zanereed

I would have taken any of the above. I have a soft spot for Roussel, but if she declined, Mattson or McCabe would have more than been capable. Now that you mentioned Mattson, @NothinButAttitude, it would have been fascinating to see if Mattson and Raines had any chemistry...

19 hours ago, NothinButAttitude said:

 

So adorable. 

 

Makes me wonder why the show never tried to recast Hope and humanize Alan (once again) in later years when all he did was become more and more or a caricature. 

An excellent question. People were asking that while the show was still on the air.

I think in the late 1980's and early 1990's, they didn't do that because they had SORAS'd Alan-Michael so quickly (and probably too quickly looking back at it). Part of the Alan/Hope love story was that Alan fell in love with the daughter of his arch nemesis (Michael Bauer), who was supposed to be around 20 years or so *younger* than Alan. With Alan-Michael having aged 15 "soap years" in the course of 4 "real years", that logic wouldn't be possible any longer.

Of course, it isn't as if TGL was ever adherent to their own history. I personally think in the mid 1990's, once Alan had been established again in Springfield, it would have been easy to bring back Hope. In fact, they could have done that during the 60th Anniversary Celebration, with both Mike and Hope returning to Springfield to honor Bert/Cedars, and Hope deciding to stay in Springfield. 

16 hours ago, Nicholas Blair said:

That's all I know about it, too. Don Stewart and Melinda Fee were both popular with fans. Mart Hulswit said in his recent Locher Room interview, which was great, that he and Don Stewart differed politically (Stewart, a former Navy pilot, was conservative) but they became good friends.

You could always tell Hulswit and Stewart were close from their shared scenes, some of which are available to see on YT - they acted like the brothers they were playing! For me, Mike was always the piece that was missing for Ed during the late 1980's and 1990's (when Ed was on the canvas), as Ed had no sounding board like he had with Mike. I suppose they made Ross essentially Mike for those years. I always thought that if they continued to do that, the show should have organically bonded both Ed and Ross as having brothers (Mike and Justin, respectively) that they both were once close with who were now off doing their own things. Well, I'm not sure Ross and Justin were ever super-close, I guess.

On 10/22/2021 at 7:19 PM, Nicholas Blair said:

I was disappointed when GL killed off Charlotte, even though her exit story was great. I remember seeing a magazine headline "Melinda Fee Forced Off Guiding Light," but I don't know what the story was. However unpopular Don Stewart and Melinda Fee may have been with their castmates, the fans appreciated their work.

 

I've always wondered by Stewart and Fee were unpopular with their castmates. I think from this very thread I've gleamed that Stewart came not knowing his lines very well, and from Fee it was basically personality. @Nicholas Blair, does that seem right?

37 minutes ago, vetsoapfan said:

I know she eventually became an accepted part of the canvas, but I always found Lillian to be pretty tedious, TBH. If she had quietly been written out, I doubt I would have even noticed. But can you imagine a triangle with McKinsey's Alex, Mike and Vanessa? That could have been quite explosive, and more evenly matched than a story with thevibrant Alex battling the dishwatery Lillian for Mike's affection.

Long was also the only writer, IMHO, who ever "got" Reva and wrote her correctly. And she was also the only writer who understood the Phillip and Rick relationship. Long had her flaws (I hated the low-brow camp she foisted onto the show, but when she "got real" and focused on characterization and genuine emotion, she could be quite effective. I wonder how she would have fared with Aunt Meta.

I do think Long would have ended up writing Mike and Lillian as end-game, but that would have bored me to tears, and been a waste of Mike as an older leading man/patriarch. In my daydreams, I wanted TGL to do another crossover with Another World, and have Beverly Penberthy show up in Springfield as Pat Matthews Randolph, and eventually rekindle her long-ago interest in Mike. Pat would have made a better, more beloved, more viable matriarch for the Bauer family than Lillian.

I always found it more interesting when Mike was paired with a Charlotte Waring versus an Elizabeth Spaulding. I'm certainly not comparing Alex or Van to Charlotte (!), but when Mr. Law and Order could be paired with someone who was more "creative" with Law and Order, it made it more intriguing. Again, I don't know if Don Stewart and Maeve Kinkead would have had much chemistry, but I don't know if TPTB ever considered it, either.

The more juicy and complex idea would be to have Mike eventually marry Alex, the sister of his former nemesis/son-in-law. With all of that existing history between the Bauers and the Spauldings, that could have been the gift that kept on giving for years to come.

Speaking of Charlotte, had Mike stayed on the canvas and married Alex, I would have eventually had an illegitimate son come to Springfield that would have been the son Mike of and Charlotte (rewriting history a bit when Charlotte had suffered a miscarriage all those years ago).

35 minutes ago, Mitch said:

Hm..interesting thought..however, I think Alex the Queen of Manipulation and Subterfuge would have issues with Mr. Law and Order Mike enough without a third wheel...(though if it got Van away from being mealy mouth Mrs. Billy Lewis.  Though I wonder if Long was heading towards Lillian winning the day and being Mrs. Mike Bauer which is interesting when you think of what lay in the future for Lillian and the Bauers.

Great point. I really wish I knew what Long's endgame was with the Alex/Lillian/Mike triangle before Kobe fired Stewart. All I've ever been able to gleam with the few crumbs I've come across was that the triangle was going to run parallel and converge with Lujack/Beth. My theory was that Mike would eventually end up at least *engaged* to Alex by 1985. With that set up, it would only make sense for TPTB to eventually lure back Chris Bernau as Alan (as they did anyway in 1986) to create havoc in that potential pair-up.

On 10/19/2021 at 12:39 PM, vetsoapfan said:

There were so many valid, important reasons for Mike Bauer to return to the canvas. I would have preferred to get Stewart back, but always felt Jed Allen would have made an affable, attractive Mike too.

If Beverlee McKinsey had stuck around, I would have paired Mike with Alex, but a Mike/Vanessa pair might have worked well.

I did not warm up to Vanessa being with Billy, either, but preferred the two of them together over her and Matt Reardon.

@vetsoapfan, now you have me thinking of a Mike/Alex/Van triangle. That could have been more wicked and fun than the original Mike/Alex/Lillian triangle that Long was writing !

On 10/20/2021 at 2:47 PM, j swift said:

I'm more of a Stephen Yates fan.  But, I far prefer that era of Jamie versus the Lau/Todd Jamie the Doctor era. It was always more believable to me that a boy raised by Rachel would grow up to be a creative type, prone to jealousy, and addiction. As opposed to a boring self righteous medical professional.  

Even looking back at them as teens, I could believe Dennis to be more of the moral center and Jamie to be a playboy. Rachel's son should never have been anyone's second choice to Jake. 

I 100% agree. Actually, I wish that Jamie had eventually found that he, like his father, had a natural affinity for business versus going to medical school. So maybe he starts out in the arts, for instance, but soon realizes he's better at "doing deals" than creating art? Or, he could have started in medical school and left for the same reason.

This motivates him to get active in Frame Enterprises, deciding that he is going to both embrace and enhance Steve Frame's legacy. Rachel, of course, is less-than-pleased, as (in her eyes) Jamie seems to be transforming bit by bit into a version of his father. Happy and outdoing Jamie starts becoming introverted and brooding, and this would include the jealousy and addiction issues as you listed above.

23 hours ago, vetsoapfan said:

Perfect! But in my heart of hearts, I think any new, major story for Russ would have worked so much better if Sam Groom had returned to the role. Having SG, Jacquie Courtney and Beverly Penberthy back would have made me orgasmic, LOL!

Yep, Sam Groom was always my preferred Russ Matthews, even though I remember David Bailey better because more of his era still exists to view. And Sam Groom could have good chemistry with anyone. So, my fanfic above could have worked very well. Imagine if the audience really got behind a (re)pairing of Rachel and Russ *organically*. Meaning (heaven forbid!) that the writers respect that the love of Rachel's life was gone, and that they were just having a slow build to a *possible* romance. Again, Rachel and Russ had extensive history, so just playing with that part of it and having them interact as old *friends* would have been fun to watch play out. Groom would have likely shined in a storyline like this. Plus, it would also be interesting to see how much chemistry Groom would have had with Anna Kathryn Holbrook - that might have led to some great stuff, as well...

I would have brought Pat back when Iris returned and was making a play for Cory Publishing. Rachel doesn't trust Iris, of course, and asks Pat to come back to Bay City to help deal with Iris (assuming Pat was still associated to Cory Publishing, as she was when they wrote Pat out in 1982). However, Rachel and Pat butt heads (once again), and Pat starts having more in common with Iris than Rachel...

For Alice, I would have brought Alice back as Administrator of Bay City Hospital. This would put her in the orbit of both Russ and Jamie. This would give her ample opportunity to interact with Russ about his ongoing, non-romantic relationship with Rachel .

On 10/18/2021 at 6:40 PM, watson71 said:

After Mac died, I never understood why they did not pair Rachel with Russ.  Vicky Wyndham did have chemistry with David Bailey's Russ.  Even if it wasn't a long term pairing, having Rachel lean on Russ would have caused all kinds of conflict and the show could have used the history of these two characters.  Once it was revealed that Russ was Josie's father, he left Bay City only to return for a few guest appearances.

I 100% agree - I never understood this, either.

Actually, they could have tweaked it a bit where Rachel and Russ wouldn't even need to be romantically involved. I would have played out the long game in the relationship - Rachel isn't looking for anyone new after the love of her life has passed. Russ isn't really looking for romance, either, and certainly not with his ex-wife. However, they both find a fun and unique *friendship*. They go out to dinner, dancing, etc. - they have fun!

Their non-romantic relationship causes various reactions with some in Bay City. For instance, Amanda is thrilled by the fact that her Mom is on the rebound, but not necessarily a romantic rebound. Matt has a different take, though, and doesn't trust the situation at all. Matt influences Josie to not trust her newfound father, and therefore Russ can't seem to get close to Josie, no matter how much he tries (much to the relief of Sharlene). I would have also kept either Alice or Pat on full time, as they would be the ones from the Matthews point of view - should Russ really be doing this? Is Russ falling for Rachel again? Is history repeating itself? Jamie would be the one who would look at it all with cautious optimism .

On 10/15/2021 at 10:04 AM, Mitch said:

Hmmm, sexy young Ross..oh how I would love to be on the other end of one of his stern lectures..though he needs to be wearing his glasses too!

I always thought Ross and Van would have been good end game for patriarch and matriarch of SF.  I never thought he and Blake would last (though the Bloss people would go nuts..) and she and Matt were ehhh, and there was no way I could see Van putting up with Billy's crap when she was older.

This was the Sheri Anderson mess years...I never got why Alex was running a gallery with Maureen and dating H.B.???? But it was all leading up to the Christine Valerre stuff which made no sense.

This was another reason I wish they would have brought back Mike Bauer during 1986 or 1987, after Alan returned. It wouldn't have even mattered to me if it was a recast or if they could get Stewart back. I would have tried pairing Mr. Law and Order with Van. I thought there was some odd chemistry between Mike and Van in the episodes I've seen from 1981, but I admit they were when Anna Stuart was filling in for Maeve Kinkead. I would have put Mike in Van's orbit, putting a potential rivalry with Ross, Alex, Billy...you name it. Plus, have Van eventually marry Mike, and have Van come to a Bauer BBQ (did she attend one in the 1980's at all...?!!?).

On 10/1/2021 at 12:02 PM, Mitch said:

Lord..more then one person saying they liked RVF as Ed..the world has gone MAD!!  I never like PS, I know he is a good actor but he comes across as so..disinterested and cold.  I heard they tried to get MH back but I just can't see Rauch and MADD and that group wanting to bring back a "fat" guy!

 

Ashley was.uh a bit bigger...so she could have been a Bauer...(I like the Bauers to look like real people with some meat on their bones..following in Charita's mode..) and she was always butting in and giving people unwanted advice so yea. I can't see Abby hiding that fact from Rick, especially as that was the reason they gave for her wanting to leave, she wanted to focus on her career and delay kids...plus I always  wanted a bad Bauer on screen..and imagine an Annie offspring!

Deas Buzz had a Napolean complex...and that worked except for the fact that no one brought him down a peg or two. I can see bulldog Buzz going after the big guys but I can' see Alan or Roger being intimidated by him. If by tough you mean loud..yes.

Following along the theme, an unpopular opinion might be that O'leary never came back as Rick and they recast the role either at the time they brought Rick back...(JFP was throwing a bone to fans in the aftermath of Mo dying) or later on, around the time O'leary indulged in his worst tendancies of mugging and thinking he was daytime's Bill Murray and lets face it, when he got sloppy fat!

 

@Mitch: do you know *when* TPTB were trying to get Hulswit back in the role? This is the first time I've heard that he was ever approached to return after firing him in 1981. If it was during 1997, and he declined at TPTB then decided on Gentry, that's fascinating. However, as you said before over in the GL thread, the Bauer that should have been brought back during the Santos storyline would be *Mike Bauer*. That would have made much more sense and more interesting than Ed, even though the storyline involved Michelle. Regardless, Uncle Mike would have came back to protect Michelle as Ed would still be in Africa at that point. I even think that Don Stewart would have come back full time if they asked him to.

@vetsoapfan: I guess I don't see the opinion of Mart Hulswit as the best Ed Bauer being an unpopular one , but you know my opinions already when it comes to TGL.

Someone mentioned to me last year what I thought about George Reinholt as Alan Spaulding on TGL. (This would have been during 1988, so Reinholt instead of Daniel Pilon.)

I had never, ever considered Reinholt before in the role, but as I started to look at all of the audio and video footage available of Reinholt as Steve Frame, it made complete sense to me. 

On 9/11/2021 at 8:29 PM, victoria foxton said:

Thank you for posting this. Can anyone out there clarify for me if Lynne Adams *wanted* to leave TGL, or if the Dobsons decided to simply write out Leslie (as they had earlier with Joe Werner) to free Mike up for new romantic entanglements.

I still wish Mike and Leslie would have had a son or daughter. I suppose that might have been too weird at that time in the 1970's to have a child who would have had the same mother and two different fathers...who were also brothers! Or, had that already happened on another soap and I just can't recall it...?

Also, for curiosity's sake - I recall that Don Stewart had better chemistry with Barbara Rodell versus Lynne Adams. Can anyone clarify that, as well?

On 7/4/2021 at 5:19 PM, Soapsuds said:

You're welcome. I believe these were the episodes that were released on DVD in Europe. I wish we would've gotten them released in the States too.

This was a great episode illustrating how good Zaslow and Bernau were during this time period. Roger is getting darker and darker, while Alan is getting more and more conflicted - having a conscience - thanks to his involvement with Hope. To be fair, Alan is still Alan, but Bernau never went down the path of "mustache-twirling".

I wish the previous episode was available. In that episode, Roger first breaks into the Spaulding Mansion, hunts around some of the drawers, and grabs some cash he finds in one of the drawers. This episode has a call-back gag, as Roger offers Alan some of that same cash back around the 0:56 mark . There was great interaction here between Ed and Mike, as well.

On 6/30/2021 at 2:17 AM, Paul Raven said:

Mike, Ben and Hope (Robin Mattson)

 

Mike Bauer showing his disdain for Ben and Hope by shoving his hands firmly in his slacks pockets .

On 6/16/2021 at 11:27 PM, vetsoapfan said:

 

To be fair, I though Kobe's Texas was a vast improvement over Paul Rauch's. But there was very little history for her to purge, and she did not axe the majority of the existing cast. 

 

While I did not think Bill Bell did his best work on early B&B, and while many actors in the original cast were quite bad, I would say that B&B with Kobe was also better than TGL had been with her. As you say, she was probably reigned in by the Bells. 

@vetsoapfan, maybe you could answer this question regarding Kobe - I read on another forum or message board years ago that Kobe wanted to essentially recreate "Texas" once she was hired as EP of TGL. She hired previous "Texas" cast members, and apparently had some influence on getting Pam Long hired on TGL. Was there any truth to this? I've never had anyone actually confirm this, although someone may have previously commented on it in this thread and I missed it...?

On 5/14/2021 at 8:10 PM, Soaplovers said:

 

I loved this..both had good stories and good wifi.

 

I'd love if Alan could find Sofia Landon Geier (Diane Ballard)

I could have listened to this for twice the time they were both on. Both had great stories to tell, and Mart has amazing recall. Actually, Fran did as well, once her memory was jogged.

Again, I wish Alan wouldn't have a tendency to talk over the guests, as there were times when Mart or Fran were in the midst of a story, and he would tend to try to push to the next question. I really want someone to interview these two again, as I wanted more questions asked and answered regarding writers, fellow actors, etc. At least they had time to talk about Charita. Mart was very nice in his response to the question regarding Ed and Rita and working with Lenore Kasdorf.

Speaking of which, I would love for Kasdort and Sofia Geier to be interviewed!

11 hours ago, vetsoapfan said:

I remember MH's hair starting to thin a bit, but honestly, I think TPTB care more about things like that than the audience does. Regardless of how shallow "the suits" think viewers are, we love our vets even as they age, lose some hair, and get pudgier like the rest of us do! (And Peter Simon's hair was not a lion's mane, either.)

That's what I found unbelievable - TPTB replace Hulswit with a "younger" actor in Simon, who was essentially *3 years younger* versus Hulswit, and who eventually also had his own hair challenges! 

Mart had slimmed down as early as the spring/summer of 1980, as he appeared in some of the pool scenes at the Bauer house during that year shirtless. Speaking of Mart, @vetsoapfan- thank you for pointing out that the photo posted earlier was from 1974! I confess I thought Mart's hair was thinning a bit by then, so that must have been a careful combover.

@bboy875, that is too bad about the show not wanting to bring Stewart back during 1997. As @Mitchstated above, it would have been much better during the mob storyline if Mike Bauer had been back in Springfield as "Mr. Law and Order" (sorry, Mitch, that's too good of a tag not to use for Mike Bauer  ) to protect his niece from Carmen (likely as a favor to Ed, who could have still been away in Africa). TGL didn't really have an older, handsome, leading man of Stewart's age on the canvas. I'm sure TPTB weren't going to chase that demo, anyway.

Oddly enough, Mike Bauer would have still known most of the people in Springfield at that time. He would have been able to fit back into conflict with Alan and Alex, and there was Lilian to rekindle a romance with. Looking back at the week Mike returned in 1997, the show hinted at it during an all-to-brief encounter Mike had during that celebration with Alan, as well as Lilian gleefully leading Mike around by the arm during that event (which may have been all Tina Sloan's idea, because I have a feeling that Tina would have been insistent on some continuity there).

58 minutes ago, Mitch said:

Haha..that I thought I would never hear..the actress was lovely but the part was underwritten and she and Oleary had no chemistry. Tell us why you liked her!

I really liked Yvonna Wright, but you are correct - there was no chemistry there with MOL, and they never really did anything with Mel. I kept hoping for a storyline, but...nothing.

1 hour ago, vetsoapfan said:

 

I thought Mart Hulswit was cute as a button, regardless of a little added girth. 

IMHO, Mart Hulswit was underrated as Ed. The warmth was always there in his performances, but he still had the temper that Robert Gentry's Ed possessed. I still remember when Rita told Ed that Roger had raped her, and Ed went after Roger like a man possessed. I wish that episode still existed out there...

1 hour ago, vetsoapfan said:

Paul Rauch was not one known to care about long-term, beloved actors and characters. 

That makes me wonder who actually had the idea of bringing Stewart back for the 60th Anniversary? It made perfect sense, of course, but the show at the time was not really into its own history, as you allude to. I assumed bringing Stewart back was Rauch's doing. As @Mitchstated, Stewart was in Los Angeles at that point, but I wonder if he could have been convinced to come back? It certainly would have helped the mob storyline if Mike Bauer was back to combat it all, as he used to .

21 hours ago, Soapsuds said:

That really shows the evolution of Mart Hulswit visually, and within the span of a few years. Actors certainly aged quicker at that time. Although the family photo would likely be from 1972, I assume the top photo is from 1971 or 1972?

To be fair, Don Stewart also aged quickly from 1968 to the early 1970's, but by around 1975, he looked virtually the same moving forward (someone said hair dye helped with that  ). Even when he came back in 1997 for Mike's brief cameo, Stewart's greying temples were the only notifiable difference . I still can't believe Rausch didn't try to keep Stewart on the show after that.

19 hours ago, vetsoapfan said:

Me too. I doubt I could come up with one, single favorite TGL character. I'd probably have trouble keeping it under a Top 10!

The ones that always stand out for me were Papa Bauer, Bert Bauer, Mike Bauer, Ed Bauer (Hulswit version), Roger Thorpe, Holly Norris (Garrett version, and she really cemented it after returning in 1988), Gilly Grant, Alan Spaulding (Bernau version), Lucille Wexler, Diane Ballard, Mel Boudreau (was I the only one...?), Rita Stapleton...

...and there are more! So, no...I can't keep it under 10, either!

3 hours ago, Bill Bauer said:

 

Bill Bauer, as you can tell by my name, was probably my favourite. Although with such a long run, there were lots of favourites. I would have to really sit and think about it. 

Just curious - any preference as to Lyle Sudrow or Ed Bryce for Bill Bauer? I always preferred Bryce, but I just thought Ed Bryce had better chemistry with Charita. Although Sudrow seemed to give some great performances in 1950 as Bill Bauer became more and more addicted to alcohol.

16 hours ago, vetsoapfan said:

 

OMFG!!!!!

 

Two actors whom I adore and actually WANT to see!

 

This is thrilling news!

 

Thanks for the heads-up!

Agreed - I have waited for someone to interview Hulswit for YEARS! I am very much looking forward to this one.

20 hours ago, Faulkner said:

1989-93 GL is my idea of soap perfection in the modern era. The community felt so textured and (somewhat) diverse, with Af-Am actors put forth in stories that didn’t tokenize or marginalize them. Not that representation is the *only* thing that makes a soap good, as we’ve all begrudgingly watched series that have erased POCs, but when I watch older classic eras of GL (like the Dobsons), the whiteness is glaring. But so were the times. Can’t always project backwards.

I agree 100%. Diversity was always lacking on TGL (as well as most soaps), and the Dobson era was certainly guilty of it. I also agree with comments other have stated above - the era closest to any of us is likely the time we started watching and it "hooked" us in. In my case, it was generational. My grandparents initially watched it, and then so did my mother, and then my sister and I. The Dobson era is so clear to me because I remember those storylines and characters so well.

I did watch during 1989 to 1993, and I would consider that the last, good, semi-consistent era of TGL. I stopped watching TGL again in 1993 as soon as Maureen Bauer was killed off, as I could not see the show recover from that. I don't think that it ever did.

10 hours ago, soapfan770 said:

The one thing I feel that set Bauer’s fates were the needless miscarriages over the years...Mike & Charlotte’s, Ed & Rita’s, and Ed & Maureen etc. While I can see that Ed & Rita’s played up into the heightening drama & tension at the time the other two don’t make sense. It’s as tawdry as Dan & Susan’s first miscarriage over on ATWT.

 

The lost Bauer cousins went over as well as the lost Cory cousins on AW at the time or lost Jett Carver on Days lol. ATWT did the same thing a decade later but found success with Jack Snyder at least. 

I also agree with this 100%. Unlike Bill and Bert, who had two sons in Mike and Ed (and eventually Hillary) to foster family legacy on the show, both sons surprisingly had few children. Mike had one daughter! I really wish that either Mike and Charlotte would have had a son or Mike and Leslie. I suppose the latter would have been odd - Leslie had a son with Ed and then a son with Mike. Maybe that's why Mike and Leslie never had children...?

10 hours ago, Bill Bauer said:

 

For my five favourite soaps, I can pinpoint the quality decline mark for each (give or take a year or two):

 

GL: 1983

ATWT: 1994

DOOL: 1983

AW: 1975

Y&R: 1986

This would be eerily close to my own opinion (again, I have GL going into 1984 as well as DOOL). I assume 1975 for AW was when both Mary Matthews and Steve Frame were both killed off, and Alice was recast?