j swift

I have a general Roscoe Born question - He famously quit AMC because his character Jim was going to be in a pedophile storyline, but then he played "Terrible" Tom on Y&R who was cast as a pedophile. I know the simple answer is money, but I wonder if anyone recalls if Mr. Born was ever interviewed on the subject?

It would have been funny if her step-brother replied, "One day I noticed that my mother's curtains needed mending, so I attached some fringe, and from that day on I called myself, Draper..." But seriously, I also like that Raven had played with boys like Logan, Kevin, and Elliott, but it wasn't until she lost the support of Geraldine that she left Monticello.

This truly is my favorite minute in soap history and since it hasn't evoked much response in the Best Soap Scenes thread, I thought that I would re-post here. It starts at around the 17-minute mark - After another fight with Logan, Raven has decided to leave Jamey with April while she returns to England to be with her mother. I rewatch this scene for many reasons: (a)The underscore that evolves into the theme gives me chills (b)The layers of Raven trying to be callus so April will keep Jamey away from Logan (c) the sick undertone that Raven is leaving to go seduce her mother's husband in England, who is also Draper's father (d)the idea that the whole story is told in one episode but it sets up issues for the custody hearing that won't happen for another year (e)that she messes up the line a bit but they keep this long take which makes it seem more like theater (f) the fact that a writer finally capitulated that the name Raven is odd and needed to be explained (g)Raven leaving the show isn't even the cliffhanger of the episode

I looked at the dates from the French SB website and it sort of makes sense with this caveat - Lane left at the end of his contract, but he didn't know that the role would be recast; I don't think it was anything more than that. So, I don't think Terry Lester actively pushed him out, but his hiring closed the door on the character. Yeah, so that's the thing, according to the SOD story, Lester's representative called him and told him that this was the last day of his contract and there had been no offers for negotiation. He cleaned out his dressing room, didn't say anything to anyone, and went home. When production called his agent to ask why he was not on set, they were told that his contract had expired. Nobody on staff was prepared so they had to edit those scenes to try to make some transition between the actors. Thus, production had to pay each successive Mason more money than the one before; because of poor planning.

Notably, the next year in 1990, when Terry Lester left the role as Mason, SOD reported rumors that Lane Davies might return. According to SOD, Terry left the role after nobody in production approached his agent about renegotiating when his initial contract ran out. SB responded that they had simply overlooked the date at end of Mr. Lester's contract. The next issue Gordan Thompson's hiring was announced. There were also rumors printed that when Terry was lured from Y&R to SB Lane did not know that he was being pushed out. Which makes me think that SB behind the scenes was messier than any Capwell Dinner Party.

While I agree that the writing and performances of the dinner party are exemplary, upon reflection, Mason's motivation to defend his mother to CC in February 1991 comes out of nowhere. Arguably, Gina had been far worse to Mason in 1990 than CC had ever been by maintaining Sonny and keeping Mason from his wife and children. Also, CC and Mason had a prior reconciliation during Mason's wedding to Julia and Mason knew that Pamela was a mortal threat to Kelly, whom Mason was always protective, so the setup didn't really make sense.

The early 1991 summaries are being posted on Tumblr. As previously mentioned the timeline is nuts. Around November 1990 Robert Barr is shot and Eden goes into a coma. She awakens in time for a Xmas miracle. Then, the first week in February she gets a necklace from Quinn, (pretending to be Robert), which triggers a nightmare when she remembers that a huge diamond was once attached to it, thus beginning the jewel thief angle. Bridgette Dobson proudly said that she never watched SB during her time off of the show. Looking back, that might not have been a good idea because any character growth between CC and his kids during their absence was immediately abandoned upon their return.

I would love to see Kristen's 1989 Most Eligible Bachelor Party, but I can't find it after a search.

It is such a great "I told you so" story because part of the Dobsons' whole fight was around the casting of Pamela. The legend is that they wanted Marj Dusay, but network wanted Shirley Anne Filed (for no apparent reason). So, when they came back in 1991, after the lawsuit, Pamela was already off the canvas and the whole Mason/Sonny story did not get critical acclaim. Then, they wrote the single episode to show the change in direction. It is a testament to their script that it worked because Gordon Thompson had just assumed the role in November so there was very little history played on screen. My only quibble is the ludicrous foreshadowing of Eden's breakdown.

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.