DRW50

May/June 1993 Episodes. Loving's 10th anniversary. The first page I didn't scan, as it's just text, saying the original show purpose (blue blood, Corinth, etc.) and that after over 2,500 episodes the show is entering its second decade in stride.

Well it did have a bigger budget than GL did at the end, but I do think the show looked good towards the end (The City), aside from some glossiness on the camera. Did you know that Jessica Collins originally read for Ally? I think I read that. And that Laura Sisk gave her the cold shoulder at first because she thought Jessica had been hired to replace her. They made up when Laura realized Jessica was playing a new character (Dinah Lee).

July 6, 1982. Paul Raven summarized the recap after this (July 20 or 23) on page 12.

June 22 recap.

I guess he just had nothing else to do, or he was trying to get a soap appearance. He had an interview in the Digest around this time where he talked about how he watched all or most of the soaps, and wanted to be on Y&R, I think he wanted to play piano with Leslie. For whatever reason that never happened and his only appearance was on AW, which I thought was very charming, but now I wonder if he even wanted to be there - then again Liberace was born to be with Felicia Gallant - look at this outfit:

August 3, 1982 Digest. David Hasselhoff goodbye party. I wish David had taken a good look at poor Liberace's facelift.

June 8, 1982 Digest recap.

Yes she was writing for a soap around this time I think. I have an article with her from around this time where she talked about doing both jobs. I know when Larry quit some said well he doesn't like the job anyway, no big loss, but I think he still respected his work and that was shown when he was willing to come back for the last few months. I wish we could see these episodes to know what it was that made people begin to lose interest. Too much repetition, or struggles on where to take characters? I just can't believe it's as simple as being too stale or not being hip enough. I wonder if they had waited it out if the ratings would have gone back up.

That would have been good, although I still don't understand why they killed Mona off. I don't have a lot of the later 1982 synopses but hopefully those I have might have a few answers. This was all mentioned at the same time as they said that NBC was throwing a party at a nice hotel for the ratings success of their NY-based soaps - SFT, AW, Doctors, and Texas. I wonder if the reporter was trying to be funny, since they all had weak ratings and two would be gone by the end of the year.

Sorry if this was already mentioned, but in a November 82 Digest they said the show would be bringing in a new family. Do we know who that would have been?

Well Rauch did have Cassie and Olivia in a mud fight. Apparently MTS was about five months pregnant when Nikki began stripping so I don't know if she would have done mud wrestling anyway, although I can picture a double or something. Were there ever any scenes of a pregnant Nikki going back to the strip club and asking if people remembered her? I've heard about those.

I'm sorry I don't have that November 91 SPW. I was looking in an old Digest from 1982 and they said that Y&R wanted to have Nikki as a mud wrestler, but the censors said that would be too sleazy, so she became a stripper.

It's a mixture of things I had and things I got. I had totally forgotten how to scan and then remember again - like riding a bike I guess - when I started deciding to put some of this up. Your history stuff is a big reason why I did. I'm not sure if I can help much with the details on scanning but I know some here can. Apparently the woman beside Melinda Peterson is Kelly Wood, and the woman beside Judith McConnell is Claire Blackburn, who played I think a nurse? I didn't recognize her without the Mrs. Johnson wig.

I'm sorry to hear that. I've seen very little of her work but she was an important actress on The Doctors and GL and she was part of that understated and subtle, yet powerful trend which soaps had in the late 70s and early 80s. I always hoped that when they inexplicably revisited Amanda's paternity, that they would bring her back.

Thanks, Paul. I knew those women were on the show at this time but couldn't figure out who was who. I keep forgetting John married that woman. John had several wives who were never mentioned again, didn't he? Ariel, Karen... The whole cast is interviewed inside but I guess all weren't available for the photoshoot. Here is a bit more with Larry, the woman who played Pat, and Kelly Wood. And an interview with the casting director (I wonder how long after this she stayed).

Oh I knew what you meant about Bob - it's also weird to me when I see old clips of him back in the day, puffing away in the Hughes kitchen. I feel a little guilty for thinking that's attractive. I don't know about Jay but always get that feeling. He also looks a lot like a gay actor on the British soap Hollyoaks so I blur them together. I think the couple you mentioned are Don and, I don't know, is that the woman he married and left town with, and her son came was Teddy/Ryder? I can't remember her name. This Don, Martin West, was the last Phil Brewer on GH. He had a big story with Judith McConnell/Valerie, who killed him. I wonder why they weren't paired on ATWT. I always picture Joyce with darker hair. That outfit is very silent film siren though, I like it. I think that the woman in the T shirt was in love with John and helped him in some of his schemes or something, was she a nurse? I will scan the interview she and Larry have. I was reading a Don Hastings interview from 1989 or so and he talked about the Miranda story and how initially Miranda was supposed to be killed, then they changed their mind, but did nothing with Bob and Miranda. I wonder if it would have worked better if she'd died.

February 16, 1982 Digest.

What would you have done with Jason?

Yeah I kept wondering where some were - I didn't see Tom or John or Michael Nader either. That was Nancy and Chris' backyard, wasn't it? I saw a set like that I think in the 1978 episode on Youtube. I have always wanted to see Lisa's mother, especially since she was on the show for quite a long time. Can you tell me who the woman with the white scarf (beside Grant), the woman beside Valerie, the woman in the red dress and red cap, and the woman in that awful Where's Waldo shirt is? I know that two of them must be (?) Sandy and the woman Don left the show with, Ryder's mother, but can't remember which is which. There are a lot of actor interviews too (and some casting and directing and costume stuff). If there are any actors in particular you want to see let me know and I'll scan. Yeah Bob looks pretty good - but then he still looks good now... It's always weird to me how they had such a tough time keeping an actor in the role of Don Hughes. Those slippers and socks on Jay drive me crazy

Thanks for responding! So what do you think was wrong in the Catherine story? I do like the sound of Althea/Jeff. I liked that actor from what I've seen of him on GL. I have another February 1982 Digest, February 16, right before the March 2, so I'll post that soon. Sorry for the dates being all muddled up.

Cast photo.

Robert Soderberg interview.

Some of the Daytime TV Library for ATWT. Interview with Joe Willmore.