Franko

And so smug, too! I recall the time he referred to Jessica Savitch as a "train wreck" with Bryant Gumbel. I'm not saying she didn't have problems, but, geesh, she was Bryant's colleague and easily had more talent and presence than Andy ever will.

If I recall correctly, the two plotlines that NBC wouldn't eventually approve were (a) having a character actually receive an abortion and (b) gay bashing. Stevie, and then Lettie, were inessential holders of an essential role -- the older and wiser female. Once the students got older, it made more sense to have the role be filled by Jaleesa, Whitley, Kim and Freddie (more or less in that order). In hindsight, I wish Jaleesa would have left with Walter. Having Jaleesa be reduced to one scene per episode was pretty said. I don't know if Lewis and Sinbad quit or if they were fired.

Christine also just happened to be in that production of Camelot.

Amazing stuff! I can't read to read the commentary in full. Maybe my eyes directly go to the sharp stuff, since I was landing on comments like "Georganne LaPierre (Heather) has to be one of the most untrained actresses to appear this year." And hel-lo there, Beau Kayser!

One thing worth mentioning is that Passions isn't exactly alone in obscurity. It's not like Port Charles, Sunset Beach, The City and Generations get a whole lot of love from soap fans. It's great that the show has a loyal fan base, but I'll be honest, I understand the detractors' POV more and more.

Even the successful (or at least long-lasting) recasts are kind of a results may vary situation, like with Jill Larson as Opal, Robin Mattson as Janet, etc. If there's one "rule" with AMC, it seems to be that if you're a young woman in the '80s, don't get recast. And even that's not 100 percent correct: Nina, Liza, Angie ... but then Skye and Dixie.

You're welcome! That was AMC's studio where they filmed the exteriors, right? Marcy's actually in the next episode. In approximately two weeks, the recast occurs. A pity, really. I wonder what would have happened if Lau and/or Greg hung around a little longer.

An episode I'd never seen until last night ... Tony Barclay's fatal fall and the introduction of Not Jenny. Is it wrong to say the intense staring between Greg and Tony is kinda hot?

It's so sad, so unfortunate.

After all his turmoil, it might have been nice to Tony to slip into the role of beloved elder, a la Steve Hardy.

Jasmine on the Tony Awards: (Also, I'm crushin' hard on Patrick Cassidy.)

Rewinding back to Lesley and Monica for a second, I think this is a nice scene.

Co-signed! That 1987 episode was a treat. It's fun watching Tony get wrapped around Lucy's finger. Their courtship was relatively slow-burning (at this point, Tania's been dead for two months), but they still got married by the fall.

I always love when a photo just seems to capture a person and I'm really feeling it with the one of Ellen and Mark (or, Katherine and Mark if you prefer).

Can we confirm? Is this Marcia McCabe? If so, she's the second P&G actress appearing in this commercial break. CZP (or else a great lookalike) shows up at 25:11.

It's a battle of the P&G actresses! We've got Colleen* promoting department store goods and at 30:51, Marcia McCabe** hawking jewelry. Come for the soap actresses, stay for the array of promos and commercials for 1983's, uh, eclectic batch of Christmas releases. I guess the ads for Yentl and Terms of Endearment were airing during Knots Landing's breaks. *I'm 90 percent sure it's her. **This one I'm less sure of.

I thought the pool portion was pretty hot. No so much the group dancing. Oddly enough, the speedos were presented to the men by Ridge. It really adds to the missed potential of having him be a guy who'd [!@#$%^&*] anything that moves.

While not exactly what we're looking for, I do enjoy Alan and Monica's first dinner party as newlyweds. (Tracy laying it on thick, whether hyping Mitch or trying to worm her way into Lesley's confidence, is just great.)

I kinda like the idea that there's a still-formidable branch of the Quartermaines out there in Southhampton. Wasn't that where the family's roots were before Alan arrived in Port Charles?

I liked Kassie, although it helped that her portrayal of Blair was the first I'd seen. I had a similar preference for Robin Mattson as Janet on AMC. As an adult, I can now appreciate Mia and Kate, but it's hard to discount a first and lasting impression.

Nothing against Norman, but if you told me even 10 years ago that he'd have evolved in this downright deified elder statesman, I'd have been skeptical. It pays to get older.

Good question. If A was still determined to leave the show, they could have brought Marcy back to escort him off.

Plus Jodie and Reese.

I have to imagine (read: hope) they wouldn't want to further a situation that already brought them some bad p.r.

Three Sam Fowlers, two Hudson daughters and a Paulina whose body type changed! On the fourth day of '91, AW gave to me ... Hearing about moments like this always makes me think of Victoria Woods' Making of Acorn Antiques sketch. With today's lack of budget or prep time, you know they'd just rerun the footage of Judi and Anne, no questions asked.