DRW50

This thread cracks me up, although I know that wasn't the intention. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=1353037

I'm glad you get to see them. Let me know if all these long things I put clog up the thread -- your thoughts would be more interesting, as this is stuff you've never seen before. For me the whole turkey baster story was their biggest mistake.

I wonder if anyone actually thought the show was staying on the air. It's one of the reasons I held no ill will towards the show when AW was canceled, even though I did resent Passions for several years. NBC had little interest in either show, and they just did not want to get press for canceling two soaps at once. So what did you think of the show's last year?

From the August 3, 1999 SPW. Primedia

Also from the 9/13/94 SOD (K-III Magazine Co), in their Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down section: LOVING Crossover Confusion Let's acknowledge that soaps are pretend, and actors jump from show to show. But we still admit to shaking our heads in befuddlement over the crossover confusion at LOVING's July 4 party. There was Jeremy Hunter (Jean LeClerc), who had moved from ALL MY CHILDREN's Pine Valley. He was greeted by Deborah Alden. Deb was played by Nancy Addison Altman - the actress who played Jeremy's lover, Marissa, on AMC. So Jeremy moved to Corinth, but Marissa turned into Deborah? Or is Deborah the spitting image of Marissa - and Jeremy never noticed? It made us wonder what happened to David, Jeremy and Marissa's son. Jeremy doesn't mention his son now, but on AMC, David was a big part of his life. Just as we got over that quandary, in walked Elizabeth, played by Susan Pratt - who used to be Barbara on AMC! ABC recognizes the value of rehiring talented actors, and we have no problem distinguishing GH's Laura Spencer and AMC's Caera Hunter (both played by Genie Francis) or OLTL's Michael Grande from LOVING's Clay Alden (portrayed by Dennis Parlato). Separate characters, separate shows, and never the twain shall meet. But unless it's done right, a crossover is jarring to viewers who watch the entire ABC soap lineup.

From the 11/5/95 SOD,K-III Magazine Co. Welcome to The City.

You could give birth during the Dynasty credits. I did love a lot of their shots though. I remember being confused the first time I realized that the shots were taken from episodes because I thought they were done specifically for the credits. Many of them were just right for the characters. I think the one I always remember most is poor Claudia leaning against the wall. I wonder why George Hamilton was billed before Diahann Carroll.

Tonight's episode: I'm not going to make a judgment one way or the other on the new Lauren but I thought for her first day she was off to a good start. She has very natural rapport with Max, and while that might not be true to their relationship, I think it has good story potential (and of course I doubt she is all that close to him, she's just using him). Tanya is...Tanya. Cold, smirky, more interested in being right than in much else. At least she and Vanessa, after Tanya got her kicks in, managed to respect each other and focus on what was best for Lauren. It's a nice change to the idea that all soap women need to slap and yell. Then when Stacey came by it was a nice use of history and also of their current relationship. Stacey and Max are great together, but then it was obvious Stacey has her own problems and is not fully in Max's orbit. While I know it was a very fast plot device, perhaps better suited to a few episodes, I liked the way Max blurted out the truth. I'm sure his own regrets about Bradley come into play. I couldn't help being very distracted by Ryan's bulge when he was walking around in those last scenes. Janine's hysteria and joking seemed to rattle everyone and suggest she is starting to lose it again. I really really enjoyed the supporting humor which ran through the episode, from the broken plate and the random oddity of Grace having all these Royal Family items on display (I wonder if Princess Anne has ever even been mentioned on EE before), to Fatboy running around with Jim wearing chocolate medals. That was great fun, and was something Jim would do, instead of just sitting around watching the world go by. This was the first time I felt like Grace came closer to being a character, not a caricature, and I still think Mercy fits in well as a supporting, solid character, I'm not sure why so many write her off. The show seems to be working hard to establish Alfie, and I can appreciate that, but I hope they are not going to overlook Kat. I'm not sure if having her as miserable and snapping in every episode does her any favors. She can be very stroppy but she's also more than that. At least there was the fun scene with Mo's underwear. That scene where Stacey talked about how boring it was to hang around old people made me kind of sad, because I felt like that was her way of saying she was going to go back to being more fun. Then as soon as the words are out, reality hits her in the face.

Billy and MZ's Roger were both on the show at the time of Vanessa's funeral. I can't remember if Roger was there. That was when Billy was first put in a halfway house. Roger might have been in Italy with Vanessa, I can't remember. I think Roger and Billy were both at the 60th anniversary ball, but they probably didn't interact -- I think Roger mainly was with the Holly/Fletcher story and Billy was mainly there as Reva's date. Zaslow was gone not long after this and Billy wasn't seen much until the time of Vanessa's homecoming and HB's funeral. I don't think Parlato was involved in those stories. It's too bad they wasted Parlato in that impossible situation. I would have enjoyed seeing him as someone like Ben Warren (although Hunt Block was good), or perhaps as Brandon Spaulding's illegitimate son.

Someone at DS once rated them best to worst, earlier this year. I can't remember what he said was the worst. The one from 2003 or 2004 with Ricky and Phil, possibly. I wonder if they know how to do them now. The one with Max and Stacey didn't do a lot for me. Apparently Simon Ashdown is writing the episode What did you think of the preview clip of Janine? I'm not sure how it will play in the episode but it's been a long time since I've seen that fire from her.

Wow, Bill Roache enjoyed the groupies back in the day. He was hot back then so I can see where they were interested. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s3/coronation-street/news/a278780/roache-i-cheated-on-my-first-wife.html

2004 is saying hello to Janine and wondering where she's been... http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xez31h_sharon-marshall-s-soapbox-27-09-10_people

Donna was just a punching bag, which even Anna Stuart apparently complained about, not the punching bag but the non-existent writing for her during Swajeski's tenure. Swajeski sometimes wasn't subtle about her favorites. I have not seen very much of Robin as Lorna. By the time I started watching regularly she was gone. I just started with Coppola and she's very charismatic and unique but I have to admit it takes a bit of time to get used to her voice, as it can sometimes be very husky and affected and then at other times she starts speaking with a British accent. I find Dean so annoying...Jenna isn't as bad but I preferred Alla on AMC (probably one of the few who did). I love Olivia. I wish the show had done more with her. She is so beautiful and also so unique. She's a victim and a bitch and a daddy's girl all rolled into one, and she plays pathos so beautifully, like when she confided in Matthew that Sam had dumped her. It's a shame that she and a lot of other interesting women left and they brought back worthless characters like Josie. I like Frankie but the only time I ever really like her instead of just sort of liking her is when she's with Ryan.

Looks like Rob James Collier is on a new ITV primetime period drama, Downton Abbey. I'd wondered what had happened to him since he left Corrie. It's a shame that he left Corrie, or perhaps more of a shame that he spent most of his time there in that mindnumbing relationship with Maria.

I actually didn't mind Michael in his first few years, at least in the episodes I've seen. It wasn't until somewhere around 89 or 90 that I grew to hate him. The whole story with Donna being villainized for being left by Michael just disgusted me, especially when Stacey made her give Mikey up. I am not done with those episodes from May 1991 yet but I saw that Donna was trying to have Stacey disbarred, which was written as being petty, but I think Donna has a good point. JFP gave Browne a boost in the short run but in the long run I think she wrecked his soap career because the stuff she gave him as Michael and later as Sam Rappaport was so unpleasant.

I thought John and Sharlene were great when John still had so many demons. After that it wasn't the same. As for Stacey/Michael, I will never understand who came up with the idea of a romance based on a man's child being stolen. And just the annoying Kale Browne mannerisms.

Thanks for finding that. Ugly stuff, although I guess we're supposed to be happy that they still wanted to be together (what was it that made her leave for a while? Jessie went on maternity leave later that year didn't she?). You're right that it's very Sheffer-esque. I guess it wouldn't have been any better, going by the Mercedes/Malachy/Calvin story on HO, but I wonder if they should have had Kat want to sleep with Andy, and eventually succumb, without any type of blackmail or rape. I guess like you've said before, that time period was about women who revolved around men. Do you think they overused two-handers at that time or were they right to use so many?

From the 1/14/97 Soap Opera Weekly, Primedia, part two of the "who's who" on Sunset. I can't find the first part right now, sorry. If you've already seen this sorry about that too. The photos are just stock photos basically you might have already seen those, it's of the first Cole and Caitlin, Meg in her farm girl dress on the beach, Randy Spelling, and a B&W headshot of Priscilla Garita.

This has the big reveal of Taylor's demons, via somewhat cheesily done childhood flashbacks (the part where the girl speaks and we hear Taylor's voice sort of makes me cringe), and then the carousel goes around and Sharlene tries to avoid being shot. I guess "In the Good Old Summertime" is a song for short haired brunette women with mental problems -- that was one of Judy Garland's last MGM films. Anyway Taylor is kind of ridiculous but I enjoy when she starts the yelling. She should have been kept around as some kind of campy psycho. HATE Michael and HATE Michael/Stacey. You have to work hard to make me hate Hillary Edson but AW did it. That character just offended me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv1Qhqz35Vc&list=SL

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s3/coronation-street/news/a278769/corrie-producer-reveals-storyline-plans.html

In a radio interview several years before he died Larry Haines talked about this and how he used to go from playing a romantic lead to a psycho killer a few hours later. I really think America lost a lot when they decided to just shun radio drama.

I guess the main difference is that Sable was full of neuroses whereas Alexis was not.

I think the more problems happen to Jackson the more damage will be done to Aaron's character. The show managed to take away any opportunity to write an interesting story for these characters and instead they have made Aaron unpleasant and one-note. This is Todd Manning or McBain writing -- oh well he doesn't feel any emotions but let's have those around him get injured so we'll feel sad. The asexuality is what confuses me most. If they aren't able to have a story where Aaron and another man can show any physical affection towards each other than they should let viewers know so those who were assuming that Aaron and his boyfriends would at least hug or whatever will know.

Thanks! So I guess Florian will be sexually confused and probably talk to Roman about it. Did they ever resolve Axel having fantasies about Roman?

I wish they'd have her come in. I think Kirkwood would do a lot with her. She's his type of character. I guess we can assume that Lynne and Little Mo won't be back, since they haven't announced it (they announced Alan and Blossom fairly quickly) but I'm hoping they might. They need to be there for Charlie's exit. I haven't had a real problem with most of the exits this year but I think that when Charlie goes, then they really should have a few of his other girls there, if they can.