DRW50

Not to give too much away but Tina will not have an easy reaction to the news.

A panel from a Dallas comic strip. I never knew there was a Dallas comic strip. Bobby looks very stretched...and like Bill Bixby. Post by @forgottencomics.bsky.social — Bluesky

Another of the Cord stories in his return that feels curtailed, although it has its moments. I never knew what the last mention of Joe was on the show. Thanks. Certainly a high point for that wretched storyline.

Thanks. I'd never heard that story about BK Perlman. I actually enjoyed RH more during the brief strike period than I did the rest of that year. I find 1988 strike-period ATWT fascinating as you can see the outlines (for instance, the building up of the Langes, the arrival of Hank Elliot) yet there are a slew of moments which go extremely off the rails; the whole Laura mystery turning into very woozy '50s noir; in such a short space of time Lien and Pam being held hostage, especially since Robert Tyler was wasted when in another universe he would have been the ideal Marland angsty cornfed hero. The show becomes much pulpier alongside the more traditional elements (the episode where Betsy learns the truth about Josh/Meg having some lovely moments with Mac's daughter accepting Nancy). Those little moments like the one with Kim and Seth always stand out for me because Marland just had such a specific style and focus on relationships (I don't remember Betsy and Kim ever being as close under his pen, although they were still a part of each other's life). It's interesting seeing the show briefly broken free of those constraints, although when they were permanently broken free...you see the end results in 1993 and 1994. I do wonder if he still would have had the same plans for Meg/Josh if not for the strike. I suppose Jennifer Ashe wanting to leave also made that easier (not sure if it was Bill Fichtner's choice to leave or not). I still wonder if the strike affected any of his plans for Beau and Pam too as they didn't exactly have great material from then on and then Marland dumped them both less than a year later.

At least this isn't one of those stories like a few other soaps had where he artificially inseminates her...

I struggled with getting through the show in Clenshaw's last few years (I had a particular disdain for all the forced camp, what they did with Sonia, what they did with Linda, anything Panesar-related, and the whole Cindy and Knight setup), so I'm not in the same boat as many are in feeling a big decline in quality, but that doesn't mean the show's complete lack of momentum or direction is any less confounding. Clenshaw was better at making the show seem competent whereas Wadey just seems to have no real ability at present to put together episodes. The pacing is along the lines of radio soaps from the '30s or '40s. I am not even sure what the changes would be if they did panic - my guess is something like Ben returning to reunite with Callum (which is likely happening anyway), Kat sleeping around, and Phil returning to being a cardboard gangster - but I do hope they find some ability to steer the show again. If Wadey can't, and the incompetent people above him like Kate Oates can't, then the BBC should make changes while they still can.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW-XT__Xjl0 August 1988. So it is a strike episode. Now I'm curious if one of the other scenes from 1988 I thought was un-Marland (Kim telling Seth that Betsy is like a daughter to her, and she hasn't forgotten how much he hurt her other daughters) was also during the strike - maybe not if Seth and Betsy were already a couple by then.

Don Hastings briefly wrote for ATWT while also appearing as Bob.

I think the last she did was directing again at ATWT after GL was canceled.

They should have done more with her but considering that I'm not sure how popular she ever was compared to Meg Ryan, I suppose being more of a B-heroine was inevitable. What I've seen of the pairing with Josh has some compelling moments but is more about showing us he's a good person rather than being about Betsy. The relationship does get one of her best scenes (one I'm not ever sure was from Marland or a strike writer because it feels much more out of control than most of his ATWT run), where she digs at him for sleeping with "cousin Meg" and when he can't take it anymore, nearly asks if he's going to rape her before she stops herself.

Thanks for the clips and mini-reviews @Maxim . I appreciate that you also recap the moments you don't show. I didn't realize the hot therapist stayed around this long. I suppose it makes sense to keep bringing him back to unwittingly cause chaos. About a year before this Another World had an evil female psychiatrist, plotting to get a man. There was something in the water in those years as the big screen and softcore movies loved that theme too. The scene with Viki and Bo is moving, but I wish they'd brought up Viki's late husband, Joe. Like Sarah, he also "died," returned from the dead, and died for real. I guess they may have thought connecting to recently deceased Megan was more organic, especially as Sarah was her sister. The Dorian on display here is who we'll be getting for a while to come, just in a much more outwardly neurotic and histrionic form once Elaine Princi is gone. I don't love when the show uses Dorian this way, but I know they need her to move the plot along. The moment where Viki nearly snaps is great. Your mention of the "circus" with characters like Alex reminds me of how some fans talk about novelas, and the cores of them. They too are critical of some that have a "circus" atmosphere. Alex would probably fit into that type of show. Actually, much of OLTL at this time does remind me of them - Blair's schemes with Asa, Addie and the scissors, Clint/Viki/Sloan, Dorian, Luna and Death, Marty, Suede, etc. That high octane, operatic feel.

Thanks @Paul Raven . Hamtramck, now known for much uglier things than Gail Kobe...

There was a scene with Alex in the drugstore, eating some ice cream on a stick. It was hard for me to imagine Marj's Alex doing that, although Marj did seem to have fun with the moment (and her Alex was initially given a more common touch, like playing basketball with Buzz - I'd love to see Bev in those scenes).

I agree Bernau managed to find the line. I think Raines could have too, but not as easily. My biggest issues with Raines were a lack of charisma and lack of chemistry with leading ladies. Clearly, he had that in his stage career, but I rarely saw this in his work as Alan. Bernau is fascinating in every glimpse, whereas Raines would have been a slightly sourer grandfather in the Werther's Originals ads. There also seemed to be no real long-term plans for him after the Mr. Tashiwa nonsense, maybe due to the frequent writer turnover in JFP's last year. The best they figured out being a pairing with Tangie does suggest JFP had another actor in mind, although I have no idea who. I wonder if she may have wanted Jed Allan. I think pages ago there was a list of potential Alans mentioned in Soap Opera Update or another magazine at the time. I can't remember the names. Joe Gallison may have been one, but I am not sure.

That makes sense. It would be nice if they mention that, but I know there wouldn't be much reason.

@alwaysAMC I may be wrong but I don't think Kevin has appeared since BtG began. Britt has Huntington's - I'm not sure if that is what will kill her or if it's also that she "died" after being stabbed with a poisoned hook. Around the same time Neighbours had a similar story about a young heroine leaving as she was dying of Huntington's (no poisoned hook). The cliffhanger of Laura finding Dalton's body in her trunk was very good, even if I am not sure Laura would have screamed that way (she's killed several people and held others at gunpoint). Then again, she did have an extended mental breakdown over a murder she didn't even commit (?) so who knows. At least Genie Francis got her scream queen on. I don't know if this is planned just to get her out of the mayor's office but at least it is potentially interesting. I just hope she won't go to Sonny for help and be the damsel. I know Sonny will likely be involved but I'd like to see her still have some type of grit through the process. Dead Dalton looked enough like Bruce Weitz that I briefly thought Anthony Zacchara was back. @Vee and others I thought you might enjoy this. Laura Wright mentioned recently that Sarah Brown texted her on her 20th anniversary as Carly. Annie ✨ on X: "Laura was on Steve & Bradford’s podcast talking about her 20th yr as Carly. Sarah Brown texting her was SO sweet… queens supporting queens. Steve & Laura are the cutest duo. the love + respect they have for each other is everything. 🫶🏻❤️ #GH #LauraWright #CarlySpencer #Jarly https://t.co/D6cd4HK0C5" / X

After the slap it does feel inevitable - being arrested and thrown out right after her big win.

One down...

I think the question is/was less whether he disliked her and more whether he was throwing in the towel due to her stories all tanking.

All I can think of is if a lot of big names were leaving around that time she wanted him back as a stopgap, although I have never seen any real evidence that he was popular with GH viewers.

@depboy Thanks. That does help. @titan1978 @Paul Raven Really enjoying the analysis of the production methods and what Monty was doing. I wish we got some of those biopics here that a few UK soaps got as a biopic on Monty's first few years at GH would be fascinating.

Thanks. I'm glad she got to as I know some producers tend to get mad if actors want to direct.

I wonder if she may be transitioning to behind the scenes. How many GH actors have also directed while acting on the show?

Thanks. Loon Lake - very on the nose. With that "dad" outfit Bo looks even more like Cassie's father...

That lengthy flashback does make me wonder if she threw out a lot, but I agree it may have been too easy an urban legend. Would these have been her very first episodes? I imagine you could feel the big difference when Bobbie arrived, alongside the Quartermaines filing in, the return of Heather, and Lesley/Rick/Monica/Alan heating up. It does remind me that there must have been some dud moments in the 60-minute format we just don't see because little of the period is available in full. I wonder how much longer the Dantes lasted under Marland. David Hamilton is so disgusting. I appreciate the show making him disgust as some shows when they have stories about older men or women manipulating teens aren't as honest. I can't see this Rick being friends with him. Chris Robinson's Rick, on the other hand, I could believe.