robbwolff

Actually, Pat did return before Groome reprised the role in 1983. James Patrick Clarke assumed the role in 1982 and played Pat until 1983 when Groome returned. Clarke headed over to Search for Tomorrow where he played Jack Benton who raped Sunny Adamson.

I have to agree that Rhoades was quite awkward. It surprised me that she was cast after her less than compelling turn on Generations. Now, Lara Parker. That would have been really cool!

Interesting idea. Irene was so campy so it could have been a great fit for Zenk as Barbara was quite camptastic at times.

Actually, I think she said it was around 1989. She said she was also pregnant at the same time with her daughter who is now around 24. The reference to 1993 was when she auditioned for and was offered the role of Margo Hughes.

And she was also tapped to play the role of Barbara Ryan when Colleen Zenk was pregnant with her third child.

My mom used to watch RTPP and, of course, I got hooked. I remember Allison and the cabin fire. And Pamela Susan Shoop being introduced in Eli's store. And the affair between Mike and Connie. They kept repeating again and again the scene where Connie and Mike give in to their desires. I think it was shot from outside a house window, looking in on the couple as Connie's slip fell to the floor.

I don't recall her plans for the Reardons beside Bea and Chelsea. I think the only Reardon we never met was Lana. That said, and I could be wrong, but she may have wanted to bring back Tony Reardon.

Anderson and her husband were the ones who brought back Bea Reardon and introduced Chelsea. Anderson expanded the Bauer family by introducing the short-lived Lacey (Johnny's sister) and their parents Jack and Lainie. There were also plans to introduce a brother Todd, played by Frank Dicopolous. But when Long returned, she scrapped the plans for Todd and created Frank Cooper, or so the story goes. Also during Anderson's stint, Mary Stuart was approached about portraying the role of Hannah Bauer.

That period featured Beth's drowning, the introductions of Dorie and Dinah, Claire's descent into madness, the return of Alan Spaulding, Vanessa's revelation she had Ross' child, the introduction of Johnny Bauer. There was much promise but it didn't materialize on the screen. I remember a huge focus on Camp Cayuga. But there seemed to be no focus at all.

Anderson's husband Joseph Manetta arrived around October 1986 while Anderson was wrapping up her stint at Days. Anderson then joined in late October/early November. She was gone by August 1987. Ryder's tenure was short but I personally think more damage to GL's identity was done during his successors' stint -- Mary Ryan Munisteri and Ellen Barrett. That was the summer of 1986 and it was terribly boring.

Sheri Anderson was head writer at that point. Pam Long returned around August 1987.

We Love Soaps just posted the full episode where Alan-Michael parachutes in. So you can see Lacey a few times here:

Yes, Jo Henderson originated the role of Kate. Geri Betzler (who later went by Zoe Trilling) portrayed the role of Lacey. I'm not sure if she was a gymnast in real life. Her credits online say she was a dancer. She was on GL for less than two months. She was part of a love quadrangle with Alan-Michael, Cameron Stewart, and Dinah Marler. Samantha Marler wasn't on the canvas at that point and didn't appear till 1989. She's in this very brief scene where Alan-Michael parachutes into the Bauer BBQ. She's the one looking like a mini Big Bird (dressed in yellow).

A few websites report that Douglas Cummings was introduced on ATWT in April 1985 and then killed off in June 1986. They also report that Kelly was last seen in November 1984. I remember him being phased out in early 1984. Anyone know if Shipp returned in late 1984 to wrap up the role? (I had stopped watching GL in favor of Santa Barbara by that time).

Anita played singer Wilma Holliday on Search for Tomorrow, not Kate McCleary. Maeve McGuire played Kate. Wilma was a love interest for Stu Bergman and was once involved with Jack Betts' David Glenn. From all appearances, the show had story mapped out for Wilma but then the axe came down. And she was wonderful as Loretta Shea on Another World. She lasted all of four or five months when Loretta was suddenly killed off. I believe the show originally had greater plans for the Shea family as there was talk in 1982 of introducing the Shea's two teenage daughters.

Cooke was so radically different than Vigard and was a far weaker actress. She was painful to watch at times. That said, her departure from GL in May 1983 seemed awfully abrupt. At one point, it seemed like the writers were moving her into Phillip and Rick's orbit but then she was phased out.

Engrossing episode. I love Karynn! I loved her line to Esther about Karl, "He’ll live for another ten minutes I think." Nice!

I really enjoyed that period of AW. It was riveting at times with Blaine on trial for Jordan Scott's murder, the burgeoning Mac-Alice-Rachel-Steve quadrangle, and Cecile mixing it up with Jamie and Sandy. But then things seemed to fall apart rather quickly. I personally loved Vana Tribbey as Alice and was disappointed when she was replaced with the bland Linda Borgeson. I distinctly remember Corinne Jacker's name appearing in the credits as head writer circa November 1981. However, Eddie Drueding lists L. Virginia Browne was head writer from December 1980 to November 1982. Does anyone know the story here? Was she still writing the show during the period Jacker was credited? Also, does anyone know the story about Linda Elstad and her association with AW? In early 1984, Soap Opera Digest ran a story that Elstad had been appointed head writer but I don't think she ever served in the capacity. The SOD article mentioned a story she had planned for Donna Love where Donna was slated to try to gain access to a men's club that discriminated against women.

The writer did kill off Cecile. An absolute shame. The continuation has been hit and miss, in my opinion.

There is an official continuation of AW called "Another World Today". It started about five years ago and was officially sanctioned by Procter and Gamble. P&G has nothing to do with it anymore. I do read it consistently. They've brought some dead characters back to life (e.g., Frankie, Lucas). It's not bad though lately I feel that some of the characters are not being written like they were on the series. http://www.anotherworldtoday.com

Fascinating tidbits! Thanks for sharing. A few things: Geraldine Court was on in 1979, not 1983. Iris was long gone by 1983. She exited in 1980 for Texas and didn't return until 1988. I wonder why the show switched its plans for Jason Frame. He was originally designed as a romantic lead and was slated to have two teenage daughters (I recall reading this in Soap Opera Digest). The black market baby story doesn't sound interesting…to me anyway. I had no idea that Dorothy Ann Purser had been a casting director. She wrote for many shows over the years, including stints as head writer of Another World and Texas. Curiously, Wikipedia doesn't reference her Texas stint. (I believe she introduced two of my favorite Texas characters -- Lurlene Harper and Ruby Wright.) Her Wikipedia entry falsely claims she was head writer of Guiding Light from 1952 to 1958.

Yep, still is, according to her Facebook page. I always loved her, especially as Helena Manzini.

Likely 80-81. Wasn't the guy with Morgan named Duke?

Re: Holly and baby Maureen, they weren't rumors. Esensten and Brown said in a 1998 interview that Holly would become attached to Maureen and eventually "take" her or something like that. But then they changed course and went with "something that had never been done on daytime before" (aka the mass kidnapping of kids).

Interesting. I never knew that was the original plan for the show. I would be curious to see how they dealt with the topic of homosexuality.