DRW50

Running from October 5, 1964 to March 25, 1966, 3:30 to 4 PM EST, focusing on, to paraphrase Schemering, the marital problems of four couples in the suburbs. Written by Elward and Frances Rickett, produced by Richard Dunn and Eugene Burr, directed by Frank Pacelli and Livia Granito. Cast included future DAYS stars Susan Seaforth and Brenda Benet, and longtime soap vet Peggy McCay, along with Susan Brown, Norma Connolly, and others. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5vxSvNuK_o

Thank you so much for all this information! Just fascinating. Colby and Rita Mae? Really? So I guess Babbin killed off Jim Vockek and his son with Shana? I wonder if that was a mistake. I remember that SOD said when Shana and Leo were fired that Alex and Ava replaced them, essentially, in the story. To me that seems odd because I thought Shana and Ava were very different. I'd like to see the story with Lily and the homeless people. I am always fascinated by truncated strike stories. I wonder if they had planned to write Lily out right after the crazy stuff and she just hung on or if they had plans which never happened.

I wonder if it's because the new soaps of the 70s - with the exception of How to Survive a Marriage - seemed to be strong right off the bat (I'm not sure if Somerset counts as 70s as it was mostly created in 1969). And then the high expectations on Lemay and Rauch. It's strange though that the Digest was this critical. Perhaps that was just the phase at the time, as they were often critical of Mary Hartman.

I never knew that either. I wonder if she helped him get his job at ATWT (probably not as that was a few years later). I wish we could see some of Secret Storm from that era. As you mentioned, I loved her on Ryan's Hope. She was the second Joanna - I think Audrey Landers was the first.

I wonder if they are even going to use the doctor. I think they wanted everyone to be shocked and amused that Sally was dating her daughter's pornographer, but I thought it made Sally look like a terrible mother and also made a joke of any idea that she was somehow "stronger" without Kevin. Strong doesn't = being with a man who lied to you and tried to get your daughter to get a boob job. They always seem to want us to laugh at Rosie whether it's actually funny or not. Half the time they just have her yell her lines. The only one at this point in the family I find believable is Sophie, mostly because she's the only one they haven't turned into a ha ha shoutfest.

I think that it would have been better if the show hadn't given Kym Marsh any dramatic material during her pregnancy. (Frankly I wouldn't give her any dramatic material ever, since she can't act, but that's something else entirely). I'm not entirely sure whether this story would have worked for anyone, but it makes no sense to me with Michelle or with Maria. It seems even more bizarre with Maria because they casually trashed many years of friendship between Maria and Audrey. This seems like generic woman in peril, with a large dollop of "she was asking for it," which is sad. I still don't understand why Collinson has such a need to degrade female characters. But at the very least give the story to someone who can act.

I will be happy to see Todd again but his return story sounds...odd, from the spoilers. Collinson seems to like to try wacky comedy but I don't know if it's ever worked (I am still confused as to why they had Sally get together with her daughter's pornographer). It will be nice to see Violet again, to make up for her exit story. I was wondering what you thought of the world's most lackadaisal attempted rape. Why they would give this story to Maria I don't know, as Samia Smith can't do terror or drama (she is much better at breezy comedy and one-liners, or was, when the show gave her that). They apparently planned to do this story with Michelle but that also makes no sense to me because why would you give this type of story to a pregnant actress who lost a baby a few years ago? The whole story is so rushed and as with a lot of the show now I think it lacks energy. I don't think Peter/Leanne will last long. The show choosing to reunite them the very same week they split up and have them deal with none of their issues seems telling. I just don't know what the options are. Carla/Peter probably, but I have never believed she loves him and it just seems like a lot of melodrama lifted from a 1943 women's picture.

I'd love to see Shabnam again. I think she would be someone for Zainab to confide in, which Zainab has never had.

Proof that even short hair can kill an ozone layer. Aside from her run as Cecile on AW I am not sure I ever saw Susan Keith with good hair.

I think the Denise/Yusef part is very plot-driven and rushed, and it feels like an attempt to give Denise something to do. I would rather Denise have been wary of him and then Zainab, getting the wrong idea, criticized him up and down to Denise and then that made Denise more interested. Denise doesn't really have a type, IMO, as Kevin/Owen/Lucas were all very different, but the real problem with Denise is she is not a character. I love Diane Parish's work and I think that's what carries Denise along and is the reason she wasn't written out when she logically should have been with Libby and Chelsea. The problem is what do you do with Denise? Some would say, "Bring her daughters back," but I never thought those relationships were all that interesting. I'd like to see her doing more with the B&B and settle her down with someone once and for all who will get a lot of different emotions out of her but who isn't dangerous. Masood and Zainab have lost most of their spark as a couple and I would like to believe that was intentional, but who knows. The show has done a real hatchet job on Masood over the last year, especially right after the Chryed reveal. The Tamwar/Afia stuff doesn't do a lot for me either, also very rushed and Tamwar doesn't seem like he would put up with all he puts up with from her. I am still glad they are focusing on the Masoods more because I believe them as a family and it's nice to see them move on from the Syed story, but I see why the story isn't the best. So do you have any thoughts on Corrie at the moment? I have decided just to not comment on it rather than moan so I'd like to hear your thoughts, good or bad.

August 14, 1984 Digest. Recap, and the producer picks his show's best moment so far.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s13/hollyoaks/news/a307103/c4-commissions-fourth-hollyoaks-later.html

Thanks. So O'Keefe was on the show twice? Did he ever do anything as the characters or were they just filler? I didn't know Sandy's parents were on the show (I guess they were gone by the time Barbara Rucker played the role). I remember Leslie Charleson saying she quit almost immediately because they wanted her to sign a long contract. I guess the Whipples were the girls who were out of control (or one was anyway) and Nancy didn't like the mother, right? Janice, I think.

So Paul O'Keefe was playing Tom? Did they hire him because he'd been on the Patty Duke Show? That's kind of rare for someone from a popular sitcom to then be almost immediately given a fairly major role in the nation's most popular soap. I guess he didn't last long? Who was the younger boy? Was that Chucky? Or one of Paul or Dan? I never knew that there was a Judy English. They should have kept her instead of aging Annie and Dee. AW had the same problem with short-lived Diana Frame. What stories did Judy have? Do you know who Ethel Everett, Stephen Mines, Anna Minot, and Martin Rudy played? Was Jada the first Susan Stewart? I can't remember.

I wish I could see the first Ann. I just saw the second briefly and can see where she might seem a little dull. What did you think of John Gabriel (I think he left town with O'Hara Parker's Lorna)? I know he left RH for what was supposed to be a better role but did he last long? You have probably already answered this but did you see the whole Faust-type story with John O'Hurley? How was Bryan Cranston? I'm so used to seeing him in comedic roles. I wish I could see Noreen. She seems like the type of soap actress I might like.

I'm not sure. I think it was the early 90s. Do you think they should have written Ann out? I also wonder why they brought Lily back. I guess it was just as a foil to Jack/Stacey but it must have seemed a little random. All the stuff about Gwen's secret son with Clay also seemed random to me, reading about it, then the actor left because they weren't using him, yet they still recast, then he was killed off. I would have kept him on and had him compete with Curtis. What did you think of the Curtis actors? I was surprised when I learned Curtis was the only soap character to fight in the Gulf War. Yet by the time I started watching he was just this sad crazy guy who was mercy killed.

I didn't know Peter Brown was on this show. Was he any good? I didn't care for him on OLTL and I've only ever seen him on one other show, B&B (his B&B character was a non-starter so it didn't matter). I know he was also on Y&R and on DAYS. It seems like only his DAYS character was popular. So you think all that about the haircut was just a story? I wonder what plans Marland may have had for Lily, since he wrote heavily for Jennifer Ashe for the 4 years she was at ATWT. I don't know a lot about the teens at the time. I know that Lauren-Marie Taylor said she was meant to have a small role and then the show liked her and gave her more to do. Do you think all the stuff about Ava passing off the baby and the pillow baby and all that was any good? I've wondered sometimes whether they should have gotten rid of Jack Forbes or not. What role did Cabot have before he was written out (the first time)?

I mostly associate Ava with Alex so it's always strange to know she had so much else story. I'd like to see the stuff with Paul. I remember reading about the love scene the show did for them after he was paralyzed, which most soaps would never try.

What are some of your memories? Do you think getting rid of the Vocheks and Donovans was a mistake? I keep meaning to find the Digest summaries I have from some of the 80s - when I post them they will hopefully be a memory jog. I just wish this was available.

He was on ATWT during the strike, mid-1988. You can see him in some Youtube clips from that time. He worked in the stables. He seemed to have an agenda, and he made a pass at Lily and at Pam. His name was Spence. I'm surprised Marland didn't keep him, as Marland loved that type of look - the Snyder boys, for instance. Did you like Trucker with Dinah Lee? Did you ever see any of Trisha/Steve? I wish I could see them. He looks like such an average joe type of guy, it's very refreshing.

They should have put it between the shows - I think AMC was strong enough then to survive, and that was also when OLTL was starting to climb back up. It just makes me wonder sometimes because some of that cast was so damn good and yet I've never seen them on soaps since What did you think of Shana? In the Episodes feature she seems like a spare part, even though she'd been around, off and on, for a long time.

This has probably already been answered but do those who were watching then agree with SOD's view that James Horan was too young to play Clay? Does anyone else get him confused with the guy who played Leo?

OK - when I find any of that I'll scan it for you.

He was the first Clay then revealed as Alex, then he left and returned. It does seem like ABC made an effort with Loving. That's what I miss most about the soaps - no one upstairs makes an effort now. Just TRY. I guess in some cases stability was what was needed, not meddling, but with Loving I'm not sure what could have helped. I just wish they'd figured it out because they had such a good cast.

I just hope Yusef won't be another psycho. He has more potential than that, and the actor is very hot. It's weird seeing him here after his comic relief role on Sarah Jane Adventures.