BetterForgotten

They also had fairly terrible producers in Bartholomew and Bunin to contend with at ATWT. Their transition to ATWT also coincided with the explosion of ABC Daytime, so they were likely being forced to ‘ABCfy’ the show. ATWT always had the reputation for being the most traditional and old school soap, and was often the soap cited at the time as being “uncool” when GH and AMC exploded in popularity in the late 70’s/early 80’s. At GL, they came in at a time where they likely had more freedom and support from P&G to really tell the types of stories they wanted. Their GL is pretty amazing soap, and I definitely think it surpasses Marland’s tenure in overall quality, IMO. It still felt like a P&G soap, but very contemporary and modern in its own unique way.

It was Calhoun, this opening premiered in January 1991 when Calhoun was still EP. JFP didn't arrive until the summer of 1991.

What's funny is that Gottleib improved the overall production values (lighting, directing, sets, etc) a lot, yet her opening didn't reflect those great aesthetical changes at all.

And because she was brought up, “retired soap opera star” Beth Chamberlin now runs a fitness boot camp. https://youtu.be/5Xk_pL3OBuQ

Missy Reeves has been looking hard and dry for a while now...

And no, Doug Davidson, they still won't put your ass back on contract.

Is she still selling cheap jewelry on QVC?

I'm sure Carla would have been serviceable, but Betty Rea knew what she was doing when she fought for Zimmer, I guess. It's sad that we don't have a casting director in daytime with Ms. Rea's intuition and talent anymore.

Carmen was a mess of a character, much like everything else Latham wrote. Dru/Neil were having marital problems before Carmen (mainly due to fining out Lilly was Malcolm's biological daughter), Carmen saw an opportunity there and tried to weave herself in.

This is an isolated clip, but overall, Latham wrote terribly for Dru even though she kept her front-burner. Latham had scenes like Dru breaking into Carmen's closet and madly ripping up her clothes with a pair of scissors, and of course getting physical with Carmen at Newman. She often wrote Dru like a "ghetto woman" stereotype in other parts of that story. Carmen was definitely insensitive and indirect with her animosity a lot of the time though, which was the opposite of Dru and really pushed her buttons. Can a Latina like Carmen be classed as a 'Karen?" It's a complicated matter when all characters involved are underrepresented minorities.

I tend to prefer Long's second stint (after Calhoun arrives as EP). If only because I think Calhoun and Curlee and Trent Jones (who were now her Co-HWs) may have tempered some of her worst tendencies. Ratings may not have exploded, but I think the show was more tightly and cohesively executed. I've said it before, but Bob Calhoun never gets the respect for his contributions to ATWT and GL. I'm sad he never got the opportunity to steer another soap prior to his death.

Ilene would have been awful in that role, but Labine had lost the plot by the time she wrote for GL...

That’s embarrassing, but not surprising... Brown and Esensten were also breakdown writers on Nancy Curlee’s team, so they did at least have some history with GL prior to 1997. However, they’ve always struck me as writers who should be staff writers and never HW’s...

And what their 'first day' was like...

I don’t often say this about anyone, but Beverlee’s hairstyles definitely got more flattering in the 80’s...

The ideal creme of the crop of still living former GL writers would be Bridget & Jerome Dobson, but that would never happen in a million years. Pam Long, Nancy Curlee, Stephen Demorest, and Patrick Mulcahey also go without saying.

LOL, called this lame lineup (except for Courtney and possibly Millee). I hope he asks Courtney about writing those Maureen/Lillian confrontation scenes, but I won't hold my breath for questions that specific.

Scott, Hillary, and Gregg have amazing chemistry together and you could tell how much they enjoyed working together, and how close they are in real-life. Nothing felt fake about it, and conversation naturally flowed. LOL at Scott saying the script was a mere "reference point" for Liz Hubbard. I still think that may have been a big part of her tumultuous relationship with Marland. Gregg and Scott are both DILFs. I only wish someone other than Alan was doing these reunions though. He needs to accept the fact he's no longer employed by P&G so there's no need to be such a "company man." I was bit peeved when he rolled his eyes and said "supposed" when Eileen Fulton's grandma clause came up - there's nothing supposed there, Eileen's spoken publicly about it many times. Hillary did clarify that Eileen no longer had that clause in her contract when she came back to the show, and a lot of fans were off the mark blaming her for Margo and Tom losing the baby.

Mary Stuart must have been pissed the stolen underwear weren't Jo's!

If you think about it, the 15 minute format is perfect for the mobile-first generation of now. People crave short-form content on their mobile devices and tablets, no one is going to sit through an hour-long show or feature film unless they absolutely have to on their mobile devices. 15 minute shows are perfect for people on the go or people doing things like commuting to work in the AM.

I think it was said that stint was always supposed to be 13 weeks, and Marland was always supposed to go to GL (and the Dobsons to ATWT).

Midway through JFP’s tenure is when CBS affiliates starting messing with GL’s timeslot as well. That coupled with the drop in quality still surprises me that the show wasn’t cancelled by 1995/1996. I imagine some of the changes in 89/90 turned some folks off, and the rapid cast changes in early 1991 didn’t help keep a ton of people who had gotten used to what the show had been since the mid-80’s.

I've always found Chelsea insufferable, and Kassie as an actress as well (no matter the role). 1990 is a good year, and I feel the consolidation of why Calhoun was brought in as EP (to really temper Long's sometimes extreme tendencies). Reva, even though she's on her way out, didn't seem to eat the show and finally felt part of an ensemble cast. The Acapulco storyline with Roger/Alexandra/Holly/Ross being a big highlight from that year, the effects of which were felt for the next several years.