chrisml

Not to pile on Zimmer, but she's also the one who lied about the reason her son quit ATWT. I understand why she lied, but she did lie. And she lied about the lie. @Deevee I fear we are going to see a repeat of that era. I agree with everything you said. Maybe it's just an ingrained way of thinking that is so difficult to unlearn with some of the "old school" soap performers. Joseph Breen was treated so abominably. He was cast aside as if he didn't even matter. They behaved like he never existed. It was shocking. As for Beth Ehlers, @Veewrote this about Ehlers/Zimmer in 2012: "The difference is that Kim Zimmer, for as obnoxious as can be, understood her place at, say, OLTL when she jumped networks. She was the veteran supporting player, period, and was happy for it. She speaks in barely-veiled terms about Beth Ehlers' fall at GL in her dishy little book and I think the difference between the women was pretty clear. Zimmer's difficult personality seemed entirely different from how Ehlers conducted herself." For those interested, there is a lot of discussion about Ehlers, GL, AMC and Zimmer's book in this thread:

Ehlers was married and divorced twice, but the timeline of those marriages and divorces don't exactly line up with Zimmer's version, but then Zimmer is not good with dates. Ehlers could have left her first husband for Derwin. She left GL for LA with Derwin. She broke up with Derwin. She married someone named Matthew Christian in 1996. She returns to GL in 1997. However, her next relationship would have possibly been with Ricky Paull Goldin but he didn't join until 2001. He was also married in 2001. He did leave his wife as they were divorced in 2002. However, Ehlers was married to Christian until 2005. She left GL in 2008 and went to AMC which disastrous for her. Goldin went there too.

I went back and checked. According to the AW hompage, O'Brien was last seen on June 29, 1987. As of the September 2, 1987 episode O'Brien is still listed as a contract player. By the Sept. 14, 1987 episode, he's no longer listed.

@alwaysAMCthanks as always for your rundown of Zimmer's book. Your analysis is so detailed. Kim Zimmer knew exactly why Chris Bernau died. I understand why she might not have wanted to reveal the details, but why create a lie about it? She didn't have to even bring it up. "An illness" would have sufficed. @DeeVeeare still pretending actors weren't gay and didn't die of AIDS in the eighties/nineties. Up until recently, everyone was pretending Anthony Geary was straight. It wasn't until his husband starting posting on instagram that fans starting talking about it, but I don't know if any of his castmates have ever publicly acknowledged it (beyond just liking posts). I realize that Anthony Geary is a private person, but he's not so private if he's allowing his adorable husband to post. This is what I don't like about the gossip/blind items in Zimmer's memoir. If you're not going to reveal names, don't include it. It's annoying. I'm not a detective in an Agatha Christie novel.

https://michaelfairmantv.com/erika-slezak-joins-cast-general-hospital/2025/06/12/

GH also did Chris Robinson dirty so the poor man never got a break. The more I watch 1987 the more I miss Denise Alexander. I just adore her Mary. Perhaps, I'm just being sentimental. They say that you always romanticise the era of a soap you first start watching. Alexander has been Emmy nomination worthy (as has Spencer) in the 1987 stuff I've watched and it's maddening that it'll all be over soon. I hope the producers did keep O'Brien on contract to be humane. It would be one of the few kind things I've seen from the soap world. P&G just didn't seem the type to allow that sort of thing. They've always struck me as being very regressive but maybe I'm wrong.

A shame about Chris Robinson. Wonderful actor and he should have been used on AW and GH. I also wish Jason Frame hadn't been killed off. It was an interesting story, but it killed off a good actor AND it ruined another a character (Nicole).

When did the Sin Stalker Storyline end? David O'Brien is still listed in the credits in September, but there's been no mention of that storyline for a while. I wondered if the producers kept him on contract because of his condition or maybe I'm just reading too much into it.

Pamela Long is another one who can't recall details. I remember an interview she gave with a podcaster where she talked about SB and that she didn't like a performer's behavior/complaints and put this actor (male or female) in a coma for six months as punishment. That didn't happen so I don't know what she was thinking of. That happened somewhat to Hillary B. Smith on OLTL, but Pamela Long was "long" gone by then. This is why I always try to go by articles/interviews at the time because the amount of rewriting/amnesia is extraordinary in the soap world.

As you point out, Courtney seems to be the only logical person if the rumor was told to Zimmer and it's not just something she wrote to spice up the book. It could also be that Zimmer knew about the JC/JS relationship and just assumed that was the reason for her firing. It just reeks of Paul Rauch badmouthing Courtney though. I don't know why he and Lemay had it out for her. @DeeVee

She definitely was trying new things with her hair and makeup in the 1986 scenes I saw so it tracks. Rauch wouldn't have been there, but it just strikes me as a conversation Rauch would have had with her with when he was at GL. Rauch loved to badmouth JC. So she put it in the book as if she had been told at the time. It's like how she has Michelle Forbes on GL years before she actually arrives or Ellen Wheeler firing people who had been fired yrs. before by Rauch or Conboy.

The rumor Zimmer writes about sounds like something Paul Rauch would have told Zimmer about Jacqueline Courtney as a way to discredit Courtney as Rauch loved to do that sort of thing. Zimmer probably just retroactively fit it into her story. Zimmer does not have good sense of time in her memoir. Who knows?!!? Zimmer strikes me as someone who always has to be competing with women. Zimmer and 1986: If I had no context and someone told me that someone in the 1986 scenes would win four Emmys, I would immediately pick Denniston. Granted, I've only watched about a week's worth, but my word, Zimmer just fades into the background even when she's the main player in the storyline. There's no life in her performances. It feels that Zimmer is unhappy and that she's letting it impact her acting.

Speaking of 1986, YT recommended me some 1986 episodes revolving around Kyle/Reva/Maeve/Fletcher/Cain. What struck me most about the episodes is Zimmer seems at a loss. This does not feel like Reva at all. Was Kyle always such an a-hole? Why was the pairing so popular? He's so unlikeable, and Malloy's theatrical acting does not help matters. Jay Hammer is extremely charming as Fletcher--did they ever try Reva and Fletcher? The real star of these episodes is Leslie Denniston. When she tells Kyle she wants a divorce, it's a fantastic scene and Denniston is putting in some great work while the stuff around her is just weird and off-putting.

I have not gone back to watch much of 1987, but from what I've seen lately, it doesn't feel like the writers or producers had any sort of plan. The show feels as if it's constantly in flux. I will give it credit for this. It's watchable for the most part minus Lisa/Jamie which I find nearly unwatchable now. I don't find Cheryl mousy. I think she has a lot of quiet strength, but she was saddled with the Scott romance which the writers did not invest in. She had a good friendship with Julie (also criminally underused), and her interactions with Ada were enjoyable as well. I also like Layman, but Spencer was extremely talented and when Cass returns, Schnetzer and Spencer have some wonderful scenes. Spencer also fits in with Alexander, Hogan, and Marie. I'd forgotten just how much I missed seeing Wallingford. IT was so good to see him again. Even when they didn't have a major plot, Felicia/Cass/Wallingford/Mitch always brings a smile to my face.

From what I just recently watched, they were setting her up to go into future stories. She was Emmy nomination worthy in the material I saw. If some viewers did not like her, the character could have been rehabilitated after that sick storyline. It feels like they destroyed a character for fun and then tossed her to the curb. Spencer had chemistry with everyone. I'm just retroactively angry on Spencer's behalf. You're right about how Cheryl was often forgotten and pushed aside and I would take Cheryl over Josie. I think soaps need characters like Cheryl. Characters like Josie are way too common. Josie always got on my nerves.

In the 1987 episodes, Mary has wonderful conversations with MJ and Cheryl. This is a realistic family with believable dynamics. Mary's ambivalence towards Vince is played nicely. Denise Alexander is so good here. I don't know what happened that the writers or producers just decided to chuck it all away. I don't FF these scenes. The show had a strong family that could have had years of storyline and they did nothing with them. I really don't get it.

I just watched some parts of an episode of GL where Roger has just been shot by Holly. Rita then admits to Hillary that Roger raped her. Kasdorf is such a fantastic actress. I wish there were more of her work available.

I don't think Lisa served a purpose after the serial killer storyline. The writers never gave her anything to do but be Vicky's nemesis. Joanna Going deserved better. Another example of a character taking over the show and then the writers not having a longterm plan for the character. Exhibit B: Sally Spencer. Such a missed opportunity. It really angers me how they misused her. She could sing and act and they just threw her away in that sexist nonsense storyline. Once the story was over, they wrote her off. The McKinnons should have lasted for years. I will give the show credit for how they introduced Sandra Ferguson as Amanda. I thought it was expertly done. She comes in and she immediately connected to RKK's Sam. She has chemistry with Matthew and she has realistic conversations with MAc and Rachel. That's how it is done.

Elizabeth Dennehy complained on the Locher Room about how ridiculous so much of the writing was for Roger's return. She laughed at so much of Roger's antics and how it was hard for her to take them seriously. Probably another reason she was fired as she didn't play the game.

I was watching some August 1987 episodes and they brought back so many memories. I had some thoughts: Lisa and Jamie were so dull. Lisa was such a nothing character. It boggles my mind that so much story was centered around her in such a short amount of time. Joanna Going is a talented actress, but the material was just not there. It was so good to see Wallingford and Mitch again. I know there was talk about Felicia a while back, but these episodes reminded me how integral Felicia was for the show. Sally Spencer was done so dirty. She is turning in superb performances in an icky storyline. I wish she had stuck around longer. She has chemistry with everyone. The McKinnons should have lasted longer. Spencer had some strong stuff with Stephen Schnetzer and Mary Alexander. AW waster such a talented actress by getting rid of her. Justice for Cheryl too. I also missed Ed Fry when he left. Sandra Ferguson was a star from the moment she came on. She was charismatic and just popped. She had immediate chemistry with RKK and blended in well with Wyndham and Watson. I'd forgotten about the teenage Matthew. I have no memory of Peggy Lazarus. She must not have lasted long. Was the original plan for John that he was going to turn out to be the twins' real father?

YT keeps commending GL clips to me. I discovered Kathleen Cullen was on in Christmas 1987. Was there any talk of making it permanent or was this just a special visit? I wish they had made the visit permanent. I liked her chemistry with Grant Aleksander.

Kim Zimmer could have had a nice career as a supporting actress in Hollywood, but that does not appear to be what she wanted. That's fine, but in the eighties, she was not going to have many options as a leading actress. The eighties were brutal for a performer like her. Her one big film role lasted a minute or two. Even while she was on GL, she should have been doing episodic television. Was her agent that incompetent or was she just bad at auditioning? Her episode of "Designing Women" was quite popular and was discussed at the time for its subject matter, but she never followed up on it. It's bizarre to me.

The one that comes immediately to mind is that she obviously was still harboring resentment against Kate Linder. She tells a story of Linder meeting with producers to pitch a storyline about Esther dealing with Kay's death.