DRW50

I liked the GL primetime special although that might have been because I watched when I loved the show so I was more innocent... That 1980 caricature is very hit and miss...the artist has a fondness for chipmunk cheeks, and also seems to hate Amanda and Eve.

Thanks for finding these. I really love that Whit McColl poster - they just use stock photos and some of them are so out of place, especially Steve's. The one for Meg/Rod is pretty good. I thought he was back to Josh by then.

The one with Cricket was posted several years back but I'd never seen the other. Jill! Danny seems to have the same hairstyle as Jill. How can you forget the oh-so-earnest 80s when people believed they could actually make a difference. Danny seems to be styled like the later years of Grace Slick.

I don't care about Kings of Leon but it's entertaining seeing Ryan Murphy melt down. I especially love the quote about a 7 year old learning music from Glee. God help any 7 year old watching this mess. http://music-mix.ew.com/2011/01/26/glee-kings-of-leon-ryan-murphy/

I didn't even know that CBS was still promoting Secret Storm at that point. The promo for Y&R is so generic - people you've love and people you'll hate? Who were the people to hate then? Sally? I had forgotten they did a primetime episode in 1993. I know they had the 1995 one that had bare-assed Brad and Jack (haven't seen it just read about it), then they had what, one or two, in 1997-1998. I wish they hadn't stopped those. Then again it's probably for the best considering what became of the show. I've heard that Rawlins story went on forever and ever. I just remember the end. I've never heard of Hollywood's Talking.

From the January 1, 1985 Digest.

I would always want to know more about exactly WHY Irna had such issues with the Stewart family, especially since she had created them! Was she trying to freshen up the show or something? I know she was offended by the immorality of Liz/Paul/Susan/Dan, but then look at the immorality with Kim/Bob/Gennifer she created. That's one of those things where it's amazing the show turned itself around. I also wish we knew more about some of the other departures. In one of the 1980 Digests they mention something that basically says even though they thought the problems had been worked out. Dennis Cooney/Jay had been fired. I wonder what all that was about. I don't know if any of you are interested but I have a few ATWT-related magazines from the mid-70s that have some interviews, some with actors and some with writers, director, wardrobe, etc. Since that is going a bit far back I didn't know if it would have interest or not.

I was going to ask if you or anyone else remembered a time - I know this might be going too far back - around 1973 or 1974 when Ellen basically disappeared? I was asking because one of the soap magazines I have from around that time talks to Pat Bruder and she basically says ATWT wrote her out and had nothing to do for her. That seems odd to me because Ellen's sons and daughters were at the center of ATWT for that entire decade. I guess this was around the time they had also dumped Barbara Berjer/Claire. I think Ellen was a very necessary part of the show, in terms of moral balance and being a talk-to (and I also loved her relationship with Lisa), but I guess it's some kind of miracle that she even lasted to 1995.

That vision of Sabrina would have been a lot of good story - I could see her leading Andy down a bad path and causing conflict in the family. I always thought the idea of Sabrina was to cause conflict but the show didn't entirely want to go there. Like when she schemed to get Seth - this was some heavy stuff, and some might even call it rape.

It's always weird for me to see James/Lucinda because of that awful rewrite later on which claimed they had an affair about two decades before this, when clearly they had never met. The only good thing about that rewrite was hot Danny Markel, and they fired him! Do you think you would have preferred Casey with Frannie? I think, I'm not sure though, that the actor who played Ambrose died in early 1993. To me 1993 was the start of the end for ATWT...

Mitch, your comments about Iva always crack me up. This episode has a little spoof on Iva, in Meg's fantasy. It's at about 46 minutes in. Wow that Beatrice was very dull wasn't she. I have a tough time believing Lisa would ever go for a double wedding. Love the Steve/Betsy stuff. I can see why some fans got tired of this weepy, sensitive Craig, but Scott Bryce had such a connection with these women. I love Ambrose too. One of the best supporting/talk-to characters EVER. So are Corinne and Monica supposed to be annoying or do the actresses make it worse?

I put this down to FMB (I think this started with her) not knowing or caring about the history of the show. Having Lisa as Carly's judge and jury was a very ABC type of move - it's something you would have seen on AMC. AMC had a long line of older, somewhat snotty women, like Phoebe or Enid. It was also a way to try to remind us that Carly was bad, and that characters like Julia were good.

April 23, 1985 Digest.

I never knew that. Do you think Lisa/Brian would have worked? Was Lisa ever involved with any younger men? I have a Digest, I can't find it at the moment, with Eileen's return party in 1984, and she had Chippendales, and Cris Leblanc had his shirt open and looked out of it...lots of fun. This is from the February 1978 Rona Barrett's Daytimers (Laufer Publications)

From the June 3, 1980 Digest.

April 27 Digest.

What stories would you come up with for Paddy and for Bob? I couldn't think of any. I would probably write Bob out, or at least send him away for six months. They could have some of his other kids come in, and he could be a supporting figure to them. Otherwise he's dead weight, and unlike some of those who have been dumped, like Viv and Terry, I don't think he's interesting or strong enough to work as just background. It's kind of sad that I have no real idea, or any real interest, in any story for Aaron. In about six months the show took away most of the possibilities the character ever had, and Danny Miller's recent interview made it clear that he is a big part of this decision. If I want to watch emotionally shut down people constantly suffering for no reason other than suffering, I can find that anywhere. It's a waste of airtime. I don't know if there's much purpose for Brenda either. They've ruined her character in the last year.

April 13, 1982 Digest.

There was a line, back when I actually paid attention to the Bartons, where Moira implied that John had been pretty wild, or they'd both been wild, when they were young. They also both admitted to using drugs, and the implication was that got heavy at times. I think they are both very passionate and out of control people who have reined themselves in. For me the only way these characters will be interesting is if they become out of control. I guess I see this as where the show wanted to go anyway, as in the last few years they have gone out of their way to cast very attractive, very charismatic actors, and often does little to capitalize on this. Moira, John, David, Leyla, Nikhil, Faye, they are all very beautiful people. You can have David in only a hardhat and Nikhil in tight white boxers and Moira spilling out of her blouses and yet nothing seems to come of that. They can still have dramatic and serious stories, but why not use what they have? I'd love to see Zoe again, for a story with Faye (I can also see Faye becoming like Kim Tate over time) but also because I don't see a point in Home Farm these days. I think we've talked about this before but I still feel like they might as well just give the place up. Nothing is done with it now, there's no glamour, nothing. I would convert it into flats or something. The writing for Ella so far, or non-writing, doesn't help, but I think the actress is poor and I don't think she can do very much with the role. I hope I'm wrong though - I would eventually like to see why they brought her and boring Mia and the annoying father in. I took the DVD stuff as David worrying about his political career, and also not enjoying being in such a weak position, and he was trying to be a "good" person. When David first came on the show he had much more of an edge. Alicia is OK but I think most of her stories have been weak, and the decision to give her a child hampers both her and Leyla. If the kid weren't around then I would be interested in a story which explores the differences and also the similarities between David and Alicia's husband/Leyla's ex - they look and act so much alike - and between Leyla and Alicia. Would Alicia fall for David, is Leyla with David because of the ex, does David feel something for Alicia. As for Victoria, I did forget about her. It's also tough to write for her. I would bring back Daz, as I thought that story had potential. Other than that I don't know. I also wish she'd explore more about her mother. We never knew anything about Sarah, did we, other than running a library on wheels and marrying Jack?

March 30, 1982 Digest.

That was part of my point - that they were basically just sleeping around with people and not thinking much of the consequences. I don't think of Scarlett or Mia as children though - I thought they were about 20-21. I mostly included them because they did/are dating Adam. He has a much longer history with Chas and she was a big part of his life throughout the deaths of Paul Marsden and Tom. Lexi wasn't. The show was even going to have him tell her about killing Tom the day he married Lexi, but the actors vetoed it. I think it would add a lot to his relationship with Chas at this point if she knew. The David story is weird but then so are the characters. I just get that sense from David and Leyla and always have, that they would be more suited to somewhat odd stories about sex and so on than about most of what the show has given them. I can also see Leyla doing that type of thing, since she has run up debts before. She slept with Nathan, or almost slept with him, for money, I believe. Jai would sort of fit Debbie's pattern - distant, older men. They kept in contact but were not overly close. Even when Emily helped Debbie give birth and was an unpaid sitter for months, Debbie wasn't that crazy about her.

Was Katy the character Hillary Bailey played, or was that Kit? I wonder if it was a good idea to have father/son conflict over MJ when no actor had managed to make a strong impression as Mike. So the Writer's Strike stuff was all that with the woman who killed her brother because he loved Nola, and she wanted revenge on Nola, and so on? It does sound off, although I like the part where Mona and Nola reluctantly help each other. Thanks again. I will have more of 1982 up in the next few days.

Besides the tension between Braeden and Bergman, what were the other backstage issues at Y&R in the early 90s? Do you think more should have been done to step on them?

Thanks. I really appreciate your help in figuring out dates. I thought this was at least February or late January 1982 so this was a surprise. I have a few more from March and April but then there's a gap. Do you think they were right to have Maggie miscarry? What did you think of the MJ/Matt stuff, from what you've read about it?

The show can't be bothered to remember most of Frankie's kids, or Charlie whom she saw as a grandson, but can invent a granddaughter for her.