DRW50

The talking points are already going out among the fauxgressives that this just shows how strong and brave the GOP is and how Democrats and the Squad are cowardly and refuse debate. The media will pick that up soon enough. I'm also seeing people who are begging Democrats to "save" McCarthy because Jim Jordan will be worse. They are the same. It's time for many to accept once and for all there is no moderate Republican revolution on the way.

Later today, the GOP will vote for the House speaker. Kevin McCarthy will probably win, if not right now, then soon enough, but only after completely betraying the red lines he and his sycophants in the party and press insisted would not be betrayed. He has had to give up all power, all authority, and humiliated himself. Remind people of that the next time the NYT and Washington Post churn out puff pieces on how brilliant and beloved he is.

Glad they found the funds for more animation, although I will always just hold out for the classics to arrive. Silly I know.

That was FMB/Broderick (1998/1999).

There were a lot of terrible choices made that year (and the cuts Valente made were terrible in some cases, like getting rid of Andy, although if they had not done such an awful job of bringing in new characters/actors it wouldn't have mattered as much), and the history and continuity and family feel were ripped away, never truly to return, but sometimes it does feel now like the old Joni Mitchell song (later repurposed by Janet Jackson). I remember Soap Opera Weekly complaining about Nancy being in a storyline about being potentially swindled by dance teachers, and how the closing credits had her wearing a clown nose....not great, but a world away from her just being there to cheerlead Katie. I also remember Michael Logan being aghast that ATWT reportedly had no long-term story plans at that point. I question if they ever did again... To me much of her 1997 run is unwatchable, and even the "better" material afterward does not feel like ATWT to me and also just has a very seamy edge (Emily's endless obsession with Tom, to the point of using information said in confidence at a rape support group...or so much with David/Reid). The choices she made with Carly also genuinely befuddle me. I hated most of what ATWT did with Carly in the '00s but at least in cynical terms I "get" it. I don't get choices like her marrying John Dixon and him inseminating her without her knowledge. Denise lasted about 3-4 years, although they never knew how to use Cassandra Creech. I always liked Denise, but I'm not sure she ever fully recovered from her intro, which not only was unsuitable to the remaining ATWT conservative audience (selling her baby), but also included commentary on race that I don't know if ATWT, or any soap, was capable of addressing (her calling Camille "high yellow").

Ugh. Nice to see he's part of the "great" tradition of unpleasant eating photos of politicians. He can fit right into Florida life by continuing to get COVID 5 more times.

I saw a bit of her response video, complete with puppets, and she does not seem well to me. When you put desperate people in an environment when they are getting extremely targeted harassment online, there's a chance it's going to end horribly. You have to wonder when Bravo will start to see the negative consequences of this parade of fake storylines and disturbed, grasping characters on too many of their shows.

She is just wretched to the core...soulless. That phony, preening Paul Ryan made sure he had people go to this article and say she is his biggest disappointment makes me laugh.

@YRfan23 bmuz uploaded this via unlisted yesterday. Not sure if it's one already around.

He isn't leaving as far as I've seen.

This episode has already been up before in other forms, but if you want to see it again:

To enter 2023, a wild 1996 episode appears! This is one of the years that taught me my ATWT was gone for good (with FMB and then Sheffer hammering the final nails in - and of course MADD, can't forget her), but still, for the sake of completion it's important more show up. And right off the bat we get the screaming and yelling from Tom and Margo that pretty much took away any interest I had in the characters. At least there are multiple mentions of Lisa owning The Argus, which is something the show seemed to later memory hole. Nice to see Mac being used properly. The episodes before and after this are on Youtube. @DramatistDreamer @slick jones @Soapsuds @Paul Raven @Vee @soapfan770 @victoria foxton @Mitch64 @danfling @bboy875 @wonderwoman1951 @P.J.

Loved the Pointer Sisters. So many hits that are timeless yet so of the era they came from. Few could have triumphed as country singers and starring on an Eddie Murphy soundtrack.

Thank you @slick jones and thank you again for everything you do here with such vital information. 2022 was a very rocky year for me, and 2023 isn't likely to be different, so I'm glad I still have this place to come to and friends to talk with. Any time there's a new discovery of a soap classic, rare as that is, I'm reminded of the importance of having a place to share it and talk about it. I hope you have a safe and happy NYD, and may 2023 be the year you deserve.

Great find @kalbir , although I need some time to heal after seeing Michele Lee try to act sexy.

I never forgave ATWT, or Katie, for the retcon that Lyla neglected her and forced her to participate in child pageants.

The episode where Bert's death is announced. I wonder how viewers at the time felt, with the focus going to an Ed who had been on the show for a year and a half and had barely interacted with Bert. Ellen Dolan tries, and RVV does as well, but these scenes should have involved characters like Meta, Hope or Mike. Even odder is this feels like a C-story in the episode. No matter how pretty John Bolger looked in eyeshadow, it's not exactly the main priority.

I assume this was around before, but in case it isn't now: @SFK @Joseph @Nancy L @victoria foxton@Soapsuds @slick jones

I wondered that too. Probably, but I still think they could do something funny and also respectful.

However you feel about her, Barbara certainly changed the game for women in journalism, and was very intelligent at reintroducing herself to generations of viewers over a 60 year career in front of the camera. Rest in peace. I had wondered if we'd get another big celebrity passing before the year ended.

I wish Carol's main years were available to watch, especially her early relationship with Tom. She was vitally important to transitioning ATWT to a new era and in keeping viewers there when the rockiness of Irna's last years alienated many core fans (of course Irna had brought Carol back to the show in the first place). She was the ingenue accepted by fans even as many attempts at the end of the '70s to try to usher in new ingenues never worked out, for one reason or another, and wouldn't until Meg Ryan basically took her place in Steve's life. I wonder if Steve was any more bearable with her than he was with Betsy. I know the P&G soaps have been off for many years by this point, and no one is getting any younger, but this year has had so many major losses, it's impacted me in a way most of these passings won't. I just wish there was enough of a respect for the soap genre that most of these people had had proper interviews while they were still with us. There is for horror movies, there is for porn movies, but soaps remained bottom of the rung culturally, and now we're paying the price.