j swift

Barbara had a weird character arc. She was a heroine for James and Gunner but that didn't turn out well. Apparently she craved the attention of men fighting over her so when Brian McCall refused to engage in a triangle with her and Shannon she turned into a vixen. But, it's a long way from being a vixen to seduce the local rich nerd to jumping out of a courtroom window during a competency hearing.

Was Kingsley-Malta a Marland creation? I recall endless dialogue about the care and treatment of the Kingsley-Malta account.

I assumed that she changed her name from Mary Ellen Walters to Lucinda Guest when she was forced to leave Montega and married Martin Guest. It seems more likely that she would change her first name once she was married rather than giving herself a new first and last name. Luckily the Oakdale DMV had a liberal policy around name changes given the number of assumed identities, returns from the dead, and new faces applied by plastic surgery that happened in town.

Per the OLTL Anniversary book - Viki sued for the rights to live in the main house at Llandfair (she was living in the carriage house with Clint and two little kids) after Dorian married Herb. The judge ordered her out per Victor's will which required her to move if she remarried but, Viki had to buy out Dorian's part of the house because while she couldn't live there she still owned half of the estate. This leads to the scene where she refuses to leave and Clint has to pick her up and throw her out the front door. Also, I just found out that Gretel "Rae" Cummings originally came to Llandview as the assistant of Adam (Pat Ashley's rebound guy after Tony and Paul who kept secret both his epilepsy and his larceny).

If Lily was adopted by Lucinda and Martin Guest then why wasn't she known as Lily Guest? Did James Walsh adopt Lily? How many times was Lily illegally adopted? BTW one of my soap pet peeves is when they give two characters the same first name and afterward everyone in town has to refer to them by their full name. "How's James Walsh? Where's James Stenbeck? I hate James Stenbeck. What's for supper James Walsh?"

today that guy is known as Ryan Serhant of Million Dollar Listing New York on Bravo.

yes, there is a great post Eterna scene when Viki goes off on Larry for keeping the information from her - however Larry made it up to the family by caring for Megan when she was diagnosed with Lupus

Yes, and his girlfriend Mimi was a cheerleader for the team. BTW - The Intruder was originally The Chronicle when Edwina and Clint worked there as rivals to The Banner. Edwina knew that Ivan was her father but she hated him. Ivan had been Dorian's med school mentor and she brought him to the hospital to take over for Larry when he was fired as Chief of Staff for being married to Karen the suburban hooker (I'm not fluent in labor laws but I think that would not happen today). It started the Larry/Kipling feud, which may have the most lop sided feud in soap history. Not only did Ivan put a microchip in Larry's brain, he also ruined Larry's romances with Mimi, Karen and Ivan's ex-wife Faith. Larry was cuter, kinder and saner that Ivan, so the fact that he kept getting kidnapped and tortured by an older more frail man did not speak well of Larry's heroics. Later we find out that Larry's whole med school was paid for by Victor Lord because he delivered/stole Viki's baby from Eterna? Larry, we hardly knew ye... Yes - Brad was in prison for raping Karen when Mary was born but he found out soon after he was released. Jenny had started dating Dr Peter, who figured out that Jenny wasn't the mother but didn't tell her. Brad taped Peter when he confessed to a priest. Brad kept the information to himself until he learned that he was also the father of Katrina's baby. Peter died on his wedding day (the second time that a groom died on the same day they married Jenny). Katrina found out about the baby switch but didn't want to hurt Jenny who had just lost Peter. Brad offered to marry Katrina, she agreed. But, two years after the switch, Jenny found out and gave the baby to Katrina so that Karen and Marco would stay out of jail for switching the infants. Until Jenny met David she was a trice married virgin nun with a stolen baby; certainly my award for most tortured heroine.

RHONY - Bethany got her dress at Amsale eight years ago and the sales people still call her when Tinsley drops by? I can believe that retail clerks all over Manhattan shake at the sound of Bethany's voice but, I don't believe any of them still keep in touch. Did Tinsley admit bridal shopping to Carole because she knew that Bethany was going to bring it up at supper? Dorinda was totally dismissive of Tinz when they were left alone in a room at the spa. I think it is the only time that those two ever were in a scene by themselves. That relationship gets no focus but Dorinda obviously has feelings about Tinz. They are both upper eastsiders, both were in the late 90's NYC society scene, and they both probably have equal wealth. So, they have the most in common and yet seem the least likely to hang out with each other.

A Delilah Ralston question bonanza. If Bo figures out that Asa is his pa based on the fact that Yancy was sterile then who fathered Delilah and Drew?

Hayley's dark wig, Anna Devain's scar and Patch's eye patch will go down in soap history as the oddest choices for character hair/makeup introduction in soap history. Apparently, in soapland, it is easier to get rid of a scar and a wig than an eye patch.

Of course not I recall being so excited for Doug Marland's return to the soap. When OG Lily (Martha) appeared singing at a nightclub in Malta it was thrilling to think of the possibilities of how that character had changed. As I recall, we saw Lily appear and she sang a song but, as an audience, we knew that something had evolved in Lily. Then, there was the odd knowledge as a fan that Marland passed just as those early scenes were airing and it gave those episodes even more impact. My other favorite memory is the reveal of Doug Cummings's liar. The build up was done so well because it was a low key issue at first. Kim had a fan and she would mention it or get a gift and then other characters would just move on with the story. However, the cliffhanger reveal of Doug's room filled with pictures of Kim, while hearing her recording of My Funny Valentine, was so creepy that it has stuck with me. Finally, when John Dixon humiliated Lisa while her face was shown in closeup on the screens in her own club. Soaps by nature rarely allow male characters much catharsis but seeing John erupt was amazing. His list of grievances and his tone allowed us to support John's moment of triumph and still feel sorry for Lisa. As I recall, Bob's compassion toward Lisa was a high point of that episode.

If we had a thumbs up or a like option I would use it but absent that I'll just thank you for filling in the holes in my memory.

The Lord family owned a paper mill/generic manufacturing plant (Lord-Manning), a large estate (Llandfair), a newspaper (The Banner) and a tv station (WLAN) which is how Viki got her cash. She rarely married guys with any money, (even Clint didn't have control of his family's fortune during their marriage when he worked as a reporter for the Banner), I don't think any of her marriages caused a loss in liquidity. Tony and Meredith died and Todd and Tina weren't in the will so they got a cash buy out and Viki got the rest. Thus, if The Banner operated at a loss she was fine because she was diversified. Viki had to buy Dorian out of Llandfair which is how she became initially wealthy. Then, she had kids by David Rinaldi and Mr. Santi, who both had access to lots of ill gotten gains. Also, her familial wealth is always a question because she had that wealthy aunt who was retconed in along with Paul. Plus, she had some of that Mendorra money from her time as an ambassador and Todd bought Inquirer and turned it into The Sun newspaper from her. . So, while I don't think she was ever a billionaire, I didn't worry about whether or not she could make a mortgage payment and afford to keep two sisters in sanitariums. I question how good ol' Asa kept his fortune. Not only did he wed lots of wives who drained the coffers with expensive divorces but he had secret wives who had to be kept on islands and in gothic mansions; and that takes money. Neither Bo nor Clint was ever trained in the oil business. Bo was in the army, then on the ranch, then he ran a country record company, he had a brief foray into factory work, some tv producing and eventually took the natural leap into chief of police. Clint studied journalism at a prestigious university and worked as a reporter until his mid-40's. Somehow both boys learned the oil business while working in the London office? Because London is known for it's oil business? Meanwhile, Chuck was trained in the company and passed over for promotion due to nepotism; a classic mistake in maintaining inherited wealth. Finally, Buchanan Industries seemed to constrict to just being an oil company in later years and sold off the music, fashion, and ranching divisions to open offices in expensive European capitols; not a great business plan.

I wonder if Bethany's personal brand is being hurt by the negative impression that she is leaving upon this season? While I never understood the appeal of Bethany as a guru/advisor/maven, her publishing is based mostly on giving advice. However, every episode this season includes a scene where she cannot read the tone of the room correctly. I know the viewers have the benefit of editing and background music but, she cannot correctly identify the feelings of her friends. Even the nutcracker incident was not about manners but recognizing that Dorinda was embarrassed in the front of the rest of the party when Bethanny was so effusive to the delivery guy and ignored Dorinda's effort. And it seems to go beyond personal relationships because she has at least worked with most of the women for years. The choice of Sonja-the-mute as a talking board at the spa should have been her first clue that things were not going well. So, my question remains, who would go to her for advice if she knows so little about her own relationships? Also, does anyone believe that Luann has ever read one of her artfully displayed books? I like the Sonja deer shoe but I understand Dorinda's point about making a business from your ex-husband's name. I wish Dorinda would remind her friends that she has been divorced and she has been widowed and she understands the difference.

I recall the pilot because (like many on this board have mentioned) Grant Wilson's Biff was a bit of a hunk. Grant Wilson had been in the movie Foxes with Jodie Foster and I developed a crush on him when the movie played in an endless loop on cable. My memory is that in the first scenes of the first episode Biff picks up Shelly, they copulate in the motel and Biff is shown in black briefs. We then learn that Biff has a girlfriend (Francie) but she does not satisfy him sexually. This coincides with the arrival of Josh, which is why Biff used the name Josh to disguise his identity from Shelly. I recall the frustration that there was copious female nudity but sparse guy stuff so I stopped watching. I think Jack Wagner played Clint and he showed some tush in a scene with an older woman which is why he was not that upset when his girlfriend made out with with his friend's aunt by the pool. Jack Wagner, Grant Wilson and, Larry Poindexter were not as muscular as the soap hunks of today but the show was provocative. Finally, I recall that Grant Wilson was married to the actress who played Susan Moore (Jason Quatermaine's mother) on GH.

I went back and read the SOD synopsis. Liz recreated the bust from a skull, it was then stolen from the police lab. Liz remembered/admitted to Preacher that she was in the same hospital as Laurie Karr, after being beaten as a sex worker. Liz and Laurie had a third friend who was killed and buried; it was her skull that was later found. The dead woman had been killed by a nefarious guy at the hospital who was also drugging Laurie Karr. Once the guy was caught, Laurie recovered and returned home in the final week of the show to Nancy and Mike's house. Obviously the plot was rushed by the cancellation because the plot holes are enormous. First, how long was the friend dead that all that was left was a skull? Second, why wouldn't Liz mention Laurie being in danger right away when she came to town and met the Karr's? Also, if Liz wasn't working on the reconstruction and recognized the face, how would the police have figured out the identity of the murder victim? I had mixed up my memories of the characters of Shelly and Liz because they functioned similarly in the story but, Shelly left Montecello to work with Gavin in Hollywood just as Liz arrived in town.

It's funny, I was getting confused about the dates of the story because they were talking about New Years Eve in a February issue, then I remembered that SOD was weeks behind what was being shown on screen until around 1985. I remember some longer issues when they were catching up to the current, then there were covers touting that they were now covering the current week. Reading older issues, SOD really lost something in the catch up. The 1984 synopsis was complete, a little cheeky, and easy to follow. The synopses were obviously being written by people watching the show, rather than by using writer breakdowns as they did post-1985. So, you get short asides about the charater's tone or their costume. It is very similar to recap culture today on Vulture or other internet sites. Today I occasionally buy SOD, but I can no longer relay on it to keep up with stories like I did in the 80's when I bought it every Tuesday with a box of red licorice. However, on tumblr I was able to read the entire history of Rituals and it read like a novel rather than just highlights of the week.

I was just reading the same synopsis. Poor Stacy, her whole family is leaving Corinth just as Lorna has stolen Tony. Also, I never realized Tony was introduced as Jack's roommate from boarding school or that he was adopted. I wonder if there was ever a plan to find Tony's parents? Was he a prototype for Rick; who I always conflate with him? Maybe you confused Duke with Dirk Snyder, who broke into the Slaters and Lorna tried to get information from him to save Jack, but Tony needed to rescue her; just like he rescued her from the drug party at Duke's? Finally, I just watched JAN play a drug dealer on Booker, the 21 Jump Street, Richard Greco spin-off extravaganza. He makes a better hero or a louse (like on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) that a straight up villain.

Didn't Santa Barbara start in August of 1984? If so, were these characters on just for a couple of episodes? Do you have any dates so I can go back to read SOD synopses on Tumblr?

Who was Duke Rochelle and how long was John Allen Nelson on Loving? I just watched an Edge of Night from June 1984 and Nelson's character Jack just came to Montecello from the college that he attended with Jody and was planning on remodeling the country club with Mitzi. I think SB started later in the year. So, when was he on Loving? Was he a love interest for Lorna? Are there any scenes on YT?

I have a Diana Taylor question. I watcher her during Heather's LSD trip and she was very sweet and understanding. Then, I watched the episodes before her murder and she was much more conniving and sexualized while in a triangle with Jeff and Anne. What was Diana like when she first arrived at General Hospital and was the age difference an issue in her marriage to Peter?

Do you recall how the skull she was recreating paid off in the story? I know it wasn't Lionel Richie from the Hello video, but it looked like it.

The sidelining of Jody didn't hold true to the character. First, in '84 there was a college story which ended with Jody transferring to Montecello U in order to be closer to Miles and Preacher. Second, Liz Corell wound up with Preacher under the guise that they were better suited because they both loved adventure and came from damaged backgrounds. However, Jody was totally into adventure and usually willing to help solve a murder or go undercover at a videodisco, and Jody's background was much more f@#$ed up than Liz's. I agree that the recast was wooden and lacked the joie d'vivre of the original; also she was too tall. However, I recall seeing Kerry Emmerson on those floor mop commercials for years after EON so her woodenness paid off. I don't recall what the pay off for the skull that Liz was recreating in the final months? BTW, props to EON for still giving characters a specialization right up until the end everyone had an ability to help solve a mystery.

so here's what's weird about this In Lemay's book Eight Years in Another World he mentions seeing Doug Watson on Broadway and thinking that he would be perfect as Mac. I remembered it specifically because it lead me to researching Watson's theatrical career. Lemay never mentions the original Mac. However, he noted the roles that Rachel, Liz, and Iris would eventually play were part of his initial pitch for the character. The original conception of Mac was that he would change the character of Rachel into a romantic heroine. He created the character once he was free of having to consult with Irna Phillips, who wanted to maintain Rachel as a villain. Thus, if Emhardy came across as an unlikely partner for Rachel that is probably why he was axed. It's been discussed elsewhere that part of the fun of that memoir is the author's open disdain for many of the actors. His stories about the older actors on the show and their reliance on cue cards is legendary. His anachronistic envy of Henry Slesar's two mimeograph machines and arguing with Irna Phillips about modern values still makes me laugh. He wrote about how P&G asked him to watch the show to see if he wanted to write for AW and he was appalled, (from a playwright's perspective) at Pat Randolph's plot. Pat was being poisoned by her jealous maid and Lemay was gauled to learn that her father and brother were both doctors but Pat had not contacted them nor had they commented on her symptoms. His dilemma was whether or not to tell P&G that he thought the plot line was dumb. When I read that story I was hooked on his writing. It would have made a great series a few years ago when every network was knocking off Mad Men because most of the drama comes from him having to pitch stories both to the network and the ad executives/producers; as well as the sheer number of scripts that had to be written every week.