chrisml

I wonder if there is some truth to Mulcahey's remarks since Amelia Marshall pretty much refused to comment on Nia Long during that recent interview. She was the only one Marshall didn't discuss in depth.

Is this around the time Marcy Walker was brought on? Marcy Walker was angry with JFP over how JFP used hiring Walker to save her job as EP and then gave her a nothing character. Has Mulcahey ever talked about working with JFP on GL?

Thank you so much for the background. It makes so much sense now. I appreciate you and others who are so kind when I ask questions about ATWT or GL. In reading about ATWT, I've been fascinated by the 1990-1993 period because my mother's old soap magazines have so many viewers letters/critical pieces about what was wrong during this period. I was born in 1986, and I have no memory of the Angel character except I remembered reading the Soap Opera Weekly preferring GL's episode submissions. He said ATWT would most likely win because of the subject matter. I also remember the backlash against Glynnis O'Connor as Margo. Was it me or did a lot of the backlash stem from O'Connor playing Margo as a closeted lesbian? Some of the criticism seems to hint that Connor was playing her as too "mannish."

And Andy Cohen as well because he bullied her during the reunion and he kept complaining she talked too much. No one cared then about it. Andy sure as hell cared when Yolanda made what he thought were anti-gay remarks. He called her out immediately.

The reviews and viewers letters do not seem to enjoy the 90-93 ATWT too much. Was Marland also responsible for writing for the O'Connor Margo or did that happen after his death? It seems that there might have been a brief overlap during her arrival on the show. I also read some stuff praising the rape storyline with Alice Haining as Angel. From what I can gather, the Angel stuff is what got them the 1991 win for Best Show. I tried to google the character, but her character history was so convoluted that I got confused.

I never watched ATWT consistently, but in going through some old magazines, I found a lot of complaints about Marland's ATWT during the early part of the nineties. There was a lot of talk about some long drawn out murder mystery that everyone seemed to hate. I think it was over some Carolyn Crawford woman and the actor Rex Smith was involved.

I was a kid when Maureen died and I was devastated. I still remember it to this day so I never looked at GL the same way again. It killed my affection for the show. In doing research after the suck up to JFP podcast, I found many viewers at the time expressed similar reactions. I even found an interview with Marcy Walker where she talked about being used by JFP as a big hire to save her job because the network was not happy with JFP's choices. I was always drawn to Maureen, and JFP did that a lot. She would come onto a show and rip out its emotional core and/or fire someone the viewers had a strong emotional connection to. After Maureen's death, I never watched consistently until a few months of the MArian Crane story and then the Cynthia Watros stuff. After she left, I watched off and on (mainly off) until PAS was fired. After that, I gave up on the show.

Was this a long-term storyline or was it a quick and done story?

I came across a book that talks about soap fan culture, and they included a letter to the Soap Opera Weekly editor complaining about GL and Ann Hamilton as Mindy. The letter also proves that JFP was rewriting history when she said that she didn't know people thought killing off Maureen was a huge mistake until years later. I was a kid but I remember reading furious letters in the soap magazines about Parker's firing.

That's funny because I recognised Simms right away, but it took me a bit to figure out who Englund and Seagrove were. I thought Seagrove was Carolyn Hennessy at first glance which confused me. I've stopped listening to and watching these reunions because I can't take the horrible interviewers (not just Locher). It's not that difficult to allow actors to talk and ask relevant questions. I'm not even that versed on some of the soaps, and I could do a quick internet search to come up with relevant questions.

Erika's comments about Denise's children were disgusting. She is such a nasty hypocrite. This is a woman (who along with Eileen and Rinna) who attacked LVP for asking about Eileen's affair with her husband (because of her kids). She had a meltdown about her son when Eileen made an innocent remark. Rinna went after Sutton for just the idea of Sutton causing a scene at her daughters' event. Yet Erika and Rinna think it's okay to bring up CS and hookers on camera? These women are awful human beings. Just horrendous.

She talked repeatedly about how GL was good at integrating Gilly and her family into the show, but they never followed up with why she left. There were so many times a follow-up question would have elicited some good info but they NEVER did that. It was so infuriating because I've always felt that Amelia Marshall was highly underrated and this chat could have really given her the chance to shine.

They were the worst. They make the Locher guy look like a masterclass in hosting. They were so stuck to their questions that they never really listened to her, or allowed the convo to flow. She did all the work. A simple question: Why did you leave GL?. That q. was never asked.

That's exactly what Kenya said in the speak on it with Kandi (which was more entertaining than the entire three part reunion). It's interesting to me that Kandi's Youtube channel is much more interesting than the show most of the time.

Nene attacked a cameraman and was asked back. She even tried to sue Bravo and the production company by hiring Weinstein's apologist attorney. The woman is awful but I bet she'll be asked back. I have no idea why Bravo allows Nene to get away with this when the Nene-less seasons were really good.

Kandi and Kenya's talk on it was everything the show should have been. I also wonder what Tanya did that Kandi bleeped out since Kandi muted Kenya's comments since Tanya's actions were not shown on the show. They also briefly touch on Porsha and imply that Bravo protects her with the edit. A better question: Why do the editors take out the best stuff and leave us with the dull stories? As for Dorinda, she should be fired, but Andy Cohen is out doing damage control so it won't happen. I think Tinsley and her trainer are more entertaining than anything else on the show.

I agree. Conboy had his problems (Julia's rape was a major misstep) but I think some of the problems could have been ironed it. The Dobsons and Rauch just made so many irreparable mistakes that nothing Long did would have saved the show. She certainly didn't help, but the show was too far gone. D & R really killed audience loyalty and interest.

Pamela Long was just the wrong writer for the show. SB needed a hw who could play up the show's wit and Long is too earnest for that. I felt that the SB characters lost their individuality and became flattened during her tenure (Mason and Julia were neutered beyond belief for ex.). SB's demise was certainly not Long's fault as it has been on life support for a while. I know people talk about losing Marcy Walker as the death knell, but I think it was firing Carrington Garland. You also had Justin Gocke, Roberta Bizeau, Frank Runyeon, Louise Sorel, John Callahan and Roscoe Born leaving or fired. In my mind, The Dobsons and Rauch are the ones really responsible.

I thought the second reunion episode was boring. Kenya bringing the marching band to Marlo's event was hilarious and all the women thought so too at the time. The cookie lady thing would have been funny if Kenya had not called Tanya a C*nt. The women choosing their cookies in front of Tanya was too funny. Kenya has been attacked left and right by these women and she has never once gotten up and stormed off like a petulant child. Nene always wants to do her purchased reads, but she does not want to answer for anything. It's also telling to me that after Eva's comments about how she was beaten up, it was Kenya who immediately went to help her. Porsha and Nene just sat there stone faced. That tells me everything I need to know about them. It reminded of when Tamra had to be forced to show compassion for Gina, but she couldn't even do it. It was so fake. I don't care how the women felt about Eva. That was the time to show compassion. I get it though. It's hard to show compassion when you're drunk and a narcissist.

These scenes also make me angry that they never developed Maureen's relationship with Roger. There was so much rich material there. I'd forgotten how good Sherry Stringfield and Kimberley Simms were. Why did they get rid of Robert Calhoun? His stories were so layered and complicated minus the MAllet/mob stuff.

I might be misremembering, but I thought McKinsey did submit herself at one point during the end of her tenure. There was a big brouhaha about her not being nominated.

Considering Nene has been doing damage control and going into therapy because of the reunion, I'm assuming the Nene/Eva clip is a red herring. Nene needs to go. She brings such a sour taste to this show, and using Harvey Weinstein's apologist to threaten Bravo and her castmates? Goodbye, Vicki Leakes. Porsha is such a fraud. She can't forgive Eva for that minor baby comment, but Kandi is supposed to forgive her for the rape and drug allegations? Porsha and Phaedra are just lucky it was Kandi because Kenya would have had them arrested. Rumours are that Cynthia and Eva are going. I hope Cynthia stays. I know some people think she's boring, but I think you need Switzerland (with occasional Germanic tendencies) to make a cohesive group. Eva and Nene can go. If I had my way, Porsha would be going too, but I know that's not happening.

I still can't believe it's been 21 years. Doesn't seem possible AW that is not still on the air.

That's the thing. JFP and her HWs were good at creating meaty material even if the storylines sacrificed common sense and character development in the process (Avery's rape, Felicia/John/Sharlene, Maureen's death, etc.). I don't know what happened in the fall of 1992 where JFP felt she had to make changes to GL, but I think the show would have had a great year if she had continued GL the way it was playing out in 1992. The blackout episodes should have given the show material for 12 to 18 months of story. I was a child back then so I don't know what was happening BTS but it's so disappointing.

Lillian was blamed because the other woman usually gets the hate rather than the cheating husband. Ridiculous, but usually the case. My problem with JFP is that she has the same style and focus on every show she's been on. Her shows are always extremely sexist and the women always become oversexed idiots when she takes over (still can't get over how OLTL's Nora became an idiot overnight). I think GL was one of the few times that JFP could have done a fantastic job because summer to winter 1992 was first rate, but that's her biggest problem. She can never sustain momentum for very long. She is terrible at long-term storytelling. Maureen turning to Roger because of Ed's affair would have been so much more interesting than her death. JFP never learned. Didn't she have to rewrite YR's Avery lying about rape because of the outcry? Boggles the mind.