Soaplovers

Sometimes an actor might not object to the content of the show if the part they're playing doesn't cross those lines. It sounded like he was playing a business man that was sort of dating Norma while they were partners in a franchise. While the show was off the rails... that part of the show he was acting in was the light/purity of the show.

I did enjoy that episode because it did give Ginger a rare time to be the focus of an episode.. especially in season 1. It's a shame that it didn't really provide any future story for her character even though it did provide a bit of context as to why she was a grade school teacher (to be around kids) and why she/Val did seem to bond in that first season (both forced by outside forces from being mothers as teens). Any story idea I could have come up with Ginger was basically played by Val (i.e. difficult mother, problems with her pregnancy, having baby kidnapped, etc). I think the show having Ginger start singing in season 3 was their attempt to make her character fit with the more soapy direction that the show was starting to undertake. Even in season 4, she was still islanded off away from the other cast.

In the real world, Val/Ben would have gone the distance.. but in soap land.. he had to go because some viewers liked them too much that the whole Val/Gary end game plan was put in jeopardy. They had fun together on their dates, they both loved to run, he had the beach house overlooking the ocean, and both were writers. They had more in common then she had with Gary..imho

It seems to me that Lemay replaced Carole with Gwen... since Carole and Angie were both fighting for Willis in 1975/6... and eventually once it appeared that Alice wasn't going to work in that spot, Gwen was placed in that spot.

Fans and Bravo have enabled Sonja for years... about time she start acting like a grownup instead of the delusional person that we've been forced to witness Dubai: Stanbury seems to be acting more like her old self, though she really needs to ditch Sergio. Lesa and Brooks are both delusional.. just are expressing it in different ways. Lesa's business last season was only doing well because her husband understands money.. or else her business would just be a typical trophy wife venture. Something is up with Brooks... she's become like Luann on Twitter with attacking her former friends. Is she stressed about her business, her ex, or other

From reading 1975 to 1979 outlines for Alice, I noticed that she had a lot of interesting stuff with raising Sally, dealings with Willis, her brief marriage to Ray, plus a low key feud with Olive that really took shape with the house fire in 1979. While Harney was a decent actress, imagine the dramatic possiblities had Courtney not been fired and been able to play some of this material. Fans would have rooted for her. Plus, the show wouldn't have put all their eggs in the Rachel/iris/Mac basket... since Beverlee was pretty burnt out by 1979/1980 (hence being given a spinoff that was somewhat less work then what she had to do at AW). At first, when AW expanded to an hour.. Lemay/Rauch added characters that were connected to the main cast starting with Angie Perrini in early 1975... who grew up next door to Ada/Gil (and the femaily had been mentioned for 3 years as neighbors and also how Joey was child hood friends with Jamie). Problem was that eventually they added characters with little to no connection to the core characters.

I did notice that Hope and Amanda came more alive once Pam Long took over as headwriter before both were written out at weird times (due to Gail Kobe sadly).

I agree Alan and Hope's marriage would have crumbled.. I just wondered how the Dobson's would have written Hope. From what I've been able to determine, the writing for Hope differed depending on if the Dobsons or Marland were writing the show. Rita was the classic case of 'your own worst enemy'. She was woefully insecure and she tended to make mistakes based on that insecurity then scrambled to cover them up. I always noticed a difference in Rita and how she acted when she was in scenes with men/women that didn't like her.. and when in scenes with her sister Evie. Rita seem more secure and rational when talking to Evie because she knew her sister loved her unconditionally while she was never sure if anyone else could, or would.

The other element going on in Rita's life was the constant presence of Holly in Ed's life. Post Roger's fall off the cliff until Holly left Springfield months later.. Ed had this pull toward Holly. Even after Holly left town, in order to stop being in the way of Ed moving on... Rita felt Ed was blaming her for driving Holly out of Springfield. These feelings led her toward Alan.. who also felt out of sorts with his new marriage to Hope. I also noticed a change in Hope after Marland took over... and I wondered how the Dobson's would have written Alan/hope post the island story.

Nixon and Marland had two totally different styles and vibes.. which were never going to work together. The title Loving should have evoked passion in a romantic, sensual, or intense manner.... in positive and negative ways. As @Khan mentioned.. Jeff's obsession with Trisha, The Loving Murders, and Dante's keeping Curtis prisoner where the best example of emotion hyped up. To Jeff, Gwyn, and Dante.. they viewed their actions as 'love'.. but that loving feeling ended up turning dangerous. The brief 1991/2 intro had an intense score that was dramatic.. and that should have been what the network and writers should have focused on.

I kind of understood the Alex motivation because she never properly grieved losing Lujack..so having Nick come into her life was a 2nd chance at becoming a mom. A chance she never was allowed to have. I think having both Curlee and JFP helming from mid 1991 to mid 1992 without Long there is partly why both Mindy and Alex suffered as characters. Had Long not quit in late 1990, she might have fought to maintain the layers for both characters and their story..imho

Ding dong the witch is gone. Sorry.. but I haven't liked Kenya ever since she laid her hands on Ramona during the 1st UGT. To me, that act made her no better then Porsha because she did the same thing to Ramona that Porsha did to her.

I bought Alex continuing to dislike Mindy only because of the fact that Mindy switched the paternity test results.. thus robbing Alex of her son. If it had been just the affair, I think eventually Alex would have eventually moved and just traded shady remarks anytime they interacted (like she did with Blake).. but depriving her of her son... unforgivable. We have to remember she had Lujack taken from her, reunited with him, then lost him tragically so for her to have a second chance with Nick was almost a godsend. So I always thought the writing in the early 90s was slanted toward Mindy with Alex painted as the bad guy.. when she wasn't.

Nikki would have so much story potential if Victor wasn't on the show... she's just held back because of the character of Victor.

From what I understood, once Bergman joined Y & R.. he helped bring along the practices that he learned while at AMC to the show. Hence why you saw a huge increase in noms and wins in the early 90s and thereafter. Maitland and Traci B were the first winners at Y & R. Part of the problem when determining who gets a nom and who wins will boil down to what episode/s you submit. So Kim Zimmer always had the big moments given to her so she was able to secure noms and wins.. while someone like Garrett went the more subtle route and that sadly is never ever awarded an Emmy. And I actually didn't mind Alex outing Mindy to Billy.. because Mindy had it coming. Also, I remember on one of the Locher room interviews Curlee explained that she and Long were not in total agreement of the Mindy/Roger affair story. Long felt that it was in character for Mindy to hook up with Roger one time due to impulse... but not to continue with pursuing an affair with Roger at the expense of Alexandra. I would have to agree that it seemed out of character for Mindy to continually go for Roger and be almost gleeful over it. Curlee in the Locher Room interview rubbed me the wrong way... she seemed almost like one of those toxic women that cause issues for other women at a job.

One I wish had gotten picked up as a series... I think the pilot got lost in the shuffle during the mid 00s on ABC

For me... I was an OC dude.. and I stick with it through thick and thin. Miami has been pretty good and Dubai is off to a promising start this season.

Higley was the lesser of two evils... only because of the Sydney baby switch and Night time Hope....and she created two new female characters with potential (Mia and Melanie)....and utilized Stephanie Johnson as a strong grey character. RC starts strong...but after awhile..his stories become one note and repetitive.

Marland might have had good rules.. but his writing sucked and lacked any sort of personality or life.

I remember seeing this when I was a small child in the late 80s.. an unsold pilot that totally was inspired by Beetlejuice..imho

Dana, I think she was on the show for about a year before she was killed off. Didn't she come on pretending to be Beth?

I have a feeling the writer and actor strike helped derail momentum for this project as well.

From what I understood from reading the SOD article post 1988 writer Strike.. Long had created the character of Blake and approved casting just before the strike started. In fact, she was surprised/concerned once she found out that the character was introduced on the show since she didn't share what the outline was going to be for her character. It was after the strike was over and no one knew who she was talking to in those phone calls that her being Roger and Holly's daughter became a thing (Curlee talked Long into it... I believe)

I did watch a snippet of an episode from the fall of 1987 when Mo was still hospital Admin... and she was preparing to go to war with Alan over something he was pulling on the hospital and Ed. So I don't think Van and Mo were going to interact as friends.. since it appeared they were on opposite sides in 1986. Plus, I think Maeve was Mo's friend in 1987/88 until Maeve passes... and Vanessa was off canvas from January 1988 until around mid 1989. I was surprised Vanessa had set her sights on Ross when she came back in mid 1989.. and she instantly disliked Nadine for being beneath her. There was a scene where Vanessa came to see Ross as Holly left.. and said 'oh... she's attractive' to Ross. Vanessa always viewed women as either competition or beneath her.. at least back in the 80s/early 90s. In fact.. Billy/Nadine started because the two were in cahoots to keep Vanessa and Ross apart.. and then they fell into an affair themselves. Fletcher was best with Claire.. both were head strong and full of passion/adventure. However, I did like his opposite attract relationship with Maeve.. she kept him in line and he helped her to loosen up. Attempts to pair him with Vanessa and Holly didn't work... I always wondered why the show didn't test him with Nola or Nadine.

I think the Vanessa that came back in mid 1989 after being off canvas was a nice mix of Marland's Vanessa and Long's Vanessa...where she had the haughtiness and disdain for Nadine...but also had a heart. Shame by 1991...that Vanessa went away.