DRW50

Thanks. I remember the name but not the face. I like how naturally styled Marlena was in those years. I think it suited her much more than the pants suit era that started with her return.

I think the claim may have been that if the show had gone on Anne would be revealed as Frankie or Frankie would return. I can't remember. I think the idea of Aprea as a new character wasn't that bad, but the execution was awful and so wildly out of step with the much smaller show AW had become (that Malone did not seem to really understand). The brain tumor got the blame. He was trying to test Rachel. I think the idea was that he'd assumed she would fail the test. She didn't, so he jumped in front of the gun meant for her.

I'm so glad that quote will follow Les Moonves for the rest of his career. I remember Bill going to places like West Virginia. I think he had the right idea but I don't think he or Hillary (or Tim Kaine, much as I respect the man) could have sold it. I'm not sure who could have. Probably someone like Jon Tester, possibly.

Great suggestions, especially about Nancy. I never knew why they just forgot they existed. I think at one time in the mid-80s they almost brought Rachel's other sister Pammy in too.

I posted the first two parts at the top of the page. There's also a third part. I'd seen some before (some was new to me), but it's a good watch. Some really brilliant performances and scenes.

Or in some cases years and years... I know some think the material is too OTT, but I'm just glad she has more to do. I wish this could take her in new directions.

The whole dust story had some segueway where a token black character (Carter Todd's father, I think) inhaled the dust before Mac and soon dropped dead, which meant it wasn't as bad for Mac (he just had a heart attack). That type of imagery would - well today it would probably still happen on soaps, as they're more regressive than ever, but it would probably get some deserved brickbats.

Yeah the show has these couples they split and have them behave like trash but we're still supposed to want them back together. Sometimes it works, mostly (Cain/Moira), but I'm not sure if I want that with Dan and Kerry (I definitely don't with Zak and Lisa). I liked that they took Dan a more serious route this year and I also want to see more of him becoming a paramedic. It's too bad Chas is leaving for maternity leave as I wouldn't have minded them being revisited. I can't remember if you're a Cain fan but someone finally put up some footage of the death of his first love Angie (they were essentially a horribly toxic version of Donna and Ross). It's good stuff, good acting. She set him up for a burglary and it all went fatally wrong. I'm going to clip it for my YT channel but here's the original. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RVs1tUU40k

Thanks so much for all of these ads and the info. It's astonishing that she aired for just a month after this. She likely knew she was going when she filmed these terrific scenes with Rachel. What a huge waste. I guess that sums up P&G soaps by these years. Which of the firing decisions in '86 and early '87 did you agree with and which did you think were off?

That's hilarious.

I think Laura Norton is doing a good job but I do think the story has gone out of its way to be crass (especially her [!@#$%^&*] Sam - they really do struggle to come up with storylines for Sam). I guess she will keep degrading herself until Dan gives her another chance, but I wish we could just see her decide to improve herself on her own, not because of a man. What do you think of Pete and Leyla?

What do you think of the Kerry stuff?

Robert and Aaron will probably adopt twins by next Christmas (or Robert will cheat on him and they'll try to kill each other 5 times). I did really enjoy the Adam and Victoria scenes. I love their relationship. It's a shame that a soap couple wanting a baby means it won't happen. So infertility, or a pregnancy with the wrong mother or father... Zak is just trash. I enjoyed seeing Lisa roast him at Joanie's dinner before she left the village for a while. And then he puts that kiss secret on Belle when he knows what secrets did to her. He's so selfish. You may enjoy Monday as

Wrong thread!

Thanks. I never knew about any of this, or her and the teacher. I wonder if they had any real plans for the story. Nikki seemed to be in all sorts of directions in those years.

It was so jarring watching the little that is available of Jacquie's first run as Alice because it's so different from what Harding Lemay described. It's unfortunate that so much of her AW and OLTL work is gone because I really think Lemay did her a disservice. The show was so aimless for the early '80s, outside of a small handful of characters. I think Cass/Felicia/Wally helped ground it somewhat instead of that burden just being on Rachel and Mac. You probably already know this but munecojim has uploaded a lot of episodes from the mid-80's. I just wish I didn't end up feeling sad again seeing Kathleen and Cass and remembering how the show later tried to act like he could only be mature and a true man with Frankie. It just wasn't true. I loved Kathleen and Cass together so much.

Disgusting. A few days ago I heard some people talking about how they wanted to go back to the "good old days" in dealing with these protesters (you can guess what that means). People are emboldened into violence and hate, and nothing is in place now to stop them. It's sad that the protesters are the ones who have the onus put on them, who are expected to hide. It reinforces just how little place in America many are expected to have.

Sharon Gabet talked about this in her radio interview a few years ago - I think she basically just said the character didn't work because they changed her over and over. She didn't seem very happy with the show (I can't say I blame her). Yeah, this Peter actually I think was on EON a year earlier in a story with Sharon and Larkin Malloy (RIP). I think maybe he held Raven hostage or something? I don't know. He was best known for his work as Kevin Bancroft on Y&R. Yes, he was talking about Felicia. You can see how important that little group (plus Cass' love interest of the period, and others who came and went, like Zane or Jackee Harry) were becoming for the show. I always thought this was what made AW unique and probably kept it afloat as long as AW managed to stay afloat - the idea that friendship is family . Yes, Alice was gone soon after this, even though it makes no sense. I have to admit I like Ellen's work as Marley. It's tough to play an ingenue, but I thought she managed it. I liked Anne and Jensen too but the character seemed very wan to me under Jensen's tenure and for the first few years of Anne (she mostly just wanted a baby and wanted a baby and wanted a baby). I sometimes wonder if Anne Heche asked them to toughen up the character for her last year on the show because otherwise it wasn't worth the exhaustion of playing dual roles. That was also when they ditched her awful wig.

A few promos (I know these were probably already around, I just made videos of the clips in case they weren't) May 1988 - Patch and Kayla https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHHK-ditKEg July 1985 (doubled with AW promo) - Marlena and a new love (I'm not sure who that is actually) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqfmO292yC4

Thanks. What was the Adams role?

I think in ratings terms it was mostly still a floundering or malaise period, which was another reason they made so many changes in 1986. In quality I'm not sure, although the episode seems to suggest a mix of stories that were popular (Vicky/Jake arrival) and that were...not (Brittany's arrival). I wish juniorz1 and some other viewers who were watching at the time still posted here. 1985 promo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqfmO292yC4 Two 1986 episodes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFNaLpeX8FQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSBH7Y7i7mI

Another 1985 episode. This one has Jacquie Courtney. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18xAh6Lg2Ks

Yes. That's why I wonder if anyone knew.

I started watching right before 9/11 - glad to know I'm not alone.

It's chicken and the egg - a lot of these things have been building in Europe for years. Honestly I do think that Europe did a terrible job handling the migrant crisis and immigration in recent years - it sounds like Merkel was in way over her head about how to handle things in Germany. It hasn't been that bad over here, which is what makes knowing that vulnerable people are going to be banned, humiliated, and dehumanized for their skin color all the more disgusting.