DRW50

@slick jones Casey Kramer passed away. IMDB lists her as having roles on Y&R and Falcon Crest, but her obit also mentions a General Hospital role. Casey Kramer - IMDb https://variety.com/2023/film/news/casey-kramer-dead-1235850752/

You are right, which is a shame because the grieving story over Mick could have been very powerful. Instead, she was barely used until time for her drag queen mother and being stalked by her rapist. This is where modern EE's lack of heart really comes into play.

I knew him from his short run on Oz. I thought he was better than Mark Derwin, but I can't argue with those who feel like it was a brand new character.

I think in the case of Lexi, they don't give her as much focus on her own because the actress isn't great, although she has her moments. I like Jay a lot, and I think this is a better type of moving-on story for him than the ketamine plot which was mostly about Ben and Billy being hypocritical scum, but I agree that we needed more from Phil about Albie.

You're right about all of this. I assume Lemay came back and decided he wanted to play those beats even if the best time had already passed. If he had stayed I do wonder if we would have had more estrangement between Mitch and Matthew. I think the writing did try to point out that Rachel was only blaming all the Frames because of regret or bitterness, and that she was wrong in doing so, but they could have been more nuanced (I would have had Josie being a bit of a schemer, or at least edgier).

My thoughts on this episode. It runs long so I'll just put it in spoiler space:

That and the racist issue. I don't think GL ever saw Amelia Marshall as a leading lady, even though I think the audience saw her that way.

@bboy875 The idea of Mindy having Roger's baby is definitely one worth developing. Maybe she would have lied that she lost the baby, but left town and kept it somewhere hidden because of Alexandra's wrath and Roger being Roger.

Eddie Drueding has uploaded some of my favorite episodes from Lemay's short return stint - when Liz blurts out too much to Matthew about Mitch and Janice, leading to Rachel telling Matthew about the circumstances behind his paternity. Now I'm just waiting for the episode where Rachel confronts Liz. (the scene with Liz and Matthew is about 28 minutes into the first episode) I'm sorry that the show did not continue forward with this harder, and at times more manipulative side of Rachel after Lemay left. For all the talk of Lemay making Rachel AW's central heroine, he was also willing to write her as very flawed, which is much more compelling to me than how passive Rachel became in the '90s.

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-richard-franklin-dies-newsupdate/ One of Emmerdale's more memorable gory deaths, that point near the end of Emmerdale Farm to tell viewers what was on the way.

https://metro.co.uk/2023/12/25/doctor-star-richard-franklin-dies-christmas-day-aged-87-20024799/ The speculation on whether Mike was gay, and then the actual canon events we did get with Mike's breakdown and recovery, add so many layers to the UNIT era. I am sorry to hear he's gone. I suppose there is something fitting on a legend leaving us just as a new era begins. I need to listen to some of the Big Finish audios sometime.

I do think they had some strong stories that year, like the story with Lisa's lawsuit, and Carly's arrival (admittedly a lot of that is down to Maura), but I'll admit to being biased before what came before and after was so much worse.

There were many factors - the departure of Nancy Curlee, JFP's favoritism and power games, the exodus of many of the show's most popular or strongest actors, robbing the show of a core, and some of the strongest stories of 91-92 being set up by the previous producer. I too could not stand Buzz at this time. Everything about him, especially the shouting and smugness, were the antithesis of what I enjoyed about GL. If not for my enjoying Marcy Walker on Santa Barbara I think I also would have been much more negative about her aimless GL run. I will also argue that some of the stories which were praised at the time were not that good and were held up by some of the actors and some strong scriptwriters, especially the Alex/Nick/Mindy plot. The whole thing fell apart, embarrassingly so, without Kimberley and Beverlee.

I had forgotten that. I'm glad something positive came of that mess. My thoughts to her.

So many OLTL losses this year. My thoughts to his family and loved ones at this time of year. Antonio was such a sensation when he showed up on OLTL and fit the core of what Agnes Nixon had intended the show to be.

A tough year for soaps, and OLTL high on the list. RIP Kamar. I'll always remember when I first saw Antonio and felt like I was watching the debut of a movie star. Kamar de los Reyes Dead: One Life to Live, Call of Duty Star Was 56 – The Hollywood Reporter

Thank you so much for thinking of this thread @soapfan770 as on nights like this I miss the status bar. Merry Christmas to you and to everyone else. Even as soaps are mostly gone, nostalgia and regret, we're still here, and that's something to celebrate.

ATWT did manage to rebuild itself in 1995 - if not for a combination of P&G's many wrong choices and the extremely incompetent Valente/Black & Stern combo, they might have had a chance. GL was lucky to make it through most of 1994, 1995, and 1996.

On a technical level I agree with you, and ATWT did keep more of their longtime vets, but I do think GL, in spite of so much destruction and callousness, still found some semblance of itself in that final year or so through the returns and through re-centering vital characters like Vanessa (even if I wish she'd had more to do). That's what I was missing from ATWT. So many choices that felt obvious, like bringing back Andy even for a day, never happened. That history was even more of a core for me with ATWT than it was for GL, so the erosion of it over ATWT's last fifteen years made it harder for me to watch. Thank you. Merry Christmas to you too. I miss my P&G soaps more than ever around this time of year. At least we have our memories, and these videos.

I think you also have Daniel J Travanti right before Joel.

No. The earliest I've seen is the episode where Hope and Amanda are throwing a party and bitching about her.

I remember Laurie Heineman also said that she bought the episode of AW she submitted for her Emmy reel. I always wonder if that is still available.

No problem. Sorry for the lack of tag - I'm never sure how many are interested in the older stuff.

That's so wonderful to hear - you've done so much to help fans with your vintage episodes, and memories. I'm so glad something came around that you didn't have. I think we all needed this type of Christmas gift.