Mona Kane Croft

Love your ideas -- obviously you know AW history!! I'm intrigued by the Pat's baby plot. But you are missing a big one for a lost child/baby alive plot. Let's see what kind of ideas other posters suggest . . .

Remember around 1986-87 on ATWT, when Douglas Marland retconned Kim and Bob's (supposedly dead) love-child, and had her turn up alive 20-years later as Sabrina Fullerton Hughes? So here's a question Regarding AW: Let's imagine that Marland was hired as head-writer on Another World. Were there any lost babies or young children who Marland might have mined history, and written a storyline in which that child/baby survived?? I do have one idea in mind. But first, I'd love to hear ideas from fellow posters...

Was Morgan raped? I can't remember that. Hmm. Which actress was playing Morgan at the time? Who was the rapist?

Oh Lordy, It would have been interesting to see this version of Alice come up against Vicky Wyndham's Rachel. Somehow I believe this Alice would have mopped the floor with poor little Rachel. Too bad it never happened,

Depending on what year Marland might have moved over to AW -- I'm fairly certain he would have strengthened the Cory family by making sure all of Mac's and Rachel's children were on the canvas (including Jamie, Iris, and Sandy); he would have reestablished the Matthews family as the core middle-class group -- probably starting with Russ (with a new wife and a few of his new off-spring) and Liz, later followed by Pat and her off-spring ; and he likely would have used a more focused version of the Frames or Perrinis as a working-class family. Or perhaps Marland would have created a completely new working class-family. Who knows? But it is certainly fun to speculate.

When did Don Hastings and Leslie Denniston get together? Were either of them married when their relationship began? Isn't she nearly young enough to be his daughter? Might be none of my bidness, but I'm asking anyway...

I like how most of the characters actually have homes. And nobody is living permanently in a hotel room The other soaps need to drop that tired trend yesterday! I also like the sparse use of background music and cues on BTG. It's refreshing that every scene is not covered with background music with a stinger at the end of each scene. Often BTG just quietly goes to a commercial, and I sorta' like that. BTG is unique in many ways, and certainly has an identity of its own -- just as all soaps had before around 1982.

Was Veleka older than Anne Sward? I'd assume they're about the same age. Hmm.

I love the way -- although a little of the acting has been over the top -- the storylines are grounded and believable. MVJ has created a 2025 version of a mid-1970s soap opera. And I mean that as a compliment. BTG is both old fashioned and 100% up to date. I sincerely hope the ratings remain high, because BTG is making me proud to be a soap fan again. Our wonderful show-runner does not write down to her audience. MVJ does not think we are stupid. It's easy to see, she respects the genre and she respects the audience.

I do think it was the same set at least. I recently watched an episode that someone posted which featured Don and Joyce. And the house they were living in looked identical to the house Lyla and Casey later shared. And if (as you said) that was the same set Lyla lived in when she first came to town, then it makes me wonder how much time passed between Don's departure from the show and Lyla's arrival. I suppose it is possible it was not only the same set, but even supposed to be the same house. Who knows?? No big deal, but I do find set transitions interesting.

I love that you and I are coming from two different perspectives, yet we more or less agree. And I thank you for that. And of course -- why not Carmen? For God's sake, Carmen was damned good as Iris. And finally -- why go to the trouble of finding Sam Groom and flying him all the way from California, if he wasn't going to play Russ?? Especially since Russ's daughter (Josie) was still a major character. Something has always been very fishy about all that. I'll speculate that the intent was for Groom to return as Russ, but at the last minute someone at NBC or P&G said NO! So Groom was given a day-player role. Again, just speculation on my part.

I was just mistaken. I thought he had been a director. But I stand corrected (as my 10th grade history teacher used to say). I've always loved that phrase. It's a polite way to admit one was wrong. But writer or director, my point still stands.

Ridiculous that they would choose to honor Sam Ratcliffe, when he was no more important than any of the directors during AW's golden age (1965 through 1979). If they were going to honor directors (which is unusual to begin with), why choose him? How about honoring some characters, or actors, or head-writers?? No, no, no!! Goutman insisted, "There will be no returns and no reflection on the past." But we did get a gorilla and a nod to Sam Ratcliffe. Why must everything be a joke?? I mean no disrespect to Mr Ratcliffe, but just because he was a favorite of Linda Dano and Stephen Schnetzer doesn't seem like a very good reason to honor him. Just my opinion, of course.

Oh yes, it is definitely an Agnes Nixon trope. No doubt. And that daughter/mother dynamic never disappeared between Rachel and Ada. But I was talking more about differences in acting style between Strasser and Wyndham.

That would surprise me if so. I can't answer the question about Charlotte, but I can add something about Wyndham's acting style versus Strasser's as Rachel. Strasser played Rachel somewhat similarly to the way Susan Lucci played Erica Kane in the first decade of AMC -- sort of flighty, using her voice to exaggerate things, and a hint of humor, even though Rachel did terrible things. Wyndham played Rachel with none of that. There were no similarities between VW's Rachel and Susan Lucci's Erica. VW's Rachel was dead serious. At times, she almost seemed dangerous -- like she might actually do something violent to Steve or Alice, if she didn't get her way. VW could play a humorous line now and then, but still it was nothing like Erica Kane. It really did seem that Strasser's version of Rachel would have been much more redeemable than Wyndham's. So it is interesting that Lemay didn't begin to soften Rachel until a couple of years after Wyndham assumed the role. He could have easily began Rachel's transition to heroine while Strasser was still on the show.

I agree with you. When first cast, David Bailey was sexy as Hell. And he was a decent actor. But sadly he had limited acting range which relegated Russ to a supporting role. When Sam Groom played Russ, he was arguably the young male romantic lead of the show. Groom was a versatile actor who was leading-man material. I've said this before but -- had Groom remained in the role, I feel the entire trajectory of Another World would have been different. And I'm confident the Matthews family would never have been minimized. Russ and his love-life would have been on a par with Steve/Alice and Mac/Rachel.

Love your memories!! I also remember some of these scenes. Rachel really was a very bad woman who caused lots of trouble for the Matthews family. The ratings went through the roof and remained high the entire time Rachel was a bad-girl. Vicky Wyndham as Rachel was even more evil than Robin Strasser's version. i wonder if TPTB ever regretted softening Rachel and turning her into a heroine...

I can't answer your question. But, speaking of Lyla -- does anyone remember if Lyla lived in the same house previously occupied by Don Hughes and Joyce? And if so, did anyone else live there between Don and Lyla?

Personally, I believe Russ was always in love with Rachel, hence his rather fast forgiveness of her (although that took a few years), and their life-long friendship after the forgiveness. And his love for Rachel may have been one of the reasons he had so many marriages, and difficulty finding the "right" woman. I've also believed, had Russ been recast with a more dynamic actor (perhaps the return of Sam Groom??), he and Rachel may have eventually reunited years after Mac's death. Just wishful thinking on my part, I realize. But I love a good romance. I remember a couple of times in the late-70s or very early 80s, Russ called Rachel "Honey" in the middle of some conversations. I doubt it was scripted (or perhaps it was), but the word just seemed to slip out of David Bailey's mouth so naturally. I think Russ never stopped loving her.

They did something similar with Mickey Horton on DOOL. He was the last to find out that Mike was not his biological son. Several other family members had known for years.

Plus of course Rachel, Ada, and possibly Ernie. That's a lot of people who knew, while poor Russ was out of the loop.

Why is Pat looking for a place? Were she and John separated at that time? And weren't Lenore and Walter already living in Bill and Missy's old house by that time?

Yes, that is correct.

Well, I guess that depends on how one defines the lighthouse opening. Didn't the real lighthouse first appear in the opening a year or two after GL had changed its location to Springfield?

Well, I hope the character's real name is not Aristotle Dumas. LOL