j swift

I have to nominate the 2012 return of AJ Quartermaine. AJ should be the center of GH, but it seems like difficulties with casting,characterization, and the lack of a successful romantic pairing never allowed him to become an audience favorite. I am always going to be opposed to a return from the dead of a character that we saw die on screen, with a funeral, because it always requires a ridiculous amount of exposition to justify the logic. In this case, Monica declared her son dead, then he miraculously gasped (off-screen) and she and Stephan Lars resuscitated him and put him into hiding for seven years to evade the consequences of kidnapping his children. Only to return for the awful Pickle-lila storyline. A prototypical Ron C plot where he thinks it is clever to recall one piece of soap history and turn it into a plot. This junk was such trash that it was also used to support The Chew which was the replacement for the other soap that Carlavatti tanked; OLTL. And then, within eighteen months, he was killed off again by Sonny who, of course, never paid for his crime.

Poor Harry and Didi both died from wig-anopsia. A genetic disorder in which one is unable to discern that their lover is in disguise. They were literally blindly in love. AW flopped establishing families around the character of Clarice. First, we the McGowans (Gil, Tim, Nancy and Burt), then the Hobsons (Leigh and Denny), and finally her the Ewings: Fred, Jeannie, Blaine and Catlin popped and then fizzled, until eventually she just disappeared. But, I guess we could call the Harrisons a success. They survived recasts, death, and doppelgangers and were there until the final episode. To me, the hallmark of a family that "took off" is not just their longevity, but also if they persist beyond the writing staff that introduced them into the show.

I feel like such a dope. I just put it together that Marlena's return from the dead will probably coincide with her milestone 5,000th episode, which is why her obituary noted that she had been in Salem for almost half a century.

https://general-hospital.fandom.com/wiki/Amelia_Joffe_(Annie_Wersching) I barely recalled her stint on GH, but in reading over the character bio, her role was short but significant

I wonder how the sale and redevelopment of Television City will change B&Bs production style? I have no business acumen, but it fascinates me when a company like CBS/Paramount/Viacom sells assets that will only continue to gain equity. CBS sold the Radford lot and Television City almost at the same time. B&B is entwined with Television City not just in terms of outdoor sets like the rooftop bar/gym, but also that classic scene when Ridge went over the balcony. Y&R was also obviously inspired by the development of The Grove next door when that had that story in 2007 about the construction of the Clear Springs parking lot that caved in and trapped Sharon and Nick. The new owner is redeveloping the complex, and CBS is currently leasing both lots, but I wonder how long that will last, and how it will effect the look of both shows? https://therealdeal.com/la/2021/03/26/hackman-unveils-massive-plan-to-redevelop-cbs-television-city/ Surface parking lots and two sound stages built in the 1990s would be razed to make way for the new construction. Parking garages with room for 5,300 vehicles would be added. Hackman plans to preserve the four original sound stages designed by architect William Pereira and built in 1952

Yeah, that's what I meant, but also think about that this was before digital archives, so editors would have had to pour through tons of material to find that moment, which is equally remarkable

If you are an EON fan and you are not following this group on Facebook, it is really a must. The thing that I admire about Mark Arnold sharing his memories, is that it is totally without ego. I am certain that many actors have stored memorabilia of their careers over the years, but his willingness to show his collection is an implicit admission that he (or his family) cared about the publicity that he received enough to hold onto it for more than 40 years, and I like that kind of honesty.

To me, the thing that's so remarkable about Harley dancing in the Hold on to Love opening is that they could have never planned it. It is an edit from an episode that works perfectly with the rhythm, movement, and visuals of the opening. We later saw other soaps try to capture the same idea, but it was truly like magic in a bottle.

Overall, it seems as if they've adapted well to writing and producing within the streaming format. On network, they could build to each commercial with a suspense moment, but that's gone because it is impracticable on Peacock. Also, it feels like there are fewer scenes per episode. But, with daily drops, they still maintain a weekly cliffhanger which I enjoy in terms of tradition.

The news is confusing, because the headline made me concerned for the future of DOOL, but the subheader made me think everything is fine https://www.theverge.com/2023/1/27/23574580/comcast-peacock-revenue-q4-2023-subscriber-loss Peacock — the streaming platform for Comcast-owned NBCUniversal — reported a loss of $978 million during the company’s fourth financial quarter, a sizable jump from the $559 million loss reported in the same quarter last year. Comcast expects Peacock’s total losses to peak at around $3 billion. “We believe 2023 will be peak losses for Peacock and, from there, steadily improve,” said Comcast president Michael Cavanagh during a company earnings call

Thanks for this reply because my intention was not to comment on their beauty (although Juliana McCarthy could probably have done AARP commercials in her 30s), but to point out the lack of sophistication among the characters of today. They need to be able to grow up and begin caring about other things than being the only focus of their boyfriend's attention or trying to gain the approval of their fathers.

I feel like the history of the show was pretty clear after a recent review of the 1984 SOD news on Tumblr. There was a long planning period, NBC built a new soundstage, they spent millions developing sets, including floors that looked like tiles but could be silent on camera. They cast actors from other popular soaps, and they set up an expensive PR campaign for the debut. Then, it all starts to fall apart. The original CC had a heart attack and they had to reshoot the pilot. AMC wouldn't let Marcy Walker out of her contract early so she has to enter the show weeks later. They couldn't decide on who should play Lionel, so he wasn't in the premiere. Which set the stage for years of conflicts with the Dobsons over casting (of course culminating in their final fight over the casting of Pamela which got them locked out of the studio). Also, they miscalculated and set the first week of episodes during the summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Perhaps they looked at the 1980 games that were boycotted by the US, but created a boom time for summer soap ratings, and they thought audiences would be looking for alternative programming because the Russians were boycotting the games; who knows. However, the first ratings were a complete flop. New World was new to network daytime programming, NBC had spent a fortune, and now everyone was in a panic. They fired multiple cast members within the first few weeks. They moved up the scheduled earthquake story in order to garner interest once the games were over. And, there were weekly leaks to the press about how the network was pissed over the poor ratings. So, whatever bible was planned was clearly out the window, and whatever creative freedom was given to the Dobson's was quickly subverted once New World and NBC felt that they couldn't be trusted to bring in new viewers.

I enjoy the actors in their scenes, but it makes no sense that Ava and Nina are now friends

Given that Cruz's friends Pearl Bradford, Cain Garver, and Nick Hartley, as well as his brother Ric, (and all of his kids) just "disappeared" from Santa Barbara without a trace it might have been fun if his exit story was going on the run for fear of finally being caught as a serial killer. Unless it was Kelly all along (which would explain her long history of boyfriends either dying or exiting without a trace)...

It is amusing to me that in 1973 Juliana McCarthy was 44, Jeanne Cooper was 45, and Dorothy Green was 53. Each played the mother of adult children, and they were considered the "older" generation of the show. Today Amelia Heinle is 49, Sharon Case is 51, and Michelle Stafford is 55 are they are written as perpetual 30-40 somethings who still get annual weddings in sexy white wedding gowns. It just seems like nobody is allowed to age in soaps anymore until they hit their 70s

This whole discussion has left me with two questions (1) What is the average cost of a new opening? (2) Has a new theme song ever resulted in increased viewership? I would add that as a kid the 1975-1981 opening was a huge turnoff, and even though I kept with the plot from SOD, I never tuned it because it looked like a nature show.

Nothing will ever be as bad as the lyric "everbody clings to sex like soap on a rope" Everybody wants truth Everybody wants hope Everybody clings to sex like soap on a rope Everybody gets low Everybody gets high Everybody’s feet are on the ground and head’s in the sky Try letting go Try letting go Only love can save the world Only love can save the world Only love can save the world Only love can save the world We know

They're these weird hybrid fashions, where they don't look like something one could buy at retail, and yet they don't look couture. Instead it's like someone bought a dress and just started hot gluing stuff to it. They are beautiful women, with superior hair and makeup applications, but the dresses do not look expensive nor well designed. Also, they rarely seem well-suited for sitting. Candiace's legs are going to look like she ran into a flock of birds after those feathers are imprinted onto her skin when she sits on them for eight hours, and Wendy's beaded embellishment is going to look like it is growing out of her chin when she is lounging on the sofa.

I'm also surprised by the number of theme songs. If you asked me to name the ATWT theme it would have been the 1981-1993 song, but doing the math, that theme was used for less than 80% of the time ATWT was on the air.

I wonder if Susan will be resurrected along with Kate, Kayla, and Marlena? Not that I would wish for anymore screen time with this poorly constructed character, but it would serve as part of Xander's redemption.

In the GL thread @NothinButAttitude referenced the "toilet flush theme", a term that I was unfamiliar with until today. So, I went back to the opening compilation and saw that were two instances of "the swish", first in the 1993-1999 opening, and again in the 1999-2002 version. I guess it was meant to indicate the turning of the world, but I found the computer animated quickly spinning earth bouncing around the screen to the disconcerting. Overall, I don't like the generic cast-turn-to-camera openings that were prevalent among soaps at the turn of the century, although, I recall how revolutionary the first white background seemed when it premiered in 1999. But, in hindsight, I enjoyed the final opening with the cast photos in the context of their surroundings.

I'm a bit more conflicted on this issue. While I think @Vee's response to the LGBTQ characters is a good point that is well made. This week I am also appreciating the nuances in the writing of Nicole and Eric. There is more complexity in their struggle to maintain relationships, and an adherence to a morals, with their inner demons. I never like when a show is intentionally campy. That sort of humor should be the domain of the audience in terms of a reaction to earnest drama (like we've been discussing with Y&R's historic use of music). And I cringe when a show tries to be "in" on the joke as a means of seeming cool or hip. But, I don't want to dismiss this period of writing when we also get these heterosexual couples that explore a more progressive approach to sex. Although, I also appreciate the irony that it is the one thing that I like from the most successful out gay head writer in daytime.

I guess there aren't enough gold dresses in retail to dress the whole cast, but on Bravo they photoshop the cast photo so that everyone's dress is in the same color tone which would have been a good idea to add more interest to this image

And yet... https://futurism.com/cnet-ai-plagiarism

I think there's something fascinating about Y&R's use of music throughout its history because in hindsight the earnest presentation of musical interludes was very campy. There were always musicians like Gina, Danny, and even Leslie. They would either perform at concerts or sing over montages of other couples. Then, there were the odd performances by Snapper or John Abbott, who would be encouraged at dinner to get up and belt out a tune. As if there was nothing weird about the local doctor or entrepreneur performing a cabaret set in public. That tradition continues a bit with Tessa, and when Devon produced music. But, one doubts we would ever get those over the top performance videos that Danny and Lauren produced today. Although, oddly, we were only aware of their relative fame because they each had a stalker. Otherwise, even though they gave an annual concert Lauren and Traci never seemed to gain any notoriety outside of Genoa City for their singing. It is just a funny heritage, that despite its reputation as one of the most reality-based soaps (few people return from dead and there's no spies) there is also this goofy integration of music that has always defined Y&R for me.