Soaplovers

I'm sure Marland would have treated Luke's coming out well... but I probably would have dozed off.. since I found the day to day episodes to be lacking in terms of excitement/interest... too intellectual for me (only the Iva with the pitch fork and Frannie on the tram were interesting to me). I kind of wish Marland had a strong co-head writer that could have reigned in his tendency to micromanage and let the script writers write the scripts without him breathing over their neck (which I heard he did quite a lot when he head-wrote on GL). With that said, I do think ATWT was the soap he fit in best at..imho.

It's interesting that the seeds of Roxie's eventually breakdown started in the fall of 1987. I always thought having Roxie go crazy was kind of a cop out but the actress decided to up and quit.. so I guess Long couldn't write out Roxie as dumping Johnny since the character was too devoted/true blue to Johnny so I guess having her have a breakdown made sense storywise. Why the show never thought to have her recover and come visit I'll never understand (though in 1990, Long had written that Roxie was recovering and making progress so Johnny broke things off with Chelsea to go be with her... but future writers had her still in mental hospitals up till 2002 at least). I liked Roxie/Reva's sisterly relationship much better than the Cassie/Reva one that the show kept trying to push down our throats. While Reva/Roxie both suffered from mental illness issues... I always saw Roxie as being warmer, full of spirit, and not a social climber like Reva was. I wish Long and other writers made more of a point of showing how Roxie/Reva differed from one another.

NY could stand a minor shake up... Why Tinsley is allowed to still be a cast member I'll never understand, and Sonja has worn out her welcome. Luann/Dorinda/Bethenny/Ramona are enough from the veterans.. with at least two new housewives added.. and you can still have an interesting show. And I'm one that likes constant changes in the line up (why I never will give up on the OC.. which always changes up the lineup... though I think Tamra or Vicki need to go.. so that it can be rebooted properly.

That could explain why OC cast Gina and Emily, who had young kids. Most comments on social media said one housewife with small kids would have been ok.. but not two LOL And a lot of young moms I know that watch the OC told me they enjoyed the Andales scenes much better than the mommy and me stuff (since they couldn't wait to get to an age where they could go away without worrying about their kids LOL).

Considering Peggy was going through breast reconstruction surgery during filming and probably was on pain medication... calling her comatose is kind of misguided. With that said, if I were her.. I would have opted to sit out for season 12 and tried out for another season once the procedure was done.. and she wasn't on pain medication, etc. Seeing how my mom was during her breast reconstruction surgery... I don't know if we what we saw in season 12 was Peggy at 100 percent. I think she either should have been given a 2nd chance.. or been put on the waiting list for another season. With that said, I say keep Emily and cut Gina (her voice sounds too much like Bethenny.. and her personality is grating like Bethenny's. There is a reason I don't watch the east coast housewives much anymore because those voices are like nails on a chalkboard to me LOL).

Gina gave me Gretchen vibes with that tacky hair, makeup and dress. I also call BS on her divorce story... there is way more than meets the eyes with that story.. and that also gives me Gretchen vibes since there was almost nothing legit/genuine about Gretchen either (other than her creepy single white female fascination with Tamra in season 4). Shannon isn't speaking to anyone, and I love that she's pissed at Tamra.. with Tamra not understanding why Shannon is upset with her and not Vicki (but I think Shannon accepted Vicki back as a friend.. but not the way it was before). And Kelly.. did you not learn anything from the way Vicki had no problem making up lies about Shannon two seasons ago? You honestly think Vicki wouldn't pull that on you? Still.. I love that Kelly is kind of legit scared of Emily

I say send Melissa to OC... Vicki and Tamra will have her for a snack before moving on to more worthy prey LOL And casting 'names' doesn't work if it's a reality show because in a reality show, we want people that are authentic and not acting for the camera. Shannon, Dorinda, and Margaret weren't names.. and the reason people fell in love with all three of them were because of their personalities and how authentic they are... not because they were a name.

I can see what you're saying... it is entirely possible that she did some alterations on the scripts.. but since they were written using outlines by Anderson/Manetta.. that is why they were probably credited. And I am curious on the committee writing thing you mentioned before.. since Another World and ATWT didn't employ this committee writing thing as much as GL did (well ATWT probably started to once Marland passed away.. but AW kept a head-writer/co head writer thing up till the mid 90s). I think the test to see which parts of the show were Long's idea and which weren't would probably be answered in early 1991 episodes after she departed (Mallet/Mindy ended fairly quickly once Long left)... while the whole Mindy/Roger affair kept going (Curlee had mentioned that was her idea)... plus Harley working with Mindy at the fashion house ended in early 1991.. and she decided to become a cop. Another thing from viewing 1989 episodes (which answer so many questions for me as to how Gilly came onto the scene.. how Billy/Nadine met.. and what caused Vanessa/Billy to break up yet again).. is that I finally got the answer to why Maureen was always jealous of Holly. Holly was the one to end things with Ed in the summer of 1989 because she knew he still loved Maureen.. while Ed was protesting the end of their new relationship. It explained why Maureen was on edge whenever Holly came to Ed for advice or help.. because Maureen knew Ed was still in love with Holly.. and she felt, as misguided as it was, that Ed only came back to him because Holly broke up with him. Which is why she instantly assumed Holly and Ed were having an affair in 1992 (when it was Lillian, not Holly) because Maureen always believed Ed would go running back if Holly had given the ok.

There is a July 1st 1987 posted from awhile back that showed Anderson/Manetta were still listed as head-writers (during the 50th anniversary week) so I'm going to guess the reason that a lot of Warren's past was referenced was because the breakdown/script writers writing the episodes had been there during Long's 1st tenure. There isn't a whole lot of episodes posted between early July and fall of 1987 when Long is back as head-writer.. so I'm guessing she came back in July/August 1987. The fact that Lacey Bauer was still around by July 1st 1987 makes me believe that Long hadn't returned yet.. because once she officially came back, Lacey was shown the door... Frank Cooper was created.. and Harley Cooper followed shortly thereafter (with mentions of Nadine coming as early as the start of 1988 as well).

I've been rewatching 1989 (Pam Long's first full year back as head-writer).. and it's interesting to see how she effortlessly tested characters with one another to see what worked and what didn't work.... for example.. Nadine was scheming with Alan when she first arrived, had a brief relationship with Ross (I recall the actor playing Ross saying that he wished the relationship was explored more), and it was Billy that first approached her.. not the other way around. In fact, Billy/Nadine were in cahoots because he was interested in getting Vanessa back and Nadine had her eye on Ross.. and Vanessa/Ross were casually flirting/talking (I loved how that relationship thread was maintained into the late 90s where even Blake was jealous of it circa 1992/3). And the thing was that Nadine wasn't an idiot, but was just ambition yet had an interesting/tense relationship with both Harley/Frank during that period. I also had no idea that Frank/Holly was tested a few times.. while Johnny/Holly was also tested (all post Ed and before she and Roger thawed out toward one another)... while Chelsea/Phillip were still tense with one another after their break up the year before... and that Sam had a crush on Frank before she/Dylan were paired together. It's interesting to see 1989 as a year where Long was experimenting to see how all the pieces would fit together... and it is a shame Michelle Forbes opted to leave in late 1989 because Sonni/Roger were intriguing as well as Blake/Sonni not getting along.. while Sonni/Rusty were actually friendly with one another (with chemistry to boot since he and Kimberly Simms Mindy didn't have any). I often think Curlee didn't officially become a co headwriter (or take over 50 percent of the duties) till at least 1990 when a lot of these experiments went away.

I think a 13 episode OC season would have been better ( 13 episodes plus 2 part reunion equaling 15 episodes). In fact, I think when most of the shows went to 20 + (including Atlanta) is when the fatigue set in. I'd keep Emily (how cute she came with receipt in a binder LOL) and ditch Gina (sorry.. we never saw her husband so why should I care she's getting a divorce... plus, she had nothing else to offer). Emily offered an odd courtship, odd marriage, an interesting business model (law practice/party planner business), a sad back story, and a temper that even had Kelly scared LOL

I'd rather see less of Jackie.. tbh

I do feel 1988 would have the year that Long's efforts at fixing the show would have paid off except for the writer strike hindering five months or so of story. With that said, the first week she and the other writers came back in mid September 1988... you noticed a difference right away in how the show was written. She picked up the random threads the scabs left and ran with them... providing some interesting story material for Fletcher (as grieving widow), Maureen, Ed, etc. I also think the scab writers were the ones to have Meredith/Phillip hook up randomly... which Long took and ran with generating months of story/conflict with Rick/Phillip/Blake/Meredith... and pairing Alex/Fletcher was an interesting choice since the two had interacted for several years on occasion while both were in other relationships... and having the two flying to South America (because of their ties to the Sonni story) and crashing on an island where Roger Thorpe was... a good way to kick start another story. In regards to Jackson Fremont, I always wonder if Long had intended to write him off after the Largo story and Lujack's death aftermath was over because she left shortly after the conclusion of that story. I do think when she returned, she did phase him out to being a recurring character. And I think the only reason she kept Chelsea on was mostly due to the actress and not the character... though I did think Chelsea/Maureen had good sister chemistry... and the Rae stalking story in late 1989/early 1990 was a good showcase for Chelsea. It was just that she was left in limbo for the last six months or so she was on the show with the show having her sing at the Blue Moon.. and flirting with Fletcher/Frank. I also would have loved to have had someone ask Long what her original plans were for Blake (since she was known for writing extensive bibles for new characters).

OMG, it just dawned on me where I had seen Sharmari before... Bring it On... my go to cheerleader movie back in the day. She's done music and a little acting on the side.. and I recall that she did a decent acting job in the movie as well.

I say ditch Gina and add a newbie for season 14 of OC.. and you will still have the dynamics.

I'm curious how RHOBH will be like with LVP not filming with most of the ladies... probably like season 3 Adrienne Maloof style.

I like the looks... they aren't over the top like on the other shows... though I admit I miss the days when they came out in casual clothes.

What made not a good fit for ABC exactly?

I do like that Long was adaptable and able to fix things that didn't go according to plan (how she and Curlee managed to fix the zig zag the show went through during the writer strike is nothing short of amazing). I always thought Roxie going crazy was out of character... she was spirited, determined and had a strong work ethic. She was like Reva, but warmer and earnest. It's a shame that the show never thought to bring her back (there was talk that Kim Zimmer tried to get the show to bring Roxie back in the late 90s, but the writers nixed that idea.. which is a shame since I would have loved to have seen how Roxie/Cassie would have interacted. And while Hawk/Lillian didn't work out.. I did like that the show always mentioned their past relationship.. even in late 1995 when Hawk was trying to resume something with Lillian.. who was receptive till she found out that Hawk was trying to sabotage Annie/Josh's relationship and decked him. However, I would have rather seen Lillian be single and content/happy with her life given the rough start she had in her life.. than being saddled with Buzz...but that is just me.

I could buy Roxie and Reva being excited about Hawk/Lillian. With that said, I did notice once Long came back to the canvas that she did play up the bond that still existed between Hawk/Sarah.. while Lillian was always at work and the two never getting around to setting a date. It looked like Long was setting up a Hawk/Sarah/Lillian triangle as a b or c plot.. but the writer strike happened.. and Lillian broke up with Hawk because of the apparent bond between Hawk/Sarah. Sometimes a head-writer sees a character differently when they take over. I noticed Roxie was more sub-dued and not quite as erratic as she was when Long wrote for her. Was it Long, or the scabs, that had Roxie suffer a nervous breakdown over Johnny's cancer?

I think Warren Andrews was supposed to be a grey character.. not all bad and not all good. He was saddled with that dippy nurse Lesley and once she was killed off during the Dreaming Death virus story.. he became a little darker with his dealings with both Alex and India. He also owned a really interesting looking club called The Blue Orchid that was shown for about two or three years before it got phased out. From watching the November 1986 videos, I just watched the botched Reva/Kyle wedding with Maeve breaking it up with the news that her son with Kyle was still alive.. and a stunned Reva getting hit by a car with the return of Josh. With that said, I think the show reunited Josh/Reva too quickly at this point when the two hadn't spoken in two years.. and I think a slower build toward the two reuniting would have been better than what was done. It was like one day she was all set to marry Kyle, and after calling off the wedding, she goes back to Josh. Too sudden and too quick. I'll even go far as to say I preferred Reva during the two years Josh wasn't on the show because she was allowed to breath and develop as a character outside of the Jeva label. If the show hadn't bought Josh back in late 1986, I wonder where the character of Reva would have gone.

From what I heard, the actress playing Calla was supposed to have been a Trish recast.. but at the last second, created the character of Calla and paired her with Ross (I guess when she was supposed to be a Trish recast.. the actress tested with the actor that played Ross.. and they had chemistry). I don't think Calla/Jessie were a carbon copy of Lillian/Beth.. at least when they first came onto the scene. Calla was a social climber, distrustful of men.. and was trying to keep Jessie from getting hurt.... while Lillian was in an abusive situation and turned a blind eye to the abuse she and Beth suffered. Jessie was sugary sweet and almost too stupid to live.. while Beth (played by Judi Evans) wasn't a wimp, but had a backbone. And I liked India/Simon together... and having them be together would have enhanced the India/Alex feud. I do agree 1986 was an odd year for the show. Pam Long departed in January/Febuary 1986.. with Jeff Ryder as sole head-writer until April 1986.. when he and Mary M became co-headwriters until sometime in the summer of 1986 when she got a new co headwriter by the name of Ellen B... and than Sheri Anderson and her hubby took over by October/November 1986. So with the vast amounts of writer upheaval... that could explain why the canvas seemed boring/pointless.

Or perhaps RHOBH should stop trying to make the 'gang up on LVP' a story. It's as tired and boring as all of Kyle's segments and attempts at showing her life. Dare I say it, but Kyle's only interesting element was being the younger sister of Kim and Kathy.. and that once Kim left the show, she hasn't had anything interesting happen to her?

I don't blame Marland for Toni's departure since it happened a week or so after he started.. just like I didn't blame Depriest for Alan's sudden exit (his last episode was either her first day.. or right before she started). Yet, the Pollock's wrote Anna out fairly quickly when they took over.. but had her accepting a PR job out of state, reuniting with a guy she had dated, and giving some advice to Carolee/Nick/Matt before departing. With that said, he had three months to come up with a suitable exit for Hank.. and it didn't really fly with me. Mike's exit, I agree, was handled better.. and it did look like the show was testing Sara/Mike before his departure (Armand Assante had better chemistry with the actress that played Nola than Sara..imho). I don't get why Sara couldn't have been tied better to the hospital (working in the peace corp could have afforded her some medical experience and/or working in the pedatric wing of the hospital)... than just being a babysitter. I do agree there haven't been any cute Martha/Ernie scenes since Marland took over... Pollacks, Cendella, and Depriest all made sure to include scenes of their 'friendship'/romance. I still contend the Dancy's weren't designed to be long-term.. just lasting for the duration of the Joan Dancy case (at least Sara/Luke). I've also noticed the lack of hospital sets for being used... no more long elevator scenes, break room scenes, and the clinic scenes have dwindled as well. Marland has always said he learned so much when head-writing The Doctors.. and it shows that he made so many mistakes.. but he at least corrected some of them on different shows that he worked on.

I think the closest the show came to finding that perfect combination post Mindy/Beth was Julie/Bridget with Kat as the buffer in the early 80s. I did see that Long kept Johnny and his parents on for awhile, but by 1989 all three were gone. I noticed that the show kept Chelsea on longer than I thought they would have up till January 1991.. and I wasn't sure if she left due to the change of writers.. or if the actress opted to leave. She went from being with Phillip to being with Johnny.. to spending the last six months of her stint being tested with Fletcher (didn't get the logic there) and Frank (they worked better as friends than as a couple). I did like the Chelsea being stalked story with the culprit being Chelsea's old college friend Rae.