Susan Hunter

I'm finally caught up after the holidays and this show is still flawless.

One thing that I find very interesting is that we're currently in the summer storylines and the adults are still front and center. No kids driving story. There is Penny (whom I call Sally Draper), but she's just extra color to the Nick and Althea storyline. This is still very much an adult show. So it makes me wonder when soaps began pushing teens in the summer. It must have been the 80s.

After each Doctors episode, I go over to the Another World Homepage to read the synopsis of that day's episode of Another World-in color. Lots of good stuff happening over in Bay City. I wish there was a Days equivalent.

Did you all recognize Lanna Saunders (Marie Horton on Days) playing Polly's niece? I had no idea she was ever on The Doctors.

When she first came on, I paused the video. Then I was like how do I know her, then I yelled at the screen SISTER MARIE!!! My kid came into the room and asked me if I was okay.

I've finally caught up and I must say that I have yet to find one disappointing episode. I am very interested in the Liz character, because she truly is a kid and she's been thrown into the mix with all of these damaged 30somethings. Poor thing is a mess.

I was talking about the show today with someone and we both were quite surprised at how different it was from the show we remembered growing up (77 through cancellation).

I think what we both agreed on was how unapologetically adult this show is. A bunch of damaged 30 somethings and poor teenaged LIz dragged into the mix working under the same roof. Even the show's #1 couple isn't a story about sweet first love. It was about two people who had been around the block a few times. Also, this was also an era of soap when characters were very black and white, not so on The Doctors. I can't imagine that there was anything else like it in daytime. Well, there was General Hospital, but I'm not sure the two shows had anything in common other than being set in a hospital.

Thanks for the info on Dan and Billy. I'd always assumed that Billy was Carolee's biological child.

Is Carolee the same age as Liz or older? How does Billy fit into the timeline? I want to say that Carolee's first husband was named Dan Allison, but I might be wrong.

Another 'The Doctors'/'Dark Shadows' connection. Mostoller who did costume design for 'Dark Shadows' also did the costume design for 'The Doctors' -- according to the credits. But, like Bob Cobert, her work on 'TD' is not listed in her IMDB profile. On 'Shadows' she was credited as Ramse Mostoller. She also did clothes for 'The Electric Company' and 'Ryan's Hope'.

Something else that makes me curious about the credits. It appears as though they ran the credits and then cut for a final commercial/network promo/station ID at the end of the crew, then came back with the show's title card and 'stay tuned for AW in color'. Seeing other end credits from that time period, it would appear that this practice is unique to 'The Doctors'.

1967 appears to be a big year for LSD and LSD awareness. Google 1967 and LSD and a ton of stuff comes up.

Because these episodes have been so good, I decided to read summaries of what was happening on Days and AW at the time. If the summaries are any indication, both shows were showcasing some of their most classic stories at the time. It seems like NBC's soap block, during this period, was top notch. Truly a golden era.

In Lemays book I think he talks about Nic Coster's firing, he just isn't named.

What about Leslie Charleson as Alice? Or Lara Parker?

For all his genius (and I believe AW under Lemay--particulary during his first few years-- was about as good as soaps get), I think Harding Lemay might have been a handful to work with.

I am a huge fan of Harding Lemay and his approach to soap opera and basically took his book as the gospel. Then, I realized, that his was but one opinion and was colored by certain biases. We never really heard from all the other players in the saga to get their take on the same events. And I've read other interviews that Lemay gave during the period, and some things contradict some of what is written in his book.

I don't think that Lemay was the only one who was a handful to work with, I think they all were. A lot of egos in one spot, all under the belief that they alone were responsible for the success of the show.

Bethel must have been a big 'get' because she received the "and Bethel Leslie" in the credits. Looking at IMDB she did a lot of television. Because I notice these things, Gerald Gordon isn't in that top billed group, which makes me wonder if he ever was.

It was definitely interesting to find out that Bob Cobert scored the show. It sounds like his work on Shadows. I was totally expecting organ music.

Another random thought... these episodes definitely make a compelling case in favor of the 30 minute soap. But I fear that what makes this work so well, gets drastically changed by the late 70s.

I can't remember the last time I was this engaged in a soap, I really hope that the uploads can be resumed at some point. Maybe if the commercials are left in, RetroTV wouldn't have a problem with the show being uploaded.

I have hundreds of channels and the one that I really want, I can't get.

I've just become fascinated by the Liz character now that I've discovered Pamela Toll played Pammy Davis on Somerset. The actress must have left The Doctors for Somerset.

Thank you!

I just love the fact that I'm totally engrossed in the story after only a few episodes. If this has already been asked, I apologize... is Althea pregnant with her daughter Penny or is this a different child?

This was such a treat. I had only known Jada Rowland as Carolee and Lydia Bruce as Maggie, so it is nice to see the original versions. It seems like Steve is a little bit of a devil. As a classic soap fan, I love absolutely everything about this. The pauses, the close ups, and the nice long scenes. I also noticed the people of color in background roles, which is very nice - given the time period. And I really want to stay tuned for Another World coming up next.

Could someone please share the link with me. I would love to see these episodes. Thank you!

It is incredibly misleading, but it was the promo they used for Sami's return to Salem after she was SORASed. Sami's first scenes showed her breaking into Roman and Marlena's house.

Canary played a wacko cult leader. That was the last storyline I saw before my local NBC affiliate took the show off the air.

I believe his character was called Far Wind and he and his cult took over the hospital. For some reason I thought that Greta was a member of the cult, but I guess not.

Sarah Hanley was the roommate to Julie Richards (Beverlee McKinsey) seen in the infamous vacumming episode I have on my Youtube channel. Sasha

Why is that episode infamous?

My issue with Simone # 2 was that the actress didn't seem to understand the character at all. I really don't mean to be offensive here, but the Russells appeared to be the only black family in the lily white town of Harmony, New England, and here comes Simone #2 with a more 'urban flavor'. She seemed out of place in her own family.

Thank you Carl. I loved Brenda Dickson's Jill.

Thanks for posting that article Tom. One thing I loved about Wyndham is that she always referred to the show as 'a company'.

Robert Cenedella,

No one ever really talks about Robert Cenedella that much. He always struck me as one of those workhorse writers who just moved from show to show. Did he ever tell a story that stood out on any show or did he just continue stories from the writers that preceded him?

I'm curious about the Valerie Ames character after Peter died. Was she involved in major stories or was she more supporting?

Also was Peter's death after CBS purchased the show and started messing with things? Anyone know which writer killed him off?