j swift

I just read the January 1991 recap and you can't help but notice that it was a herculean task to write around Marcy Walker from 1989-1991. Much like Michael E Knight whose frequent absences from AMC in 1990 made his exit seems convoluted, Marcy Walker obviously wanted out but backstage drama prevented good planning for the series to continue after her exit. She was vital to the 1990 Robert Barr story however, she was in a coma twice in order to facilitate her outs for filming, after being out for months the year before while she was on maternity leave. She came back in winter 1990, they shoot Robert, she goes into her second coma, awakens for Christmas, and then two weeks later is having flashbacks to being a cat burglar. With the exception of some cute family scenes during the holidays, Eden and Cruz didn't share many significant scenes in those two years; given their super couple status. Then, at the beginning of 1991, the Dobson's return after their lawsuit (which I would guess has something to do with the Flame recast/firing). Eden-the-sleepwalking-jewel-thief (with a French partner who had a German accent) was already in place when they returned to write. So, I would argue that it was impossible to turn a metaphorical ship which had gone so far off course. The aforementioned Capwell Dinner party/CC's trial is an amazing episode. However, just like the dining room that was never used again, it didn't move the story forward. Sophia finally gets to yell at Mason for being a brat after Pamela left and then they never speak about it again. I think @pdm1974 may misremember the Cassie part because Minx hired Michael the priest/cop to find Cassie a few years later. Mason and CC don't really resolve anything; including Mason alcoholism. The Capwell Dinner party ended when Pamela once again tried to kill Kelly (because of Jeffrey which is why I think it was before Cassie) and she was sent back to the sanitarium. It is a very entertaining re-watch although the availability of the video on YT is highly variable. If you go back to watch, see if it doesn't bug you that they set the dining table in the rear of the Capwell living room rather than in the center under the skylight as it had been for years. Obviously from a production standpoint not only had they rebuilt the set at that point, but the prior table only sat four people. It always has always been a symbol to be of an Emmy episode, because everyone gets a great monologue (even the recast Mason gets redemption, it explains how Pamela's illness left CC open to Sophia), but just like the table, their words are soon forgotten. BTW, talk about good luck, both Sophia and Pamela were declared dead but really married European royalty?

I remember a large entry hall with the stairs to the upstairs rooms before the living room that often interfered with the actual view of the door. However, for years the opening included images of the Cory's greeting guests as Amanda's debutante ball showed the outside of the front door. An obviously, as one visual sign of the decline, the front door was visible during the final montage of the Cory living room.

That's a great answer and really explains the connection - they were all involved in a lot of bullshit but it was always for the survival of their sisters. It's hard not to think of them as narcissists because they were always focused on winning their part of a love triangle, and yet, obviously they were motivated by trying to maintain their family's care. There's also the interesting contrast that Vicky is beholden to a family that abused her and stole her child while Dorian is maintaining a sister and daughter who only want her to be a better person. However, I prefer the earlier part of their history when their motives were more subtle, and we didn't suffer through David and Addie's marriage.

I wonder how Sally and Vicky's relationship would have been? New Money Vicky and Old Money Sally and ditzy Amanda. Which one would align with Iris? Would Britney's kid come back, looking like Delilah Ralston, trying to steal the guys in town? I imagine that they both would have laughed off Paulina as having no power at all. While Donna and Rachel kept each other up to date with tea served by Louise and Brooks' granddaughter; from their artisinal barn, which had been the stable. It could have been the establishment of a good reboot.

I would argue that Blair was richer at the time, and she was a more reliable resource. The only characteristic shared between Cassie, Blair, Adrianna, Dorina, and Melinda was their brunette hair with blond highlights,

I have a theory that early Dorian's power came from her ability to manipulate Viki's self-confidence. 70's Dorian seemed more sophisticated because she educated, well travel, and independent. While Viki was having trouble at the paper like drinking drugged tea or trying not divulging her sources. Men like Larry and Herb Calason were willing to listening to Dorian without questioning her mental health. Then Clint changed Viki So, when Dorian returned she has to lower herself to violence and threats which really gutted the character for me. I like the "Cramer Women" but their loyalty was disjointed and they never played the beat as to why Dorian should be in-charge given that she was neither oldest, the richest, nor the wisest. There was never ever specific sense of respect between Blair and Cassie, nor was there any conflict between them and Dorian for whom was favored. A soap family should have a common agenda the Buchanons learned loyalty through oil, the Lords learn about truth through the media, even the Craig's learned the value of communication. However, the Cramer women were as loyal as the next rich guy in town, they share no moral values or traditions. They were a family in name only.

https://vintage70ssoaprecaps.tumblr.com/post/182113150209/another-world-week-of-october-25-october-29 There's a flirtation between Sally and Cass that could have been great. I'm speaking of Sassy-Sally, (not Cailtin's-victim-dead-Sally). It made me think of the completion of an imaginary arc where Sally and Cass go through their mid-30s, establish careers, become good citizens, struggle with a disease, fail at a business, but be good parents, and finally find there way back to each other...... I'm intrigued by Cass's equal who neither wanted to change him nor homogenize him. Cecile was always looking over her shoulder for someone better, Nicole was always looking over her shoulder for the police to come and arrest her, Kathleen wanted him to be a Mckinnon, not a Winthrop, Frankie was a poor imitation of Kathleen and constantly put his life in peril. And Lily was more of a convenience than an end-game. Imagine if they'd pulled an "SFT" and brought back Sally for the final weeks? She would have been great for Cass.

Do you think there were alternate plans for the identity of her son? I went back in the Soap Central summaries and she mentioned the son before Spencer came town. Because, in hindsight, Hugh is such an odd choice given his age. Spencer is a very interesting character in the page (except for his involvement in double vendettas (1) through Paige about Thomas McBain, (2) Asa and Renee and his mom's hooker past.) ruined by milquetoast acting. I imagine Paul Satterfield auditions well because he was constantly cast as characters who were much more complex than he is able to actually play on-screen. I never bought Spencer as a threat to all of these people were richer and more connected than him. HIs existence did nothing to expand our understanding of David's history. I appreciate a big swing from a writer but this was a miss. That being said, it led to Marcie's summer on the run which I recall as the last proper summer story (including new sets and new characters just for the season) that I recall on ABC.

As a character, she came on to redeem a secret from her past due to an emotional crisis caused by a relationship (like Nora and her car accident or Nash and his nutty fiance), then three years later, she exhibits no growth by responding to her next crisis by going mad again. Her love for Bo had no impact on either character Soap heroines often come from healing from a crisis (cancer, rape, kidnapping), villains are often defined from not resolving a crisis (lost kids, ex-wives, and business rivals) characters that don't work respond the same way over and over without any growth at all. The choice to hang the Truman/McBain family introduction on such a poorly drawn lady like Dr. Paige, who was also fairly isolated in terms of scene partners, is a huge mistake that thanks to @Veemakes more sense in context. I also hated the sidelining of Dorian in this storyline when she could have been such a good ally for David against Spencer given her past a scam artist and a doctor. Writing a couple that stays apart due to a third party threat never makes any sense to me. Why would anyone logically follow the instructions of their enemy to get rid of their allies?

A couple of tidbits from the double cast list: Jennifer Harmon as Cathy Craig (big early character, kidnapped Viki's baby) and Susan Floyd as Christine Cromwell (the red herring in the Megan/Viki/Eterna story) were such big characters who drove story for a year that it is amazing to me that they both came back as dayplayers/lawyers later with almost no fanfair. Dr. Paige Miller Truman - I always wonder about characters who get re-cast more than once. Paige was obviously being built into something, Bo's girlfriend, Spencer's ex, Hugh's Mom, but they could not find the right characterization for the part. One day she was a victim with a troubled past, the next day was a schemer, then she was back to victimhood. It makes me question when a soap decided to cut its losses early (Hugh and Stephanie, Carlo Hesser's niece come to mind) versus when they stick with a character regardless of recasts (Dawn on GH). Most characters are replaceable which is why the choice to stick with Paige for three years never made much sense to me. I understand that a long time characters like Kevin or Joey Buchanan require recasting due to age and actor's exits but Paige was never well drawn and I wonder why she was such a priority in the story?

found it - http://www.oocities.org/historypg/ memories of geocities....

That was a really fun read, all of the links are extinct, but do you have the name of the site for the front page?

Doug Wert is one of those actors who was great in musical theater, but it never translated onto the screen (Rex Smith, Matt Morrison, and Burke Moses also come to mind). The East Coast soaps were famous for casting from Broadway, but some stage actors seem odd within the context of a soap. He is Kate Shindle's partner, I've heard them sing together, and it was lovely. However, the only thing that I ever remember of his characters was his odd devotion to bangs way beyond the point that they were age-appropriate. If he had been cast earlier as a romantic teen, I think it would have been a better fit with his set of skills. A cunning guy who may or may not be a con artist but is still charming and attractive is difficult to play on tv versus the stage. For example, watch Grand Hotel the Musical on YT, and see Brent Barrett on stage and then watch him on AMC. His style is too big for tv, even the soaps, and it seems campy. While on stage he was sexy and sophisticated.

I'm surprised that there hasn't been more made of AMI's role into the investigation of Jeff Bezos, owner of the Washington Post (amongst other things). Certainly, after Ronan Farrow's stories about The National Inquirer and their catch-and-kill reporting to support the GOP campaign, it was my first thought. Setting aside the stupidity of starting an affair in public when you are on the President's enemy list; it really seems as if there is a Presidential enemy list. I know AMI is now agreeing to cooperate with Mueller, but they weren't back in October when the Bezos pictures were taken. I guess we shouldn't overestimate the gossip press, but I am stymied as to why more of the cable news outlets aren't focusing on this part of the story. Bezos may have handed the press his dick pics, but the fact that AMI was stalking him for months has much more national interest. If Mueller hadn't intervened I am hastened to think how the tabloids would have been used to fight the President's foes; especially when it was this overt and yet uncommented upon.

I'm undecided on Burt Ramsey. On the one hand, his decision to join the mob after being passed over for the top job at the Port Charles PD, (twice for Robert and Anna), is a brilliant twist. I still recall being shocked by the reveal. On the other hand, he had so many beatings from the mob during both Holly's land scheme and the Mr. Wu story that it seemed absurd that he pledge them his loyalty. He could have commuted 20 minutes over to Llandview, (they always needed a better police captain than Bo), and still kept his pension.

I think she was one of Lee Halpern Sanders/Carol Harper Dennison/Janet Zarish's DynaWomen, the woman's employment/escort agency run by Mari Lynn's mother/Charles Sanders's widow. They were trying to devalue the Vernon Inn by having cops bust hookers at the Inn as well as gain information to blackmail their customers. Come to think of it, Llandview had a rather seedy history filled with ladies of the night.

I've always felt that the pace of Passions was part of Reilly's meta-commentary on soaps. Passions was an intentional parody of the genre and the whole idea of days lasting for weeks seemed like it part of the scheme. However, I can see why it would make it impossible to binge watch. I remember a winter night in Tabatha's house that lasted so long it was spring when they woke up the next day. I am a bit older, but I remember thinking the same thing when "Texas" premiered.

It was Minx's house that Augusta and her kids moved into once Lionel went on his treasure hunt. However, Augusta's bedroom set was remarkedly lacking in any sense of the character's personality or style. This is an interesting question because Santana mentions growing up in the mansion, so I assumed that Rosa and her kids lived in the servant's quarters. However, when Ted and Danny go off on their adventure to Hollywood, Danny is living in an apartment in town that he shares with Rosa on her days off (even though he is in high school and could use more supervision, after all, he does disappear from town). Either way, given that the Capwell's always had more than one maid, and they had a sister from the local nunnery working in the nursery (according to the writer's-strike-killer-nun-saga), and Kelly and Eden were always a bit oblivious to Rosa, it is possible that they weren't that close.

When we reviewed the 1990 SOD, in the classic SOD thread, it revealed a sad fact. The actor who played Harland, Ric's father, was hired the week after the writer who created the story was fired. So, in retrospect, he was doomed. As a result, he was out after his first 13-week cycle.

Also, as I'm watching the Spanish subtitled episodes on YT it occurred to me that it was dumb not to dub the soap in Spanish for the Mexican television market, given the Latino cast. Sub-titled dramas do not rate well in Latin countries. However, they were dubbed in French and Russian, according to the postings, but not in Spanish.

On a humorous note, we probably won't see any male characters named Caitlin again either.

I have no knowledge of the real reason for Sally's demise. However, as a fan, one can surmise a couple of issues. Taylor Miller was a very poor fit as Sally. Sharon Gabet's Britney needed to be rehabbed into a more sympathetic character. Thomas Ian Griffith's Caitlin was probably going to follow Mary Page Keller to California since they married before she left (unfortunately they didn't hyphenate, and she wasn't Mary Page Keller-Ian-Griffith and he wasn't Thomas Mary-Ian Page-Griffith). So, for Britney to be paired with Caitlin, they had to get rid of Sally. It was the Curse of the Supercouples that the female partner rarely went on to successful pairings once they split. Audiences seem more willing to allow guys to go on to other loves, but the ladies were doomed once their partners leave town. Russ and his daughter Olivia came back for a short run in 1989. And, of course, Russ was the father of Josie Watts, Sharlene's daughter, who was a main character in the final years and survived several recasts (although her Matthews heritage was never really mentioned). BTW is the name Sally completely out of style today? I don't think I've met a Sally under the age of 50. Certainly, there are no Pat, Iris or Olive's born after 1998. When I taught there were always Erica's and Rachel's named after the soaps, but not one Reena.

I've been thinking a lot about the dismantling of the Matthews and for all of the historic critiques about the loss of Alice and Pat (my favorite Matthews), it does make dramatic/ratings sense in the context of Sally Frame. Sally and Caitlin were a super couple and their overseas adventures were coupled with a spike in viewership. However, structurally, for Sally to work as an underdog with Caitlin against the Loves, she couldn't have the support of her family behind her. The Loves needed to be powerful in order for them to interfere with Sally and Caitlin. So, if Sally could depend on Russ's medical expertise when Peter was poisoned at his art deco engagement yacht party, or Pat's support to fight Cecile, or even John Randolph's legal expertise to help Caitlin, then where is the drama? My disappointment at Alice's return, with the bad haircut, at the end of Sally's character was that after all that Sally had been through Alice seemed like a bad mother. It ruined Alice for me that Sally had an illegitimate child and never told her mother. So, her styling issues were secondary for me. Alice's dialogue about Caitlin was so judgmental that it smacked of Liz's treatment of Missy. I always disliked the Matthews's hypocrisy about the value of family loyalty when they actively drove away most of their children and grandchildren's suitors. Alice's return cemented that opinion for me.

Santa Barbara had an issue throughout its history (regardless of executives or writers) that they would focus on a single event (like a trial or out-of-town adventure) and they lost focus on the rest of the town. Ric Castillo felt like a writer's rough draft of Robert Barr. He was European, a bit of schemer, and married to a rich neurotic. So, it made very little sense that when he settled in Santa Barbara he had no money or power of his own and was always someone's hired goon. The Paris episodes introduce Ric with a lot of potential that gets lost once he arrived in the States. For example, the entire thread of Ric's wife's rich French family was never mentioned again once everyone got back home. Nick Hartley's disappearance is the most notable to me. I never cared for the characterization or his overwrought style. However, Nick had a family, he was close with Kelly, and stories revolved around his character. I guess Pearl made him redundant as a charismatic, non-sexually threatening, male sounding board for the Capwell girls (I found Pearl to be the most irritating guy in SB and was glad when he disappeared). One more observation from my re-watch - despite all of the talk about class, The Perkins had a larger set than The Lockridges.

I don't understand this reference - what was the five faces set?