Franko

According to the Daytime Royalty summaries ...

Friday, Oct. 12, 1990, included Patch being caught in the explosion meant for Bo (and knowing that it was arranged by Lawrence). The week of Oct. 15-19 was dominated by whether or not Patch would die. Stephen Nichols' last episode of his original run was Tuesday, Oct. 23.

2 hours ago, titan1978 said:

I think there was a great thread that could have been followed with Abby though. A continued bid for power that ultimately cost her everything. I know Donna wanted to tell a story where Abby loses, and is practically homeless. I think there was a path to telling that story and possibly even having Abby build herself back up without being as nefarious as the first time around. Not completely defanged but going through tremendous growth. Like during the period of time when she had Lotus Point, was more concerned with her children’s well being and was content, even without Gary. She was still ruthless at times. But not the way she was before the twins were taken.

Interesting. I wonder if the writers kept that idea in mind when they had Anne attempt to avoid her own (albeit brief) poverty experience.

7 minutes ago, JAS0N47 said:

I didn't compare it to the Nielsen NBC list, so I was just thinking Win, Lose or Draw was still in its network run, but I see now that ended in 1989. Also, I noticed WNBC brought back Scrabble later in 1990 (just as a local run, it didn't seem to air on any other affiliate) up until Joan Rivers took the time slot in September 1990. I don't see any mention of Scrabble having a syndicated run, so I guess being they were the main NBC affiliate, they could just air repeats of a former network show like Scrabble?

That would be my guess. Bear in mind, NBC's official lineup included Classic Concentration reruns from 1991-93. That seems like such a waste to me -- either keep the show running, or use its space for an original program.

23 minutes ago, JAS0N47 said:

 

Per the Daily News archives, WNBC schedule:

 

Ending 1/19/90:

Golden Girls 11AM

227 1130AM

3rd Degree 12PM (syndicated, not NBC, game show)

Generations 1230PM

Santa Barbara 3PM

 

Beginning 1/22/90:

Win, Lose or Draw 11AM

Generations 1130AM

Santa Barbara 12PM

Classic Concentration 3PM

Scrabble 330PM

Thank you, Jason! I'm guessing that Win, Lose or Draw was filler until Marsha Warfield's show debuted in March. I'm wondering if it was reruns of the network run, or if WNBC was briefly airing the syndicated version.

For the 1990-91 season, WNBC's 3 p.m. timeslot went to The Joan Rivers Show, which previously aired at 9 a.m. on WCBS. Joan was the lead-in to Donahue.

Also of note, WNBC, WCBS and WABC came to play at 4 p.m. in those days, with Donahue vs. Geraldo vs. Oprah. Geraldo lost -- by spring 1991, WCBS was airing Matlock reruns in that timeslot.

Question -- When in 1990 did WNBC in New York change the soap lineup to Generations at 11:30, Santa Barbara at 12 and Days of Our Lives and Another World in pattern? I ask because I see that it had already happened by mid-May.

https://www.radiodiscussions.com/threads/retro-new-york-city-wednesday-may-16-1990.749281/

I promise I won't get too far into fanfiction, but I wish there would have been a 25th reunion in 2006 rather than the '91 reunion. In my version, Dex (having spent 17 years recovering from paralysis) returns to Denver to get to know his and Sable's son. The boy (anyone got a name in mind?) is in a love triangle with Amanda Carrington (credit where it's due, I'm taking this point from the legendary JamesFromLondon) and Lauren Colby (or if we must, Krystina Carrington, for the sisters fighting over a man of it all).

Would it be too much if the Loving resolution on General Hospital also included psychiatrist Dr. Heather Forbes and her fiance, Sandy Masters?

(Credit where it's due, I'm expanding on an idea Kane had. "What a shame the show didn’t last long enough for (a new) teen scene to come to fruition and the inevitable fireworks of Stacey’s daughter dating Ava’s son.")

2 hours ago, Donna L. Bridges said:

I just got through uploading 2 full episodes of DAYS Nov. '91 & there was a brief glimpse of a BREAKING NEWS screen during 11-18-91. The day before was 43:12 & that day was 35:21. So, when you get here, this is waiting for you. Just adding a drib or a drab of info. 

According to On This Day, Nov. 18, 1991, was a Monday. Events included "Muslim Shi'ites release hostages Terry Waite & Thomas Sutherland." (I initially assumed the newsbreak had something to do with the dissolving Soviet Union.)

9 hours ago, YRfan23 said:

Passions wins for this one I think. 

Let's go with Charity's posession. She wasn't a marquee heroine like Marlena, but it was fun to see the cloying Little Miss Sunshine cut loose.

6 hours ago, adrnyc said:

Steven Carrington always came across as bisexual to me. Has no one else ever thought of that? In the 80s, bisexuality wasn't a "real thing." One was gay or one was straight. There wasn't the complexity of sexuality and gender that we understand today. I think, if watched from that perspective, Steven's journey makes a lot more sense and is, frankly, much more believable and interesting than simply "He's gay but his dad hates that so he dates women."

Steven absolutely should have been bi, but that obviously wasn't going to fly on 1980s TV. I feel like the closest we would have gotten was a winking joke about Fallon's up for anything period before marrying Jeff, something along the lines of her hooking up with the players and a cheerleader or two of Blake's football team.

3 hours ago, Paul Raven said:

Dynasty makes a come back in early 87

Week 23

Magnum PI 20.6/30

Dynasty 16.9/25

Gimme A Break 13.6/20/Tortellis 11.6/17

*Magnum hits a season high.W/o checking I suspect this was some kind of highly promoted special ep.

It was the Magnum episode with Special Guest Star Frank Sinatra.

Thanks for the final rundown, @Kane. And I wholeheartedly agree with @j swift about how especially excellent the most recent posts have been. I can't wait for your commentary on late 1991-1992.

3 hours ago, kalbir said:

We're also at three years Oprah, two years Geraldo, one year Live with Regis and Kathie Lee. 

And six years for Sally on the whole, ~five in national syndication. At least, that's how I'm interpreting a May 1985 article that said her show had been on the air for a year after its promising start in St. Louis. At that point, Sally was on 60 stations nationally.

Notes about the start of September 1989 ... After the Vicki Lawrence version of Win, Lose or Draw ended its run on Sept. 1, daytime is down to five game shows: Scrabble and Classic Concentration on NBC and Family Feud, Wheel of Fortune and The Price Is Right on CBS. Also, The Joan Rivers Show started its run in syndication on Sept. 5.

8 hours ago, Khan said:

I realize I'm in serious danger of losing my gay card for saying this, but...the more I watch (or, rather, re-watch) Alexis, the more she bugs the [!@#$%^&*] out of me.  (This is not a knock against Dame Joan Collins, by the way.  She's doing the best she can with this role.  But...ugh, lol.)

I just put myself in the perspective of the people of Denver and how they must be bored to tears by the endless business rivalry between Blake & Alexis. I just want someone to say, "Look, you've been divorced for 20 years, move the hell on!"

26 minutes ago, Paul Raven said:

That season each of the 3 principals had outside projects airing. Linda's CBS Last Frontier mini-series was a hit but Joan's CBS Monte Carlo mini series and John's ABC TV Movie On Fire were ratings flops.

10 minutes ago, Khan said:

I've seen "Monte Carlo" and "Sins," and for me, the problem with both miniseries is that Dame Joan is essentially playing Alexis again.  Not that you would ever expect her to break out and portray a battered wife from the wrong side of the tracks, but I think most looked at "Monte Carlo" and "Sins" and asked, "Why should I watch these when I'm already getting the same thing every week on 'Dynasty'?"

On Fire sounds like a real downer. I think there was also the aspect that John's character didn't have much retirement money saved.

Say what you will about Linda, but it seems like she at least tried to not just do the same old, same old with her side projects. (Slightly off topic, and it helped that she didn't have a weekly series at the time, but I think that Farrah Fawcett was the champ at this in the '80s.)

2 hours ago, Paul Raven said:

And there were no new Bradys or Hortons to be the next adventure based supercouple.

I was originally going to object and bring up Jennifer, but she and Jack were more (for lack of a better description) "domestic" than the Big Four couples of the '80s.

46 minutes ago, Khan said:

Actually, @Franko, I think DALLAS copped out a bit with the "Who Shot J.R.?" reveal, too.  Kristin was a poor choice of culprits, who never faced real consequences for shooting and almost killing her brother-in-law.

I can agree with that. Not to mention Christopher's dad turning out to not be J.R.

13 minutes ago, Paul Raven said:

At the very least, the massacre should have had a character paralyzed and in a wheelchair for several eps. Mmmm....maybe a temp paralysis that they secretly recover from but keep up the pretence-until another character uncovers the truth and indulges in a little blackmail...

That actually did happen with King Galen. Or maybe he was just faking it completely. Again, why couldn't this be happening with people we cared about?

I love the desperation in the tagline ABC used in early '86. "It's not just drama, it's Dynasty." CBS used something similar circa 1989: "When was the last time you visited Dallas?"

32 minutes ago, Khan said:

What WASN'T acceptable, however, was the producers' teasing the viewers at home with all that build-up over who might live and who might die, only to learn the next season that only two characters, both guest stars, didn't survive, even though the final shot (no pun intended) of the previous season was virtually the entire cast laying lifeless together in a heap at the front of the chapel.  If you're going to end your season with a bunch of terrorists storming a wedding and gunning down all your principal cast members, you really need to make it count, lol.

Not to keep comparing Dynasty and Dallas, but it would be like if it turned out J.R. wasn't actually shot, he just had a perfectly-timed stomach cramp right as that gun went off. (See also, J.R. apparently shooting his mirror, not himself in 1991.)

56 minutes ago, kalbir said:

As I've pointed out before, Ryan's Hope was effectively over in 1983 when Y&R blew up. 

If we're keeping it real here, Agnes Nixon clout w/ ABC got Loving on the air in the first place. It was DOA head-to-head w/ The Price is Right and stood no chance when it was moved head-to-head w/ Y&R.

I wonder, though, if Y&R's momentum could have been hindered if ABC dared to place AMC directly against it one more time? Imagine, if you will ...

ABC -- AMC at 12:30, LOV at 1:30, OLTL at 2, GH at 3, EON at 4.

CBS -- Y&R at 12:30, ATWT at 1:30, CAP at 2:30, GL at 3

NBC -- SFT at 12:30, DOOL at 1, AW at 2

48 minutes ago, Donna L. Bridges said:

Were they in blue chambray shirts or in black t-shirts or black sleeved shirts?? From either one of these?

   

No, this was several years later. I want to say that both Henry Simmons and the guy who played Sergei were in it.

Speaking of AW promos, I keep hoping the clip (from 1999?) of the male cast getting down will return. It's too much of a hoot not to cherish.

Also, I feel like the "NBC Daytime Update" campaign, which was apparently exclusive to AW, didn't do the show any favors. It might have worked for an always-something-going-on kind of show, like that era of GH or DOOL.

Feb. 29-March 4, 1988, on GH -- The fallout from Robert and Duke returning Anna to safety. Will Anna survive? Does Anna want Robert, as Duke comes to believe? Will Duke be able to break free from the mob? Also, is Frisco alive?

Rewatching the lead-up to Luke & Jennifer's non-wedding in 1980, I was struck by how affected TG sounded when Luke's blackmailing Frank. I can't decide if he was parodying George Gaynes or trying to match him.

1 hour ago, kalbir said:

As we all know, 1988 Y&R ties General Hospital for #1. Also in 1988, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee goes national in September, so watch the clearances of the bottom tier soaps.

I mean, where we're standing now, at least 50 ABC stations aren't airing Ryan's Hope. More than 40 aren't airing Loving.

Bumping this thread, which will likely become pretty active in a couple weeks from now. I was also thinking about how fall 1991 should be significant. That was when not one, but four, ultimately long-running syndicated weekday talk shows joined a field that already included Phil, Sally, Oprah, Geraldo, Regis & Kathie Lee and Joan Rivers. The newcomers were Montel, Maury, Jenny and Jerry.

8 hours ago, SFK said:

@Beetle Bailey Esther Shapiro wanted Rock Hudson to star in Emerald Point N.A.S. (the leading role would go to Dennis Weaver). I guess booking Rock for Dynasty was some form of consolation. 

If Dennis had said no, would Esther have continued down the NBC Mystery Movie line and approached Peter Falk?