DRW50

I was still a kid when Empty Nest debuted...I remember enjoying it until Kristy left, but as soon as they brought in the younger sister, I quit (I think I made it through one episode with her). I was glad - even though I didn't watch - that Kristy returned for the finale. I enjoyed the first few years of Nurses, and still have the opening credits and some David Rasche lines in my head. But I don't think I bothered with the last season. Looking back, Nurses was such a slapped together show, between a Roseanne-esque standup as the female lead (for a few years anyway) and cult TV actor/improv great Rasche being thrown in. Then you had Loni Anderson later on. IIRC those later Nest years were a hybrid hell too, with not just Getty, but Marsha Warfield shipped in.

It's also one of those situations where, conservative as Y&R viewers were in some situations (like the ugly backlash against Neil/Victoria a decade later), I do wonder if they actually would have had any problem supporting Amy while also accepting Mamie's nieces being brought into the canvas. Amy had been on the show for 3-4 years and was part of a well-liked friendship group. She was someone who could have easily stayed on for years longer, even if they did not keep her with Nathan. It's a shame they never tried. I do wonder about that, now that you mention it. Even though it was never likely a possibility, just the fear is enough in many cases. In the long-term I think moving Paul away from all his old friends and just being with Lynne and the repetitive stories with Lauren and later Christine left the character stranded, and helped make him feel all but irrelevant by the time we got to the early '00s and the ugly "rough sex" storyline.

Yes. I used to think so. Now I'm not as sure. I guess I should be happy he didn't have the ambulance back up over her.

Sounds like BS to me. The Gray story was a flop with viewers and while Toby is gorgeous, he can't act. Given the budget crunch of soaps now I just don't buy it happening.

I'm not sure if Y&R was ever a popular show for its realism. What is missing is the glamour, the complex character work and years-long storylines that are well-plotted. And those aren't coming back, with or without Diane.

Watching that scene of Victor pushing Diane out of the ambulance again just disgusts me all the more. It's done in such an utterly pathetic manner, and makes Victor look like a complete and total loser, stripping him of any last dignity that Bill Bell, and Eric Braeden, felt was so important. It reminds me a lot of the man-children who now run so much of our country and our media. Ironically, Braeden is often on social media blasting these people to hell.

The show isn't great at the moment (why are they throwing Marty and Samira together in such a rushed manner when they will have Marty chasing after Esther again soon enough??) but there are a few stories that have potential (Wilder's return and the stress he is causing the people in his life; TK's cancer) and some that are at least plugging along (the Hamish saga). Then you have the Desi and Damo saga that NEVER, EVER changes, and never stops being tedious. - Desi is selfish and demanding. - Damo does his best to placate her. - Desi "learns" some lesson that she never actually learns. - Gorgeous men throw themselves at Desi. - Desi nobly turns these men down because, even though she treats Damo like a cash machine and a burden, he's her man. I really wish they would just marry and leave Ferndale.

We saw him die in the hospital and Jill weep over him. The reason some of us hated his return is because there was zero reason for it beyond an insulting gay storyline that was over in about two weeks, all because MAB wanted to pat herself on the back.

Someone who has watched more than five minutes of B&B in the last decade would know more than I do, but I think he showed back up on B&B after all that and fell off a cliff, and was "dead" for years until recently.

The Keemo stuff must be retcons, as he had vanished before Diane returned to Genoa City. Yes. Nikki beat her to death with a rock, or something. (never mind - Deacon killed her and let Nikki take the blame)

For me, Alex Donnelly will always be the only Diane. With that said, if this return manages to wipe away the stench of the vile, deeply misogynist treatment, and exit, Maura West's Diane got, I am glad. I wonder if anyone has found MAB at whatever art galleries she peruses to ask her about the show 'honoring history" by undoing her act of pure malice against a 30-year character...

Needless to say this info was quickly removed.

I saw some tweets today suggesting Disney would not want her to go because she is filming Snow White and it will complicate COVID protocols. If that's the case, it is less surprising, but what a PR mess all around.

I'm reminded of Eddie Drueding (without whom I would not be as into AW as I am, so I wanted to agree with the people above who credit fans for doing as much for the show as they have) talking about Matt and Sofia by saying Matt wanted a second helping of "convent girl." This really was a trope for AW in those last 10-15 years.

Jenna basically replaced Lisa's role in Felicia's life. Joanna Going was a very appealing actress, but Lisa was a very wan role. Joanna had no chemistry with Larry Lau, and as that was the main purpose of the character beyond the Sin Stalker story, it was a significant handicap. Soaps generally do NOT do well with giving characters psychic powers, especially if it is not a character like Celeste on DAYS who exists solely for supernatural storylines. Short-term characters are one thing, but giving a long-term character psychic powers means viewers will always wonder why this did not help save them or save others from trouble. They did a little more with Frankie, but frankly, anything that ever worked with Frankie I would credit to Alice Barrett, not the writing. Susan Keith should have had hazard pay for carrying so much of 1980 AW on her back.

I would have killed him off as I felt JR was too powerful and this drained the canvas of vitality, but honestly, JR was an international icon, so it would never happened.

I miss those Hollywood Reporter blind Oscar ballots. I wonder if we will get any in this last week. In other news:

Sadly, yes. Thomas Middleditch was accused of sexual harassment, is still doing the talk show circuit, and has a CBS sitcom which may get a third season. CBS is just full of (alleged) perverts and harassers. It makes me ashamed for the years I spent watching so much of the network.

So much awful news from Ukraine, I don't even know why I'm still surprised at anything, but: As others said above, I don't really know what can be done about Putin, other than sanctions. He will eventually take over Ukraine, and then it depends on where he decides to go next, and how long before various parts of the West fall back into line in supporting him for oil and gas and bribes. I don't believe he would hesitate to use nukes. I'm already seeing talk that this is exactly why we should nuke him first, but I don't even want to contemplate that.

Sorry about that. What I have to do is click the link, hit the play button on the screen, then wait a minute or so.

Uploaded toward the end of last year, missing the final segment. The date is June 26, 1989. I looked and didn't see this posted, and I don't think the episode is around, but others like @DramatistDreamer may know more about that than I do. https://archive.org/details/vts-01-0_202112

I don't know if this is already a thread, but I didn't see it, and, frankly, that doesn't stop others from doing the same. If it is, feel free to lock this, not that you need my permission. We all know the basics - Harding Lemay was a playwright! Henry Slesar wrote thrillers and mysteries! Bob Guza did something I don't give two shits about! And so on. Rather than just providing a list that we've already seen 15 times, I thought this thread could be a more detailed place for either your thoughts on their other projects, or links to some of it. I'll start off in what made think about this thread - watching a Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Presents episode that was written by none other than Anne Howard Bailey. Unfortunately, the writing quality is about on the level of her soap work, but still, it's interesting to compare: