KMan101

A fling where she ends up pregnant would have worked better, under better writing, of course.

Makes a lot of sense. When written correctly, she was a suitable replacement, IMO. Her and Ron Raines seemed to do what was on the page. They were suitable and worked at times but a lot of times they didn't. Obviously no one can replace McKinsey or Bernau, but I think the replacements weren't awful and could have worked better with better writing and direction. Often Marj's Alex was reduced to shrieking harpy and Ron just bellowed a lot, but he could do better than that. I was also left feeling a little dirty after the town kinda turned on Bev's Alex during the Roger/Mindy reveal, it felt like they were reducing the character's power and presence and then afterwards with Marj's Alex, she was treated like a pest and annoyance. I can see why Bev ran for the hills. The age insults were awful. Maeve had to be insulted. And then you had the writers having Matt basically rip Vanessa a new one anytime she dared to do anything but be a housewife. It was sooooo insulting. I never liked Matt/Vanessa. I didn't mind the idea of a late in life 'miracle' baby for Vanessa. Under Curlee imagine how great it could have been? But with crap writers, was her baby really even necessary? Not really. I always thought 'Mattessa' was basically Phelps living out her fantasies through Maeve's Vanessa (after all, Phelps had a habit of doing that, and didn't Maeve get the Phelps haircut under her?)

Definitely agree that Vanessa felt more like herself in her return under Wheeler. I do think Wheeler "meant well" but just ultimately sucked as a producer. I will always be low key mad we didn't get more time under Hurst. I think she got the show. I feel like Maeve was ready for a break by the time Rauch came around, like it was said, she was already on recurring and he asked her back. But I do think the writers took out their resentment on the characters. However, Vanessa never quite worked as the dutiful housewife and stay at home mother, that's not her character. They also torpedoed Phillip/Harley. And agreed on their respective "stan bases". Marj could have worked had she been more restrained, IMO. They crazy bug eyes Alexandra doesn't work.

All of this! Vanessa would have 100% grown tired of Matt. That's exactly the direction it should have gone, but somehow they were painted as soulmates and I never bought it. Rauch/MADD were trash. I also love your idea for Ed/Holly/Billy. Claire wrote for Deas on Ryan's Hope so I always expected her to write for Buzz. But I agree, Deas must have known enough people because ... yikes. I resent Buzz for so many reasons, lol Me too. OLTL wasted her, but then again, with Ron and Frank there, they had about 1000 castmembers so ... LOL I'd say DAYS too, but it would be a letdown and they'd waste her like they wasted everyone else they've brought on from another soap in recent years. Y&R would be a good fit (about 10 years ago and prior) but I could also have seen her on B&B.

It really was a shame. I was very disappointed at the time to see her exit. I don't blame Ecklund for leaving though but selfishly wish she hadn't, but then she'd just probably disappear or be written terribly, or killed off for shock value. AMC should have picked her up but by 2001/2002 they were already a shell of it's former self and weren't interested in telling the types of stories they once did so she probably wouldn't have "fit".

I don't recall much, if any, but to be fair my viewing was becoming spotty at the time between 1999-2002. I'd tune in for a while, get annoyed, stop watching, then come back, and wash/rinse/repeat, lol. Did Ecklund want to leave? (And who could blame her?) If they dumped her they were stupid. I had no idea she was 18 either in 1995. I'm guessing they dropped that fairly fast?

And it was such a mistake to wash it away and turn it into a dark EastEnder's clone (and I love me some *good* EastEnders). It's really a shame soaps wanted to be like each other instead of sticking true to what made them work in the first place. Just look how [!@#$%^&*] generic the ABC soaps became under Frons (though I say it started when Disney bought ABC around 1995/1996, you can see the difference) It is a shame Julie Goodyear wasn't able to keep up with the new pace of the show when she returned in 2002 (I also think she was going through a lot of personal issues at the time). I watched an interview with her (with Piers Morgan, and I detest that man) and it's really horrible how the British press basically made her tabloid fodder and wanted her to fail. I can see what the show was going for in her 2002 return (and then they rapidly replaced her with the lady who's now playing Tyrone's grandma, I can see them just basically crossing out Bet's name for the new landlandy and I lowkey cringe at their potential take on Bet). Makes me so sad because we were so close to having her back where she belonged but then I see the writing and maybe it was for the best. Her 2003 visit was better and her old hairstyle was back, but I cringed when they had her pop out of the toilet to greet Liz. Really?

Claire's return was such a disappointment. I kind of liked Alan/Claire at the time. Not sure how I'd feel on rewatching it. You bring up a good point on her exit. I just remember being really annoyed at the time (with the whole show, honestly).

Well, she became as dull as he did so ... lol. It was always a shame to see Blake basically die as a character. LK, looks wise, was a smart choice to replace Stringfield with but LK plays certain roles better than what Stringfield did. I was never sure what to make of the Buzz/Billy/Holly triangle. I remember thinking Holly/Ed should have been happening instead. But I remember liking the fact that they were at least being used, but it reminds me of what Carlivati does with some vets, they become comic relief, basically. Holly/Billy wouldn't have been awful if better written. I wish no one on Buzz. EDIT: I was recently rewatching Cassie's entrance in 1997 and I forgot I actually kinda liked the character then. What a shame Cassie turned so annoying overtime and Wright changed her portrayal. I liked the idea of Billy/Cassie. Much better than insta love with Hart. I also agree with @DRW50 on Wendy Moniz's Dinah. I know Moniz popped up as Mayor (or was it DA?) on OLTL in what, 2011? Would have been interesting to see her take on an older Dinah if GL were still around. I was never 100% in on Gina's Dinah, but in rewatching some things, I think I dismissed her too fast in the role at the time. I was just stuck on "I want Gina as Kelly Cramer and Wendy as Dinah" at the time ...

I loved Miriam Colon. Saundra Santiago was a great addition, in all honesty, but Carmen was ... a messy character. They could have done better and maybe done something different with her, but that takes talented writers. Imagine if Curlee invented Carmen and wrote her as flawed and as awesome as the other women she wrote for? Imagine Maureen alive and going toe to toe with Carmen while Meta faces off with Abuela? But give me much better writing. EDIT: Totally random but did anyone else hate the trashing of Rick/Abby and Abby's exit? Awful. And then they gave him insta love with boring ass Mel (who should have been a recast Vicky)

I agree on LK. Also agreed on the Blake/Frank friendship. Didn't they end up together at the end of GL because the show had no one else to pair them with? lol

I think they've done slightly better with Jackie but it's still very Barney Fife at times. And she needs her son, or something. Her character is suffering, IMO, from just hanging around and mothering everyone while ignoring her own life. You can only drag that out for so long, lol. I'm glad Sara hasn't ruled out Andy like Helford has. They shouldn't be erasing Season 6 ... That's true, I always forget Laurie was pregnant in real life at the time. lol. I thought it was great at the time but then Season 7 rolled around ... It was pointless for Dan and Roseanne, but it had at least been a story thread through earlier seasons. I think it'd have been more impactful if they lost it, but I get maybe not wanting to go that dark.

Yeah it always felt like too much. Like "we don't know what to do anymore with the character so lets just knock her up". Then Roseanne got bored with Crystal popping out kids and then had Jackie and Darlene, then herself get pregnant. It was a lot. Crystal's kids felt like temporary shock plots, at least the girl did. Although have they at all mentioned Jerry in The Conners? Obviously he was mentioned in Roseanne Season 10. I'm good with them forgetting the awful final season but Andy was born in 1994. Before the final season. If anyone should be "erased" it should be Jerry (remember when Jerry was supposed to girl but then surprise it's a boy?). Harris exists. They used the same story ... It's messy, lol. They need to figure it out.

Yep. I didn't mind a dramatized take on the actors playing themselves. But they clearly did it because "ew we can't revisit our characters". Meh. Waste of everyone's time. Was great to see the cast but it always should have been a real revival.

I kinda agree. They also really torpedoed Jackie/Fred which I didn't like either. I'm annoyed they ignore Andy because he DID exist, but I also don't hate it when I think about what I maybe would have changed from the original. I don't mind Sara hedging her bets. I think she sees the potential in it being explored. Crystal and Ed had Ed Jr and Angela (never knew the name for some reason no matter how many thousands of times I've rewatched the original Roseanne, read it in the article, LOL!). Wouldn't mind seeing Lonnie, wasn't he Darlene's age? Or in between Becky and Darlene? I'm hopeful it means more Crystal. Her popping out kids with Ed was a big thing for a while until they both vanished. I love me some Katey Sagal but I'd rather have more Crystal than forcing Louise.

Hmm. Interesting. I admit I kind of forgot ...

I watched a clip of Sharon telling everyone about Keanu as Phil sits there all smug and judgemental. Lord. LOL. Phil is such an awful, toxic character. Loved Sharon holding her head high.

Yeah I figured as much. But yeah, I don't want them leaving either. I was thrilled they both came back (it felt odd watching Gillian on HollyOaks).

Isn't EastEnders basically just wasting Sharon and Kathy?

I just watched Bet's 1995 exit. Ouch. I feel like they wanted her to become the EastEnder's Peggy Mitchell of Corrie and it wasn't the type of character she was. JMO from my brief watching. Was someone from EastEnders writing the show at this point? I really need to learn to pay attention to the end credits ... I agree that her leaving seems to be a huge loss they never recovered from. As someone who's heard different details on her exit, was it her choice/mutual, was she over it? The writing seemed ... harsh (and I've read from slanted fans that she was a diva in her later years but then again she probably hated the writing which, who could blame her? so she gets labeled as a bitch) But then again it seemed like they wanted all the old school vets to be either goofy or miserable/depressed. The actress playing Betty looks more and more checked out as the years progress. It is fun clicking on any 70s/80s/90s/00s/10s episode and seeing characters like Gail and Ken still at it and looking good (though Gail seems to become somewhat lost as a character along the way @DRW50 I think has spoken to this). Losing Deirdre seemed to be a big loss. So odd seeing sweet little Tracy knowing how she grows up lol Soaps used to have characters in place to take the place of the old guard. Bet was the next Annie Walker. It really is a shame, like the US soaps, that the UK soaps lost sight of what worked for them. Corrie seems like an entirely differently show. I tried to watch a few random episodes from 2005 and I just couldn't, but at least there was still some very small attempt to have some scenes that felt like classic Corrie, though hollow as they were. Execs seem to go for "quick fixes" like youthful characters (having youth is great but not when most of them are nowhere near the level of who was featured before them) and shocking plots. Much like the US. I keep saying it, but it's a real shame.

Good lord how on earth did you all sit through As Lily's World Turns? It's unbelievably comical seeing basically the entire town constantly worry about her. They really wanted her to be the Laura Webber of ATWT. Jesus it's a bit much. I knew about it, but watching so much of it it's beyond overbearing, lol. How did the actors not laugh? Craig's presumed dead but Sierra is worried about how Lily is handling it. I mean, laaaawd .... lol. Sorry Sierra, Lily's too busy finding out she was adopted and her mother is her boyfriend's sister and her father is a rapist. But anywho ... good episode otherwise. I've seen it before but after watching so many episodes it's just ridiculous how Lily centric the show is. Otherwise it's mostly great. None of this is a new revelation obviously, I've known how Lily centric it was but lord ... lol. Hearing about it and seeing it are two different things, lol. Ya'll weren't kidding one bit.

Yep. All true, supposedly. I was told the same thing. Christina was the one he hit. Or something like that. Really don't understand what Ron was thinking with that one, damn. I hadn't heard about Schroeder coming back as Serena then, but it makes sense. They likely cut it when they added Kristen Alderson as Starr then Kiki. I always felt like Kiki took over Serena's place on the canvas at the time. But maybe we're all better off. Serena/Michael/Morgan? No thanks. But maybe Serena/Michael could have sparked ...

Not ready to talk on plots or characters yet but I've been having classic Coronation Street playing in the background the last two days and I just love it. They have such a specific tone and it works so well. But then I click on any episode post, say, 2002/2005 and holy wow the difference is noticeable instantly. The tone and feel is just gone. You see glimmers of it at times, but it's become darker and more depressing. The stormy opening really does fit. You hear the theme music, you see a lot of familiar faces, but it feels more hollow and empty. It's sad really (and it rings true for all the US soaps too). I know this has all been said before by others but this is the first I've really watched and compared and holy cow. I also think the move to HD, I guess, changed the filming and look of the show and while it's gorgeous it's also not the same show at all. It's just very different, the whole feel and look of the show changed! It's kind of jarring. I mean, sets are familiar, characters are familiar, but it's not the same show. Who decided Corrie needed to be like EastEnders? The sets became darker and the tone just felt like I was watching EastEnders when it clearly said I was watching Coronation Street. lol. Just an observation. And this is from someone who's just watched random episodes! lol. I can't wait to watch in order and regularly.

Late to this but that's so unbelievably heartbreaking and sad. I feel so bad for Judi Evans and her husband THIS! I need to listen to that podcast. I know Ron has his many many many faults but I know for a fact (as much as you can from second-hand info, but I trust what I hear when I hear it) interference has been going on with DAYS for a very long time (some folks on Twitter talk about it a lot too, there's interference on the regular) and it shows on-screen. It sucks. We've been on a downhill slide since 1995. They've constantly been trying to turn the soaps into clones of each other instead of remembering and sticking with what worked for them in the first place. I really swear they're sabotaging them on purpose. But I also really believe we just have that many incompetent folks running things. Steve Kent is a massive problem for Y&R and probably DAYS too.

I just loved her. So very sad to hear. May she RIP She was just great with Strasser and DePaiva and in other roles. I agree with Carl that I wish they had done more with Addie post 2009.