4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ebBY3OSGlI

It was something of a tribute to the show's radio and early TV days, and to Irna Phillips.

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