Soaplovers

Agnes Nixon did create OLTL partly in reaction tinthe restrictions she had while working under P and G. She wanted a diverse soap in terms of class, religion, gender, and face. To tell the stories she couldn't tell under P and G. In the 70s and 80s...ATWT seemed more conservative and tame in comparison to GL. Hence why the dobsons worked on GL and not ATWT. Marland even adapted to GL and wrote it differently then he wrote ATWT.

I did like that evem though ava and Stacey stopped interacting fully in the last few years...there were occasional nods of history to their previous rivalry. Once when Ava was faking being pregnant with Leo's baby...and Stacey mentioning that Ava hadn't changed a bit over the years...and after Stacey's murder where Ava expressed sadness at her death admitting to Angie that her and Stacey were never close and feeling guilt over the stunts she pulled. Shane was an interesting character... she wad neither a heroine or a true villianess...she and Leo had a fun relationship...and boy did they have great couple spats. It was a shame the show wrote them off..but at least she had her happy ending given what had happened to her late hubby and child years before.

Gretchen needs to go away. Unless she gets married or does something with her life....she should never be back on the show. And Gretchen vs tamra is as played out as ramona vs bethenny on new York. The shows becoming about feuds and teams is what killed the franchise...and helped contribute to the toxicity of our current society.

I always thought Grant was her true love. In fact, that pairing helped mellow her to the point where she was bootable and not the interloper. And I loved how karma rewarded Lisa with Joyce Coleman in the 70s and early 80s. I think having Grant come back in the final episode wanting to check into the hotel she was running..and Lisa smiling..could have left viewers with the notion that perhaps they would end up together again.

To be honest, t amra has never been a great mother...but mark my words, that will be Kelly and Jolie in about ten years as well.

This shows that multiple stories could be balanced on a half hour show. You can tell Bill Bell was still show runner at the time. It's funny that Stephanie rewrites history cause she was just as bad as Brooke was. While Eric was attractive, I don't think he was worth it...and didn't get why Beth, Brooke and Stephanie were hot to trot for him. Seeing Donna in this episode makes me understand more why the original actress quit a few short months later. She's just a talk to..and the original actress said her main rrason fir keaving was due to being just a talk to for Brooke. Sad since her character drive quite a bit of story from 1987 to 1989/90. Id forgotten Felicia worked at Spectra.. I recall she did one fashion show for them..with an environmental theme..and I think that was when she was clued in aboit Jake/Macy...but details are hazy.

But do you think the writers changed the character based on the actress? Sometimes a writer will shift a character based on how a new performer plays the scenes written.

She seemed more confident and possessing of a backbone. I often wonder how she would have played the story of MJ being a former hooker.

Ed and Norma...one of the more grounded stories from the original series especially in the first season.

There are parts of 1981 that were quite good. It seemed like the Matthews family was getting renewed focus....and you had Alice/Sally coming back. I liked Jennifer runyon's sally...and it's interesting when she leaves...that the role of interloper in Donna/Peter's life transfers to Cecile....cause Mary page Keller had a different take on the part then runyon did (not sure about the brief recast between the two) I thought waiting a few months after the recast Alice was there before bringing on a recast Steve would have been smart had they not replaced Alice so quickly. Maybe, the show thought she played Alice too harsh..and thought the character should have been more ingenurish...but Alice wad never a true ingenure...she was sarcastic, strong willed and stubborn..and wasnt gullible. JC played that with Alice...and Harney also played Alice that way even though she had a shrill undertone. I will agree 1982 was a forgettable year..and it seemed like 1983 to 1984 was an attempt to forget most of what happened in 1982...in some ways.

1991 was a great year...the rebuilding/transformation if the show from Pam long's era to Curlee and co's era. 1992 wad the last year where I thought the show was flawless....1993 had some great stuff..but Mo's death short circuited a wonderful potential storyline that started in late 1991...ed/lillian/maureen....people would be torn...sides would be taken. We know Roger and vanessa would take Mo's side...but id be on the fence over whose side Holly would take.. since she had become friends with Mo ad well as her close friendship with Ed...yet would have felt sympathy for Lillian as well. Blake and Ross would be an interesting question since both had close ties to ed/mo...alan Michael as well given he and Ed were close. Such a shame.

Guess who is now trying make up lol Guess since she and Gretchen are bosom buddies...makeup not so bad lol Will this succeed..or go the way of her jean line? http://www.bravotv.com/blogs/vicki-gunvalson-la-splash-cosmetics-lipstick-collaboration?cid=soc_dg_fb_Lookbook_RHOC

I do recall dru/neil/cricket/nina/Danny hanging together some in the early 90s.. I'm not surprised Ashley was involved with Dru's early story......she and Olivia were written as old college chums/sorority sisters...and that connection was maintained/mentioned through the early 2000s. I think I bought Brenda's Ashley and Olivia being friends mire so of the three Ashleys...if that makes sense.

What's funny is that t amra offered a few times to help her and shannon's excuse was that the gym is 30 minutes away. Reading shannon's blog about the trainer going 'wow' and not being bothered.. it shows me that she is conditioned to accept that...to fuel her victim complex. With that said, seeing a clip of next week of Shannon teaching Sophie to drive...she and Vicki are so similar lol. I wish Sophie got a talking head...all she would have to do is roll her eyes and shrug her shoulders and say 'that's just mom'. rhony Luann is reality tv gold only on vacations

RHOC Good balance between the old format with some drama mixed in. Shannon fascinates me..i give her props for showcasing her struggle with her weight...and seeing her with her trainer confirmed for me that I made the right decision not getting a gym membership. I think Shannon should maybe invest in a bicycle. Kelly is pure trash and exactly what is wrong with humans nowadays. She better remember that she's a decade away from menopause and could very well end up gaining 40 plus lbs herself. Peggy...i like her. Just because she doesn't bring drama so far doesn't mean she's a dud. Seeing the scene of her discussing breast reconstruction reminds me of what my late mom went through with breast reconstruction herself. Lydia' s tagline should be 'I stick my nose in people's business so they stay out of mine'. Vicki with the cameras all over her office screams 1984. I would quit so fast if I found out about that. Megan's vignettes with baby and Jimmy are cute. T amra is being calm...i hope it lasts...but bybmid season she'll be screaming at someone.

It was a shame that the last few years the show dropped any attempt at being a soap. The introduction of Pretty would have been handled differently had she been introduced in the earlier years vs the later years. Im still amazed Paloma was a pretty interesting character..the complete opposite of her sister Theresa...considering she was introduced in the later years as well.

Oh god...RHOA will soon be like Rhony where one housewife calls all the shots. I was celebrating when toxic Nene went away...and noe I fear the show will revolve around Nene and her demands backstagw...just like new York with bethenny.

I didn't know that Julia and pearl might have been paired...i saw some episodes from fall 1986 after her latest fling didn't work and she and pearl were hanging out...and I did note chemistry. I also thought that she and Dylan (the guy she found on the beach fall 1985) had chemistry..and was surprised the show opted for him to go with Kelly.

It's funny that Julia was on the shoe a year and a half before the show started the process of pairing them. I often wonder had that not worked, would Julia have been written off?

So I've not watched season 3 (waiting to binge it :). I have heard that a lot of the show isn't even set in Twin Peaks..and I have to wonder if perhaps there is some padding going on since the order was supposed to be for 9 episodes then got extended to 18 episodes. Would that be accurate to assume that to be the case?

So going back to RHOC....i will agree that Shannon and Vicki are alike especially on how they mother their daughters. Shannon and how she acted during Sophies first dance, when she was trying on make up, etc....reminds me of season 1 Vicki talking to Brianna before senior prom about not having sex, no drinking, etc...then crashing brianna's date at the mall in season 1. Shannon's oldest just turned 16..and I can see Shannon doing those things by the time her oldest is a senior. Hopefully, the spirit shown in one of her twins Stella will outwit the helicopter parenting of Shannon.

Just happened...and in slow motion

It wasn't a bad episode of RHONY..but I think if rather have had Ramona sit out the trip. Sonja vs Tinsley, Bethenny being her usual bitter self and Luann and Dorinda would have been enough. I think for season 10, they need to freshen up the cast a bit. Or perhaps they need to take a cue from OC and not all film together as a group all the time.

This is eeriee that T amra is the calm one. Twilight zone territory.

I think both celeb and angel come in 1988. You wonder about Angel for awhile...and you don't truly get the answers till 1990/1991.