j swift

Bobbie is an odd duck. She is usually referenced for her more stable times in Port Charles like when she was in charge of The Brownstone or when she was married to Tony. However, I appreciated her edge when she was with Damian and Stefan. I think unlike Monica, we never saw an evolution of Bobbie, she didn't change she just reacted to her circumstances. She aged into a grandmother. However, there was never any insight into why she torpedoed her relationships with stable men in order to be with con artists like Brock. I still adore a scheming 70's Bobbie scene with Scotty; or later with Noah. Remember when Bobbie, Anne and Heather all wore those navy blue nurses capes with their uniforms when they were out of the hospital? I just saw part of when Heather set Anne up for Diana's murder and she is running around in this cape and it made me laugh.

Monica has had a remarkable arc as a character. It would be hard to imagine that the woman who couldn't commit to Jeff or Dawn's father, taunted Leslie over her chemistry with Rick, and cheated on Alan would eventually adopt two children and then grieve the loss of three out of four of those kids on her own; although her grief over Dawn and Emily is mentioned less frequently than the loss of AJ. She went from very selfish and mean to demonstrate extreme compassion. Some writer could have made the connection between Monica's upbringing in an orphanage and her ability to parent Jason and Emily but I don't recall anyone doing so. I know more recent writers have had Monica tell Jason or Drew about parenting an adopted child when Sam was pregnant but I don't think she talked about her own childhood. Also, looking back her relationship with Gail as a mentor was so much more cleaver than making her a long lost daughter; especially because she was married to the long lost son of Steve Hardy.

Mac Cory was a man with sophisticated taste. Notably, when he moved to Bay City he bought an old stately house but then commissioned Robert Delaney to design the very contemporary Cory Publishing Compound. I don't recall why Mac moved his company to Bay City or why Robert gravitated toward such modern designs. However, I appreciated the details both types of architecture, and how his home and office were a reflection of an older man who was always attracted to fresh new ideas; like Rachel. Looking back at the office sets in the 90's, around the time of Iris's return, all of the midcentury charm of the company was gone The offices where Willis, Gwen and, Pat worked looked like they were in a compound and the 90's office looked like a generic highrise. As I recall the original offices were all on one floor around a central courtyard; hence the name Cory Compound. I hate to be a curmudgeon but I think they even stopped referring to it as a compound once Amanda went to work there. Was there a gap in time between when Robert was on Summerset and when he moved to Bay City and was it ever explained what Robert did during that time?

I'm interested in your thoughts on Willis. I recall him going from petulant with a chip on his shoulder to stubborn but charismatic. However, I always attributed it to his awesome pairing with Gwen. But, I guess he was aged up in the recast and I'd be curious to know how his portrayal changed?

I follow a Classic Soap Digest News Tumblr, and they reported on the development of Dark Mansions often in the Breaking News Section. There were a number of recastings prior to filming and I think it was the first project that Grant Aleksander was cast in once he left GL. The pilot was on YT and a kind assessment would be to say that it did not hold up well to the passage of time.

Also, as I mentioned earlier, nobody wants a nursery with a huge a skylight, that room is where they should have put Jimmy Lee so he could work on his tan.

I just have a couple of random soap memories (RSM's) that I hope other fans can help me fill in the details. In 1984 EON had a literal cliffhanger in the episode before the break for the Summer Olympics. Preacher, Jody, Raven, and Sky were in a car chase that wound up on a cliff on the beach. Clips of the car chase were then inserted into the opening montage. As I recall, the car chase had something to do with either the Van Dyne mystery or Preacher's father but I also recall that it was not the denouement of the story and it wound up being very inconsequential. They got into the chase in Mexico (probably shot on location in The Hamptons) and they all wound up okay and returned to Montecello. Please reply if you can recall any of the other details of that cliffhanger. Also, does anyone recall if EON had a similar cliffhanger for other daytime Olympic coverage (obviously they didn't need it for 1980 in Moscow)? That one stands out because they replayed the heck out of those scenes in the promos. Also, I grew up in Los Angeles where all the soaps are on an hour early (GH at 2, EON at 3, etc) but in the 80's was EON pre-empted monthly for the ABC Afterschool Special? I don't recall how that scheduling worked or its effect on story continuity. Finally, did the Correlli family really name one daughter Beth and the other one Liz? Aren't they both derived from the same name?

I understand killing Nadine from a story perspective. She had an almost perfect arc as a character. She was introduced as very unlikable, then she did a really bad thing and then, she got a redemption through her reconnecting with Buzz which set her up as a martyr when she was killed. Considering that she was always a supporting character it is remarkable that she got a full redemption, that is rare for female characters in general and seems like a herculean writer's task for a character who conspired to keep a baby from his mother and was giving gold-digger advice to her daughter. On the other hand, Peter(was that the baby's name?) was a great candidate for SORASing.

Well there were a lot of issues with casting of Jennifer Smith over the years; remember when Roseanne played role?

I thought Chris Rich was H-O-T as Sandy but, I wonder he got a perm to be curly like Luke Spencer and the other soap dudes of the early 80's? I saw him in a cafe with his family about three years ago and his hair did not seem as curly.

An interesting side note is that Tinsley's father divorced Dale a few years before his death. I have no idea how she wound up with her ex-husband's ashes but, a short Google sesh reveals that Dale did not inherit any of the family properties. So, Sonja's gossip about Tinsley being financed by her boyfriend may not be too off base. That being said, if the Coupn King didn't run for the hills after last's call to OB-GYN while wearing a pretend wedding dress than I don't know what.

She also was a crappy nanny for Peter and Diana. She only comes during the day, Diana always makes lunch for her and they are constantly leaving PJ in the "other room." Also when Heather's LSD trip begins, Jeff takes Heather to GH (where Peter and Diana are meeting) and nobody mentions where they left the baby!

I re-watched from Heather's LSD trip to Alan stalking Rick/Monica on YT last nite and I have some thoughts: (no wedding discussed or shown during those episodes). 1.The Heather before Robin Mattson was a totally different person. A terrible portrayal with All-About-Eve acting; she speaks to Dianna in a high register and then turns around and hisses in low register to her co-conspirator Larry Joe. 2. The story is like an afterschool special on LSD. Heather's trip involves laughing and seeing hallucinations of colors outside the window. The LSD is in a vile, as I recall it was usually on blotter paper, and Heather knows that it will take 20 minutes for it to take effect. 3. Monica is groped all over the place. Rick and Jeff grab her by the arm when they want to talk to her or kiss her. People seem to be dragging Monica all over the hospital. Alan comes to town to help build/staff the Q Cardiac Unit but no mention of a family, or that he grew up in town, upon first arrival. 4. Jeff is a complicated guy. I get that he is under a great deal of stress finding out that PJ is his son, right after finding out that Steve was his dad, but he is very uncool. He yells at Annie, Heather and Diana. He has a rigid adherence to wearing turtleneck sweaters and apparently had never seen anyone on an acid trip in college. I get why all the gals went for Rick over Jeff, Rick was cool and mellow while Jeff was so high strung. Jeff was 10x's more handsome than Peter Taylor or the rest of the guys at the time but his brain injury made him into a bummer dude. 5. The Q nursery-from-hell has got a lot to do with who Jason and AJ became as men. Who would put a baby in a nursery with a huge skylight? let alone one that could fall down at anytime? didn't Monica want the nursery to be near her bedroom, not in the attic. Younger viewers should remember that Rick/Monica and Alan's attempts to kill them were the "B" story during the Ice Princess summer and a strong part of the ratings increase. Looking back a year earlier and it is clear that the chaf has been separated from the wheat.

Isn't it weird that there are no pictures or stories about their wedding? We know Alan gave Monica the deed to the mansion at the wedding but there seem to be very few other facts available.

I think Robyn is funny in her interviews and her family history is interesting. However, her motivations this week were suspect. 1. Why does she care if Karen comes to her networking event given that she doesn't respect Karen as a businesswoman? 2. Didn't the attendants at Robyn's event pay her to be there? 2a. Was that money going to charity or in Robyn's pocket? 2b. Is charging for a fan event and calling it an empowerment seminar worse than giving money to the Alzheimer's foundation and not a private charity?

Question: I was recently reviewing Monica's history. I started watching during her affair with Rick while she was married to Alan. I was reminded that Alan and Monica met and married on the show. However, I wondered how long was their courtship? Were the rest of the Q's on canvas for their wedding? How long was she single between marriages? It seems like the pre-Monty history gets summarized quickly in the anniversary books but Monica has driven story for a long time.

Quel dommage 1. I would argue that even though it is actually taped outside, the actors looked better under the fake lighting on set. Their skin tones were more even and there were fewer annoying shadows. 2. How tacky is it that "The Athletic Club"/"Forrester Gym" set is actually on the roof of the CBS parking lot and it is fully observable from The Grove shopping center across the way? BTW The Grove was built about a year before Y&R's mall parking lot explosion story and it was an obvious inspiration; right down to the environmental issues.

Wow - I had no idea Amanda was still alive. Why didn't she try to contact Brock or Katherine for support years earlier? I mean obviously it was due to a retcon of Mack - but has a reason been given as to why Amanda didn't want child support? Didn't Mack grow up near Genoa City? Also, can we all give a minute to mourn the long lost summers of Genoa City? Remember when John, Victor, or Katherine would randomly give a summer party and invite all the young couples in town? Pool parties usually occurred around July 4th but, they were always spontaneous. I'm talking about pre-Summer-by-Jabot stuff and post Danny Romelati's Summer Abstinence Rock and Roll Tours Remember when Brad married Traci and they had their speedo-clad honeymoon in fake-Hawaii? And later, Cricket and Danny's speedo-clad honeymoon in real Hawaii? Remember when male cast members had to wear a speedo; even once they were very out of style? Remember when the female characters wore big straw hats? Remember the pools that were represented just by a shallow end with Mamie, Esther or Miguel tending the grill in their summer uniforms? So much classier than those Bauer barbecues.

thank you so much for that - what a totally charming scene - j'adore their housecoats But it hardly passes the oft-mentioned Bechtel Test. They are two women alone in a scene but, despite not seeing each other in while, they only discuss men.

Brock has such an odd history and that I can understand the need to create Tucker and Devon as alternative Chancellors for the next generation of story. His employment was always murky at best. I don't recall his relationship with his stepfather Philip C prime. He never appeared to have any ambition and he wasn't that nice to his mother; calling 'Duchess' was rather dismissive. Finally, the backstory with Mackenzie did not benefit the character. He was supposed to be a spiritual, caring guy but, he left his pregnant girlfriend for 16 years and never paid child support? He was really a creep but he got a pass because he was a recurring character. Think about how angry Adam was that Victor was a little neglectful; Mac didn't seem to have a problem with learning that her mother died in poverty despite her father being raised in one of the largest homes in Genoa City.

Does anyone recall the timing of shifts in writers and producers in relation to the clips posted above? I don't note many tonal shifts but the stories ramp up and then fade out. Julie comes back, with a new-faced husband, Zed Diamond with his art deco set collection and, an evil twin but they can't get more than a year of story out of all of those characters? I feel like Jenny and Zed were never fully realized as characters. Jenny went from an object that Zed desired to a crazy person with very little nuance. As a result, when there is too much exposition, I start looking for the plotholes: for example, Jenny grew up near Julie but nobody ever commented on their similarities (given that both were in the papers), they looked alike but they weren't twins so how did the cops confuse their fingerprints during Mark's shooting?, was Jenny marred by trauma or was she always crazy? why did they treat her as if she was developmentally delayed at first? why didn't Zed's hair ever move?.... Matt McCandless and DJ Phillips (Grant Alexander's character) were also given a lot of press build up for a very short story. So, I wonder if new writers or producers got rid of some these characters?

Oddly I don't recall any content related to Kim and Lisa's friendship. I remember that they were cordial at the Mona Lisa or at weddings. However, I can't think of many scenes of Kim and Lisa being confidants. For example, I don't recall Kim consoling Lisa when she was humiliated by John Dixon. I don't recall them ever commiserating over the issues with Andy or Scott. I only think of Kim being humored by Lisa but their relationship was most superficial, In contrast, to Lisa and Barbara who had a much more complex relationship. I just realized that soap women don't discuss their friendships like Bravo Housewives. Molly and Carly never talked about girl code. Lily was never mad that people talked behind her back. The only connection is that Bravo and Oakdale both have more costume parties than one would attend anywhere else.

I'm just curious because it seems like an ingenious solution to a pre-vcr/pre-dvr era, how did you audiotape the soaps in the 60's and 70's?

I watched GL from the time of Roger's return with Alexandra Spaulding but, after reviewing the posts on this thread tonight, I went back and read about Rita Stapleton (Bauer). In re-reading the history I was struck by two issues: (1) It's interesting that the feud shifted from Roger/Ed to Roger/Alan; I know Roger and Alan had earlier issues but it seems to me that Ed was never driven by his hatred upon Roger's return; as much as he was in the 70's. Ed lost a lot to Roger over the years but once Roger was nice to Maureen everything seems to have been forgotten between the two. (2) The Bauers moved next door to the Spauldings when Ed married Rita but the Bauer house went from a Spanish design with a red tile roof (as seen when Kelly lives and swims there) to a Colonial design when Ed and Rick start doing the Bauer barbecue? Did the Marler's also live nearby? Did anyone ever takeover the Wexler estate? As an audience we lost a sense of who lived where and which parts of town were the nicest in Springfield over the years. I assumed by the size of the kitchen and the decor of the living room in the 1990's that Ed lived in Bert's old house, not next door to a mansion.

Silly question: In the 1981 recap, the point is made that when Steve Frame comes back Rachel's son wants to be known as "James"; when did he go back to being Jamie?