titan1978

What a waste that they did not keep Bridget around. She’s great. I find it fascinating that Long kept Reva so central when I read that she and Zimmer were so antagonistic with each other.

Along those same lines, have we ever seen Katherine finding out about Jill and Phillip, and early confrontations about it? I love angry, bitter Katherine. The cut up photo of Jill and Jack storyline/Phillip returning as a teen were so much fun because we got to see the softer side of Jill again, and the hard side of Katherine again, and then all the facets in between of both. Katherine was a bitch. The thing viewers and the show forgot was Jill was often scrappy with everyone, often adversarial. But Katherine was absolutely Jill’s villain, even when she was not that way to most everybody else. She was also pretty awful to Nina. This show is really missing a character like Katherine.

Well, He can be a compelling actor. I also think he was at one point incredibly attractive (pre GL). I also cannot blame him for the fact that the writers on the show were so in love with him that they centered too much of the show around him. He ate some scenery, but so did a lot of his peers on this show and others. Tony Geary ate whole sets sometimes. But I can’t deny that when he is given good material and strong co-stars, he was good. Same with Buzz.

As someone that did not watch GL regularly as it was airing until the Annie story, and has only watched most of the show on YouTube, it works better for me during the Curlee era, before the Buzz takeover, when it was really an ensemble. It’s one of the reasons I love watching that period on the show. It’s so rich with characters that all have a point of view and something going on. No denying Reva’s importance on the show and as a daytime diva. Certainly no denying Zimmer’s talent at playing Reva, especially when she has good writing. I think it is easy to take her comments about her son at face value- the show wanted more of a commitment than he wanted to give. I also think when that story was airing, anyone would have been nervous to play a gay male character at that age. I was nervous enough in my own life about it, at a similar age and I was only dealing with my immediate worldview and family. Not millions of viewers.

I think a child (or twins!, a girl and a boy)for Gary would have been best utilized either before Paige arrived, or towards the last couple of seasons so we didn’t see the same storyline twice in short time. But it is the kind of time span that a daytime soap would have invented an island country that Gary or Val was married into royalty and the kids were prince and princess.

This was great. I also wish Maureen and Robert had been picked up by one of the remaining soaps. I think he would be a perfect Jeff Webber on GH. Really a treat to see Maureen and hear her voice.

That 30th anniversary show really makes me miss John Beradino.

I totally agree. As a matter of fact, when I watch whole episodes from before FOTH but during Riche, it does seem kind of strange. It was certainly perfect for what Labine’s team was writing once they arrived. She and ABC did a fantastic job with that intro. Retaining the ambulance, the opening notes. Even the added patches didn’t show for a long time. I especially will always love Lucy’s eyebrow raising, Luke & Laura’s section, the medical scene at the beginning, Puerto Rico, and of course the ending with Felicia’s changing hairstyles followed by Mac’s never changing shot/turtleneck. I remember thinking when Frank and Ron’s intro started why didn’t they just go back to the ambulance and hospital and OG theme? And the one they use now is just amateurish beyond belief.

That speeding ambulance and original theme is still way more exciting than any opening they have had since. And I loved Faces of the Heart. But the old open was just more exciting. And easy to make a quick version. They should have just updated that one in recent years. Modern instrumentation, an ambulance with sirens going, a shot of the hospital and logo, and quick cut to black and back into the show. Maybe 15 to 20 seconds and pumped with energy. Although it would be leading in to a show that is often lacking in energy.

Something from another thread reminded me of Bill Bell once saying he would love to just recast and restart the original Y&R all over again. Just update the scripts for contemporary pacing and language. I remember this from after he had left the show as hands on HW. That he felt it would still work, the show was that strong. What a fascinating idea if he had pulled it off. Also- he really loved the first version of this show. It is pretty clear in everything I have read that he was very proud of the show as it existed when he left, but he loved the original version.

There was a lot to like. Grant Putnam kidnapping Anna was a highlight, and the Jerome stories continued after Monty left, with added stakes and danger. I also remember enjoying seeing The Hardy family being utilized again. Alan and Lucy was a fun run of stories for the Q’s. Tracy returned, Ned arrived for Edward to manipulate and groom. I enjoyed a lot of that period. Even Casey the Alien gave us Faison, and a fascinating look at Anna’s time as a DVX Agent. Monty’s return did look great. She is an excellent producer and director. It was just a misfire of forced characters and fan favorites being sidelined. By the time her year was up a lot of that had been rectified, but it was too late. But I enjoyed Jenny, Paul, Mac and Julia Barrett who all arrived at that time. I also enjoyed a lot from the time before Labine after Riche took over. Brenda/Jason/Karen/Jagger being the highlight for me.

Bobbie and Lucy really did swim in the same pond quite a few times. I used to love just how much Lucy would bring out the worst in Bobbie.

I loved that island storyline back then. Jagger was so hot, and yet also insufferable. I wish GH had just ignored the last couple of years of PC and brought Karen back to life.

I remember being annoyed when Michael Logan interviewed JFP and Pratt at Y&R and she admitted killing Maureen was a mistake, claimed she learned from it and never did it again (she blames others for Frankie Frame). I wish someone had mentioned Alan and what she did to Anna Lee. Because she absolutely did do it again. By the time she left GH- Bobbie, Monica, Alan, Laura, Edward, Lila, Tony, Amy, Audrey (and I’m sure I’m forgetting some) were off contract and not allowed to return under contract. And yet, Carly, Sonny, and Jason were often on 3 to 4 shows a week for years. I’m not saying some of those characters were not played out (Tony), but she absolutely allowed the show to be decimated. I also know it is sexism to just always blame her. I blame Frons as well. And Guza. But at least Riche was open to the older actors.

Genie was truly robbed the year of Lucky’s death. I recall Kim Zimmer even saying so in one of those Emmy profiles that year.

Sherri Saum is on Locke & Key on Netflix. She still looks great.

I did love the scene where Laura tells Lucky he doesn’t own her. Not her history, or her feelings. I just wish Jonathan Jackson had played a few beats of not just the betrayal and anger but actual sadness. If we had seen him just once crying with Laura, or just after leaving fighting with her, it would have been better for me over all. The total anger was just not compelling after months. There were times I felt like the perspective of the writing and episodes were making it seem like we should all be mad at Laura for forgiving him. Like raping her was bad, but her loving him and forgiving him was worse. And I’m not saying that I think the choices of Monty and ABC and Falken-Smith were correct. Even Genie at 19 or 20 would not act the scenes where it was called a seduction. Luke reads a letter she wrote. But that is the history of these characters, and Laura should not have been made second to him again. I just think there is a place where they could have revisited that part of their history with all four corners of the story having the complexity and their points of view being equal.

I will never forget her crawling out from the bushes in the snow, and Lucky saying her name. Or the scene just before with the hand over her mouth on the bench, and then the empty shot of the park. Just really excellent writing and producing at that point on the show.

It had promise when it started. That flash of shade from Bobbie towards Luke after examining Liz was very reminiscent of the stuff I have seen on YouTube of what they were like in the early years of both characters. Under Labine I kind of felt like she was too under his spell, he was always right etc. Back in the day Bobbie had his number, and called him out. The initial scenes were scary, heartbreaking, and done with restraint and empathy. Sometimes rape on soaps is either after school special and all surface, or it is horribly gratuitous and so plot oriented (Emily and Nikolas lookalike). Everyone involved did incredible acting. But yes, it did mostly become about Lucky and Luke. And I think that was unfortunate.

Abby is one of my favorite characters of all time, and Donna Mills played every layer there was.

Thanks for posting that! Addie was onscreen so much less than her sister Marie or characters like Laura. And yet, by being Julie and Hope’s mother, she has such an important legacy on the show.

I read that great We Love Soaps interview with her, and she said they basically didn’t have an actual character. They created it after she agreed to the amazing contract they offered her.

Question for longtime fans- What was it like when Denise Alexander arrived as Lesley? She pretty much dominated story from the time she arrived until they killed her off. When you also think of her as Laura’s mother, that is a pretty significant 10 years for one character that was not there from the beginning. I know her character from DAYS drove story her entire time there. Although Lesley is not very similar to Susan from what I have read. Did fans resent her like we do new characters being shoved down our throats now? I have read people complained about the Webber arrival, even if they did end up liking Jeff, Rick, Heather and Monica. But I have heard they did take over the show in a major way that annoyed fans.

I think part of it had to be that era of the show was just so far removed from where they were in 1984. They were already not using Julie to the point that Susan left the show. She was in the age group they were underutilizing. I know she commanded a huge salary, even when she went to AW she was well paid. She was a big deal on GH, but not a “get” (to the network) like Genie Francis was a couple of years later. I wish Monty and the network people had let her take the extended vacation she wanted before starting her new contract. She said she didn’t want more money, she just needed a break. Lesley should have been vying for Chief of Staff against Alan and Monica for years. Rick could stay gone though! What I would love to know is if Bill Bell ever tried to get her for Y&R? He obviously loved writing for her.

I feel vindicated reading the last couple of pages and all the mentions of how dour Simon is as Ed. I’ve been watching a lot of the classic early 1990’s stuff this week, and he is really lifeless. I just keep thinking why would Holly, Maureen and Lilian want this drip? He’s dull and kind of a nasty passive aggressive jerk. Sanctimonious, smug, and boring all in one.