Soaplovers

I always wonder about if the show would have survived once Mary Stuart passed away since the original premise of the soap was the adventures of Jo Gardner. The show expanded its canvas and focus, but Jo was always an element that was kept even the focus continued falling away from her in the early 80s.

Paul Summers is the connector character.. connecting previous characters/plots that were previously islanded together. Stacy/Rico weren't working as a couple despite the Pollocks and Cenedella trying their hardest to make them a rootable couple and Penny as the spoiler. Depriest recognized Stacy/Rico had no chemistry and broke them up than spinning Stacy off into Paul Summers orbit.. and briefly tested Rico/Penny but wisely is going the Penny/Jerry route.. despite testing him with Wendy Conrad. And finally there is some movement with the Conrad story. Cenedella was writing Scott/Althea as a couple even though it clearly wasn't working.. and trying his hardest to make Eleanor unbalanced to try to drum up sympathy for Scott/Althea. Depriest wisely changed the whole dynamic of the story by having Nick come back to save Althea's life.. and showing them finally get a chance to be together six years after they officially broke up/divorced.. and now it appears as if both are remembering the bad along with the good in their previous marriages. And Depriest is writing Scott as gaslighting Eleanor so he can be rid of her and to get back with Althea... and writing him as pathetic/crazy (sort of how the actor was portraying the character even when he started playing the role). I can buy the Ann Larimer switch.. The pollocks were slanting a character change in their last months as head-writers with the illness she suffered, putting her practice on hold to recover, relocating with Nick to warmer climates to recover, becoming restless that Nick was working and she was always by herself, returning once she gets a clean bill of health and broken up with Nick, bitter over the break up, leaning on Steve.. with Althea/Matt/Maggie noticing the closeness and alerting Carolee.. who becomes green with jealousy. Ann having nightmares over being frigid, and than finally the heart to heart between Carolee/Ann where Carolee was accusing Ann of being a sexy distraction to Steve with Ann remarking that everyone else was telling her she was being frigid (you saw the light bulb go off)... and than Cenedella took over and Ann is put in backburner central where she's shown only as a talk to until the last few weeks of his stint where Steve starts to lean on Ann and pursue her.. and than Ann gives in and goes crazy with the first hints of passion/love and is determined to keep it thus losing all sense of reality. So to me, it fits.

I dont mind that meghan is a conservative...its just her attitude that turns me off. She is the type of person that should be barred from any sort of manager role since shed be a queen bee.

They didn't need a 2nd conservative.. they needed a moderate/centrist.. one that can look at both sides of an issue objectively... which Sara Haines did.

She has no business being a mother, but than Jason has no business being a father. Perhaps her grandparents could raise her?

Nola Dancy officially debuted in today's episodes of The Doctor. She's very rough around the edges, tough, and instantly you know she wants to be better than the humble background with which she is raised. Instant tension between Jerry and Nola.. with Jerry resentful that he's been left to hold the bag in regards to watching over their comatose sister and worrying over their mother. I will be intrigued to see the journey Nola travels to go from the rough around the edges character we saw in her first episode to her later episodes.

It works, I've seen the actress in other things

In regards to the change of acting of the females/males.. we can blame Auntie Jack for that since Peter Bergman was a New York actor coming to an LA based soap where acting wasn't top notch (except for Lauren/Traci.. no one else really won emmys). Original Alex I despised Maura West being cast in such an iconic part.

I don't know.. I could have bought it if she had hired a gunman to do the job for her... but we have to remember that Iris was her own worst enemy. Many a marriage of hers was ruined because of her inability to move on from Mac so I could see Rachel marrying Carl as a betrayal against Mac's memory and she snapped.

I always figured Holden/Meg were the youngest since the two were closest.. and that Holden was Emma's favorite because he was her youngest son... and that Caleb/Ellie were the middle children and the ones least accustomed to farm living. I know that Iva took off when either Meg was very young, or before Meg was born.. because when Meg came on in January 1986.. Iva was happy to see Meg while Meg remarked that she didn't know her but had heard a lot about her.

I do agree the show is missing something, perhaps an emotional depth that we havent seen on the show since the 1967 to 1969 episodes. With that said, I find that the script qriters have been good..some better than others (one of the script writers lee zlotoff created Macgyver in the 80s).. when I watch an episode and like how the episode is written/structured..I find that the script writer for the day is always Lainie Bertram (who was a script writer for oltl in the 80s). Script writers can make a show better...but Cenedella used script qriters during his 6 month stint and I found his 6 month stint almost a chore to watch.

Jill as a friend of would be perfect. Jill in small doses is good PR for her. Her brief visit gave the show some attention especially shedding light on on and off again friendship with Ramona.

I read she came on in early july followed by her siblings a month or so later. And I agree Ann isnt crazy, she was sick and tired of being a doormat and decided to fight for something because being noble wasnt working for her.

I know Ken Corday was starting an online web presence.. and I think the Ladies of the Lake was the first content from that... so I'm wondering if he's getting all the kinks worked out so that if NBC does decide to drop Days.. it can go on airing online on his platform? I also think Walmart is smart to appeal to Middle America since Netflix has totally shifted from a more diverse content that populated their channel in the early years (though I'm tempted to add Netflix again if the Dolly Parton deal does happen). I have antenna only, but I don't get CBS.. but that is just as well since I don't like anything that airs on that channel anyway (their daytime schedule is the pits and all of their comedies/dramas are skewed for old people.. and are procedurals.. boring lol)

I truly think she was always crazy under the surface.. it's just that the Pollocks really didn't think to showcase this till near the end of their tenure. So far, I like the current head-writer with the introduction of the heir apparent to Dr. John Morrison in the form of Dr. Paul Summers. He is fascinating especially when he is seen talking to his cat. He has an ax to grind against Matt Powers due to circumstances surrounding the death of his late wife (suicide), and the cat/mouse games with Ann.. and his seemingly toxic new interaction with resident nut Stacy (who reminds him of his late wife). Plus, the way he is charming Mona to be on the hospital board to 'help' Matt. It will be fascinating to see how Douglas Marland finishes this story when he takes over. I also like all the anvils in regards to Joan Dancy's coma story.. with a right to die/life argument being started.. and hints of Jerry Dancy wishing Joan would just die. I know what ends up happening, but it's fascinating seeing all the hints/anvils of this story. In regards to Jada Rowlands... I don't know... I've heard its by the end of 1976, others say in 1977... but we shall soon see.

I know her last interesting concept was the It's a Man's World cd where she put a feminine POV to male written/sung songs (walking in memphis was epic). With that said, I like her take on Fernando.. it fits her voice well.. but I don't think all of Abba's songs will fit her voice.

I love this scene when Alexandra/Reva were frenemies... and there was a conversation about class, generational changes, etc. It really hits home Beverlee's point that Alexandra lost a lot of depth in the last year or so of playing the character. I think part of that had to do with Jill Phelps as EP.. but I truly think it also had to do with the creator of the character (Pam Long) no longer being there. Reva/Alexandra were written best when she was there...imho. I do wonder how Long would have help write Alexandra after she found out about Mindy/Roger? I know Curlee takes credit for the Mindy/Roger affair.. but I have to wonder if Long would have influenced how the character was written post the affair.

Faye Resnik is low rent and the fact the show considered adding her made me think that the BH franchise was on descent into boredom. Thank gosh she was afraid of fan backlash, because there is nothing about her life I'd want to know. I know everyone makes mistakes, but her actions during the Nicole Brown Simpson case just made me think she was gutter trash and no amount of glitz and glamour can ever truly clean the stench coming from her. I'd like an outsider (and I'm talking an outsider of California) to come and join the show in order to shake it up. Teddi was a decent addition (though I think she would have been better served on the OC..imho), but we need someone dynamic that can shake up the cast and that isn't trashy (season 1 Camille was such a high level of success.. that understandably is difficult to meet or surpass.).

That would have been better if Gus was Alan and Rita's son...or at the very least Rita's son...cause that would have solved what happened to Rita (she vanished and was never was found). I didnt get the point of Buzz and Lillian being together other than both characters were single and the writers didnt know what to do with them so put them together. By the time they were paired...Beth and Harley no longer despised each other..Harley was gone and Beth was involved in Alan's orbit. I did like that Hawk/Lillian would still flirt with Hawk saying if Buzz didnt treat her right, that he would be available all she had to do was let him know. I recall Hawk/Lillian was a nice little coupling in the darker 1986/7 period during Pam Long's absence as head writer..but I noticed once she returned in fall of 1987, she introduced Sarah..and within a few months broke up Hawk/Lillian to reunite him with Sarah. Pam long and Wheeler...hmmmm...I never thought about that..but I could have seen it working...except both of them on their own would go overboard with their passion/ideas...and both needed a counterbalance to reign them in. (Long had calhoun and Curlee in the late 80s....and I think Lorie Hurst helped bring Wheelers ideas to life in a soap manner..making it more realistic, etc).

@Cat I kind of feel bad for the new housewife Gina on the OC....her husband so Kelsey'd her. I like that she is unfiltered and caused Vicki to be speechless for once. Also, two stroller moms being added has made a few of my female friends that are moms watch..... and I think Shannon is the consistent MVP...she's quirky, reacts dramatically, and has the home life as well. I cant wait to meet Tamras son Spencer since hes now 18 and will be appearing rumor has it. I noticed once she got married, became a grandma, opened the studio, etc...Tamra became a somewhat less pot stirring because she had other stuff to offer. I'm wondering if Beverly Hills could hire someone from New York...because while the OC doesnt care about their image...BH cares too much about their image...I'd love a straight shooter to come on...not crass/drunk like Brandi..but someone that doesnt care about their image. That franchise needs a shake up.

He seems sweet and earnest...but acting was not his calling.

I'm liking RHOC so far... it's in the process of a rebuild. It's a different breed of a housewife show than NY (thank god) and Potolomac. Its a family show where family is equally in focus with the non family stuff... and I'm sorry.. I'm liking Kelly sticking it to Vicki. Vicki needs to go, she covered up Brooks cancer.. and that actually bothers me quite a bit.

I think there was another actor that played Chris.. by the name of Alan White, I believe.

I do recall hearing that the Iris of the 70s had no interest in business, other than being a woman who lunched. So it was interesting to see the Iris of the late 80s and 90s that was knee deep in corporate intrigue.. did anyone ever note this change in Iris?

Rhoc... I like that vicki soesnt have power behind the scenes..so the other women can call her out on her stuff. I hope Gina continues operating without a filter. I think beverly hills needs a new Yorker in the cast..but not bethenny