DRW50

Lynn Herring shares some memories of working with Richard. https://people.com/general-hospital-star-recalls-working-with-richard-simmons-on-soap-exclusive-8677726

If it's true they will just lie that he is Antifa (as some are already doing) or keep blaming Biden because it's what will benefit them politically. Nothing is ever their fault. They can cheer when Gabby Giffords is shot or when Paul Pelosi is bludgeoned but clutch their pearls over Trump. If this was the reverse they'd also call it staged instead of offering sympathy. Meanwhile, the media, which adores Trump on a personal and professional level and has been pulling out all the stops for him, continue to not care about the very serious danger they are in from him and his supporters

The whole thing seemed to exist so we could see how the rich people are vs "real" people. The main problems were that the rich people are the ones we see every episode, not these guest characters, and the "real" people seemed to be out of a very undistinguished local production of Grapes of Wrath.

A number of them are leaving or have left, it's just there are still quite a few others (and some have kids as the show has about 30 children at the moment).

Very sad. Similar to Dr. Ruth, who also passed today, he's one of those people who was everywhere, just such a common part of life, back when we had an interconnected culture or society. I'm glad he went back to GH again in the early '10s, which felt like a nice way to cap off his career - visiting the show that helped make him a star.

Long overdue. https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/soaps/radio-times-soap-awards-special-recognition-chris-chittell-newsupdate-exclusive/

There are a number of game show episodes on this channel.

I never knew of this show, but it's apparently a rare pilot for Nick show Taina that aired from 2001-2002. LaTangela Newsome, who played Maritza on the show, uploaded it.

Debbi Morgan got some press lately for her feelings on the Jonathan Majors/Meagan Good "relationship," but it does underscore that she was in Tyler Perry's latest project, Divorce in the Black. Always nice to hear she's working.

I suppose given everything going on this summer and fall, I can't blame them. A part of me also wonders if they are afraid Trump and the GOP ecosystem will use promotion of a soap opera with a black female creator and presumably a large number of black talent in front of and behind the camera as some kind of rallying cry against the network. I hope that isn't a factor.

That's true, but I think there was a hope given the momentous decision to order a new soap for the first time since 1987 that they might make more effort. I suppose it gets us prepared for how little expectation to have. I don't know what major promotion was done for B&B either. I know they started those glossy promos a few months before the show hit the air, based on what's on Youtube.

Jason Priestley | Interview | Beverly Hills 9102| Side man | Open house with Gloria Hunniford | 2000 (youtube.com)

I wasn't sure where to put this. It's an episode (probably the most famous episode) of James at 15/16, with original commercials.

Thanks @vetsoapfan for the details. It really is bizarre they made such a huge mistake back then. It shows you the kind of rotting away in that period which helps to explain why Mary Stuart was so protective of the show and her character. Sometimes I'm surprised they did finally bring back Patti at the end. In many ways she just feels like a more natural part of the show's past than the hybrid it was in those last years. But maybe fans at the time appreciated the return.

Oh it's just the one we already knew about - the episode itself is up now instead of this old clip.

Thanks. I realized it wasn't very clear from my text, even if the clip is older. As you said I have been trying not to say much about any later episodes, although I did go back to watch a little of that hysterical (in many different ways) DuAnn and Julia scene. Absolutely the most suitable moment for Rauch to head out on.

Sorry - I don't think I worded that right. This is from a year or so before Rauch's work.

Thanks. It really does boggle the mind they never did more with him, especially since Stu remained to the end and he could have been a leading man. At least they didn't kill him off like they did with Jo's son.

The scenes with reconnecting tend to be on a loop and often revolve around George's feelings. That's another reason I don't care. We never saw any of them together, so why am I meant to invest in whether they reunite? I would have been more interested if they said that George was an old love of Cindy's and he had since married and had kids. We would see Cindy drift toward him and start to bond with his daughters, even as she isn't connected to her own children. (she has no real relationship with Peter and anything with Cindy Jr happened - yet again - offcamera) It doesn't help that the woman who plays Anna seems more suited to Blue Peter than drama. The show's habit of throwing drama at new characters and then losing interest fast also comes into play, as Gina came in, was on drugs, carrying on defending various outcast men (Jay, Dean), and ended up being backburnered afterward. The ramifications with Junior amount to a quick exit for his guest character wife and child, again mostly based on issues that had built up between them offcamera. I am glad you are enjoying the show, as I know others are, but I just feel alienated from it and I don't see that changing. I don't like seeing strings and I am not invested in most of the shells currently on the canvas.

That was such a trend in general in TV in those years.

Sometimes I am reminded of how much Rauch cleaned up Asa, even if he still had his rough edges. Seeing him have goons come in to beat Clint's ass is wild...and of course Erika gives her all.

As somebody who just does not like the Gary/Val relationship and sees them as toxic and codependent, I would have reunited them a few years before they did. You can tell by that point (by the time of the Jill story ending) they were just in stall mode, and the attempts to keep them apart did more and more damage to the characters (especially Val) because they weren't together, yet the show would never seriously try to give them genuine partners the way they did with Abby and Ben. It's hilarious. A great deal of the first two seasons have those types of moments - an odd parody of "normal people." It's like the '50s/'60s/'70s romance comics that were written by 50 year old men. Another is the way that the family of the woman who falsely accuses Sid of rape come across. One of the reasons I think the Karen story at the end of season 12 and start of 13 is so awful (possibly one of the worst ever on the show, for me) is because it's a huge jolt back to this very out of touch, patronizing mentality, after the show had mostly pulled itself to a more believable place.

I would guess they're keeping as far away from Mo'Nique as possible. I do feel like the general lack of promotion is just a sad reality for today's soap world - they know there isn't a lot of interest, or they assume there isn't and don't care about changing that. If they want to get back some lapsed soap fans, I would say they should consider hiring Debbi Morgan.

My issue isn't with Cindy herself as much as the writing. Michelle Collins is doing fine. But all of her relationship with George and her daughters was offcamera. All of George's relationship with his sleazy Max knockoff son was offcamera. And George is the only one in the family they even write for. I just don't care. The show as a whole is so plot-driven and this story is the biggest example for me.

That's such a sweet video. I know soaps are often just a job to people so when I see people who have still managed to be close all these years I'm happy. And it makes me all the sadder ATWT just forgot about Bianca, although at least she was spared...