Franko

That slide of Macdonald Carey ... chef's kiss I wonder if once Dinah's Place debuted and they did a full lineup promo, they updated some of the soap slides to include women.

If I remember right, the Ice Princess is attributed to Russell. But I think Thom Racina was involved in some way. Speaking of Lucy, I'm impressed that (to the best of my knowledge) nobody's ripped off her big reveal scene, even after all these years. I guess the closest would be Jane Sibbett's Jane on Santa Barbara (and even then, they're homaging Body Double just as much as GH), or Bruce Michael Hall's Reese on Passions (and this was a few years into the show's run, so we already knew BMH wasn't nerdy offscreen).

According to the credits on March 12, 1986, the writing staff was Credit No. 1: Pat Falken Smith and Norma Monty Credit No. 2: James E. Reilly, Patrick Smith, and Maralyn Thoma Credit No. 3: Robert Guza, Jr., Doris Silverton, Robert Soderberg, Thomas D. Citrano Credit No. 4: Story Consultant A.J. Russell

Luckily, Anna's fate as a leading lady apparently wasn't riding on Laurelton. I just keep telling myself, "A few more months until Duke, a few more months until Duke ..." Those zoom-in close ups. For a moment, I thought Jake was going to get one of his own. Poor Bobbie really got the Ellen Stewart treatment, even if she luckily didn't become a premature grandma. Laurelton was probably DOA and wouldn't really work under any circumstances, but I've been wondering how things would have gone if it was about Bobbie's youth in Florida as opposed to Terry's youth somewhere in the south. Also, in hindsight, Jennifer & Ted are clearly the first drafts for Vivian & Ivan.

Nope, actually it went back to back. From 2:30-3:15 p.m., it was OLTL, followed by GH from 3:15-4 p.m.

The first soap opera to premiere as a 60-minute program was Texas in 1980. AMC, OLTL, and GH all debuted as 30-minute shows and expanded. OLTL and GH expanded to 45 minutes each in 1976, followed by AMC to an hour in 1977, and OLTL and GH to an hour each in 1978.

Yes. We're getting closer to mid-March, when Y&R dethroned GH for a few weeks.

Thanks so much, @DRW50. I always fear that I'm going on and on and on about Laurelton, but it's occupying, like, three-fourths of the show as a whole at this point in 1986 and it's just an endless array of kitsch. Well, not even kitsch -- it's just plain bad. I've once again gotten my viewing done early, taking me up through Terry & Kevin's wedding, Jennifer and her goons pressuring Sarah to shut up, and Kevin finding out about Terry & Patrick's failed sexual encounter. I'll give my own commentary a little later, but I like your mentioning DL, who hasn't come up even once during my viewing. I think the show wants to pretend that he never existed, even though that would/should be a logical beat to play. For that matter, I have no real sense of Terry's late mother. For all I know, Jessie's time off screen includes matchmaking for various GH staffers and/or patients. The Jake & Bobbie stuff is especially sweet, although I'm now certain that he won't find out about her past until all the way in 1987.

We might have to do a separate Tyler Perry thread. If no one minds, the takedown of his "work" from A Strange Loop.

Thank you, @slick jones! It's fitting that someone involved in Days' Aremid storyline would also be part of Laurelton.

Week Seven, Part III (Conclusion) Relationship Roundup: Likely because of Valentine's Day, we get a good amount of romantic or would-be romantic material. Anna and Buzz: Friday's episode includes what feels like the most blatant chem testing to date for them. Robin's sick, Filomena's out of town, and Buzz lays down the law with Anna. She's got to delegate her police duties and for today at least, stay home with her kid. I like that Robin wasn't especially bratty, but she also wasn't perfectly well-behaved. It's things like Robin hanging around the kitchen because she was lonely, asking Anna a million questions, and interrupting Anna's phone call. Later on, Buzz stops by with Chinese food and makes amends with Anna. She notes that he spends more time with her family than most real fathers do with their own. Before anything can get more serious, Anna falls asleep on Buzz's shoulder. Bobbie and Jake: Thursday's episode concludes with their having sex for the first time and before that, Jake unofficially proposing. "(Are you) free enough to spend the rest of your life with me?" Prior to this, the couple try out his tuxedo during date night at the Port Charles Hotel. It's just dinner and dancing, though, the actual sex takes place at Jake's place. Jade and Yank: In a flagrant waste of John Beradino, Steve shows up for the first time in weeks to encourage Yank to stick with his relationship. The romance might be catch-as-catch-can for a while, as it was for the Hardys back in the day, but it will be worth it. Fairy Godfather Steve ends up being a-ok with the young couple kissing in a housekeeping closet, so long as they don't make a habit of it. Frisco and Felicia: In light of the fact that Jack & Kristina weren't thrilled that the show wrote in her pregnancy, it's funny that as early as 1986, GH was teasing the idea of Frisco and Felicia having kids. They get some sweet moments on Wednesday, fixing up the Brownstone attic to be Terry and Kevin's new place. Sean and Monica: She returns his flowers and is torn between him and her Quartermaine identity. She literally says it's about her identity, not Alan specifically. Then again, it's easy to understand why. "You have no idea, what it feels like to be ... to be loved." The Sean's scheme storyline didn't get much progress this week, aside from this scene and Jimmy Lee, Alan, and Edward continuing to be conned. Mike's Paternity: It takes time, but the combination of Claudia calling out Mike for being a brat, plus Willie regaining the ability to speak, helps Mike defrost a little towards Jeff, Rick, and Ginny. I know it won't last, but oh, how I wish it would have. Also, Rick and Ginny also get to have date night at the table next to Bobbie and Jake's. Other thoughts: -- It is never not going to seem strange that Bobbie is so buddy-buddy with Ginny. On Monday, Bobbie declares her to be one of the least selfish people around, always doing something for somebody. -- @slick jones, who played Mrs. O'Connor? I'm 85% sure that's Jim McKrell (the "Grab That Dough" episode of The Golden Girls, The Howling) as Mr. O'Connor.

Week Seven, Part II Laurelton, the mystery stuff: It's all about that Purity Water medallion this week. The killer gets points for resourcefullness -- wearing Frisco's spare uniform to blend in at the PCPD, arranging phony service calls to occupy Frisco's attention while he serves as desk sergeant, and pulling the fire alarm to get Sam & Eric away from the evidence room -- but blows it for deciding to dispose of the medallion in the manhole right next to the police station. It's quickly recovered by Frisco. I appreciate Anna using her resources, but imagine how Mayor Morgan or any beancounter at City Hall will react to having the WSB get involved in the attempt to identify just whose medallion was used to kill Earl Moody. It's not outright confirmed to be Terry's, but the Wednesday episode has a quick flashback of her drunkenly tossing her necklace into the fountain outside the Purity Water plant. In-universe, Patrick and Terry are considered the most likely suspects. We the viewers know it can't be Terry, or at least not if there's only one killer. A month ago, the show cut from a scene of Terry, Jennifer, and Ted leaving the Brownstone basement to a shot of the killer still at work in their hiding spot. At this point, Patrick's being presented as so blatantly suspicious* that a savvy viewer could assume it's not him, since where's the mystery in that? *We even get filler with him being unnecessarily creepy while showing Terry the apartment he wants to buy her and Kevin. That just leaves two options: Patrick and/or Kevin and/or Terry working together (except there's been no foreshadowing to suggest this) or just Kevin. Unless I'm missing it, there's nothing written or performed to give Kevin's actions and interactions much rewatchability. TL;DR -- I still wish they would have teased Jennifer or Ted as red herrings.

The Decline and Fall of the Monty Empire Week Seven (Feb. 10-14, 1986) -- Part I Terry: "You really don't care about that night?" Kevin: "I swear to you, I don't care. I swear to you. ... To hell with Laurelton!" -- my thoughts EXACTLY! Laurelton, the Terry's back in town stuff: After a month of buildup, the prodigal Miss Purity Water finally comes home. We get three episodes of Terry's former friends and neighbors treating her like dirt. Special attention goes to the boys in the bookstore who taunt Terry with a copy of Scarlet Woman in a Small Town (not a real novel), and the pair of crones who clearly think it's apt reading for her. This week gives us two-thirds of the answer for why Terry's so disdained. On Wednesday, there's a flashback to Terry getting crowned as Miss Purity and having an absurdly quick reaction to her first drinks of alcohol. I mean, I guess it's possible that Terry could get drunk that fast off of three cups of spiked punch. Maybe Patrick and Dave gave her moonshine. Also, it seems likely that at least at the start of Terry's spree, she's consciously cutting loose in response to Patrick egging her on. Back in the '90s, there was a Simpsons Comics story presented as Rev. Lovejoy's preaching against prank phone calls, with the added humor of Bart doodling, giving sarcastic commentary, etc. Naturally, the person being asked for in this version is especially lame ("Gee Willikers."). That's how this is all coming across to me, like a morality play presented by the hopelessly out of touch. I mean, seriously, Terry playing with her dress, using her crown like a tambourine, then riffing and stomping while singing the lead on "I Am So Happy (His Way Is My Way)" (apparently not a real song) is supposed to be shocking? Reva Shayne, she ain't. In Thursday's episode, there's a flashback to Terry drinking some more (when she sobers up, she's gonna spew like a firehose) and taking off the sash of her dress while dancing between Patrick and Dave. I wonder if Dave genuinely believed he was gonna be part of a devil's threesome. And all this playing out to the sounds of Juice Newton and The Cars. At this juncture, Kevin seems likes the only sensible person, wanting to elope with Terry rather than have her continue to be tortured. Girlfriend's a masochist, though, or at least an attention hog, since she ends Friday's episode with the decision to fight back. Terry's going to include her walking down Main Street as part of the wedding ceremony. "After tomorrow's over with, the past is gonna be buried. Terry Brock is dead. Long live Terry O'Connor."

I nominate Joel Crothers, particularly when he played Nathan on Dark Shadows.

For my sanity, I've decided that the people in Laurelton must be under the influence of PFAS and/or meth. It's the only way to explain their behavior.

Eleven months. Her last episode was Monday, Dec. 28, 1981, and then she came back Wednesday, Dec. 1, 1982. I don't know if it played a role in her departure or absence, but Jackie's husband, DJ Murray "the K" Kaufman, died of cancer on Feb. 21, 1982.

I'm curious how long this boy Jeff lasts. I don't remember seeing him later in the year at Bobbie & Jake's wedding, which ended up being something of Rick & Ginny's last hurrah. I'd love to see Celia back, even for just a catchup period. I guess the ship sailed when she didn't attend Monica's funeral. Yeah, it's funny to think about half of the people on the show had been on for only a few years at this point. I finished next week's episodes early. It's pretty much all Laurelton, where most of the population apparently has nothing better to do but slut-shame. Paraphrasing MAD's "The Wretches of Ecchflick," "In a repressed, tight-assed town like (Laurelton), that is normal behavior!" Oh, very much so. And to keep the Cher thing going, I kept humming "Living in a House Divided" during these scenes. Bryan gets some screentime this week. He's apparently a patient advocate at GH, which means he's around for scenes with Willie and Jeff. Steve and Audrey will pop up next week to further Jade & Yank's relationship. Jessie's still off in the twilight zone. I thought for sure I might see her at Terry & Kevin's party.

Week Six, Part III Laurelton, the mystery and relationship stuff: Terry is pissed about Anna reopening the Brownstone murder case. She wants so, so badly for the case to be closed, so she and Kevin can marry in Laurelton, and she can move forward from what happened on Valentine's Day, 1983. We still don't have all the pieces yet, so right now, it just seems like Terry's ashamed of a drunken episode. Which, fair enough, but it wouldn't explain why Jennifer & Ted are so determined to keep things so hush-hush. Anyway, the older folks create a phony motive for Mr. Russell (he supposedly was embezzling from Purity Water and killed Earl Moody before he could get fired), Patrick is presented to the audience as the most likely suspect or at least most outwardly suspicious (in both senses) individual, we waste a day or two with the question of whether or not Kevin did know Russell when he worked as a Purity Water delivery boy, we waste a day with the reveal that Russell was using Jennifer's gun, which he could have easily obtained from her house (and Felicia verifies this), and finally, Anna has both the murder weapon Purity Water medalllion and Jennifer's medallion (taken from her house during the latest excursion to Laurelton) and intends to use them to suss out which of the Laurelton five is likely to try obtaining the murder weapon. I think I have all my facts straight of what happened. This all started to bore me. Oh, and we've also got Burt still very much rooting for Anna, defending her to the mayor, etc. Mike's Paternity: Rick spends much of the week concerned about the fate of Jeff, one of Mike's classmates. Jeff was named after Jeff Webber, a close friend of his father's. On Tuesday, there's a serious car crash. Jeff's father is DOA at GH and his mother finally dies on Friday. Not wanting the youth to wind up in the foster system, Rick persuades Ginny to allow their being Jeff's guardian. In the end, Rick and Ginny end up with two teenage boys, since they put the kibosh on Mike's plans to move in with Derek. A while back, I lamented that GH never did anything with an older Mike and Rick Jr., and that goes double for this kid Jeff. Imagine if he wound up raised by Jeff Webber and grew up alongside Elizabeth and Sarah. Missed opportunities. Also, I get where Lorena was coming from, figuring that Derek needed to take the opportunity to get what he wanted, but exploiting Mike's irrational, unspoken fear that Rick & Ginny would figure, "Oh, who needs Mike, we've got another kid!" is just plain tacky. Other thoughts: -- "Love dies a lot slower than it grows." A surprisingly poignant line from Lila to Monica. -- Hey, It's Early 1986!: "Party All the Time" and "Conga" play at Terry's shower. Well, really it's Terry and Kevin's engagement party, but they keep calling it a shower. -- I'm not 100% sure, but I think that's Lynne Moody as the mother of Willie, the other boy involved in the car crash. -- I also got a kick out of Bobbie trying to gently find out when Jennifer and Ted are eventually going to leave the Brownstone. It's better than Bobbie's outright comedy scene, where she convinces Jake to get a new tuxedo for Terry's wedding. What clinches it is when Jake splits the ill-fitting one he bought at a thrift shop. I'll try to be more concise next week.

Week Six, Part II Frisco & Felicia: Oh god, now Felicia's involved in the Laurelton story. Okay, that's a little harsh. It's not completely a case of "Crap, we need to give Kristina something to do!" Wednesday's episode has Felicia sharing nice scenes with Sean, then Bobbie, realizing and talking about her wanting to recapture and hang onto the excitement she's had with Frisco from the beginning. I feel like GH is trying to negotiate with the audience. "If you let us continue with this long, long story, then we'll at least feature the characters you like for as long as we can." That said, it's high time for Felicia to get past her hostility towards "walking centerfold" Sam, but she seems to be moving in the right direction. Laurelton, the Anna stuff: The negotiating feels more blatant here. "We're going to keep going with this umbrella story, but we're also going to keep Anna prominent, so that's good, right? Right?!" Aside from a brief, frosty interaction before she and Frisco question and pay the derelict for information, Anna and Buzz is ignored this week. Anna's conflict is over what reopening the Brownstone case could mean to her career. If it's unnecessary, she'll likely get fired and have to shamefully leave Port Charles, a place that Robin's grown to love. I should mention I'm having a hard time believing that there would be so much scrutiny in Port Charles about the murder of an out-of-towner, an earlier murder in another, out-of-state town, and the death of the supposed murderer. Port Charles is a metropolis, man. That kind of attention to the deaths of three more or less randos feels more at home in Laurelton. I'll talk about the mystery/Terry stuff and Mike situation in my next post.

The Decline and Fall of the Monty Empire Week Six (Feb. 3-7, 1986) -- Part I Stella: "Sometimes this house is just too big." Monica: "(after she exits) And too lonely." Sean vs. the Quartermaines, the Alan & Monica stuff: Leslie Charleson wins the acting crown for this week with her heartbreaking work as Monica reaches what feels like the end of her marriage. This isn't the first time she's been there, and it won't be the last -- Jason's parentage even gets a shout-out! -- but it's being written and played as if the depths of despair are new. I'm giving special attention to that moment when Monica looks at herself in a hallway mirror with resigned acceptance -- there's little to nothing left at the Q mansion, so she's going to sleep with Sean. I know that eventually we'll get to the extreme stuff, namely Alan faking his death and trying to set up Monica for murder, but right now, their estrangement feels real and relatable. It's things like Monica feeling like she's being taken advantage of, or Alan and Monica disagreeing on if the marriage is worth saving, and exactly how to do so. Alan: "... Have you lost all interest in me physically?" Monica: "Oh, hey, wait a minute, pal, we haven't even gotten to that area yet." Thursday's episode includes Monica and Sean doing the deed. "How could I regret feeling alive again?" Sean vs. the Quartermaines, the Celia stuff: Most of Sean's airtime this week is devoted to conning Edward, Alan, and Celia. Dimitri Cassadine comes to town, and the Qs are tricked into holding a dinner party for Sean's phony illustrious guest. Leading up to it, Celia is encouraged by Edward to get friendly with Dimitri. I still think it's sleazy, but there is something fascinating about Celia accepting that it's something she must do for the good of the family and that type of actions and behavior are just what a Quartermaine does/who a Quartermaine is*. I don't regularly watch the current show, but I still read the discussions, and it feels like Celia's scenes at this point in 1986 work thematically with what's going on in 2026. *Lila's apparently the exception. Monica notes that Lila probably wouldn't have did what she did at the party, spill champagne on Dimitri so that his suit jacket would have to be removed and quickly taken away. The jacket was containing sham papers that Sean & Dimitri knew that Edward & Alan would want to see. I've got some errands to run, so I'll give my thoughts on Laurelton, Frisco & Felicia, and the Mike situation a little later. I just wanted to get down my thoughts on the Qs stuff while it was fresh in my mind.

Talk about betting on the wrong pony! Based on her art, even Drew's a little surprised by the way things are going.

When I was younger, before I'd ever seen an episode of KL and based on his being in the music industry, I actually thought Kenny & Ginger were black.

The Decline and Fall of the Monty Empire Week Five (Jan. 27-31, 1986) "You know, everyone keeps saying what a great cop Frisco's going to be. But I'm going to be a great ... something." -- Felicia Laurelton, the mystery stuff: "... The Laurelton mystery is far from over," Anna declares on what ended up being the Friday episode. GH could have fooled me, considering that it started the week with a slight jump forward. In between the Jan. 24 and Jan. 27 episodes, Ralph Russell has died. Everyone except Anna figures that he killed Neil Johnson and Earl Moody. Anna's bothered by Ralph not having a clear motive, not to mention the whole weird vibes surrounding Laurelton. Once again, she visits there, because right now, GH is all-in on making that little podunk town seem especially fascinating. Anyway, as the week goes on, we see someone doing tasks like filing the engraving off a medallion on a chain like the one Russell had and the one used to strangle Earl with. The mystery person also tries getting rid of the jewelry, but it ends up in the possession of a derelict who ends this week in ill health. I initially assumed the show was going to tease the idea that the mystery person was Terry, Jennifer, or Ted, but instead, there's a cut from the trio leaving the Brownstone basement to the mystery person still at work in the furnace room. Because of this, we can assume the mystery person is either Patrick, Kevin, or some character to be introduced. That last option isn't too unusual, since GH keeps adding new Laurelton citizens, players in this boring-ass conspiracy. This week, it's the grieving Janet Russell, convinced by Jennifer to keep quiet with Anna. Laurelton, the relationship stuff: I understand why GH didn't want to dawdle with Ralph Russell's last moments. The show intended to get everything in place for Terry and Kevin's wedding, which will take place in-universe on Friday, Feb. 14. The problem is, the Challenger tragedy happened Tuesday, Jan. 28, meaning the wedding got moved to Monday, Feb. 17. Anyway, Terry's excited about her upcoming marriage, Kevin and Patrick are getting along famously, and I laughed at nobody making even a half-hearted attempt to include Jennifer or Ted in the wedding party (Bobbie's the maid of honor, Jake's going to give Terry away, etc.). The Thursday episode has Patrick admitting that he found Terry "very attractive" back in the day, but that "the best man won." I'll be curious to watch the post-Laurelton episodes and see if there was any chemistry between Robyn Bernard and Guy Mack, or if that's why the show passed on giving Terry and Patrick a happily every after. Cops and Lovers: I'm including Anna-Buzz and Frisco-Felicia in this section. At this point, Anna and Buzz aren't a couple, and they end the week at odds with one another. Buzz, still smarting from a face-off with Edward (see below), refuses to let Anna question the derelict while his health is so dicey. And to think, earlier in the week they made plans to have dinner when she got back from Laurelton, and she gave him a peck on the cheek. The two Fs still argue over Samantha and his ill-advised suggestion that Felicia major in home economics, but they also end the week emulating Yank & Jade by kissing passionately. Sean vs. the Quartermaines: Jimmy Lee meets Dimitri Cassadine and his girlfriend Pilar, who seems to have eyes for the new man. It seems clear that the writers wanted to make Edward's humiliation seem extra-rich, so he spends this week as a sleaze. On Wednesday, Edward encourages Jimmy Lee to "use this Pilar to your advantage, if you know what I mean." On Friday, Edward (who is president of the GH board) is a dick about Terry's bridal shower gifts being kept in the staff lounge, and also sneers about the poor waterfront folks that Buzz and Yank will aid while out and about in the medical van. Wednesday also includes a strong scene for Sean and Monica, where they talk about her motivations. "(The Quartermaines) represented everything I've ever wanted. Money, power, respect." Sean's up front with Monica; he wants her, and wants to know why she's stopping herself. I'll always love Alan & Monica, but Sean's really making a case for himself here. Mike's Paternity: Derek's attitude evolves during this batch. Lorena points out that for all his, Ginny, and Rick's attempts to be fair with Mike and one another, they're not necessarily acting in the boy's best interests. It would have been nice if Lorena talked about her own history -- I can't remember if she actually was adopted, or stayed in the foster system until adulthood -- but maybe that conversation will come soon. I did smile at Lorena's completely unsubtle use of "your dad" when mentioning Derek to Mike, especially when it was the three of them together. Anyway, Rick gets mad at another of Mike's lies (he cut school yet again), and this time, Derek draws blood. "Your son? Your son won't even live at home with you, Rick." Other thoughts: -- Different Times?: There's a lot of discussion about the nobility of law enforcement and how Frisco will be an especially ideal police officer. Part of me wants to think that the show is setting up for the Burt reveal, but I think it's honestly meant to make it clear that Anna, Frisco, and even Sean are unmistakably the white hats (well, off-white in Sean's case). -- John Reilly narrowly beats out Leslie Charleson for the acting crown this week. He clinched it with a fine scene opposite Kristina Wagner on Friday: "(Being in the WSB) made me come alive. The time I spent as an agent, I've never really been able to recreate in any other facet of my life. ... Oh, (I miss it) about as much as I'd miss my right arm. ... There is no way I could have maintained a long-term relationship with a woman when I was in the WSB. ... Some people thrive on a cop's life. It makes them stronger. And public service does a great deal for the soul." I can't lie. Once upon a time, that's how I felt about journalism. -- Different Times: The Brownstone gang relying on a bulletin board at GH (and, of course, the staff lounge) to plan Terry's bridal shower. Ah, the days before group texts. -- In relationship news that surprised me, nurse Gabrielle, the one who played a role in Alan & Monica's current estrangement, also nearly did the same for Tony & Tania. Not only that, but Bobbie & Jake apparently aren't cohabitating. -- This Week in Fanservice: Once again, Frisco sports old school athletic shorts-style boxers. We also get James Horan (as lawyer Brett Madison) pumping iron, although the camera is careful not to give an upshorts view. -- This Week in Sam Behrens is Wacky: Jake does Groucho and Bogart impressions on Monday. -- Also, in case you were curious, Mike and Robin apparently go to the same school. Either that, or there's a district-wide father's day.

The Search for Tomorrow stuff isn't anything especially new. I'm posting this because of Jackie Smith.

If I remember a commentary track correctly, Eugene Levy wrote all of the "Days of the Week" sketches.