DRW50

I've mostly just seen 1975-1981, from Soapnet. Then a few other episodes here and there.

I check out mentally any time a story goes back to Delia scheming to win Frank. I think Delia moved on from that. I have heard the Delia stuff in the last few years was good, so I'm happy about that, as I don't think they did Randall or Ilene any favors in the early 80s.

Yeah, I know what you mean, the overly developed stuff doesn't do a lot for me either. Considering how many times they recast Frank, most of them were pretty good. Aside from the first... I remember reading about some line Delia had on her return where she said she was now going to just be known by Delia, like Madonna, or Cher. After the crappy way ABC treated her in 1983 I'm glad she got to have a triumph in the show's last few years.

He's probably right. I think we may have scared Amello off You already summed the episode up well but I enjoyed it. This was supposed to be Zoe Lucker's last episode, if she hadn't signed a longer contract, right? This was the first one I thought she clicked in. She and Max had very easy chemistry this time around (not sure I want to know what she was doing under the table). The scene where she was drying her hair in the kitchen and the scene where they were laughing about opening the wine bottle had an intimacy which most soap couples don't. I just don't buy that he would still want Tanya, especially since Tanya continues to use her children as weapons and continues to throw herself at men. Abby as a brat is very annoying. Her attitude stinks. Figures just as Lauren is showing a little more personality she's out the door. I guess EE's claim to not having a stereotypical disabled character can be backed up now. Adam is just vile. And the way he kisses, the lunging forward, it's not fun to watch. I felt sorry for Libby, even though I shouldn't have. The whole thing with Darren and a picnic in the park was a bit crazy (made better by him almost choking, so it wasn't too much of a fantasy date). The time I started getting angry with Libby was when she cried racism. WTF? I'm surprised Lucas doesn't talk to Libby about her chest falling out of her blouse. Speaking of Lucas, that scene where he shamed Patrick into not letting Liz stay overnight was very good. This type of stuff works so much better than Lucas killing people. And poor Denise can't confide in Chelsea anymore. I felt sorry for Janine, being treated like dirt by Ryan. The rivalry between Glenda and Peggy is a lot of fun. And Glenda's awful comments to Pat.

Thanks. That's fascinating. Keller/Beecher. I was a big fan of theirs about ten years ago. And then that great triangle with Brian Bloom which had so much potential.

Thanks Sean! So was Ryan with Chaz at the end? I remember some kind of cringeworthy scenes from a late St. Patrick's Day episode when Ryan was throwing pots and pans in the kitchen and someone said, "She's just like her mother" (which I thought was odd as Mary never did anything like that). I can't remember who she was with at that time. For some reason I thought Fenner was another mobster. I guess that's a comfort at least... Do you think it's true what some say that the Dubujaks were a burden to the show? Someone once told me that the Dubjuak sister or daughter was the worst character ever on the show. I think you'd have to work hard to beat Kim for that honor though. I wonder why Falken Smith did a bad job on here, as she did well elsewhere. Then again she wasn't that popular at GL either. What did you think of Dave Greenberg? Did they ever show Ida Greenberg or was she gone by that time? OSSF the photos are great. I remember one of Geoffrey Pierson where Maggie flashed back to him wandering around shirtless. No other Frank could compare to those pecs.

Thanks. That's nice. The first one is very artistic. I guess it's some Shakespeare thing.

That quote about Michael Hawkin's sensitivity cracks me up. He was a plank of wood on RH. Such lovely photos. I especially love the one with the cast. Kate Mulgrew seems to be in her own universe.

Back when hairy chests were still allowed... For some reason I thought this was going to be the George Reinholt spread

I can't believe I missed out on seeing Cali Timmins play Tina TWICE. And yet as a free gift we got a brutal thrashing of Tina's character.

Why do they need a Becky clone? Being a blood relative doesn't make you a duplicate. Poor Katherine, they make her sound like an old crone. The girl in that photo doesn't look that much younger.

Here's another fight, after Janine reports Laura for benefits fraud. Just try to ignore Den, who is in the middle of the scene for no apparent reason. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kWdSe6cXdc

As for Janine, she was a really fascinating character for a long time, she was a Daddy's girl, then after he left she fell further into disrepute, first using other older men as surrogate fathers and fleecing them, then becoming a prostitute, getting beaten up, Ian Beale being one of her clients. She bounced back when she helped split up car dealer Barry Evans and his wife Natalie. Natalie was having an affair with Janine's brother Ricky. Then Barry's father died and Barry was all alone. Janine slowly got closer to him and everything sped up when he thought he was dying. They went to Scotland to marry. They did. Then Barry learned he wasn't actually dying. Janine was furious and they ended up on a cliff where she goaded him and he fell down a cliff. She then had a very ugly feud with Ian's ex-wife Laura. This culminated in Laura falling to her death, accidentally, after Janine left her home. Pat, Barry's mother-in-law and Laura's close friend, knew Janine was innocent, but kept quiet, as she thought Janine deserved to pay for what she did to Barry, which she hadn't been punished for. The story ended with Janine's father Frank Butcher, the love of Pat's life, returning to convince her to come forward and clear Janine's name. Frank was waiting for Janine to be released, only to learn that she already had been and had left before he even got there. Here's some fighting between the two ladies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HA5SERqe1wY&feature=related There's a clip on the BBC channel of Laura throwing hot milk on Janine's face, but that clip sounds a lot better than it really was (aside from the funny moment where Janine smacks the back of Laura's head).

You can see some early Stacey in these clips: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xd2enk_eastenders-stacey-interferes-with-s_shortfilms http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xd2bpn_eastenders-stacey-tries-it-on-with_shortfilms http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xd2aka_eastenders-big-mo-bosses-stacey-aro_shortfilms http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xd2a50_eastenders-dennis-feels-guilty-afte_shortfilms

The big change in Stacey came after Bradley had her abort their child. That story was basically used to make her depressed, vindictive, angry, and aside from a few moments here and there, she's been that way ever since. I remember when the bipolar story started and fans immediately knew something was wrong because Stacey was actually in a good mood.

The facial expressions remind me of:

The speed dating stuff was OK, mostly the scenes of drunk Janice laughing at people. Was she wearing the same top as Jason? I assume they put Jason in a tight see through top and tight jeans to help make up for the woefulness of his scenes. I actually don't mind Michelle when she's in the breezy barmaid looking for love mode. She and Ciaran work well in that type of area (I do think he'd look better without the tats). As much as I might go on about appearances, I would not mind Graeme and Tina if he did not act like such a damn fool so much of the time. It's not endearing, in my opinion, it's weird and childish and offputting. To see Tina apparently be drawn to this just makes me question her mental health, again, and the way she so quickly raged at him for letting her down makes me think that she's going to move on sooner rather than later. The squawking also reminds me of Charlie-in-the-Box

So, boring Andrew trying to get the hot bartender to drive a wedge between Paul and Rebecca. That wasn't bad, but the most amusing part was when Susan and Lucas were going on about how hot a younger, attractive man can be, and when he walked by sans shirt, she was fanning herself, and Lucas also seemed to be leering. I know that wasn't the intent but wouldn't it be nice if Neighbours had a bisexual guy. And one who manages to not be insane or incredibly dull, or both, like the bi guys on most other soaps...

That's a good point about the mob. They do seem to be setting up something with Tony and Gabby. I think they worked well together but he was a bit overinvolved. I guess it's because no one else was there to help. I wish he and Dom didn't wear those huge sweaters all the time.

So, Y&RWT, or Amello, badboy, anyone else, any thoughts on the first day of the Sharpe family? I liked Gabby, I thought she had a lot of presence even though she was mostly bleeding on the street or terrified in a hospital bed. I assume that her husband is abusive, based on some of her actions today and also on the implication that she was packing up the kids to run away. The Sharpe children, especially the daughter, were shocking. When she spoke it was like Sasha Valentine all over again, the line readings were so lifeless. The rest of the show wasn't very interesting. Suzanne has become unbearable and Cindy being rude to Elliot was the only interesting part of those scenes. I don't care about Rae and Newt either, although Frankie of all people going after someone for being miserable was hilarious. Newt's mother also had some dead line readings but the scenes with Newt and his baby brother were cute. I guess Newt must be leaving with them? Is she actually clean and sober? Most of the time when a character comes on a soap and says they are, it means they're not.

Lorna changes a lot in the months after she learns who her parents are and then Alicia Coppola has gone on to a ton of stuff. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0178870/

The closest they got was some nephew of his who showed up in the last six months of the show, who was a love interest for Alli Fowler. I can't remember who his parents were. It was especially annoying that even when the McKinnons were there, Ben would not be allowed to return. It seemed very obvious that someone felt Jake must be the only young man in the family. How far would the Snyders have gone if Holden had been the only young man in the family?

I never knew why they didn't bring back Nicole or Peter. I think Donna was in a lot of ways better off without her siblings, as they were both marred by frequent recasting, but Nicole still had potential. It's a shame Nicole went through so many recasts and so many not so great storylines. From what I've seen the first Nicole was the best. I don't know why they never would bring back Nancy. I remember reading somewhere that by the last years of AW it was pretty much a rule that the McKinnons couldn't return.

Was the Michelle Phillips role on Knots Landing originally meant for someone else?

Oh, I'd like to see Gail's brother, and father too.