DRW50

What a trashy ad this is. Silverman at his most Silverman.

I never knew that. That's fascinating. The opening also felt somewhat out of date with what the show had become - that and it was slowly cut to pieces from the larger opening that they had to stop using most of I think after Kate Mulgrew left (the first changes were when Faith Catlin left). I kind of liked the new opening, even though it didn't seem right having strangers (for a long time I was sure at least one or two of them were cast members - I thought I saw Jill at one point). The 1983 opening with the cast was very nice. Sadly after that it became cheaper and cheaper - I seem to remember an annoying "tweeting birds" sound added as well.

The village and Woolpack scenes were filmed in Esholt, where Emmerdale filmed from 1975-1997 or so. http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/emmerdale/news/a817405/emmerdale-ashley-thomas-episode-old-village-esholt/

He did a great job - he got a lot of Danny Miller's mannerisms. The woman who played Laurel also did a wonderful job, with some tough, tough material. When I heard about this episode I wasn't sure, because I thought it might be pretentious or self-conscious, but it was much better than I thought it would be. The care they took to show his point of view and to show his struggles, and also to show the worry and kindness of those around him. And their use of Ashley's history - with his mother, his relationship with Laurel. It's everything American soaps used to be, and what UK soaps rarely are now but still can be when they try.

That's a good point. I think India also took over a lot of that role.

Not to mention that many of the people who are treated as "others" now are lifelong American citizens. I understand the idea of not allowing open borders, it's clear they have wreaked havoc in Europe, but the refugee stuff is just an excuse for bigotry and racism.

This really bothered me too, especially given the poor female cast. I read that she quit. I really hope that's true. If so best of luck to her and shame on the show for her wasting her (and the lovely Andy). Someone said Corrie has a long history of wasting black women. I loved Kelly Crabtree, but it really is true.

@Huntress I'm so sorry this has affected you and Berlin - the fear and worry of what has happened and what is next must be awful. We'll all be thinking of you and your lovely city here.

I didn't, although I read the highlights (his putting salt in the wounds about Russia was amusing). I think the media is trying to stir the pot with Obama re: Trump as they want to make him look petty, and they also are likely desperately hoping and waiting for Trump to finally "act Presidential." Or at least give them more access, as that's all they care about. "They" would be people who want to stop a further lurch to the right (at this point it's more like a lurch into a lake of razor blades rather than just to the right) and compromise their own views to oppose the broader GOP agenda. Republicans ignored the CW after 2008 that they should be conciliatory. They ignored the CW after 2012 that they needed more diversity. And voters rewarded them for it. Democrats end up sacrificing just as much if not more of their goals and beliefs, but do so in the naive plan to chase voters who have rejected them and will keep on rejecting them. They cling to old ditties from Thomas Frank yet again telling them how they have failed Kansas, or this woman: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/no-sackcloth-and-ashes

I would say this is coordinated but surely it can't be...?

I'm not sure there is any right side in this - it's a mess. Foreign policy is one of those areas where I know he can't be trusted but I was also extremely wary of Hillary.

This week is Max's return so that's not a bad time. You also missed the treacly Phil-bedside scenes last week...

It never made any sense to me why they didn't, since the 1997 one seemed to be well-received. I guess Rauch was one of many producers who just didn't care about the Bauers (although he or whoever at P&G at least kept Mary Stuart on even during her illness, which is more than I can say for ABC around this point...or for P&G a few years earlier with Zaslow). Stewart's performance seemed strong and likeable in the few scenes he had. It's too bad he never really had more soap work either - you'd think he would have fit in well on the Marland-era ATWT as a love interest for someone like Lisa, or younger women. I don't know how Marland felt about him but he did write for him at GL, generally. I think he was a temp recast on AW or SB but that's all I remember.

DTC nearly did but felt she shouldn't be recast. I tend to agree with that, but Sue Tully obviously is never returning, and while I have my issues with the show of late, I do think they are in a better place for a character like Michelle than DTC's run, which likely would have said Gavin was her pimp. I guess we'll see. I agree about Denise's mother, although I don't like that they renamed her Emerald. It sounds like a Prince backup artist.

Well this is going to end horribly: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/russian-ambassador-to-turkey-shot-at-photo-exhibition-232816

There is all kinds of speculation going around that a recast Michelle Fowler is on the way, between Sharon talking with her on the phone a few days ago, Sharon having the Christmas Eve duff-duff, and most of all, a trailer for the BBC Christmas programs having a scene that was later removed and replaced - Ian, Stacey, Martin and Rebecca in the family kitchen, with a strange woman wearing a cardigan. Either it's a lot of nothing, it's a woman we're supposed to be a big deal who isn't actually Michelle, or it's Michelle. There's also speculation an actress named Jenna Russell was cast in some role. You can find the photo and spec here: http://walfordweb.com/topic/30103458/1/ http://walfordweb.com/topic/30103604/1/ They're also saying Denise's mother has been cast. http://walfordweb.com/topic/30101124/1/

So much of ATWT from this period is MIA, but what I have seen mostly suggested a lot of aimlessness, although I think it was still decent until the Dobsons came in in 1980.

Sorry if this was already around - I didn't see it anywhere so I made a video if it. Tony's 1993 return.

@zanereed I saw this a few days ago and decided to make a clip of it as I thought you might like it (if you've already seen it my apologies...)

None of this is new for the media. They cried blood tears to get W elected. They loathed Al Gore and treasured W (and McCain before him). They "wanted to have a beer with him." They lied and lied some more to help get public support for his war (well for him and so they could wear fatigues and ride around in cool tanks - it was a video game come to life for them). Rather than ask serious questions about what was actually going on in Iraq, they gushed about W's flight suit and praised him for his progressive values because he and Condi pretended to be a couple on one visit. I'm wary of progressive groups focusing too much on Trump and ignoring the patterns. The media would sell their children to help Republicans. They like Trump, because they think they can profit off him and likely still think deep down they can control him, but these are just patterns that started many years ago. Rather than complaining on Twitter about double standards, they need to do what the right did - build their own media.

1982 I think. She was the older sister or mother of Miranda Marlowe, the absurd drug dealer-turned-housewife that Bob married. I have an SOD article on it somewhere - I think I posted it in the thread years ago.

If anything ever shows why I could never identify with Lily, spending her time in bed with Dusty worrying about Barbara's business fortunes does, very easily.

I think Victor's arrival in GC was when Katherine called him to help her against Derek. Maybe they mended fences.

I figure it wasn't long after Natalie married Trevor. Disney bought ABC in early 1996. This started influencing their lineup in spring or summer 1996 - that's when you started haring Super Soap Week at Disneyworld and around the time they had things like the Disney-themed wedding for Julia and Noah that some fans enjoyed and others felt was inappropriate for the characters. The whitewashing started in 1994, although part of that was down to actors leaving (and others, like Dondre Whitfield, were fired for speaking out).