Scrapple

Just curious who everyone preferred when they got on their lecturing high horse: Kim or Emma? And who did you enjoy them giving their tongue-lashing to?

Why are we talking Wonder Woman on a soap thread?

Ironic that both Robert Vaughn and David McCallum both had roles on ATWT (but at different times). 

It seems the minor characters were the only stable ones that kept things running in Oakdale...Rosa, Audrey Samuels, Lynn Michaels, Fenwick, Ambrose Bingham, Jane, Lucinda's butler Matthew, etc.

I don't really get all the hate for Steve Andropolous. The Steve/Betsy/Craig triangle was what got me hooked on ATWT, and the chemistry was really amazing. Steve and Betsy's wedding was a ratings high-point for ATWT. I don't think the character fit in Marland's more ensemble-styled writing, but he did keep the show afloat for two years prior to DM. And the character certainly deserved a better exit than he got.

It is strange watching the character of Steve when Marland took over. Prior to that, ATWT was the Steve and Betsy Show. The only other storyline was the Stenbeck Heir saga, and I'm convinced that was only to give Runyeon, Ryan and Bryce an occasional day off. Post-Marland, however, Steve went from being the unquestioned male lead to being simply a member of the cast.Worse for Runyeon, he had to watch his character go from being the good guy to being jealous of the once-reviled Craig. In retrospect, it would have been much better for all concerned if Steve and Betsy had left the show after their wedding, especially since Runyeon had no chemistry at all with Ryan replacement Lindsay Frost.

As for John, if he was to have an anti-Lucinda relationship (in other words, someone nice!), I always liked that doctor (Bethany something?) played by Tovah Feldshue. She matched Larry Bryggman in acting chops and was very likable. I believe other commitments forced her to leave the role early, like Claire Bloom did.

So how many ATWT cast members have won Lead Actress and Lead Actor? Was Martha Byrne the first? Also, wasn't Eileen Fulton nominated for Supporting Actress the year of the malpractice suit storyline? I can't stand Fulton as an actress, but I must admit she rose to the occasion that year, and all her work, from Eduardo's death until John humiliated her at her engagement dinner, was stellar. 

I'm a big Hubbard fan, but the crime of the century was Kathryn Hays not winning for the year she discovered Bob's affair with Susan. That was the best acting I've ever seen on any soap.

You have to go where the chemistry leads you. HBS and Ben Hendrickson worked SO well together. (So did HBS and Gregg Marx , for that matter). It was only after Scott Holmes came on (who had NO chemistry with HBS) that I really wanted Margo an Hal together. 

Weren't Marx and Hendrickson gay in real life? If so, it's a testament to their acting abilities that the Tom/Margo/Hal triangle worked so well. 

I thought she did an excellent version of that song.

I wonder what the most-played songs on ATWT were. I know Steve and Betsy's song "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do" and Craig and Sierra's theme "Suddenly" have to rank near the top.

I disagree somewhat about Rose. I think that first year was excellent, with Martha making the two characters totally their own. After that first year, though, I don't think they knew what to do with both characters, so they watered down  Lily, constantly dressing her in dowdy brown clothes and making her just a downer.

I absolutely agree about the miscasting of Paul, Dusty and Craig. Scott Holroyd did an excellent job of conveying the inner conflict of being James Stenbeck's son, but still trying to do the right thing. Scott Bryce's Craig was always a complex character who could swing from dastardly villain (the Betsy days) to noble hero (the Sierra era), but still remain neither black or white. Replacing him with the hammiest, most one-dimensional actor in soap history will always be one of ATWT's greatest mistakes.

Actually, Henry was close pals with all of Katie's boyfriends.

When the Frannie/Sabrina story kicked into high gear, didn't they bring back Rick Ryan (the original actor), saying he engineered the whole thing?

I'm not surprised CZP listed Colin as her favorite Margo. Didn't she have a nasty feud going with HBS? If so, it only helped the on-air Margo/Barbara tension, which benefitted both actress' storylines immensely. 

It still infuriates me to no end how ATWT ended it's run. AMC had virtually no time to wrap things up, and their fans seemed okay with the end. ATWT had almost a year, and the ending was awful. It was as if they were ending a show that had been on for 5 years, not a 54-year run. I bet everyone reading this could have come up with better storylines/endings for characters than Goutman and Company.

It's so interesting to hear about this era. I started watching the show shortly after this. (The first scene I ever saw was John Dixon , presumed dead,  walking into a courtroom, taking off some disguise. That scene so intrigued me, I tuned in the next day to see what was going on, and stayed with the show to the end of its run.) It's hard to believe Cricket was so important a character. When I started watching, she was just desperate to get married before her baby was born. But then , of course, ATWT became The Steve and Betsy Show.

I started watching ATWT when Margaret Colin played Margo. When she left the role, I was furious, and hated HBS, her replacement. I swore I would never watch the show again. Of course, after a while I came to see HBS as the best of the Margos. Her chemistry with Gregg Marx was off the charts. When Scott Holmes took over as Tom, any Margo/Tom heat disappeared and fans seemed to prefer HBS with Ben Hendrickson's Hal. Scott had more chemistry with Ellen, but they remain my least-favorite pairing. BTW, any thoughts on Glynis O'Connor's Margo?

Weren't Mike and Rosanna supposed to be the new Holden/Lily?

Totally off the recent topics, but I was just curious about something. When Ben Hendrickson died, there was a memorial service for him attended by his co-stars. I've never heard anything about the service, and I just wondered if any one else has. I'd love to know who attended, tributes given, etc. Were there any articles about the service? Thanks. 

Lindsay Frost was a good actress, but she had ZERO chemistry with Frank Runyeon's Steve. (In many ways it was similar to when Martha Byrne was replaced as Lily...good actress, no chemistry). It's a shame they just didn't have Steve and Betsy ride off into the sunset, instead of having Steve rot in a Greek jail and Betsy...come to think of it, whatever happened to Betsy?

Ariel was a great character. Her battles with Karen were wonderful. And it was great seeing her finally fall in love (ever so briefly) with Burke Donovan.  

How could they do that? They needed to concentrate on the characters longtime ATWT fans cared about...y'know like the Ciccone family, Gabriel, the pointless characters played by Billy Warlock and Stuart Damon, etc.

Anybody remember that great tango scene between Greg Beecroft and Melanie Smith? Ooh-la-la!

Makes me wonder...have there been any other great dance moments on soaps?