Vee

How long is this going to go on before they admit she is in no shape to return? Ah, I see the article answers that.

I'm just saying, that's how the contract cycles have worked since before I was an embryo. Some of the longtime vets have protection from that written into their own contracts, but Newman won't.

The length of his contract doesn't matter. He can be dismissed every 13 weeks like much of the cast. That is soap 101.

Braverman, that was it. And the Life Goes On credential explains why the show changed tonally (not that S7 was very good, but S8 was just dull). Why did I think Jason Priestley was partly involved in that in his new creative role? Or am I nuts? ETA: Oh, I forgot, it's all in the Mollin interview. I first read these pieces years ago, I forget parts of them. I always felt they chickened out on Brandon and Val hooking up at the end of Season 5 - IIRC it picks up some time later in S6 and says they burst out laughing midway through making out and never did anything with it again, after teasing them together for Val's entire first year on the show.

Speaking of Dallas, to this day I don't understand what happened with Victoria Principal and the new show, which seemed to be doing some David Kreizman/GL-style bluffing re: her return up til the end, when it didn't happen after her umpteenth pointed refusal.

Yeah, but I don't think there's a viable alternative at present. If soaps want to survive, in the US at least, it'll have to become about timed drops, preferably daily and probably parceled out within a few months at a time, in seasonal arc storytelling. That still gives you a facsimile of the daily living, universal experience. And I don't know that we'll ever even get that.

I think it was Season 8 where a very different team took over from the old guard? One of the interviews at the site above discusses some of that. I think it was John Eisendrath? Either way the show got worse and worse. I didn't think Hilary Swank was one of those mistakes, though clearly Fox did as they shoved her off the show right before she became a star. I never understood why Kathleen Robertson left but I think it was her decision; she was doing a lot of Gregg Araki stuff at the time. I never forgave the show for her exit, I loved Clare. I'll never get over this show being given a reprieve while MP got canned in much better shape. I think that was down to Spelling protecting Tori. Cress Williams was indeed great on the show, and I kept wondering as a kid if they'd go there with him and Donna or another lead but suspected they wouldn't. He was all over Fox at the time; he recurred on Living Single right to the end. I was shocked when he turned up decades later as the lead of Black Lightning, I hadn't seen him in forever. I don't know if it's discussed in those intvs bc I haven't read them all in awhile but I know there was supposedly some blunder re: Jamie Walters and that's why they chose to vilify him and write him out when it wasn't originally the intent. I def hated Ray by the end.

My first thought!

Anything after Season 6 (which gets pretty sleazy, but has Clare and the great Emma Caulfield as Susan Keats, who should've stayed) is a wash AFAIC. Especially Season 7.

It was part of a massive lawsuit launched when she was hired to play Taylor McBride and then dropped after getting pregnant. They recast with Lisa Rinna and she sued Spelling. I'm sure that was among her allegations and it may well be true.

Larry Mollin discussed part of the Andrea issue here, in one of several very candid BTS interviews by a few 90210 staff on this site. They make it clear Mark Damon Espinoza was an issue.

A riveting dream sequence.

It's getting to be a little Talking Heads.

Yeah, her wardrobe is very strange and I assumed it was some IRL thing.

It's tragic what she's done to herself but her physical issues are only the tip of the iceberg as to why they recast.

The Sun article is typically misleading, since they make no mention except in one caption that Kim Medcalf has played the role on and off since the 2000s when Danniella became unhireable.

Wow. I vaguely remember watching it when I spent time in Australia as a young kid.

Oh, that's right, it was Kate.

I haven't seen that, but I have seen one of the very first AMC eps where one of the Eileen Riley Siegels from OLTL crosses over as a friend of... I think Ruth? It wasn't just the actress, to be clear, it was Eileen.

I mean, I don't think it can be disputed that the Lewises, Spauldings, etc. were wildly popular and successful. I don't like how the earlier families got degraded and marginalized either but it happened to so many soaps in this era, and I don't think you can so easily divest GL of a lot of those performers. I think a better mix of characters would've worked in the latter part of that decade because I know they had some rough years, but look at the Nancy Curlee era - I don't think anyone can in good conscience say that GL's being destroyed.

I know @EricMontreal22has been searching for the Bourbon Street pilot for years. I'd kill to see it too. Malone apparently recycled a ton of it for AW and probably OLTL 2003.

Oh, I already did that earlier. I just hope you'll eventually answer the question for somebody else. Best of luck in future discussions.

I'm pretty calm; I'll take whatever penalty I get, I'm sure I've earned it. But I also just don't think you have anything substantive to say as to why on Earth this deeply unwell person should be back on Y&R in the 21st century. Sure hope you can prove me or somebody else wrong.

So no actual reasons on why Brenda should be back today then, besides Y&R episodes from almost 40 years ago? Got it. And yeah, I'll take whatever they give me.

Your interests historically speak for themselves, unless you want to explain the rationale behind your belief that Brenda Dickson in her current mental state and condition should be welcome back on the show in 2022. I think it's unconscionable and unacceptable no matter how many big hats she wears and how fierce she was in 1985. As for what I think of your taste, if you don't like it take it up with a moderator; I'm sure I can handle a formal warning. Won't be my first in the last 15 or however many years.