Franko

I'm assuming Sherilyn Wolter had a three-year contract. She debuted on Thursday, March 17, 1983, and had her last episode on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 1986. They spent more than two years building to Jimmy Lee and Celia finally getting together, and then they only had a half-year marriage. The wedding was on Friday, Aug. 16, 1985. On Friday, Feb. 21, 1986, Celia misunderstood a compromising situation between Jimmy Lee and another woman that was orchestrated between Sean and one of the lesser Cassadines. As for Jimmy Lee and Charity, she was introduced on Wednesday, July 30, 1986. She and Jimmy Lee met in late November, and had sex not long after (which is something that never happened between Alan and Charity). By mid-December, Jimmy Lee wanted to marry Charity, and they ended up doing so just before Christmas. Their last episode was Wednesday, Dec. 31, 1986. I wonder if Steve Bond had a one-year contact, followed by a three-year, or a three-year, followed by a one-year extension. He apparently debuted right at the start of 1983.

A lot of ABC actors there -- I wonder what was the breakdown of Rosie's affiliates in '96-'97.

By coincidence, I was looking at TV listings for Monday, Jan. 5, 1998, AMC's 28th birthday. Susan was on that day's episode of Rosie.

I'm down to the final four episodes of Season Seven. I'm wondering if Cathy and Laura's last scene was or will be that moment when Cathy declined Laura's invitation to join her and Greg at the movies. A shame; the ladies' friendship deserved better. Also, Val and Jill were in the same room during "Phoenix Rising," but have yet to interact with one another. And at this point, the only people who don't know about Gary fathering Bobby & Betsy would be Lilimae, Eric, and Michael, but all of them could make an educated guess.

God bless us, everyone.

Something I never expected to see: a fake version of the front of Val's house, clearly on a soundstage like the fake Southfork porch seen on many episodes of Dallas. It's seen in "Irrevocably Yours." I wonder if I'll see it again.

I'm up to "The Confession." The intercutting between two parallel conversations gimmick has officially crossed the line from clever to annoying.

Thanks for the warning. For the record, here's where we stand with the current two big secrets as 1986 begins. GARY IS THE FATHER OF BOBBY AND BETSY: Explicitly know: Val, Ben, Mack, Karen, Abby, Greg, Gary (Even if Val won't 100% say so for another two years), J.R. (Just kidding! But, c'mon, like he wouldn't know?) Could easily put two and two together: Lilimae, Cathy, Laura, Peter (he might have found it out while snooping through Greg's stuff), Olivia, Eric and Michael JOSHUA DIED BY ACCIDENT WHEN HE FAILED TO COMMIT A MURDER-SUICIDE WITH CATHY: Explicitly know: Cathy, Lilimae Could easily put two and together: Every damn person on the face of the earth. I want this storyline to end already, and for someone to read that miserable old crone for filth.

"Jill, this is Gary Ewing. Gary Ewing, Jill Bennett." Now I'm curious what Jill and Val's first interaction will be like. ETA: Also, I like that Cathy's stage manager knows damn well what's happening between Cathy and Ben ... and she seems to be a-ok with it.

It's actually pretty sad that the Knots landscape is filled with businesses and locations that ended up slipping away, being let go of, or flaming out spectacularly. Knots Landing Motors. Daniel's. Westfork Ranch. Lotus Point. Pacific World Cable. Empire Valley. Hell, even Tidal Energy. It's like an extra-pointless game of Monopoly, with The Sumner Group as Park Place. Who knows, maybe the community pulled a Neighbours and in-universe, Seaview Circle itself has been torn down for road expansion.

Luckily, Cathy didn't believe that. I think the moment she realized Joshua could not be redeemed was when he showed up at the apartment she wanted them to live in to cajole, then harass her. I've been harsh on Joshua's downfall, but there are some fascinating moments in "Pictures at a Wedding" and "Until Parted by Dark." Joshua saying to Linda's boyfriend that if a woman wanted him to leave her alone, he'd do it. It felt like Joshua genuinely believed that, like he wasn't just saying that to assert superiority on Ken or as his own private joke. If you didn't know better, you could think the show was belatedly laying the groundwork for Joshua having some sort of mental excuse for compartmentalizing right and wrong. The Mack moment might play into that, but to me, it just came across as someone trying an 11th hour excuse that nobody in their right mind would believe. Knots at the movies: Joshua and Cathy alone in Laura's living room was giving me Star 80 vibes*. Later, when he's at her car asking her "how my show went," my mind went to the climactic scene in What's Love Got to Do With It**. *That had to have been extremely uncomfortable for Laura, realizing that something similar to "Night" nearly once again happened in her house. **I know that What's Love wasn't released until after Knots ended. I'm curious if Tina Turner surviving domestic abuse was common knowledge until after she released I, Tina in 1986. Part of me wonders if someone at the show didn't have a tinny bit of regret that they didn't have a televangelist character around to do a ripped from the headlines story once Jim Bakker's scandal happened.

Up to "Until Parted by Death." Did Joshua really think Mack was going to buy his bull about Cathy being on drugs? One more episode to go, and when we get to that scene, I might just have to get out some cake frosting and watch it on a loop, a la Goldie Hawn in Death Becomes Her. JVA approves?

Wait a moment, was Ben playing "Memory" from Cats on the piano for Val in "Awakenings"? It's at the start of their scene, before he plays "That's All." ETA: Val, the opportunity to kick out that nagging little cornpone mama of yours was there on a plate. You shoulda taken it!

John Ingle, a few years before playing Edward.

Not to get off topic, but did you ever see Dreamchild, starring Coral Browne and Ian Holm? It's Alice-adjacent.

I just want to know if Sally, Donna, and the lady playing the daisy all practiced at home, wearing leotards and veterinary cones of shame.

The flowers were total frienemies to one another! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bz5XdvqsJc0

The Ann Jillian Story was much better than I expected it to be. I came away with a lot of respect for Ann. I remember we all had some good laughs over Never Say Never, its promotion, and its idiosyncracies (Connie Ray as "Shane," Wayne Northrop playing himself acting opposite Deidre in a scene set in 1987) on the Days history thread. I've never seen the Joan & Melissa movie, but Enter Talking and Still Talking included Joan wondering how her life would have been different if she had continued pursuing a career as a serious actress rather than going for comedy.

One of the weirdest coincidences is that the four prominent actresses who played Tracy from Hairspray followed it up up with a body positivity TV-movie. Ricki Lake -- Babycakes Marissa Jaret Winokur -- Beautiful Girl Nikki Blonsky -- Queen Sized Maddie Baillio -- Dumplin'

Speaking of movies made for USA ... I would watch the hell out of Tap Pant Desire.

Closing in previews is especially rare, so Face Value must have been a total turkey or had absolutely no advance ticket sales.

@Maxim , you might also be interested in knowing that Mia Korf's first gig after One Life to Live was David Henry Hwang's Face Value, which never officially opened on Broadway. It's also related to infamous casting.

"We're friends. We go back a long way. When I need you ... I'll let you know." -- Gary, laying down the law with Karen. Also, I know the broad strokes of what happens with Cathy, but I'm curious what her last interactions with Laura will be like.

Agreed. I do feel a little bad for Peter Bergman, though, having not one, but three new females (Heather Stanford, Alice Haining, Melissa Leo) to act opposite and convey complicated feelings about in such a short time.

Marcy lasted on AMC until at least mid-September 1984. She's in the Wednesday, Sept. 12 episode doing the Liza likes Cliff storyline. Marcy debuted on Santa Barbara on Friday, Sept. 28, 1984.