DRW50

So I guess it was between 1978-1980 that he was Marco? I'd like to see that.

Yeah, you're right. I didn't really notice his absence because he hasn't been on the show in ages and ages. But Suzy was on only a few years ago, so to ignore her but include April is...odd.

Thanks for posting that. I was watching some of the EE Revealed on Whitney (annoying narrator), and in the family tree section, which was a lot of fun, they list Carol's siblings as Max, Jack, and...April. I guess it doesn't mean she's coming back (if Revealed was the gospel then Denise's other sister would have returned) but isn't it odd that they show her but not Suzy?

I wonder if Marland would have been better off if he had stayed with established shows he could reshape in his own image. Nixon seemed to have more of a forte for creating shows. Something that I think viewers had a harder time with than the shows anticipated was the whole "sympathetic adultery" story. The only time I can remember this being overly popular with viewers was the Jill/Katherine/Phillip story on Y&R. I remember how awful it was on Ryan's Hope with Frank/Jill/Delia.

Thanks. You can always be counted on to know these wonderful details. I wonder why they even bothered to bring Doug back. Do you think writing him out was an ABC or Marland decision?

I've missed your posts. It was obvious from the time the show moved away from their original plans to write Brendan out that Ste would pay the price. Ste is now irrelevant and it's all about hyping Brendan at any cost. They are going to turn Ste back into a one-note monster just to make us weep for Brendan. No thanks. The serial killer story has been horribly structured in every way. Few deaths, people in the village not giving a crap that someone was murdered, even the girl's own sister and mother not caring. The painfully random reasons for him to go after his victims, while women who are incredibly slutty, like Mercedes, he doesn't even look at. This is the way it is for most of the show's stories. All hype and little attempt to apply this to the story. Claiming the rape story was going to be about a question of consent, then dragging in other stuff from their pasts that has nothing to do with the issue. The fiasco with the O'Connors, with Diane losing her baby rabies at the same time as she became an agoraphobic. Huge chunks of story that should have run for years with this family being dumped in about five minutes of airtime, literally. And my personal favorite, the transgender story, which, aside from Jasmine/Jason looking constipated, bugging out his eyes, going through a Lisa Hunter knockoff story that lasted about a month, and drooling over a creepy looking 30 year old passed off as a teenager, seems to have never had any purpose. I think the best part was when Heidi mistook for a real woman someone who was about as believable as Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari on Bosom Buddies.

I think Susan Walters was on the show for about two years. She left, I assume, of her own choice, as the character was recast with O'Hara Parker, who was written out with John Gabriel in 1986 or 1987.

That same article that mentioned Marla also talked to Christine Jones about her time as Viki. She said Erika Slezak needed a break, and that many of the women who auditioned tried to look and act like Erika. Christine didn't. She also said certain actors (unnamed) sat back and hoped she would sink. She said that after a few weeks she got into the role, and that after a few weeks, fans accepted her, because she wasn't trying to be an Erika clone.

Apparently Marla Adams was tracked down in the frozen food aisle when they asked her to fill in for Carolyn Jones.

Kristi Ferrell auditioned for GL's India. Betty Rea felt she was wrong for India, but right for Roxy.

It still baffles me that anyone would fire Bryan Crantson. Were any of the recasts popular or that important?

Yes I did notice. It's strange that they put that in there, since it wasn't that long ago at that time he'd started on ATWT (about nine years). I have another photo of Dagne too I will post when I find it again.

Thank you for adding the whole interview. I'm surprised they asked about Janine/Max, but I'd love to see that happen.

So apparently Tom Ligon played Billy Bristow? The 12/4/84 Digest lists him as leaving the show, along with Bryan Crantson/Doug and Lesley Vogel/Edy Donovan.

Yes, it must have been, since it had the cast list. That would be for two weeks I think? Lorna was played by Susan Walters, who went on to a lot of primetime, and was Diane on Y&R off and on until last year. Meg Mundy played Isabelle. You may remember her from AMC as Gillian's Aunt Eugenia. Did they mention any AIDS research yet? What did you think of this Ann compared to Callan White?

What a thorough summary. I never knew Debbi Morgan was in this. So she was killed? I'm sure dc would know more about Rita Mae. Have you read any of the Digest summaries? If not then eventually I'm going to post most of those I have (not many) from the early/mid 80s and that might help. I've posted one or two. It's strange to me how quickly they dumped Merrill. I'd love to know why. I remember reading a Digest letter from a fan praising them as one of daytime's best couples... Your description of the cinematography is interesting. So which Aldens were in this? This was before Clay/Trisha/Gwen right? What did you think of Ann? Did Kiberd seem to be playing Trevor?

I never knew Victoria's Leslie and Brad had a credits grouping together. I wish Y&R would go back to these. They're so striking. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RACENn0SNi4

Thanks for sharing this. I wonder if he knows the show is on Youtube? One or two episodes, anyway. If he could share any memories about the show that would be great.

Thanks. I don't buy Phil as king of the square, but then, this isn't new, and I will have to keep putting up with it. I do wonder why they did the crack story as Phil is back to his usual self.

Hopefully it will be good. Collinson's Corrie is generally very bitter and likes to make fun of people so I am expecting more of that.

All that is known is he's returning with a rich boyfriend.

Corrie is still peddling this stuff about Ken and Dennis Tanner being enemies. They weren't. Dennis disliked Ken early in the show and that was it, for about eight years. If this is how they are bringing him back then Collinson has failed with another return. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/3482421/Watch-out-Ken-Dennis-is-back.html

She was popular, yes, although some have said that those spinoffs were just fulfilling contractual obligations. I don't know if anyone would care that much about seeing her again though as I don't know if her last years were very popular, when she became a bitter whore.

I see what you mean, but soap vets have been passing away for so many years that I don't associate them with the genre as much as I would have at one time. It's down to the individual person. For instance, with the Doctors, the guy who played Steve Aldrich died 20 years ago, yet Liz Hubbard is still alive and healthy, etc. I'm just sorry that these actors never really got all the recognition they deserved - Helen Wagner lived out the last 53 years of her life on ATWT, yet James Pritchett's last major role was in 1982, meaning a lot of people will not even remember him.