DRW50

95% of the people on Hollyoaks now don't have a personality, so he fits right in.

When was the Long/Ryder period? Was all that with Roxy the amensiac prostitute or Lujack and Infinity their work or was that Ryder alone? I can never remember if Hope's drinking story was Kobe or before Kobe. Someone once said that the story was given to her as a punishment and then Kobe fired her to set an example to the rest of the cast, but I don't know if that's true or not. Do you think they should have recast Amanda after Kathleen Cullen left, instead of writing her out?

Thanks! Did they ever explain why Dusty (offcamera) said that all he knew of Spence was something awful had happened to him? I also wonder if it was Marland or the scabs who brought in the recurring players like Duncan's servants at that time, like Sofia Landon. I know Marland wrote her out of GL. I loved her on GL so kept wondering why she didn't have more to do at ATWT. You can see that his outlines were probably in place but some of that material was a bit overheated, especially the whole Holden/Josh and Holden/Caleb rageathon, complete with Lily yelling and gasping at Holden every episode. Then Beau overnight becoming a jealous type. You liked Kirk/Iva, right? I wonder why that didn't work out - I mean why they show broke them up. I did like Kirk and Ellie but it was nice to see Iva having some fun for once. Later on I feel like her misery overwhelmed her. At this point she still had a chance. There's such a poignant moment when Hank Elliot tells her that he finally learned to like himself, and she says she wishes she knew how he did it.

He looks cuter here than he does on the show. He takes this very seriously...

Thanks for going to all the trouble to find that. I wonder what the bare breast closeup photo was - perhaps that was shown only in the blackmail scenes. I do find these scenes disturbing, if fascinating. I'm surprised at just how far the show went with Roger at this time - this was not long before he drove Henry to attempted suicide - as I thought they brought him back as being somewhat reformed, believing in peace, etc. Zaslow and Zimmer had a very natural connection. Instead of using Roger in a misguided attempt to make Dinah the show's beloved central heroine I wish they'd paired Reva/Roger when Zimmer returned. That would have had more fireworks than Reva/Alan, as Raines was so asexual in the role. Didn't they think of pairing Josh/Vanessa in 1994, until they brought Matt back?

I should watch some of that, what is available. Mona was the one who pretended she couldn't speak, right? Were Alan and Hope still together at this time? Do you agree with those who feel Long wasn't any good without Culliton? I was also going to ask if you were watching during the 88 strike and if anything seemed strange to you at the time.

Didn't Culliton help Long early on? I only remember Ryder from his solo run. What do you think was worst about the show after Marland (and before Long)? Just meandering, or confusing? The story about Mark seems very confusing to me on paper.

Would you say Wilmore or Kobe were better?

I can't remember. For some reason I thought all that and Roxy's breakdown was around the strike, but you're probably right.

Does anyone know if Marland intended for Emily/Tonio to sleep together? Or was that strike material? Emily seems to have genuine feelings for Tonio in the strike episodes, which seems off to me - I don't think she would fall for Tonio, not at that point in her life. Did he plan for Emily/Craig? I also wonder if Marland planned more for the Emily/Holden marriage. Then again, he did create Angel, and she was waiting in the wings by the time Emily/Holden were done. Watching some of the August 1988 episodes over again I realize that Spencer, the Robert Tyler character who mooned over Lily and worked at the stables and pretended he knew Dusty, was talking on the phone to Kirk and they seemed to have some secret plan. Was that dropped? And did the show expect Dusty to return quickly? In the August episodes they talk like he will be back soon. Surely they knew Brian Bloom wasn't coming back?

MichaelGL did you watch any 1988 episodes? I've seen a few but haven't watched in order (as I am trying to do with ATWT right now, including watching ones I've seen once or twice in the past). Did you see any weird stuff going on during the strike? I've heard that there were issues and changes, like with Sonni/Solita (I can't remember if Johnny being cured of cancer by a bright light was the strike material), but wonder just how odd it was. AW's strike material was VERY random and odd, including...let's have Felicia go to Vegas and put on some sort of big tent talk show! The Dirty Dancing troupe visits Bay City!

Yes, that's mentioned in her Digest interview around 1985. I think she said no comment. I was thinking of actors who were on the show when Long started moreso than other past actors. She had no real experience with Maureen Garrett or Michael Zaslow, but I can't remember anyone who was on when she started ever returning, even when they probably should have, like Hope. But that might just be a coincidence.

Khan, what did you think of Sam Marler? I've wondered why the show never brought Lainie back.

I've never understood that either. This was Pam Long, right? I wonder if she had some sort of issue with anyone from GL's past who was on the show when she started as a writer.

Do these episodes have the scene that offended SOD, where there was a closeup of Reva's bare breast as Roger took photos of her?

It's too bad they didn't find another role for Dennis. I think he would have been perfect for Passions, or Sunset Beach.

Did Vanessa have post-partum depression after Little Billy?

Dennis Parlato? Isn't he the same as as Ben Masters? I wonder if ABC chose Terrell Tilford as Greg deliberately knowing he wouldn't be able to deliver a great performance.

Thank you for finding this again. I couldn't for some reason. Mary Grace Canfield repeatedly subbed for Lucille Wall on GH in the early 70s.

So that's why she has been foisted onto OLTL? It really is the redheaded stepchild of ABC

Yes. Have they mentioned this since she left? It seems like mostly just him playing around and looking for someone to mother Ben.

Who wrote the episode? I'm surprised they mentioned Sharon. I thought they would not ever acknowledge the love Phil felt for her.

Oops. http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2011/03/10/house-republican-caught-on-tape-jokes-of-give-a-handgun-to-a-schizophrenic-bill/

Yeah, I'm not too surprised by that. The scene came across more as Danielle wanting to control things/get camera time than any real moral objection. Repeated comments like Joe's (he made at least three throughout the evening) probably aren't intended to hurt, but they can...but she just handled it in such a cold way and her type of reaction is likely to make someone make even more comments.

I don't think they will ever give Gennie or Nikhil a story, so if they are together it will likely be by default. Emmerdale would rather throw stories at dead weight like Katie and the Maceys and the 30 year old foster child, or overexposed, unpleasant bores like Aaron and Hazel. Nikhil and Gennie, who always bring their best to scenes and who are entertaining (and Nikhil is one of the most stunning men I've ever seen), just aren't good enough for Emmerdale.