Franko

I think it was Al Franken that said you could never do a sketch about a Senate committee with SNL's 1985-86 cast. Shawn certainly wouldn't have helped in that regard. On the other hand, he couldn't have been any worse of a live TV performer than Anthony Michael Hall. Also, it says something that Simon got a full-blown montage on his last episode. Simon. With Alex remembering the twists and turns of his storyline (including the clip where Beverlee makes a sound I can't properly describe).

Don't even do that, either. Simply put, it's best just to say that you were watching a show from a period of time, but don't give an indication how.

I just about fainted when I realized the music is the same in this actual AMC promo and this SNL parody commercial.

Not a new upload, but new to me. My apologies if it's been discussed in full.

Not as flashy as most of these, but iconic in its own way. "Good morning, dear." -- Nancy Hughes

One more from Knots. "Well, I'm not saying we're having an affair. And I'm not saying we're not. I am saying I can have him any time I want him. ... Does that answer your question, Val?" (Clearly I have a thing for moments that get a gal slapped.)

(I love this entire argument, but I'll stick to the juciest portion. You cannot think of this exchange without the emphasis and the difference in Leslie and Denise's vocal registers.) "He is mine, Lesley. He is my body and soul!" -- Dr. Monica Quartermaine "What does that mean, you own him?! All you ever talk about is wanting, what about love, Monica? Or is that a world that you don't even know?" -- Dr. Lesley Webber "What do you know about it? ... You know, Rick had never felt anything for you, Lesley." "That's not true." "He thought you were dull! He thought you were dull and respectable!" "(vehemently shaking her head no) That's a lie!" "... We would lie in bed while we were making love and we'd laugh about you. Making the kind of love that you poor fool are incapable of. And it's called passion!" *Lesley slaps Monica*

If nothing else, Dey as Jamie would at least have held her own in conflict scenes. This screengrab will never not make me laugh.

Also, it was too late to salvage Jack and Jamie by the time Steve Forrest showed up, but I'm wondering if he should have been Jason Ewing instead of Ben/Wes/not Jock.

It says something that they had three almost Bobbys in one season: Jack, Matt Cantrell and, of course, Mark Graison.

The timeline doesn't quite work, but I've become fond of trying to imagine the insanity of Santa Barbara under the leadership of Bridget & Jerome Dobson ... and Gloria Monty.

You need at least one self-identified outsider. They don't have to be from the wrong side of the tracks, but by design, intent or circumstance, they should feel out of sync if not isolated from others in their circle.

For a long time, I was under the impression that Jake's last episode was Thursday, Dec. 31, 1987, when he decided to leave Bobbie. He is in the Monday, Jan. 4, 1988 episode, when she's dealing with the fallout of his leaving (and the hospital's swamped with patients!). I get the impression, but I could be wrong, that from there up until the big return in November, Jake functioned as an offscreen character and mostly during the winter. Things like "Jake sends Bobbie a letter, which Scotty sees first," or "Jake and Bobbie are unable to talk on the phone." As for The Facts of Life, Sam was in the finale two-parter, alongside Kathleen Freeman as Blair's new secretary and Meredith Scott Lynn, Mayim Bialik (in the Tootie role), Seth Green (Eastland would have gone coed) and Juliette Lewis among the students. It's like watching the original Good Morning, Miss Bliss pilot, where Hayley Mills' classroom would have included Jaleel White, Brian Austin Green and Jonathan Brandis.

I don't know if there was necessarily drama so much as Sam wanted to try his luck with primetime. It was good that he came back in November and early December to wrap up Jake and Bobbie's relationship. And was apparently also set to be the male lead if The Facts of Life continued or had a spinoff with Blair running Eastland.

For what its worth, the Loving Murders was announced as an upcoming storyline on Monday, June 12, 1995.

Speaking of which, today is the 28th anniversary of both the announcement that Jill would begin working on Another World and that Loving would be rebooted (the SoHo move, new title, Morgan Fairchild -- but not her role, apparently -- and serial killer storyline were all announced in one fell swoop).

Choking on a macaroon!

I'm going to guess that the partial episodes on March 6 and 9 were because of coverage of the ongoing United Mine Workers strike. On the 6th, President Carter said that he was invoking a law to order the strikers back to work. On the 9th, that law went into effect. Side note about news coverage: It's quite trippy to watch 1990 episodes of One Life to Live, where the lead-up to the Persian Gulf War is taking up enough air time to practically be a storyline!

I wonder if Frances Reid ever found out that she was near the chopping block ...

"Forever" was a bad choice of words on my part. The endgame for everyone but Tony (and Genie) was pretty clearly to have Luke and Laura back. I should have written it as "If Bill Eckert had to exist, then presumably they'd have liked him as almost Luke until they could have the real deal again."

I don't know if it worked all that well, but I suspect that the powers that be would have prefered this incarnation, the "almost Luke," to have gone on forever.

To put that in perspective, Netflix's apparent longest-runner is Big Mouth, likely to conclude with 81 total episodes. The Handmaid's Tale, on Hulu, is likely to conclude with 66 episodes. Star Trek: Discovery, Paramount+, will end with 65 episodes.

Ballard and Ewing are certainly on track to meet that goal. With thanks for you being so thorough, and with the knowledge that there's less than 110 episodes left of Loving itself ... Ballard -- 27 confirmed episodes in '93; 48 confirmed episodes in '94; 35 confirmed episodes so far in '95 (41 more to go!). Ewing -- 28 confirmed episodes in '93; 78 confirmed episodes in '94; 54 confirmed episodes so far in '95 (53 more to go!). And, just because: Morgan -- 45 confirmed episodes in '93; 80 confirmed episodes in '94; 46 confirmed episodes so far in '95 (80 more to go!).

Let it be noted that Geoffrey C. Ewing likely appeared in all 23 episodes of Loving that aired in May 1995. @Kane's site doesn't have a recap for May 18, but we can make an educated guess that Ewing appeared that day. Also, Ewing, Debbi Morgan and Darnell Williams will end the month as the three actors with the most appearances. And assuming that she appeared in the May 18 episode, Debbi was in 23 straight episodes from April 20-May 22.

It's a shame that aspect of Pam's characterization didn't last. I guess it was a casualty of so many people on DALLAS (and in primetime soaps as a whole) becoming/being well off. Once you've got it, it apparently doesn't matter how, or how it's affecting you. There's a wonderful YouTuber, Cool Channel Network, who's been doing some amazing recaps. These words about Bobby really sums it up.