DRW50

They never gave a damn about that. They loved getting to ride around in tanks and make somber faces. It was a big video game to them. This is the same thing they did with the Clintons during the '90s. It's what they tried to do with Obama but he was too smart for them (see all the desperate attempts to make "Fast & Furious" a big scandal). And we're right back in it. This is why I don't believe that they really want Trump to lose. They tut-tut but they enable at every turn.

And some would likely still have you believe that the FBI or Comey are trying to help her, even though this is yet another time he has sandbagged her in the most damaging way. The GOP must love him - the media must adore him, as this is what they need for Trump and to help the GOP keep the Senate. I don't think Trump will win, but it will tighten an already tightening race even further. For some reason this man who gets press gushing for predicting Trump will win is getting even more gushing for still predicting it. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/10/28/professor-whos-predicted-30-years-of-presidential-elections-correctly-is-doubling-down-on-a-trump-win/?tid=pm_politics_pop_b

But ATWT didn't need all big leading men. When they tried that it just led to generic mannequins.

For years he was hyped by the national press as a "reasonable" "moderate" Republican, along with those long ago turfed out like Chris Shays. This mostly wound down a few years ago.

Another media darling shows his true colors. There was a lot of gasping and tsk-tsking when one of the major newspapers in Illinois said his stroke made him unavailable to serve as a senator. Well they likely had a valid point. http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/mark-kirk-makes-racist-comment-tammy-duckworth-heritage

I feel like this may be the end for Emma (although I hope not as she hasn't done anything Cain, Ross and Robert haven't done), and Pierce may take over her baddie role, but I'd rather they both stay around. What annoys me is Charity was a decent mother to Noah before this past year. I wish they'd acknowledge that. Maybe they will when this is over...

My Internet stopped sucking enough to let me watch the episodes... As much as I wish we saw more of Diane, one of the better parts of her no longer being part of the Dinglepack is when the show remembers what a good comic actress Elizabeth Estensen is and lets her have some moments like she had here. Her reactions to Kerry (especially reading that text) were great fun. I laughed when Kerry was trying to make Vanessa let her move in and said "Some mate you are," and Vanessa pointed out that they have barely spoken. I know some feel Kerry has been horribly damaged, but I don't think it's anything they can't come back from, as long as the story doesn't meander on and on. Anyway The perils of block taping and the generally uneven nature of the new producer seems to mean there are two sides (more, really) to the show, and I guess that was summed up best with Tracy's return, who left for her honeymoon a day before the last strong month of episodes began - I think only like 3 or 4 episodes before Holly died. And sure enough she doesn't mention anything about what she's missed (a highway pile-up, a man plunging to his death), because she isn't actually in that Emmerdale. It was nice to see Sam popping up and reacting so badly to Cain's exit. The Sam and Cain relationship is one of the most interesting on the show, as Cain was unbelievably horrible to him for years but over time they became closer - one of the few people Sam has in his life to feel close to. Meanwhile, Samson, with his latest growth spurt, looks even more like his late mother Alice. I don't know if they cast him to look like her but he really does. I actually liked the scene with Ross and Charity. He's a brat, and a hypocrite, but somehow I still feel sorry for him (especially as I think he still has strong feelings for Charity and won't admit it). I'm glad they had that scene because otherwise it seemed like she was just cavalierly dumping her child. If I look past the general unpleasantness and degradation of what they've done with Charity in this story, I think it can be a chance at a fresh start for her. I really hope this with Charity being so broken is going to go somewhere good - and I don't mean back to scheming for money and power, because that's played out. If I thought this was just there to try to make us laugh at the pathetic loser who will never have Cain, I'd be harder on it than I have been. I hope that won't be the case. As for Moira, obviously she and Cain will reconcile (probably around Christmas knowing soaps), but I'm glad she won't make it easy. Natalie J Robb and Jeff Hordley work so well together, they make me care even when sometimes I wish I didn't. The White stuff feels like it's on a different show entirely. It almost always has. One of the downsides of Home Farm in recent years has been how isolated the characters involved are from the rest of the show. The Robert and Chrissie scene worked as campy trash (and Louise Marwood and Ryan Hawley still have good chemistry), but it's all very grimy. The most interesting part is probably the split between the Robert they likely want to write and the Robert they have to write. I have some sympathy for Chrissie, even though she probably doesn't deserve it, but even if I didn't, I wouldn't be able to get that upset over how he spoke to her today because Robert's plans always implode and this is likely a setup for that to happen. The Rhona material was good. I think all the characters are being let out of hospital too soon, but Zoe Henry was very good. I assume Pierce will start doping her up in secret... Everything with Lisa remains on a loop. Jane Cox deserves better material. And Lisa deserves better than Zak. I'd say Joanie does too, but she knew what she was getting.

Thanks for all the interviews.

Rose Leslie and Bernadette Peters? How random. I'm glad she's getting work though.

The apparently short-lived version of the "dead leaves" opening. Sounds a bit like Star Trek TOS.

I read they're getting a new secret money blitz for the Senate so I figure it must be pretty close. Anyway this is the article I was talking about. A blurb really. http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/buckle-up-folks

One of my favorite characters from Hollyoaks (or any soap), OB, will be back briefly for this "Osbournes gone missing" plot. It will be wonderful to see him again (hopefully he won't be killed off). Naturally the comments section either didn't know him, or tried to be cute and asked for a return for the mushmouthed, boyfriend-beating bore instead.

I think TPM (the main political site I read, although they are becoming more tabloid-ish in tone) has it as 49-48 GOP right now with their poll tracker. The heavy push about the Clinton Foundation stuff would also make people more wary even if they vote for her. I think some are naive enough to think the GOP need Congress to be some type of balance to her, not realizing the GOP will just continue to gut the country. It's the same stuff every 2 years with some voters.

The comments in there are frightening, if not surprising, including more people following Joe Walsh (the hack ex-Congressman)'s call to arms. Another epitaph for a media darling. (if only media darling Marco could join him in cushy job oblivion after this year) http://www.politico.com/states/new-jersey/story/2016/10/bridgegate-christies-parting-gift-to-new-jersey-republicans-106757 The strong likelihood that the GOP will keep the Senate disgusts me even more now that they are openly saying what is obvious anyway - they will block any SCOTUS nominee Hillary chooses. http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-trailguide-updates-sen-ted-cruz-raises-the-prospect-of-1477573201-htmlstory.html

The general idea I've seen is that the show had no real chance after the timeslot changes and nosedive in quality in 1981. It did last longer than I think most expected on NBC (wasn't it almost canceled in 1983?). From what I've heard here the first few years on NBC were a lot worse than the last few - I'm not sure though. I do wonder if it might have had a chance still if Frons hadn't been around.

Looks like some of the polls in places like NH, NV and FL are tightening. I guess these states will always be close, but sometimes it seems like Trump has to do something terrible on a constant basis to be seen as a real threat.

Partial Stephanie Beacham interview in the last few minutes.

Oh look, another terrifying Trump supporter. http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/blacks-for-trump-michael-black-man-yahweh-ben-yahweh-cult

This site has hundreds of radio soaps to listen to or download. http://www.radioechoes.com/soap

A lot more than the Victoria/Ryan/Nina merry-go-round at this time, complete with the random Cole/Nina stuff. I remember some of this as I was in and out, and I was surprised to see Flo again. I can't remember her last appearance. For some reason I thought some of her last were when Nina was asking about her father. I guess this was later though.

I think so, yes - set in Philly?

I think he probably came up with the outline of Rosanna's past, which would have meant Carly. He also came up with the outline of the Kasnoffs, although I think they were darker (wasn't there supposed to be child abuse?). I don't know if he came up with any of the stronger details about Carly.

This episode has some of Caera and Jeremy's guest stint in Corinth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv6IH2aJ-i0 You can really feel the show's inconsistency if you watch the April 91 episode and then this one - months apart, yet the show feels extremely different tone (the Paul and Ava stuff is - well it's weird). Matt seems like a good character. It's too bad they didn't keep him around.

I think Maura may have been prominent whether Julie was there or not, mostly because she was getting a lot of praise and notice by spring or summer '95 - around the time she dropped her cigarette in the Snyder pond. The thing with Carly in that period is she was dark and malevolent, with her vulnerability mostly just shown with Mike, and as the character became more popular (and Valente seemed to realize Yvonne Perry wasn't capable of being a sympathetic lead). Julie just never was like that. She was neurotic and a little sad, a girl who never grew up. I always felt like Carly's later years had stories that would have made more sense as old Julie castoffs (the fling with Holden, the romance with Simon). What made Carly different was that ATWT hadn't had a vixen like her in a very long time. She was sexual, she was dark, she was unapologetic trash, and she was volatile, which Marland women generally were not (his vixens were often extremely cold and asexual). Yet she was also oddly relateable, because she felt a lot of things no one in Oakdale ever allowed themselves to say (likely one of the reasons Janice was popular with a number of viewers the year before).