DRW50

I feel like they must have been setting up Alan taking over for Amanda as even under Marland's pen, Amanda was being pushed as overly focused on Mark, but a part of me does wonder if Marland was setting Alan up for the same permanent redemption he later gave John Dixon. Marland did often believe in healing (religious elements aside he would have been a good fit for Another Life). As I think you've said before, the biggest misstep in that period was his lack of interest in Philip. I suppose that was done to take the time to recast Philip, but it just makes those few years seem even more like Alan being placed into someone's fan fiction.

I remember some support for Drew that went on for a while but you're right, Chad did get a positive response. And RKK is a good choice. I guess it helped that even though Peter's Bo had started the love story with Carly, he was still identified with Hope.

A great choice. I'd be curious to know that too - I imagine there had to be some backlash (even Meg Ryan, who was huge in story very quickly in her run, said in an article at the time that she got a negative response initially due to how well-liked Suzanne Davidson was), but she seemed to settle in. I'd say the same with Gregg Marx but he had a buffer in poor Jason Kincaid. There was a three-year gap between Robin and Elaine, which probably helped. She seemed to be accepted, even if Dorian didn't really hit her stride until Gottlieb arrived. Then she was well-placed enough that viewers struggled to accept Strasser back in the role.

Good choices. I almost chose Carrington but thought the Kelly in between Robin Wright and Carrington might be seen as a buffer (similar to when Anne Heche joined AW after that short-lived Rhonda Vicky). I give Carrington a lot of credit as she really did manage to make Kelly her own and generate her own chemistry with Kelly's loved ones.

I'd never heard of her almost doing a show with Melanie Griffith. Hard to imagine Melanie on a sitcom. Betty was also in the very short-lived second season of Bob, Bob Newhart's ill-fated early '90s sitcom.

That's a good choice, especially as he initially tried to emulate Terry but then slowly made the part his own. I wonder if Jess Walton could go on the list too.

From what I saw I'd agree with that (she even got an Emmy nomination didn't she).

A while back someone in the GL thread mentioned that Maureen Garrett was accepted quickly by fans, in spite of Lynn Deerfield being in the part for half a decade. It still makes me wonder of other recasts who were liked by the audience, even in cases where they were not replacing, say, Charity Rahmer. Another from GL would be Barbara Rodell (Leslie Bauer #3), who was so well-received by the audience that they seemingly struggled to accept Lynne Adams when she returned to the role she had originated. Daniel Hugh Kelly as Frank from Ryan's Hope would be another as I believe Andrew Robinson did have some fans in the part, the network just had weird issues with him. It's probably too early to throw him in there, but an honorable mention to Rory Gibson as Michael on GH, who seemed to win over viewers almost immediately, which was a surprise to me (and Gibson himself, and presumably a number of people at GH who were probably expecting the same Twitter torches and pitchforks that some other recasts received).

RIP Michael Delano (Mark Dante). Very glad a brief glimpse of him popped up this year. (at about 16 minutes) https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/michael-delano-dead-rhoda-commando-oceans-eleven-1236435592/ OLTL 8 24 76

Thanks. This may also be good for the They Almost Became thread.

Thanks. Never knew any of this. James does make more sense as Sam. I did not realize McKenzie was only 22 when she was cast on Passions. She looked older to me. I'm sure Dana Sparks is a lovely person but unless she backed up the bank truck, I would not cast her in a major role, let alone a dual role. Grace wasn't exactly the most thrilling part but with a more dynamic actress in the part she would not have been quite so tedious and probably not so easily dumped midway in the show's run.

Thanks! The video I was thinking of was on the AstheWorldStillTurns channel. Kudos to you for changing your date to help avoid more confusion.

Caryn Richman Live in The Locher Room – Texas, Gidget & Brady Memories on Nov 25 – Don’t Miss It! Airing right now.

Thanks! At first, I was going to say there's an episode dated 6 10 91 but that is a different episode, so someone's date was wrong.

They've definitely taken good care of themselves (with any cosmetic work modest).

Spring 1995. Their feud really starts to build in late 1996 and lasts until spring 1998.

Kassie DePaiva on X: "Had a great night reuniting with Roger in Staten Island and now on to ⁦@UNCLEVINNIESCC⁩ #tnb #oltl https://t.co/gPFo6BkzSM" / X

I'd agree if this was the Laura of the '80s or even when she first returned, but she had a very lengthy mental breakdown in the '00s. I've never really been wowed by Genie as a dramatic actress, but I guess she's had so little to do for long enough now to where she is chomping at the bit.

Malone's favorite sexy rapist is probably a big factor, but even before that Jason had been steadily siloed. I wonder how much is down to Jason not being a character he created. The 1994 crop of men brought in is also remarkably bland, so that may be down to network mandates deciding Jason was not "hot" enough. I still wish he'd stayed around, but maybe he was better off leaving before some of the bad years arrived.

Sorry, just realized Lasell died a year ago.

I find Vigard fascinating to watch, as much as Brown, but once she's gone, there's nothing left. Jennifer Cooke only finds her voice in the role post-Marland, post-booting Kelly and acting her age. I can't help comparing Morgan vs. Nola to Lily vs. Meg. They started out very similar, and early on, Marland allowed Lily to be portrayed as bratty and get called out. Along the way he seemed to begin seeing her as much more sympathetic and was reluctant to criticize her, and the rivalry with Meg faded as Meg was isolated and had to learn some very ugly lessons. If Meg/Dusty/Lily had continued, instead of Holden/Lily taking off, then he may have kept playing some of those old beats a second time around.

You're right that it was a very antiquated idea about female characters. Alex may have come the closest to having loved ones but still going to dark places. I have wondered if any '80s powers that be may have wanted to make Alex darker, but Beverlee and the fans didn't want to see her go dark. I imagine Alan's departure for several years was one reason (as Alan brought out her worst, along with Roger). Another was that the Alexis Carrington offshoots on '80s soaps were often given layers which started to fade by the '90s. The attempts from '90s writers to make Alex into a darker character were generally unpopular all around and just ended up making her a buffoon by Marj's era - if only more skillful writing and casting had been in place, but I think Amanda could have easily filled that void instead of Alex, especially since Alex grew up with some love...Amanda only ever had pain. You make a good point about Morgan. Under Kristen Vigard, I do think we were meant to see her at least in part as immature, trying to pretend she was the woman she was not. (note that we were never supposed to question Kelly getting involved with a woman ten years his junior and trying to make her a woman). I always question where the part would be that makes Kelly fall in love with Nola. Maybe that would entail Stacey being very sick and Kelly seeing how much Nola loved her.

Thanks. I always thought it was the show's choice as they seemed to just have him there to be mistreated by Carl and the tease with Donna that never went anywhere. I always forget they brought in a son of Kevin's (was this meant to be a son from before Kevin went to prison)?

GL had so many generic heroines over those last decades it can be easy for me to forget they had some very interesting female characters, even toward the end. I am not too sorry the canvas wasn't littered with hams like Julia on ATWT.

Thanks for the rundown. I still don't know why they needed to get rid of Ben (or soon, Perry) just because of Jake. The McKinnons could have used Ben, especially as Jake never was a central part of the family. I guess if he had stayed he would have been murdered in 1986 or 1987, so maybe he was better off. I know they brought in a nephew for Jake in the show's last months, but I don't know if they ever said who his parents were.