DRW50

I only really knew Michelle through Buffy. Dawn was often a very annoying character, but there was no denying Michelle's talent and star power. I'm sorry to hear of her struggles and her passing.

The whole thing with the mob on GH is so many enable it, including cops like Anna, I don't have a hard time believing characters could be drawn into it. The days of Karen and the strip club are gone, along with Jagger's corpse. I do think Dante might get upset though, and that would be a potentially interesting story. I don't think it would be out of character for a young guy who suddenly gets into big cash to start spiraling. Admittedly I am not sure what characterization Gio has anyway. I think Violet is a guarantee at some point. I don't want them to trash Lois, but I do think the chance is there to let Rena Sofer have a chance to act if they try. Anything with these characters feels scraped together to fill out episodes or because they had to scrap another storyline.

That was entertaining. She's a real mover. Better than I'd ever be. She suited that more than she did playing Diana.

A part of me wonders if Ron might bring up Finn in hopes of easing a Michael Easton return. The Gio reveal seems to just be there for a possible Lulu/Brook Lyn/Dante/Chase quad (or more if she is still meant to be paired with Cody - is that ever going anywhere)? I think @Vee 's idea of Gio going off the rails with Q money and power is interesting. And I guess there could be drama if he gets involved in the mob world. I would mostly be interested if there is any fallout for Lois.

I was hoping you meant the return of Diana Taylor. (surprised Ron never brought her back trying to kill Heather, probably played by Dinah Manhoff)

IIRC, we may actually get a scene with Lien and Amy, unless that's just something I invented because it sounds right. Either way, they should have done more with the character, and with Penny if Rosemary Prinz was still willing to return.

@Vee I'd never thought about it before, but stranger things have happened (and we don't know a lot about what Llanfair looks like pre-71, do we, aside from one episode). Cain does become close to Asa for a time, yes. I don't think Malone ever knew what to do with Cord, although he wasn't alone in that as the character was packed off not long after Malone left. John Loprieno was a more charming performer than the material for him would suggest (still, it was great stuff compared to his ATWT run).

Thanks for the extra details. Young women on soaps in the '60s and '70s were constantly in peril from college professors... I didn't know Ben Andrews was on Return to Peyton Place. I wonder how he was. Sad that he died so young (not the only Next Step Beyond guest star to do so).

When I was skimming through a few episodes to see if they'd written out Scott and Nora at that point, I saw some of this. I was shocked, especially at the picking up sailors mention. I wonder if this may be the first mention of homosexuality, so blatantly, on a soap. Given some of the pre-release press about addressing homosexuality I wonder if they were planning to bring Tony in before the writing changes.

Thanks for catching that @janea4old . I wouldn't have known otherwise. Brutally Honest Oscar Ballot: 'Conclave,' 'Emilia Pérez' Star Lost His Vote https://www.goldderby.com/article/2025/secret-oscar-voter-ballot-the-brutalist-sebastian-stan-demi-moore/ Three other ballots at Gold Derby.

@slick jones Apologies if you already have this, but someone on the comments section for the June 20, 1983 episode of Guiding Light said they played Doug Carlucci, nominee for homecoming king. They said they also appeared in a few other episodes after this. Their handle is Matthew Gallagher.

I didn't really care about that, but not being able to use "Truly" when that was their song stood out. Instead, we got muzak. To be honest, much as I liked the idea, the recreation was always a questionable idea with Beth Chamberlin in the part.

Thanks for getting back into these analyses.

First Twin Peaks Day without David Lynch...but we'll never truly be without him. I watched a little of the pilot and it hits just as hard every time.

So many of Roberta's songs mean so much to me, it's hard to even choose, or put into words. She never got the credit she deserved. This may be my favorite of her songs - the end of Only Heaven Can Wait makes you feel like she is taking you with her. I'm glad she is free of this world.

https://people.com/john-lawlor-dead-the-facts-of-life-actor-was-83-11685684 I always had a soft spot for Lawlor on Facts of Life. A very charming presence even with goofiness surrounding him.

I do appreciate that aspect enough to give them more credit than I can others of the era, like Dallas and Dynasty. I appreciate Knots ending with closure as well, but the choice to end with Angela's toast, and her point of view, taking us through the heart of the show, what it always was underneath all the '80s excess and Rolodex of has-beens, was a perfect choice, and Jane Wyman's delivery (and apparently, she wrote the speech herself) did everything justice. It's not something you got at the time, and it's not something you'd get now (instead you would just have a poorly edited montage to some kind of emo pop cover).

I just can't agree with the toast being the show going out with a whimper (the rest of the season - sure, why not). It's the best wrapup of any of the primetime soaps of that era, and maybe of any era.

Morgan is an interesting case to me because I don't think her Search for Tomorrow role, which made her famous in the first place, is close to her future work. Maybe you could count her Falcon Crest part, but was that a very well-received part? But then you could argue most of Morgan's fame in the last 40 years has been based on a very smooth, well-maintained "character" she brings from part to part, rather than actual roles. She's essentially an old time movie star, just without the movie stardom. As for Genie, I think any time she tried to play a campy or bitchy character it came across like a drag queen. What works best with Genie is the quieter and more introspective moments - and also the energy she had when she was first playing Laura, before Gloria Monty and the realities of fame killed her spirit.

I think that's Robert Hogan, later the last Vince on AW and a Banner employee on '90s OLTL. He's good, although I don't think he has the sexuality Phil tended to have. The uploader mentioned that Farrar's Polly is in some of the December 66 episodes, which I haven't gone through yet. Sorry if I gave the impression she was just debuting. Maybe she's better there...

By this time Susan also spent a lot of time making TV movies and guest appearances.

Rest in peace, Roberta Flack. One of my favorite singers and one of my favorite soaps. I miss them both. They should have kept him around in some capacity. I think the reason given for his being written out so quickly was fans being extremely angry about the storyline.

I don't really have much use for Fishel (or her husband), admittedly, but that whole type of thing, people using their old backstage grievances for endless podcast gruel, makes me never want to listen to any of them.

I tend to agree.

Another January 1967 episode (we now have 3 available). This has the Phil/Audrey story that was discussed a few pages ago by @Dion. This is also the first time I've seen Catherine Farrar as Polly. Her scene is at about 15 minutes. My goodness... All I can say is she plays the scene like someone who was just picked off the street. On a show that often has good acting I was a bit thrown. I can see why she didn't last long. Was she better as Julie on DAYS? Who is playing her sleazy professor?