DRW50

Thanks for watching them. The stories by this half of 1984 aren't that interesting but some of the characters still are. I don't think he was that bad either. He has the intensity down (which Raines never did). What he lacks is Bernau's charisma. Replacing Bernau was going to be impossible.

I reuploaded three videos which were on Youtube last year. I am not sure of the exact dates on two of them so just had to guess.

I think they still could have worked in story for them, as they lived near Terry and Liz was friends with her, but for tighter story and budget reasons I guess I get it. I do wonder if the claims of them possibly getting a spinoff were true.

Thanks. Always appreciate more insight.

Cliff and Nina had been split multiple times and this last time had been over a year and a half, so I think viewers might have been willing to see him move on...beyond the racism, I do wonder if they thought it was too soon for Angie. Jesse had only been dead about six months, hadn't he? And then the story where Debbi decided to leave (I'm not sure if she left because of the story - probably not) was a love triangle involving her mother, which no one was asking for. I guess Debbi may have left anyway if they had not given her proper story, but it's a shame they couldn't find a way to have her in major story without focus on her love life. She was a widowed mother, a doctor...plenty of possibilities.

I could agree with that, yes. I can see Lemay having his own biases on the Steve/Rachel front. Thanks for the explanation. I would be so glad if some episodes from early Wyndham showed up (beyond the two bits we have now) to see the change. I've always wondered if Lemay took time but I guess he really didn't, other than what he mentioned about using Ada's pregnancy to soften Rachel. Do you think Wyndham was playing Rachel similar to Charlotte on GL, or was that a more sympathetic character?

AW is one of those shows like GL where they outlived a natural cancelation endpoint so many times that I don't even entirely know what I'd blame, but I see what you mean.

I didn't really care about the gorilla. I just wish they'd had a few more returns which would have been fitting for the end (like Carmen Duncan as Iris...and I still have no idea why Sam Groom did not return as Russ when RUSS' DAUGHTER WAS ON THE CANVAS).

You can also see Wendy in a slew of mid '90s commercials.

That's crazy. Makes me feel so old. It's a nice cast photo, even if Scott Clifton looks scared and I'm not sure why KKL and McCook aren't centered more.

I'm so confused with Eve's backstory as I wasn't sure if they revealed all of that before she went nuts. I liked Eve. I thought Edson was very interesting to watch and more compelling than many of the women in her age range on the canvas at the time. The Eve/Ed pairing was clearly because both characters were at a loose end, but it worked for me at the time. I did not enjoy Edson at all on AW, although that's partly down to bad writing.

@dc11786 I hadn't even thought of connecting Becky's story and Kristin's. I wonder if Kahlenberg was the only actor who appeared on both those soaps. The actress who played Jill posted here briefly about 15 years ago. I guess we must not be far off the end for the Cummings family.

@Cheap21 For whatever Megan McTavish's word is worth, she alleged that Kiberd harassed both Kate and Felicity La Fortune. I did understand why people didn't like the Trevor/Janet pairing. I'm not sure if it's the choice I would have made either. However, the show had written both characters into a bubble by the time the relationship began, and James and Robin did have chemistry together. The show had spent a year trying to redeem Janet, including her saving Amanda from a well, putting up with Timmy going off the rails and targeting her, etc. I don't think they were massively unpopular or beloved by fans.

Jonathan not wanting it would make sense.

Thanks so much @Alan

Thanks. I guess she only peeks her head out every twenty-plus years.

She also fascinates me, the little I've seen of her.

Thanks @dc11786 really enjoying your recaps/reviews. I didn't realize this Dave was on for this long. And I see we're getting into Miriam's downward spiral. Sounds like it's a bit rushed but I guess they realized they were writing her into a corner.

Thanks. Glad to hear your perspective.

That's a great idea about recasting Mike - maybe bring Ann back when Jack died and have Mike return to support Stacey. I know the canvas was very full and younger by then, but it could have been a short stint to give Ann some closure. Maybe she and Mike could have left to see if Jack was still alive. Yes, someone in the comments said that the first tape was Leslie and then Tudor filmed another version. I hope more of Denniston's run shows up as this is such a time of turmoil for Gwyn.

I wouldn't be surprised if Frank did want this pairing, as he seems very hesitant about L&L2 and is probably trying to salvage Kristina with fans. I am not sure ABC would have stepped in, as there's nothing scandalous here, unless Varni or whoever is just a diehard fan of L&L2. I think Mark Pinter had about a year or so notice on ATWT.

Thanks. This was a great recap (I felt like I was there). I've seen some fans say that the show ramped up Rachel's nastiness when Victoria Wyndham was cast. Do you think that's true? Or had Rachel just been more low-key for a while in the Robin exit/return (and Margie Impert's brief run)? It does make me wonder why some fans at the time rooted for Rachel and Steve. I like that idea. If only they hadn't cast (and stayed with) an actor who felt so remote. A disappointing casting choice considering the rest of the Matthews family had a warmer sense about them.

Soap Central says November 1993, which sounds right. Such a moving little scene: Lyla Says Goodbye To Casey

I think by the time Marland arrived, most of the story boom for David and Ellen had ended, although they still had more prominence than he'd give them. By this point, Henderson Forsythe had also begun spending more and more time away doing stage work. Maybe if he'd been promised huge stories, he would have been there more often, but I'm not sure. The show's last attempt at new story for Ellen and David had been retconning a grandson (Stewart). I'm not sure if Marland should have immediately dumped the entire set in that age range bar Frannie (especially since we hear so much about his "rules" which claim you aren't supposed to do this), but I don't know what long term value Stewart would have provided. In the long run, Ellen got more material out of her bond with Courtney than she probably would have had with her own grandson. And that's where Marland did a good job with Ellen, as counsel and community figure, even if I wish he'd allowed her to have more romance and a life of her own. I do wish they'd had Betsy in a more central role, especially as I am so impressed by Lindsay Frost's work. I think her being so tied to Steve and Lindsay never being as well liked by fans as Meg Ryan hurt her. I agree that Dee could have returned. I think Marland wanted a clean tree with Ellen, Susan, and Emily, but there were opportunities to have her interact with John and James and find a new life. Maybe Marland and Calhoun/Caso just thought she would be redundant, and the most popular Dee (Jacqueline Schultz) might not have wanted to return again due to some of her co-stars (and she noticeably did not return in 1991 after doing so in 1986).