Franko

Per the Pine Valley Bulletin page on Ruth: 1976 -- "At the hospital, Ruth befriended physician’s assistant, David Thornton. David openly flirted with Ruth. She smitten that a younger man had found interest in her. David revealed that he was in fact a surgeon. His tour in Vietnam had traumatized him to so much that he was afraid to continue in operate on anyone. Ruth helped him come to grips with his trauma. David told her that he could only be a doctor again if she was by his side. Ruth thought her marriage to Joe was over and decided to ask him for a divorce. The night Ruth was going to break the news to Joe, he was admitted to the hospital with appendicitis. David was the only person on call who could perform the surgery. Thinking she almost lost Joe, Ruth realized that she truly loved him and not David. They reconciled and promised to make their marriage work." Apparently Ruth came thisclose to breaking up her marriage to Joe, but she wasn't actually engaged to David. We'll have to see if more specific recaps reveal otherwise.

Joe and Ruth Martin, All My Children. They were married in April 1972 and stayed on the show until January 2010, with returns after that. So just under 38 years, or more than 40 if we'll allow the Prospect Park version.

They couldn't get one photo of Ken, or Steve?

Because we could use an easy laugh right now. R.I.P. Tristan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZKrkpRa4EA&list=LL&index=423

She straight-up sported a snood! Ma Perkins lives!

Steve's funeral -- Friday, Dec. 4, 1987.

Darn, spoke too soon -- Steve's in the Thursday, Dec. 3, 1987 episode that leads this batch.

What I'm assuming is Steve's last episode starts at 37 minutes.

This batch includes the Monday, Nov. 16, 1987 episode and part of the Tuesday, Nov. 17, 1987 episode. If I had a nickel for times Kate caught her boarders after having sex, I'd have at least 10 cents.

Another round of the 1987 mixtape episodes (h/t to @DRW50 for that turn of phrase) has been uploaded. These are from November. @Vee, @Khan, @Kane, @EricMontreal22, @j swift, @slick jones, @Soapsuds, @All My Shadows, @alwaysAMC, @beebs, @dc11786, @kalbir, @Maxim, @P.J., @Paul Raven, @robbwolff, @Reverend Ruthledge, @Tisy-Lish, @Wendy, @Xanthe

"Oh, the mother and child reunion is only a motion away ..."

Jesse Metcalfe reflects on the road not taken, namely bailing on auditioning for Adrien Grenier's role on Entourage. https://deadline.com/2025/08/jesse-metcalfe-regrets-skipping-entourage-audition-1236477355/

Ah, thank you. I guess the magazine stepped up once the Pine Valley ladies got involved. Forgive me if this is common knowledge, but I see that J.K. Simmons appeared in the Goldie Kane story in 1987.

The thing is, Pam's dreaming this. It's like, where did emeralds, deaf children, and Angelica Nero come from? Was it something Pam ate? If Lechowick & Latham were writing Dallas in 1986, we'd have gotten a scene where various catalogs and magazines were open to random pages on a bedroom table.

Yes, we can keep Renee reading everyone for filth. In theory, recommitting to David also means recommitting to Doug & Julie (i.e., not just disliking Hope with Bo), which would be a good thing. Oh, man, a love pentagon (accidentally typed "pentagram" at first) would be something else. Years ago, we found out that Deidre Hall was close to leaving in 1983-84. I suspect that if she had, Marlena would have been a victim of the Salem Slasher. Megan really did feel obligatory, an extra speedbump for Bope. And then Chris gave the eulogy at her funeral.

I once tried to imagine them keeping Renee, but moving her out of the love triangle with Tony and Anna and moving her into a new one with Bo and Hope (and Larry Welch, I guess). Philece Sampler was only two years older than Peter Reckell, and it's not like Renee had been tied to any one man during her time on the canvas, even if Tony was the longest-runner at that point.

That's why I wrote "in the '80s," when there would still be something of a novelty to growing the DiMeras.

Talking about Stefano as a father reminds me of this portion of Daphne's bio from the old Who's Who in Salem site: It was no secret to Daphne that Stefano had affairs (and children) with numerous women, but there was nothing she could do about that. And Daphne watched as Stefano snatched those children from their mothers in order to mold them into an image of himself. If the show wanted to go there, it could have given Tony more half-siblings in the '80s, and/or introduced other Stefano baby mamas.

I know Richard Simmons was part of the canvas at this time, and maybe not for much longer, but it feels weird seeing him in the frenzy leading up to Luke & Laura facing the reporters. I'm assuming they used minicams for that scene.

Awesome!

He was, indeed, very, very sexy, and has aged well.

Oh, and it turns out I'm wrong: Metcalfe to Bellani happened before Cook to Beemer. Side note: Days' Garden of Eden storyline with Austin & Greta feels like something that could have aired on Passions with Miguel & Charity.

I wasn't watching during Blair Redford's run as Miguel, but I remember thinking the transition from Jesse Metcalfe to Adrian Bellani was a repeat version of what happened with Jason Cook to Brandon Beemer on Days. We went from a babyface to a men's fitness pinup. I suspect that had the show gone on, or was airing in 2025, Sam and Ivy would have been solidified as a tentpole couple.

Miguel and Kay was definitely a course correction. I remember Tabitha going on about how if and when Miguel and Charity got together, they'd destroy evil with the purity of their love, or something like that. I can only imagine what Jesse Metcalfe and Molly Stanton thought when the cameras weren't rolling.

Okay, I think I can name them all ... Asa, Viki, Clint, Bo, Cord Max, Gabrielle, Steve, Rob, Cassie Wade, Mari Lynn, Melinda, Jon, Elizabeth, Renee, Herb, Brenda, Sarah Rafe, Delilah, Larry, Leo (?), Wanda, Virgil (!), Tina