Soaplovers

I do agree that KMH softened when she acted with Ellen... and I also missed Emily/Julie's friendship since that friendship gave Emily an actual girlfriend and showed that Emily could care about someone other then herself. I never thought Emily's friendships with Carly/Rose were as satisfying as her friendship with Julie was. And Ellen had a very colorful past in the 50s/60s... and settled down by the 70s as a talk-to and a worried mom of both Annie/Dee. The Dobsons were the last writers that truly gave David/Ellen a story of their own that sadly was cut short in late 1982/early 1983. The only other times that Ellen got meaty material was in 1989 when Ellen/David were talkign about how far apart they'd gotten with him being gone all the time.. and finally in 1991 when David was killed off. It's a shame between 1991 and 1996.. she was just a talk to (although she had quite a bit to say about the invitro procedure.. and a rare time Ellen/Susan's claws came out toward one another).

I think she had a chain of coffee houses/bakeries that Lucinda was interested in buying an interest in. They even had a coffee house set built and everything. I did notice the farm aspect was scaled back post Marland until 1997.. which I wish had gone away

An interesting case... originally she was introduced because Lucinda was trying to woo her.. and had Kirk help woo her.. and the two dated. Then a curveball was thrown when it was revealed that she was the long lost mother of farm hand Hutch.. and the reason Linc's father left Linc's mother. I think she ended up leaving town during the cast purge of late 1993

Swan's Crossing.. SMG's audition reel for playing Kendall on AMC. I was in middle school and it came on just as I got home from school. I think it was left with a cliffhanger. Tribes.. Created by leah Laiman (but headwritten by Trent Jones (I guess he played Ken George Jones on RH) and Mary munisteri (from Ryan's Hope)). It was just getting it's footing when the show was canceled with none of their stories resolved (Michelle Stafford came on in the last few weeks and was slated for a romance with one of the lead characters in the show's main triangle when the plug was pulled).

Supercouples were great in the short-term, but really hurt soaps in the long term. They tended to limit a character's potential because a lot of time, when a couple broke up... viewers refused to move on. Based on what @vetsoapfan said.. it sounded like there was a struggle to write Penny once her first husband Jeff perished since she didn't spark with hubby #2 nor with Sandy McGuire's ex-husband (I read once that Ellen Stewart was caught in the middle since Penny had been her best friend for years, yet she also was good friends with Sandy). Is it just me, but does it seem like the show dressed Ellen Stewart much younger in the 80s than during the 70s and 90s? Very few people could pull off the 80s looks, but the actress playing Ellen benefited from 80s fashion trends.. appearing more youthful (and looking younger in some cases than Bob/Kim/Lisa). I'm also surprised the show didn't kill off Ellen when she became a great grandmother in the mid 80s (like they did with her mother Clare in the early 70s... a character I wish I could have seen since she sounded like a fascinating character and very neurotic it sounded like.. a vast contrast to Ellen).

I do recall Lucci adding extra to her book after AMC was officially canceled blasting Pratt and co... so if someone that usually is polite can do something post show.. and don't forget Kim Zimmer's experiences working in GL.. or even when Maureen Garrett spoke of her experience filming in Peapack during her final visit. Very honest so I'd love to hear what Fulton would say now 10 + years after ATWT ended. I forgot about her thoughts on Focus Groups LOL

I admit I'm more critical of the Marland years.. but he did seem to do well with this show better than he did on GL. I think due to the fact that GL was a more emotional show while ATWT always seemed to have a more contained, yet beautiful, element to it. I noticed differences between his GL and ATWT when he was head-writing it (GL seemed to have a little more emotional fire under his pen than ATWT did) so I give him credit for trying to adapt to the DNA of both shows. I think it was Eileen Fulton that said when Marland wrote ATWT, it was like an elegant painting especially around the holidays. I was rewatching the Emmy live/Paley center (not sure which it was) interview she did years ago. and she was asked to give her thoughts on certain head-writers. She liked the Dobson's, loved Marland, wouldn't comment on Sheffer at all, and said that Lorraine Broderick was a great person that never got a lot of her ideas approved.. and Fulton said a writer is paid to write and to not interfere with their process (even saying directors also shouldn't be interfered with either.. wonder if that was a subtle dig at Goutman). So if anything, the theory fans had with interference wasn't a theory at all.

Sort of like how he struggled to write for Rita and to a lesser extent Holly on GL?

I'm curious by Diana not being a Marland character.. and that it was best she left before he took over. What about Diana made her a non-Marland like character? As others mentioned, he tried to create similar characters like Diana (Meg, Julie, Marcy, etc)... and Carly succeeded.. but she wasn't introduced/written by Marland so who knows if Marland would have written her well.

Given the current climate in our country (with the Russian investigation, a power hungry president and loyal stuff willing to lie)... the ISIS story from 1983 is so relevant in this day and age. Rewatching it now on Youtube.. very well done with the introduction of Alicia (who appears to be a victim, but we soon find out she is anything but LOL)

RHOA season 11 will suck for sure... Porsha and Marlo were allowed to return? Dumb and Trashy have no business being on the show.

I was happy Martha was fired, I actually never liked her playing Lily whatsoever. The only times I liked Lily was when anyone other than Martha was playing the character. Anytime when Martha was playing the character, I was rooting for Lucinda to disown the little brat so she'd be free of her.. and than Princess Lily could go live with those hideous Snyders at the farm. Speaking of propping characters, did anyone think that even Marland was guilty of propping characters (Lily, for instance... and rapist/pedophile Rod/Josh)?

I'd always wanted to see the original Holly in action on the show (but sadly, it appears that her stint was not preserved whatsoever). My mom, when alive, was hoping some of her stint had been saved and would be put on the DVD's.. but alas no. I guess this old episode of the Match Game from 1976 is the best thing out there for her. I can see why she played her for several years.. she has a presence that is both likable and fascinating. I couldn't see her playing the Holly that was written in the late 70s... but the Holly of the late 80s/early 90s.. for sure.

I think it turned out that skull she was recreating was of a murder victim.. and that the killers stole it. I think it led to the return of Laurie Kerr (Mike Kerr's daughter).

I think Liz was created because Jody became more wooden and lacking spirit/fire once she was recast. Some of Liz's actions/stunts reminded me of stuff that Jody would have done if Loughlin had stayed in the part.

Henry/Barbara as a fun fling made sense... but having them as endgame.. wasn't cool. And the show ruined Vienna to prop Henry/Barbara up. It never made sense Vienna would try to win Henry when she was beautiful and full of life.. that she could have had any guy she wanted. That's why I wasn't a big Henry/Barbara fan because of what was done to Vienna to make it happen. @vetsoapfan @DRW50 yup.. Goutman actually said that about Katie... in a Paley interview, to boot. It was like he was living in a bubble and refused to see reality. It didn't do the show good nor did it do any good for the character of Katie (who I thought was interesting her first year or two on the show when written as a trouble maker). The actress was better served when she went to OLTL as Aubrey where the writing wrote to her strengths.

I think it's actually in character for Carolee to run off... she's always been impulsive and reacts emotionally. And she was smart to leave a recording to send to Steve because if she had tried telling him all this in person.. he would have coddled her, talked down to her, tried to justify sleeping with Ann, etc... and Carolee would have swallowed her feelings as best as she could. I think it was a nicely acted scene and I'll miss her take on Carolee. And the Ann Larimer situation didn't come out of left field.. it had been building for months since spring 1975 when she was bitter over the break up with Nick.. and was having nightmares about being emotionally cold and unavailable to all her previous boyfriends. What is interesting to me is the slight change in how the Steve/Ann affair started... with Cenedella, Steve was pursuing her with Ann trying to be sensible... and with Depriest, the roles switched with Ann pursuing him. And I actually understand Ann changing because it sounded as if Ann was repressed and afraid of opening herself up to anyone.. and when Steve wore down her defenses and she got a little taste of passion.. she became instantly hooked and vowed to continue getting her fix. So to me, it isn't that she loves Steve.. but that she's addicted to him (and signs were pointing to this if you recall with Ann speaking lovingly of Steve last summer with Matt,Maggie and Althea noting it and even expressing to Steve their worries).

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

Personally, Jody lost all of her charm and charisma with Loughlin's departure. Jody became just a prop and was in essence just there when her replacement came in. I'm guessing maybe a few weeks? I think Lori left at the very end of 1983 and her replacement came in around January/Feb 1984

I think it was cut down to 10 because it is essence a new show.. so they're testing the waters to see if there is any interest. Compared to what the majority of the ABC sitcoms are getting ratings wise (some barely above 5 mil), this show would have to get 3 million or less to be cancelled.

I'd rather the show had ditched Jackie as well.. and just focused on Darlene/Becky... unless the show makes Jackie start acting like a normal human being instead of a cartoon character.

Wow... I guess true love isn't forever. I swear if we see reports of Gretchen/Slade breaking up.. than I guess being a con artist doesn't pay after all lol

It did take The Doctors a couple of years before their episodes were digitized.. and it's being aired right now.. so I have hope that down the line we will see P & G episodes streamed. It's a shame they wiped out a lot of the early episodes, which didn't have the music issues that later episodes had.

I think the reason AMC/OLTL got more effort was due to both being canceled on the same day, as well as, being canceled after ATWT/GL were canceled. With that said, both of those shows still had decent production values and still resembled the shows (AMC especially got a jolt of energy in the last months with all the returns and a return of humor). Also, ABC was more willing to sell/lease the rights to the shows out.. while P & G refused.

You could have still had this happen and still have Gerald Gordon come back to operate on Eleanor.. and he hears all about Althea's latest dramas.. and the two start to bicker and fight. However, this time.. it had to be Althea because Eleanor has just been released from the hospital.. and she did insist on Althea coming over. and than Althea had the accident.. so it will garner sympathy for Eleanor. I do like the change in focus with Depriest coming on since now she is showing Eleanor in a sympathetic light.. and Scott/Wendy are being shown in a not so sympathetic light. Cenedella was trying to show Scott/Wendy as in the right..yet the acting choices of the actors playing them didn't reflect that. With that said, I do give a little bit of slack to Depriest since she came in, and had to write off two long time characters (Alan/Carolee) right away with little to no notice.. and usher in Gerald Gordon for a visit. I actually like Depriest's stint thus far because it's actually interesting and it makes me want to tune in the next day while Cenedella's show had nice character scenes (as well as scenes with recurring hospital patients).. but I never felt anxious to see the next episode. And since she joined at the end of Feb.. that meant that the majority of the ratings drop of the 1975 to 1976 season was due to him, and not her. But if I were Althea, I would have stayed home since she seems very accident prone.