Franko

Playing catchup with some listings I never got around to posting. Maine, November 1991 In Bangor (WLBZ), DAYS and SANTA BARBARA aired from 9-11 a.m., immediately after TODAY. AW was still at 2, between A Closer Look and Chuck Woolery's talk show. Bangor (WABI) aired the CBS soaps in pattern, so DAYS and SB would be going up against Regis and Kathie Lee, Designing Women reruns and Family Feud. LOVING did not air in Bangor (WVII), which ran Sally Jessy Raphael and Geraldo from 9-11 and Maury Povich from 12-1. LOVING also did not air in Poland Spring (WMTW), which ran Geraldo from 12-1. DAYS (at 12 p.m.) and AMC (at 1 p.m.) aired on CHSJ, the CBC affiliate in Saint John. AW and SANTA BARBARA aired from 2-4 p.m. on CKLT, the CTV affiliate in Saint John. DAYS and SANTA BARBARA also aired from 9-11 a.m. in Portland (WCSH). GL (on a one-day delay) aired at 9 a.m. in Portland (WGME), with 3 p.m. going to Maury. Orlando/Daytona Beach area, November 1988 Almost all of NBC's daytime lineup aired on WESH, with the exceptions of Super Password and Scrabble, passed over for news and Family Medical Center. CBS affiliates WJXT (Jacksonville) and WCPX (Orlando) have near identical schedules, with the only difference being that WCPX aired Sally Jessy rather than Family Feud and Card Sharks. RYAN'S HOPE was not airing on WFTV (Orlando).

Poor Melissa. That must have been absolutely heartbreaking, to put all her faith in Linda like that, and then be discarded so easily. I wonder how deeply that was explored when Linda returned in 1984-85, or if it was more about Linda's business machinations and the aspect of both women being involved with Pete. Aw, that's nice. Really shows how Julie grew up over the past near-decade. Yet another scene I'd love to see. Sounds like this is another turning point for Alex. He's still exceedingly evil, but also increasingly being kept in check. Better late than never for them to dial him down, I guess. Well, at least Maggie and Mickey know all about Melissa's mother ... Alice's inner monologue: "I'm to entertain WHO?" Oh, now that's lazy writing, doing that kind of a shocker scene so close to Bob's death. Or was it before? How I wish this had continued, with everyone leaving DOOL getting the chance to let it all out on the Doug's Place stage. Can't we JUST hear the endless renditions of "Cabaret"? I was trying to figure this one out, too. The only way it makes sense to me is if Don was proposing outside the house. I mean, who doesn't pop the question while out for a stroll? Like I said before, I imagine lots of viewers were changing the channel to AMC in April. Wouldn't that be something if they're reading us? If we get a reference to "Barney's Beanery," we'll know for sure.

It feels like a crossbreeding of Eight is Enough and early Falcon Crest's opening sequences.

Tough call, but I think Dumbass of the Three-Quarter-Month should be given as a tie among Mary, Melissa and Margo. Oh sure, Grandma Craig is all open-minded and with it on the phone, but you just know that when Donna got there, she started acting all Piper Laurie in Carrie ... Not going to lie, I am a little choked up at Robert's exit. I'll bet Clary and Bill Hayes really went for it there. It's strange to think of an alternate 1980 where DOOL is cancelled and perhaps TEXAS is closer to the original vision (i.e. no Iris). What on earth would NBC Daytime look like from there? As for Sandy Horton, it's been 36 years since she's shown her face in Salem. If you can get a story out of that ...

I'd love to get Eileen Barnett's recollections on playing Stephanie. It seems like the character went from a complex but likable anti-heroine to an easily manipulated mess. Did she want out? Was she fired? Also, so Bob and Mary know the truth about Stephanie, but I guess Phyllis, Melissa, Alex, Chris, David, Trish and the one I really wanted to find out, Linda, all remained in the dark. For all our talk about DOOL eventually emulating GH, it's interesting that Linda being willing to let Bob die of a heart attack came a few months before the better remembered scene between Tracy and Edward Quartermaine. SOD's copy editors must have taken more long coffee breaks. On the one hand, we have the copy going to great lengths to explain that Cathy will receive education from Sister Marie's former teacher. On the other hand, it's implied that Marlena, not D.J., was born six weeks early. Seriously, Don, how can you think this is the best way to handle Donna's porn mess? Makes you wonder how he'd attempt damage control in the wake of Sami shooting Alan Harris in the groin or Marlena's possession. Despite her relationship woes (and ew! to that scene with Neil), it must be kinda fun being Julie. Open an antiques business, discard when bored. Open an interior decorating practice, discard when bored. Take over a restaurant, discard when bored. What, no run as a realtor?

Phyllis, Phyllis, Phyllis ... there are much better men than the town pogo stick. This had to have scored Bob some points in the Dumbass of the Month competition. This is reminding me of that episode of FAMILY GUY where Lois shows her old porn to the audience at church. Eww. But ha-ha to the idea of Don and Marlena taking in Carter-era porn at the bijou. "Two for A-pair-a-hips Wow, please." Okay, what I think this means is that Marie was a full-fledged nun from the beginning. She didn't have to be a novice and took her vows right when she entered the convent. The thing is, there have been women who've had families who end up becoming nuns, but I don't know if that's a relatively modern idea or if the writers didn't do all their research. This feels so out of character for Tom. Aw, man, we could have had another proto-Nurses Ball? With Bob's upcoming death, Phyllis, Linda and Melissa soon to leave the show, a Mary recast coming and eventually new storylines for Alex, Mike, Chris and David, it feels like the curtain's coming down on the Anderson saga. Eight years ... DOOL was really lucky that the Bradys caught on.

Word. As varying as the quality of the breakup Doug and Julie storyline has been, I'd love to see these scenes. I'm certain SSH (and her boobies) rose to the occasion. Oh my god, this sounds hilarious. And Don. Alex as a boy toy could have worked nicely against Sandy Horton. I feel like it'd play much better than the Mike/Janice Barnes/Bill triangle that played out eight years later. Fascinating stuff. I guess the continuity person was on several coffee breaks. Well, I see the whitewashing is beginning ... This, last month's scene with Hope and, a decade later, her interactions with Eve, Tanner, Molly and company make me think that it's a shame DOOL didn't go further with Julie/SSH assuming a role like Lisa/Eileen Fulton on ATWT, taking a whole bunch of young 'uns under her wings. I know things didn't work out with Charlotte Ross, but imagine Susan and Alison Sweeney sharing scenes together during Sami's '90s heyday. If Alex knows Stephanie is Brooke, than wouldn't he know that Brooke is Bob's daughter? I guess the PI wasn't that thorough. Isn't it obvious? Terry keeps intercutting between Donna and a mannequin for all the sex scenes. Also, TIL Salem had a red light district. They're gonna really need to kick Alex's rebooting into high gear soon, cause right now, he's got no appeal whatsoever.

I am dying laughing here. Uh-oh, not the Better Business Bureau! Interesting that DOOL would do a "modeling agency" storyline involving a young woman roughly a year after OLTL's storyline. Following the leader, or was there just not that many story opportunities for Donna? Yay, now we can finally move on ... right? ... right?! How exciting! Oh, I would love to have seen the Dobsons try their hand at DOOL. By many accounts, they did well modernizing GL and DOOL was a show that wasn't having luck catching up to the rest of the soap world. In a completely different vein, I'm curious how Harding Lemay, just free from AW, would have done. I'm trying to think when I lost my way with DOOL. I got interested in the show probably later than you all, during the Langan/Storms & Cook as Shelle years. I guess it was around JER's second run. Talk about shortsighted. Get rid of/backburner/reset the A team, bungle the B team and force yourself to have to create a C team (and beyond). Also, re: your idea for Lee's young daughter, it's certainly preferable to early Renee (who I don't think clicked until the Tony storyline).

Holy crap, @dc11786. If that was "I'll do my best," than I think we mortals could not possibly comprehend the results if you were absolutely going for it. Amazing work.

Yup, Marie as a nun goes back to Bill Bell's writing. That said, I've always wondered if having her be torn between her vows and feelings for Alex was an attempt at capitalizing on The Thorn Birds (which was a big hit book at the time).

I would love to see Linda, Phyllis and Mary's reactions when the truth about Stephanie finally comes out. This part of the story bugs me probably more than it should. Maybe it played better than it reads, but I just don't like the idea of Hope soothing Julie's ego. I read that too fast, as "scary boobs." Amanda deserved better. Jury's out on Greg. Mickey and Maggie's first question to Cathy better be, "So ... what's the whereabouts of your mother? C'mon, don't jerk us around, we had a bad experience we don't wanna repeat." The Box O'Canes story feels like a last-ditch effort to make Steve work as a character. As for the Andersons, I wonder if the writers were starting to come up with the Chandlers at this time ...

I couldn't agree more. It's so much fun when everyone shares their thoughts. It never stops being hilarious to me that this is EH's own daughter she's writing for. You'd think he'd be all over the idea of Julie suing University Hospital and/or Bill for Laura's malpractice. Birds of a feather, I guess. Neil could probably read Alex like a book. This is what makes me so mad about the Laura story. After all she and Bill meant to the show for nearly 15 years, they receive such a downer ending. I don't know a thing about family law, but since Hope is Doug's biological child, doesn't it mean that if he keeps his nose clean, he's always got more of a right to her than Julie? Seriously. #TeamChris by a wide margin. Well, as long as Marlena's entering motherhood with both feet on the ground ... Days of Our Lives: the compelling story of an up-and-coming actress with kidney stones. Bob, Bob, Bob ... at this point, why don't you take Melissa (and maybe Stephanie) and run? Please say Marie was wearing her habit while drinking with Doug. I see they're setting the table for Jessica's arrival. IMO, she (like Mike and David) will be at least 10 years older than necessary. For all Harrower is doing wrong, I'll concede that she's writing the show better than Marcus did.

Ada's maiden name was Lucas, but to the best of my knowledge, she always went by the surname of her last or present husband. So by 1988, she was Ada Hobson.

Speaking of which, I seem to recall Jennifer (under Missy) fearing she'd inherit mental illness, but did she and Laura (under JLB) ever talk about the events of 1979?

With Mary and Stephanie as the dysfunctional princesses.

The stunt looked better than I expected. I wasn't expecting they'd show so much of it.

I mean, would you want to hang out with Margo more than you'd have to? Darn it, now I'm picturing Laura dangling Jennifer out the window, a la Michael and Blanket Jackson. I'd love to see how they executed this stunt. A plot device only a mother could write. As much as I wish Laura had a better exit storyline, I'm dying laughing as I read this. In my mind, Laura's reading the news or filing her nails, she's that unconcerned. In my mind, the Julie story comes across like failed Emmy bait.

Catching up on this thread ... Harrower's material comes off better than my first impression. I'm just not a big fan of Laura's exit (I love @beebs' solutions for making Kate Roberts/Lucas' conception more believable) and the upcoming Julie storyline. I've said it before: it's breaking my heart how badly SS was wasted on DOOL. Note to self: don't take beebs for brunch at Bernie's Beanery. (I repeat, Mary, you shoulda got that ring on your finger when you had the chance!) I'm definitely looking forward to Alex and Marie's storyline.

I mean, wouldn't that just be delicious?

I wonder if the writers were being cheeky, having Maggie, a recovering alcoholic, singing and dancing to a song made famous by fellow substance abuser Judy Garland. You're gonna flip when you read some of what I read. It's hard not to imagine Elizabeth giving barely coded pick-me-ups to Susan through the writing. As awful as it sounds, at this point I just want Margo to die already.

I jumped ahead and skimmed the SOD summaries for 1979. Elizabeth Harrower seemed hell-bent on getting Susan Seaforth-Hayes an Emmy, to the detriment of Rosemary Forsyth in particular (in my opinion).

I love it!

Why, it was the Nurses Ball before the Nurses Ball!

LIVE, from Salem, it's the Cathode Machine Variety Show! I've heard of the Marx Brothers routine, and I remember reading that Julie also did a striptease while Doug sang, but it's news to me about Donna and Margo's dance number. I mean, who doesn't want to see those two do the Charleston? Well, duh. Oh, Mary, you should have let him put a ring on it. *dramatic chord*

Excellent stuff, @JAS0N47. Interesting how this stuff changed, like Marie and Bill's birth order switching.