15 hours ago, DRW50 said:

 

Was that story around the time of the promo? (I wondered if that's what the hugging scenes with Steve and Leslie were about) I know she came back around the time of Leslie's wedding to Mike.

 

The whole story always sounds so pointless to me and out of step with most of GL up to that point. Maybe they were worried over ratings.

You are correct, Leslie's mother first appeared in 1973, and the storyline continued into 1974. I'm not sure, but I think the storyline started with Rodell still playing Leslie at the time.

I also agree in that the storyline itself was pointless. There were zero lasting repercussions between Stephen and Leslie after the revelation. Once Victoria (her mother) and Roy Mills (her bio father) left town, I don't know if it was ever mentioned again?

On 6/10/2018 at 1:39 AM, j swift said:

I watched GL from the time of Roger's return with Alexandra Spaulding but, after reviewing the posts on this thread tonight, I went back and read about Rita Stapleton (Bauer). 

 

In re-reading the history I was struck by two issues: (1) It's interesting that the feud shifted from Roger/Ed to Roger/Alan; I know Roger and Alan had earlier issues but it seems to me that Ed was never driven by his hatred upon Roger's return; as much as he was in the 70's.  Ed lost a lot to Roger over the years but once Roger was nice to Maureen everything seems to have been forgotten between the two.

Part of that switch from Roger/Ed to Roger/Alan was probably due to - IMHO - Peter Simon's Ed versus Mart Hulswit's Ed. It was Hulswit's Ed that fueled much of the Roger/Ed feud during the 1970's. Hulswit was caring and compassionate, but also had a serious temper when pushed enough - and no one knew how to push Ed better than Roger, especially during the latter half of the 1970's. You can see a couple of their confrontations on YouTube (and I really wish the July 1979 episode when Ed confronts Roger about Roger raping Holly was available - it was one time I believed that Hulswit's Ed was angry enough to actually kill Roger). In a fight, Roger could have knocked Ed out, but Hulswit's Ed didn't care - he would dive in to the fight, regardless.

With Simon's version, Ed wasn't as..."combative". I guess that's as good a term, as any. For example, I could never see Simon's Ed getting into any sort of intense confrontation with Roger as Hulswit's version did. That was a shame, because even though Ed was older and wiser by 1989, it would have fun to see Roger "set off" Ed. I wonder if Simon could have pulled that off...?

5 hours ago, vetsoapfan said:

In any case, a show should never kill off a legacy character like Bill Bauer, one who had been there from the beginning (of the TV version anyway) unless THERE IS NO CHOICE. The way and the reason TGL killed Bill in 1983 was abhorrent.

Absolutely. Bill's death just tried to prop up a storyline that wasn't really that good in the first place (even if Ed Bryce was fine being killed off).

On 6/9/2018 at 11:33 AM, vetsoapfan said:

Zanereed, the show was brilliant back in 1950, with very good, literate scripts which dealt with  adult themes. No wonder the audience was glued to the radio.

 

I'm sure that the audience in 1977 was peeved that Bill had allowed the Bauers to believe he had been dead for a decade, but psychologically, I could see Bill doing it. He saw himself as a failure and was wont to escape into alcohol and affairs when times got tough. This was just another, more extreme case of him running away from a family whom he could not live up to. There could have been YEARS of potential story there.

 

The fact that the careless Pamela K. Long and Gail Kobe killed off a legacy character, one who had originated on radio, was EGREGIOUS. I'm still mad about it.

Joan (or Jone?) Allison was fantastic as Meta Bauer White in 1950. Cool, confident, yet with plenty of vulnerability. The episode where she kills Ted White was actually quite chilling when I first heard it. For anyone wanting to hear this storyline, archive.org has it up here:

https://archive.org/details/otr_guidinglight

I think the audience in 1977 would have given Bill Bauer a pass had the Dobsons brought him back to Springfield as an amnesiac. But I have to agree with you - Bill hiding from his family was exactly in character for him. That was who Bill was. In my opinion, the Dobsons were writing Bill Bauer as he had been in the previous 2 decades. It wasn't the first time Bill had an affair on Bert (Gloria LaRue in the 1950's, and Maggie Scott in the 1960's), for example, and he had fled from his family before. The whole story could have been about Bill Bauer finally facing what he had done to himself and his family (both families) over the years and to finally try to make amends. As you said - that would have been years of storyline, especially if Simone had stayed in Springfield, as well.

On 6/10/2018 at 12:22 AM, Soaplovers said:

Even good writers like Pam Long and Douglas Marland make errors.... Marland didn't really write a lot of the Dobson characters well (Katie, Amanda, Rita, etc) and he killed off an effective villainess (Diane Ballard) for a murder mystery and some of the characters he created (Vanessa, Tony) really flourished once Pam Long took over. 

 

I had wished Pam Long had just decided to have Hillary leave town so that she could have been bought back later instead of killed off (to think of how wonderful the Roger/Holly/Ed/Maureen stuff in 1988/1989 would have been enriched more if Hillary had been around).  

I agree with you 100 percent. Hillary being a Bauer plus having had an affair with Roger would have made great points to flesh out after Roger returned from the dead.

On 6/8/2018 at 3:25 PM, All My Shadows said:

The background story for Bill's return was DUMB. AS. HELL. and I hated it when they told a similar story when Jesse came back from the dead on AMC. If a man willingly lets his family think he's dead so that he can live on some other woman and play house with her, then he ain't sh!t and he can stay dead.

This is me wishing soaps would stick with the families they already have, but did they ever try to introduce any other members of the Jackson family? It sucks that they had a good, unique vet like Stefan Schnabel around and they let the character just die off. Did they bring in anyone from Sara's family? I'm just annoyed with how it seems like at the beginning of each decade, the show scrapped a ton of characters and kept adding and adding and adding. Especially in the 80s. HERE COME THE REARDONS!!! HERE COMES THE LEWISES!!! HERE COME THE COOPERS!!! Why?

You bring up a great point about Stephen Jackson. I always thought that after they had that rather horrid storyline in the early to mid 1970's where Leslie's mother returned from the dead, plus revealed that Steve was *not* even Leslie's real father, that they should have followed up with a storyline where Steve has an illegitimate son who comes to Springfield... 

On 6/6/2018 at 3:50 PM, vetsoapfan said:

 

Good analysis of the Bert/Bill dynamic. How many 1966 episodes are currently available on youtube? And have you listened to all the 1950 radio episodes concerning the death of Meta's son, and her subsequent murder trial? They are really good. 

 

When Bill returned in 1977, I was hoping TPTB had brought him back to explore this relationship, but everything just fizzled out. When they brought Bill back AGAIN in the early 1980s, I was really anxious to see Bill reunited with his family and have all the dynamics between him and Bert, him and Ed, etc., explored...but TIIC killed him off as a plot point in an asinine story. New viewers did not care, I'm sure, but I was aghast and infuriated. (Similarly, I was furious when Y&R brought Liz Foster back that last time, just to kill her off as part of a stupid story point.)

I, too, recommend listening to the 1950 GL Radio Episodes either via YT or via archive.org. Not only are the episodes focused around the death of Chuckie and Meta killing Ted, but also the beginning of Bill Bauer's alcoholism.

I thought it was a brilliant idea to bring back Bill Bauer from the dead back in 1977. The Dobsons were so focused on the Bauers as the core family that it made sense to help shake things up a bit by bringing back Bill. Where the biggest issue sprang from, however, was the audience not accepting Bill having (seemingly) voluntarily abandoned Bert for Simone a decade earlier (technically 8 years real time, but I think TGL stated he had been presumed dead for 10 years). That Bill could knowingly deceive his original family for so long (Papa Bauer having died while Bill was living with Simone in Canada) didn't sit well with viewers. Someone posted an article in this very thread awhile back from 1978 which I believe said that Ed Bryce (Bill) opted to leave because the story wasn't going well. I think it was a shame, as they had Simone on for such a brief period. Had Bill and Simone stayed, there could have been so much played out between Bill/Bert/Simone/Mike/Ed/Hillary - heck, even Steve Jackson could have been included (Did anyone really believe he and Bert were just "friends" during the 1970's? ).

...and don't get me started on Bill Bauer's return in 1983 simply being used as a prop to push forward the Eli Simms storyline...UGH.

1 hour ago, vetsoapfan said:

 

 IMHO, Stewart and Rodell clicked much better on screen and had a natural-looking and affectionate chemistry. I wouldn't say the interaction was noticeably awkward between Adams and Stewart, but with DS, I always felt LA was...acting, and that there was more of a slight aloofness there. I think Leslie might have lasted much longer if Rodell had remained on TGL.

So, how were Adams and Stewart when the show first started thinking about pairing them together (I believe that was either 1969 or 1970)? Was it the same as when Adams came back in 1973, or were Stewart and Adams more affectionate to start with? I'm just trying to imagine the show deciding to bring Mike and Leslie together as a couple (which would immediately add conflict in the Bauer and Jackson families), but the actors not having any chemistry.

On 5/29/2018 at 10:15 AM, vetsoapfan said:

Thanks, Carl. As a viewer, all I can say is I found Rodell's portrayal of Leslie to be both warmer and more likeable to Adams'. 

 

To equate Leslie's sense of morality to "stupidity" does not ingratiate Miss Adams to me, either.

Can you recall at all the chemistry comparison between Don Stewart/Rodell and Stewart/Adams? I've always read and heard that Stewart had much better chemistry with Rodell, but with Adams it was...awkward?

She also miscarried Phillip's baby back in 1984, but no - Mindy never had any children.

On 2/19/2018 at 9:27 AM, Dr Neil Curtis said:

Thanks for posting these! I have been up watching everything from Anniversary week in 1987 to HB Lewis’ funeral. Now if only I could find Anniversary week from 1997. 

Here's another option:

20 hours ago, vetsoapfan said:

 

And God knows, CBS might have provided dictates to the show that were as bad or worse than P&G's. Exhibit A: the Secret Storm.

Whoops - very, VERY true! We're probably better off not knowing, then.

On 1/28/2018 at 12:07 AM, Paul Raven said:

A Soap Opera Mainstay Is Moonlighting as Singer

JOHN S. WILSONJAN. 8, 1973

•  

“I spend the afternoon with your wife,” Don Stewart tells, the men in his audience at th& Rainbow Grill, where he is currently singing. Chances are he is right because Mr. Stewart has been appearing in the longrunning television soap opera “Guiding Light” for four years, five afternoons a week. Before that he understudied Robert Goulet in “Camelot.”

The act Mr. Stewart is doing, at the Rainbow Grill reflects both activities. There is a dis tinct flavor of daytime television in the way he involves the audience in his performances—wandering among the tables, shaking hands, chatting with people, asking for help in removing his tic (and getting it), even luring a woman up to the handstand to use her as a foil for a song. And there are definite overtones of Goulet in his ringing singing voice and his determined display of charm.

Mr. Stewart has chosen a varied program, including the folkish strains of “Green, Green Grass of Home,” a rocking version of “The Games People Play,” a lively medley from the twenties (sung while wearing a spangled straw boater) and a song on which he can let out all the dramatic and vocal stops, “This Is My Life.”

He touches most of the usual bases for an act of this type, uses the usual songs and sings them in the usual style. He does everything very capably, yet leaves almost no sense of personal identification. The only clue that there may be a real Don Stewart behind the polished facade is a brief satirical hit based on soap opera, which lightly blends his acting and singing talents.

Thanks for posting that, Paul. I remember also reading that Stewart was going to record an album in the early 1970's, but I guess that never materialized.

My grandparents saw Stewart live when he was touring the midwest in the early 1980's, and said he put on a heck of a show. They even got me an autographed picture of him for me, but I lost it years ago in a move.

On 1/27/2018 at 1:37 AM, cassadine1991 said:

Do you think GL could've been saved or brought back to life?

In a word, "No", as long as P & G owned it.

Proctor and Gamble wanted out of the soap business as far back as when they first cancelled "Another World" in 1999 - it just took them another decade to finally succeed in putting the nail in the coffin for all of their soaps. TGL had no chance of surviving, and I'm surprised that it lasted as long as it did without good writing and a good EP to steer the ship.

Perhaps if CBS owned the show, they might have tried harder to either retool it or figure out some way to breathe new life into it other than a sh*tty production model that P & G let happen. But, who knows? All I can say is that P & G did not care about the show at all during the 2000's.

My favorite theme would be "Ritournelle" (the theme used during the mid to late 1970's).

As for writers, I still think The Dobsons were my favorite writers for TGL. There were other writers and eras I enjoyed, but the Dobsons' era is what I remember vividly, even though I was very young when I started watching.

1 hour ago, vetsoapfan said:

 

To her credit, Long admitted (after her first stint as headwriter) that the fantasy stuff she and producer Gail Kobe foisted on the show wasn't necessarily right for TGL, and she had learned that between telling outlandish stories or intimate human drama, it was better to "get real".

 

Soap editorialist Mimi Torchin interviewed Gail Kobe, however, and reported that Kobe was convinced attention-getting plots were more important than character. GK clearly did not understand TGL or the audience.

Which would explain why it all went downhill towards the end of 1984. The "Dreaming Death" storyline was questionable (and was already told over 20 years prior to that on "Dark Shadows"), and "Tony and Annabelle's Haunted House/Susan Piper/Brandon Spaulding Back from the Dead" storyline was even worse. By the time 1985 rolled around, I didn't know what show I was watching any more. I do lay the blame more on Gail than Pam. Gail just wasn't a good fit for TGL, IMHO.

1 hour ago, Mitch said:

 

 

The summer of 84 I think was GL at its best. It had great energy with newbies but they were all tied into the core which had story. SF was as  posted upthread,  a community and you could imagine it was a place with history. They had serious stories, campy stories, adventure, young people middle aged people and old people.  Personally, I hated Cullen's pasty faced Amanda...(she was a perfect Marland character for him to write) and Rousell's Hope...(I never understood why people only wanted that actress back as Hope..I thought she was a dud also.  Because of all this, it hit number 1. And then..it abruptly changed tone...with a focus totally on Reva and the Lewises and it just became sillier and colder. I would love for an insider to write the how and why that happened and why, when the ratings dropped out of No. 1..it didnt change?

 

 

It was bad enough that the entire family of trailer trash moved into the Bauer house for a bit under Wheeler..(really, the Chief of Police while an idiot should have made enough to live outside the Boarding House...) but have Buzzard making on Hope???AGGGGHHHHHH. She'd have to be drunk!

 

 

Ah, but I thought Rousell's Hope under Pam Long was written much better, unless that was a carryover from Browne or Culliton? I liked Hope with an alcohol problem, plus she finally had some spark to her. Too bad Rousell didn't want to play Hope that way, though.

I'm not certain if the whole "Buzz and Hope" idea stems from Hope being played by Robin Mattson again, which would have put her with Deas yest again. But, as you correctly state @Mitch - that would have definitely made Hope a drunk...again .

1 hour ago, Soaplovers said:

I'm loving the episodes from summer of 1984...there is a lot of Bert, Hilary, Ed, Rick, and Mike being featured strongly in their own stories plus being support in others.  It's a shame the momentum loses steam by that fall.  I liked Mike being featured fairly early in the Susan piper story....still think it's a waste Nola didn't play some part in that wtory...cpuld you have imagined scenes of Susan piper and No la?  Or even scenes of Reva and No la?

 

I did happen to see the scenes where Hilary is killed..and faintly remember watching it with my mom when I was very little and my mom being surprised at Hilary being killed.  A shame since she was a great character and would have been fairly active as a b auer, a young anti heroine, and a nurse at cedars...plus when holly/roger/Blake came on in the late 80s....she would have been used effectively.  A shame.

I completely agree. Even with the loss of a great deal of long-term characters in 1983 (Sara, Adam, Justin, Amanda, Jennifer, Bill Bauer, Hope, etc.), there was still as much focus on the Bauers as anyone else at the beginning of 1984. Bert had her amputation story, Hillary was in the thick of things with the Dreaming Death (which I was was never a fan of) and then at the beginning of Susan Piper, Ed and Maureen were involved in all the goings-on at Cedars, and Rick was heavily featured with the storylines involving Phillip, Beth, Lujack and Mindy. Although Mike wasn't used heavily at the beginning, Pam was still using him as a supporting player in other stories before building up his love triangle with Alexandra and Lillian. Plus, as someone stated earlier, there still seemed to be a community there. When there were events, several of the cast were being utilized. Even with Alan gone by the summer, events were being set up that looked promising. By the fall,  however, it completely loses steam. Without Mike or Alan around, the whole Brandon Spaulding reveal completely bombs. It has no weight to it because the cast involved (other than Alexandra) have zero to do with Brandon. Plus, as you stated, Hillary's death was useless in the long run. Maybe Marsha Clark would have eventually left to do something else, but I don't think she was looking to leave at that point. Plus, if she makes it to 1989 unscathed, as you stated @Soaplovers, she could have been used prominently in the "Roger returns" storyline, as she and Roger had a fling back in 1978.

By the way, for those curious of how MIke and Lillian interacted, here's a sample from July 1984 (they have about three scenes together total):

2 hours ago, vetsoapfan said:

(Of course, being as ancient as I am, probably no one else at SON has even HEARD of Nick and Nora, LOL!)

Now THAT would have been a riot, especially if they did verbal "jabs" at each other (McKinsey would have excelled at this). Imagine the two of them solving Springfield mysteries together!

1 hour ago, Mitch said:

Interesting how soaps would have even their "heroes," do some not very nice things...but the characters still got called on their behavior and did not get a free ride as now..they have a character do something and it is brushed off or excused because the person they did it to was worse then there are.

 

Would it have been too controversial to break Ross and Blake up for good at the time of her and Ben Warren and bring Hope Bauer on to be in a triangle and eventually marry Ross and be matriarch. I reallly hate how the MADD soaps had couple break up all the time to just end up where they were before...(Jeva, Holden and Lilly, Ross and Blake, Carly and Jack..) it got very tiresome.

Good point. That's the issue Harding Lemay had when he started at Another World, which is why he fought to have Walter killed for murdering Wayne Addison, and to have Steve imprisoned for bribery.

I, too, thought that Ross and Hope would have a been a good couple, even when both Ross and Hope were on the canvas together in the 1980's. Imagine Hope leaving Alan and turning to Ross (a MARLER, and Phillip's bio-uncle!!!).

9 hours ago, vetsoapfan said:

 

Speaking as a rabid fan, a Mike/Alex/Roger triangle would have sent me into NIRVANA. Imagine those three stars working together, and the fireworks it would have engendered? WOW.

Agreed! Again, Mike and Roger definitely had history, too (besides Mike's history with the Spauldings). It wasn't only Ed and Roger that had issues.

9 hours ago, vetsoapfan said:

Lillian was best suited, I thought, for LT Larry Wyatt, whom she dated briefly in the early 1980s; another affable supporting player.

I wonder how Pam Long would have written Lillian if the Alex/Lillian/Mike triangle continued. Would Lillian have become a stronger character during this love triangle, or would she have remained the more demure character? Obviously that triangle would have spilled over to Beth/Lujack, but I wonder what the intended outcome would have been?

3 hours ago, Soaplovers said:

 

I was too young to remember 1984...but who did Mike click with better...alexandra or Lillian?

A scene of Alexandra and Mike:

...and another scene involving Mike, Lillian and Alexandra. Tina Sloan's subtle acting after Alex swaps up Mike cannot go unstated here:

I think Mike and Alex would have been fun to watch, personally.

45 minutes ago, j swift said:

BY "good guy"  perhaps I should have specified both Mike and Bill as their respective mother's favorites?

 

It is interesting to me that these guys who were a little too old for their respective action stories of the 70's were never adapted to age later in the series.  I am filled with memories of actors with hair dyed a little too dark, running around in safari leisure suits chasing villains.  Of course there are actor issues but, I wonder if it is easier to keep a female character going (like Reva or Vanessa) than a male lead character?  Most soaps had fathers and uncles who aged but I can think of few examples of leading romantic men willing to age into their roles and even be backburnered a bit without a recast.

 

 

Great point. The number are definitely few and far between. Don Hastings was able to adjust as Bob Hughes shifted in his role, but part of that was Doug Marland finding interesting things to do with Bob, even if it wasn't all front burner material.

I think in the case of Don Stewart, he tended to resist the "aging" of Mike Bauer. I think someone stated on here in a previous posting that Stewart was upset when Hope and Alan had Alan-Michael, as it then put Mike into "grandfather" status, which he did not want. However, as mentioned earlier, he missed out on a huge opportunity to be in front burner story line with a love triangle with Lillian and Alexandra.

Mike Bauer wasn't a "good guy" initially, either. He married Robin Lang while still a teenager (it was later annulled), which inadvertently led to the death of Karl Jannings. When he was in his early 20's, Mike  pressured Julie Conrad into having sex before marriage (which she waiting for). He got Julie pregnant with Hope, but wanted Julie to give the baby up for adoption as he didn't want anything interfering in the pursuit of his law degree. Basically, Mike wasn't very noble with his attitude towards women at this point in his life.

Of course, later on Mike had the infamous affair with Leslie Bauer while Leslie was still married to Ed. He had a rather chauvinistic attitude when Leslie wanted to return to college. He had another affair with Elizabeth Spaulding Marler while she was married to Justin.

In my mind, both Mike and Ed Bauer both had their own issues. I just think Mike was probably the more stable of the two brothers.

The other thing I thought of after watching some shows from 1979 last night - I wonder why they never tried pairing Mike Bauer and Sara McIntyre at all?

6 hours ago, vetsoapfan said:

Do you remember when, years after Stewart left the show, we heard Mike's voice over the telephone during a  brief phone conversation? The actor chosen to play him had a bit of a southern twang, which was totally wrong for the character. I took this scene as a hint that perhaps the character was headed home to Springfield, but alas, that never happened. A much better voice-only replacement was the actress chosen to play Hope when we heard her speak to Alan-Michael on the phone, explaining why she would not be coming to his wedding to Harley. Only through her voice, the unidentified actress really made the audience feel Hope's pain about how her life and relationships had been when she left town.

YES!!! It was 1989 (during the whole Roger returning storyline), and Phillip called Mike in DC to query about Adam Malek/Roger, or something to that effect. What I remember most about it was - as you say - the wrong type of voice for Mike, and also the odd bit at the start of their conversation that went something along the lines of, "Mike Bauer - hi, it's Phillip Spaulding. Do you remember me?" That line I howled at. It just seemed like an odd thing to say, since Phillip and Mike had such a strong history together - of course Mike would "remember" Phillip! I can't believe that Pam Long didn't purge, or at least alter that line. I also thought that they were getting ready to bring Mike back at that time to help investigate the Adam/Roger mystery, but for whatever reason, they decided not to.

There were so many chances to bring Mike and Hope back over the years to continue playing off of story.. In my mind, Hope was Alan's one true love, and any capable actress could have played off of Ron Raines as a foil for Alan. Plus, the fact that they never seemed to address the "Bauer" side of Alan-Michael.

I really wish Paul Rauch would have found a way to keep Stewart on in 1997, after he returned as Mike for the 60th Anniversary Celebration. Mike still knew many of the people in Springfield at the point (Alan, Alexandra [although now played by Marj]). I even loved the little "nod" of history by having Mike being escorted around the event at times by a gleeful Lillian (which was probably an idea of Tina Sloan's - she was so good at addressing those types of little things).

2 hours ago, vetsoapfan said:

 

But the absurd thing is, when the show flirted with the idea of having Trish Lewis as a potential love interest for Mike Bauer, Stewart said in an interview that she was too young. No actor should have the power to dictate storylines or on-screen couplings, based on their own personal preferences. Look how damaging Tony Geary's dictates were to the character of Luke Spencer and GH. If given my druthers, I would have wanted Stewart to remain on TGL in a major capacity, but like George Reinholt before him, smetimes even the most popular leading men need to be relieved of their duties.

 

Jed Allen and McKinsey would have been grand, if you ask me.

Agreed. Allen and McKinsey would have been fantastic together.

I just don't think Stewart was ever happy with anyone that they paired him with (except, as you said, Deborah May as Renee DuBois, but I don't remember there being much chemistry between them, either).

It's funny you mention Stewart and Reinholt. Both so similar during their time on their respective shows - they both debuted in 1968, both were in the top (or at least in the top 10) of favorite leading man polls in the various soap publications for years, and both were given major roles in their shows. However, it appears both had massive egos as they gained that popularity. Stewart probably lasted as long as he did on TGL with his attitude because he apparently didn't get involved in as heated disputes with the writers/producers as Reinholt had. Also, it's tough to believe now, but shows back then took huge stock in popularity polls, and Stewart was a huge attraction for TGL. I recall that the show did not want it revealed that Stewart was married in real life for several years, so as not to alienate his female fans.

With that said, I did like Don Stewart's Mike Bauer (he's my avatar, after all). Mike was likable, charming, and he and Mart Hulswit were absolutely believable as brothers. My family loved him because he grew up in Nebraska (as we did). Plus, my grandparents loved Stewart's singing. I think had Stewart just cooperated in 1984 and gotten through the drudge of 1985, he would have eventually gotten good story again with the return of Alan.

2 hours ago, soapfan770 said:

Don Stewart was unwilling to work with Beverlee McKinsey? That's a darn shame, I wonder why. Was Stewart intimidated by McKinsey? I knew Zaslow and McKinsey couldn't stand each other off-screen but still were able to make an amazing presence together on-screen. 

As @teplin correctly states, Stewart considered the character of Alexandra "too old" for Mike Bauer, when in reality McKinsey and Stewart were the SAME AGE (McKinsey only being a few months older than Stewart). Therefore, he was unwilling to work the planned triangle between Lillian/Mike/Alexandra. That's a shame, because I do think McKinsey and Stewart had chemistry, and that pairing would have made for years of story. Consider Mike eventually marrying (or potentially marrying) Alan's sister, with so much bad history between Mike and Alan! That marriage alone would have been a great reason for Alan to return to Springfield (to either stop the marriage or contest it), as well as Hope (to stop her father from marrying a Spaulding, as Mike tried with Hope only a few years prior).

2 hours ago, cassadine1991 said:

Who thought it was a good idea to decimate the Bauers? Weren't they the core family of the show ever since it was still in Selby Flats? I have a question who was part of the original cast of characters? 

A loaded question. From what I recall, it was actually P&G that wanted them removed as the core family initially in the early 1980's, and at first I believe they tried to put the pressure on Doug Marland. Doug, of course, did not let that happen.

Fast forward to 1983. At first it would seem like Pam Long and Gail Kobe had it in for the Bauer family. In some ways, that might be true. They killed off Bill Bauer, if for no other reason than to prop up the Eli Simms Bauer/Chamberlain/Reardon/Spaulding/Annabelle Simms storyline. They wrote out Hope Bauer in late 1983, when Elvera Roussel did not want to play Hope as an alcoholic (which is a shame, because I thought that was a great storyline to play, especially with the history of alcoholism in the Bauer family). However, when you look back at 1984, Pam and Gail insisted on writing Bert's leg amputation in for Charita to play (even though I believe Charita initially resisted it). Ed and Maureen were on quite a bit regarding Maureen becoming the hospital administrator, Rick was there as part of "the Four Musketeers", Hillary was involved with the "Dreaming Death" storyline, and Mike was around, though he didn't have a great deal to do on the frontburner (with Hope no longer in Springfield and Alan having been killed), but that changed during the summer as Pam Long positioned Mike into a Mike/Lillian/Alexandra love triangle (with Warren Andrews on the periphery) that was likely to have an affect on the Beth/Lujack romance.

Then, a string of bad occurrences happened: Peter Simon decided to leave and Ed was recast with Richard Van Vleet (who did NOT fit the role of Ed, even though Van Vleet played Chuck - also a doctor - on AMC), Hillary was killed off in order to prop up the Susan Piper storyline (UGH), and Don Stewart (Mike) was fired by Gail Kobe for being unwilling to work with Beverlee McKinsey (among other things). They never bothered to recast Hope and Mike (which they really should have, especially when they brought back Alan Spaulding in 1986), so it was just Ed, Maureen, and Rick left of the Bauer clan. That never really changed until they SORAS'd Michelle, and Mike returned briefly in 1997 for the 60th Anniversary.

55 minutes ago, Soaplovers said:

Instead of having Johnny Bauer as a 3rd cousin...why not have had him descended from Trudy bauer..and had Mary Stuart in the 80s be Trudy Bauer?  The character was on in the 50s and lived in New York...so i could habe seen Mary Stuart playing Trudy as more east coast, yet warm and in your face... and her branch could have been bought on as well.

Agreed 100%. Trudy was truly the forgotten Bauer. Once she moved back to New York, she was never mentioned much again. She never returned for Papa Bauer's funeral, which I found a bit strange, so I guess the writers completely forgot about her by that time. But you are right, her time in New York could have made her much more brash then she originally was (yet, as you say, done in a pleasant way). Or, she could have come back for Bert's funeral at the same time as Meta. So you would have had two matriarchs: a warm, sensitive one in Meta, and an assertive, overbearing one in Trudy. Like you said, Trudy could have brought along her own clan (a son or daughter to start with, etc.). Plus, I would have purposely made Trudy single (Clyde having passed away some years prior) to potentially pair her up with with either HB or Henry.

They could have even brought a reason as to why "Aunt Trudy" wasn't seen or heard from much - perhaps she and Clyde purposely isolated themselves away in NYC, even being ashamed of their midwest roots?

2 hours ago, cassadine1991 said:

I have a question who was part of the original cast of characters? 

If you are talking about the TV version of TGL, then it would be Papa Bauer, Bill Bauer, Bert Bauer, Trudy Bauer, Meta Bauer Roberts, Joe Roberts, Kathy Roberts Grant, Dick Grant, and probably a few other people I'm forgetting (Joe's son, Joey, Dick Grant's parents, etc.).

If you are talking about the radio version, that cast differed greatly until 1948, when the Bauers were introduced. The original central characters/family in the first 10 years of the show were the Ruthledges and the Holdens.

4 hours ago, vetsoapfan said:

 

Yes, but since no Hannah Bauer actually existed in the canon TGL universe, I'm glad Stuart ended up playing Meta. I never understood why the show dragged in all these newly-created "fake" Bauers, when they could have mined the established family tree.

Agreed. There was no need to create a new side of the Bauer family, when they had Bauers out there that they could bring back at any time to fill the void.

Since we're discussing Meta, does anyone know if Ellen Demming (Meta #2 on TV), was still acting during the 1980's? If so, they could have easily brought her back when they decided to finally address Bert's death. She was a very capable actress if given good material to work with (the episodes I've seen of her from the 1950's best illustrate this - she was more of a supporting player in the 1960's and 1970's).

And @vetsoapfan: I still remember when Richard Van Vleet was cast as Ed in 1984 versus bringing back Mart Hulswit. Van Vleet was so miscast as Ed that it made me long for Peter Simon to return ASAP.

2 hours ago, vetsoapfan said:

 

Judging from past soaps with rich, intelligent writing and complex characters, I believe that even outrageous ideas and pairings can work out well in the hands of the right scribe. Who would have thought that Bill Horton raping Laura on DAYS could possibly produce a searing, longterm storyline that lasted 10 years?

 

Mike and Holly might have clicked quite well if the progression of their relationship (platonic and supportive at first) was handled sensitively. Ed would be justifiably vexed that Mike was ending up with ANOTHER one of his ex wives.

 

Mike and Rita might have clicked too. On AW, Sam Groom as Russ and Robin Strasser as Rachel had excellent chemistry, which made me occasionally hope that Rachel would soften up and grow up enough to deserve him. Lenore Kasdorf was such a fine actress. A repentant Rita may have eventually made the audience grow to care for her and root for her, the way Judith Light's endearing portrayal of Karen Wolek on OLTL made the world love her previously disposable character. If the audience grew to care for Rita and genuinely believe she was evolving towards the light, a Mike/Rita pairing might have intrigued viewers.

 

 

I agree. If the rumors are true that Don Stewart was difficult to work with, they could have just replaced him with another actor. I became focused on Jed Allen as a potential new Mike. A respected actor full of intelligence and charm, he would have been great.

 

Hope definitely should have been brought back to the canvas too. As a blood Bauer with only one marriage and one child to her name, she was still a viable character. If she had had a son after leaving Springfield, it would have helped solidify the Bauer name which she would naturally reclaim.

 

And after Bert died, they should have brought Aunt Meta back much sooner than 1996.

 

Bauer Power 4Ever!

Agreed on Rita. Bert was certainly no saint during the 1950's and early 1960's, but mellowed out under Agnes Nixon into the matriarch we knew and loved. Rita certainly could have went through a similar character evolution. Again, the Bauer brothers worked when they both had each other's back and when they were both in conflict it was still good story. Mike and Rita together would have put them right back in the thick of things again.

I've said this before, but I feel like the reason TPTB didn't recast Mike Bauer after they fired Don Stewart was because they *just* recast Ed Bauer, and they probably felt like another recast of a core character so soon after recasting Ed would have been too much for the audience to take. However, there was no reason why they couldn't have brought back Mike after a few months - say at Christmas - with a new actor, and Jed Allen would have been perfect as Mike. Then, Pam Long could have restarted the Mike/Lillian/Alexandria love triangle as she was originally intending.

1 hour ago, MichaelGL said:

Rita should've returned with a adult son, who's paternity could've been a toss up between Alan or Ed.

Was the character of Gus originally supposed to be this person, but that eventually changed? I've heard rumors to that effect, but have never been certain.