Mitch64

Agreed...and that is why I always liked GL better then ATWT...their core family was...messy (Bill was a drunk who left his family, Bert was a shrew...Meta was rebellious...Ed was like his dad..Mike was self righteous...) and more real then the perfect Hughes family (though Irna did give Nancy shades...) That is the problem with soaps at that time...they went against long term success (giving the show a strong core couple) for short term...fan favorites like...ugh..BLOSS, and MATTESSA! Just because some people at home at all the time in the world to write to the studio..... Plus, following my scenario...Matt and Blake did have chemistry...

He played taps on bagpipes I heard!

Oh I remember the whole student lounge went into an uproar when James pulled down his hood. in the student center (back in the day where there were 3 lounges...one for CBS, one for NBC and one for ABC..) There had to be over 30 people there and people from the hall ran over to see what was going on. I kind of feel bad for making fun of him when I read all the genuinely nice things the other actors , especially the younger ones said about him. Despite the over the top stories they put him in he must have brought it down to earth. Kind of reminds me of RN on GL...they had him panting after Reva and the EVIL woman of the moment when at a certain time his best scenes were with his kids and the younger actors.

We must have been watching at the same time! Well I never could stand Jack and Carly..so not that. I remember running in from the pool to watch Nola get hers...even though we were rooting for her ( a few losers liked Morgan...) Soap viewers today can't really have that anticipation and excitement built up over months of story and characters that could be both "bad" and good. I still remember how hot it was on the day watching Reva in the fountain...they really mimicked the midwest well with the sounds of the crickets and you almost felt that humidity on that patio. I was in the student lounge at college with "Hello Barbara" and this football player watched ATWT every day there and he got up screaming "Jame f*cking Stenbeck..Barbara girl watch out!" Again..I can't see a soap inspiring that in an audience anymore. While I always made fun of his acting, but I saw a clip of him with his son, at a gay party of all things, and he just gave off this warm, nice dad vibe that I could see is why he worked. He seemed just a nice guy and I can see why he worked against Hall's icy exterior.

That was so stupid..and of course gross..I remember RR's Alan leering at Beth! Having Rick and a normal Beth who found stability with Rick (though not exactly excitement, sexual or otherwise) who has a kid with him, was much better drama (Phillip coming back, finding Rick and Beth married during his fake death again, but this time really together) would have been good. I could see Beth marrying Alan to have his Spaulding power, while he is in the nuthouse/jail, which is how the storyline started, and Alan manipulating her from his cell to do his bidding and turning her dark (not that she wasn't already) but in LOVE and screwing?????Ugggghhhh!

LOL..I was working with what was on canvas at that time...I think LK gave off a warm vibe..which didn't suit Blake, but I can see a grown up Blake, wanting to create the kind of home for her kids she wanted...stepping up a bit and moving into the Bauer House (that she spent her childhood in) and being an..offbeat matriarch. I would actually rather have Ross and Van be the core. I know people love Billy and I do too, but Van stying with that lout is as weird as her staying with boring pretty boy Matt. Ross is her true match. If I was an exec with all power who didn't hav e to listen to the Bloss and Mattresses, I would have had Blake just get sick of being a mom, and run off with her latest screw. (going back to McTrash I would have had Blake screw Matt instead of Rick and have the kids..throwing Ross and Van together. That would have lit up the CBS switchboards with Mattes and Blossies all pissed off!

Actually, I heard that Rauch called her a "dog," They totally didn't get India at that time..really working at Spaulding was not her thing (she loved a title, and power, and people kissing her ass, and then taking long lunches...) and I remember a scene where India and Beth and Vicky were taking a break from being bossed by Alex at Spaudling (though we did not see Alex, and again, she was certainly not the middle manager type to clock people in) all dressed in pastel business suits and all taking a dump on Van and supporting Beth wooing after Matt...for...reasons? I can see India stirring the pot to cause some trouble and to watch St. Beth make a fool of herself but..other then that... They should have brought Sam back during Wheeler's time. Instead of a recast for Marina (we had enough Coopers thank you) with that cutesy actress(Wheeler lover her some cutesy pie actresses, Marina, Lizzie, Christina) bring back Sam. I would have centered the show on Ross and Blake moving into the Bauer house (moving Rick off to the caretakers cottage for the lighthouse) with their kids and then Dinah has to live with them by court order when she returns, and Sam comes back. Right there you have a new core family with a lot of angst (Blake vs. Dinah, Dinah being jealous of Sam who is the successful non neurtic daughter Ross never had) and the Marler kids ready to be aged up. It was so simple you really see how dumb Wheeler and Co. were.

Instead of "killing" Phillip, I would have killed Alan earlier, murdered, and AM and Amanda return.

I can just imagine India taking a look around the Peapack sets...."What a DUMP," I did like that Lisa brought back some of Nola's "devil may care" with an edge..attitude..and I have to give it to Wheeler, they could have cut the Cooper diss and the kiss. Whoever said they should have just sent the younger characters off early and concentrated on the vets and the main family (I did not give a damn what Daisy, Ashley and that kid of Gus were up to...) more attention to Alan dying (would love a return of Hope for that...) etc. But they were paying those kids so, times being what they were, they used them.

I think it was a choice that involved even more than the budget...they just didn't want to center the show on the Hughes anymore. Even the Bauers kept their whole set, including the living room, up to Wheeler. The Hughes set should have been kept and hell, they could have made it a permanent set and used it almost daily....and had everyone come in and check in and gossip and fight, etc like in the Marland years... I know it was goofy that people just came in and out but we as viewers loved it and accepted it as a ATWT thing. I do like that Bob and Kim were shown as professionals who contributed into their 60s, and not marginalized as a homebound grandpa and grandma, but they needed that set.

LOL..not denying that but he is waaayyy too porny to be a Hughes...(but again, I love Colliers Mike, and they had him posing shirtless with jackhammers and in showers..so I pick and choose..Collier on screen never gave that vibe.) Mentioning the Stewart quads..they could have come and lived with Bob and Kim since Kim was part of the family, and presumably kept up with Annie...one or two of them living with Kim and occasional visits from Ellen would make sense...and maybe we could have the Hughes set back...(and not show so much of that damn Snyder kitchen!)

God no...she would never go after Buzz...I could see her being a sparring partner with him..both of them growing up in the same blue collar neighborhood (there never seems to be middle class in SF...only attributed to the Bauers and Markers and if real life doctors and lawyers are not considered..middle..middle class) and both of them wanting to escape their humdrum life. Both of them came home and actually were good with being with family (in the early return of Nola she was trying to mentor Bridget and protect Matt from her nemises) and both were involved with running a small business, that would have been a bit of competition...(I always thought Company was more of a bar but...) so they would compete and Nola could be the one woman in town who would tell him to shut his big trap. I could see her being involved the the storyline of Jenna being preggers with one man kids but passing that off as another mirrors her own experience...and being protective of Buzz even as he annoys her...but being interested in him? No! McTavish made Nola bitter, but at least she still had some zip and sass...Rauch double down on the depressing and tried to make her a sad sack, plain spoiler to the beautiful and glam Jenna, as he liked Fiona (which we all know was about to change...) I just remember them dressing her in old robes and she had a kitchenette in her boarding house room (they had to get rid of the Reardon kitchen for some reason) and it made no sense...Henry gave her one from her will which they said she was "set for life" and if she divorced Quint she would still have money. God help any middle aged woman but Reva coming into her own in Rauch world. At least Wheeler gave us back a sassy Nola with a heart, (who dissed the Coopers) even if it was just a few scenes.

All of those McTavish....at least Maeve did throw in a side eye at J.NoDot with a slice of stink in it...it's even weirder that Nola didn't tell him to sit down and shut the f*ck up like any Irish mom would..I have no idea why they thought obnoxious J. was going to be a viable character, but then later on Jonathon came on, but at least then the actor had charisma. I think Vanessa's funeral was one of McTavish last stands...and you could tell she not only didnt give a damn, but she wanted to put it to GL, the characters and the viewers. Wasn't this the one were Nola gave a eulogy while doing a hula hoop? Why didn't someone switch this and just have Van go into a coma and she would have to be shipped off to the Soap Opera Rest Home in Switzerland for a miracle cure. She could have gotten better and still kept it from her family (thinking she might relapse or some b.s.) and Roger could have gone to chat with her.

It was really odd..Tom and Margo mention her in the first scene and there she is, but she doesn't interact with anyone but Chris..though she is standing next to her new daughter in law they act like they don't know her..you would think since they paid them they would have scene with Bob, David and give Tom and Margo their best wishes. I would love to know who instigated this. And those relationships would give Nancy and Kim much more of a chance to twist their pearls in angst! But yea, he was way too purty to waste on boring Abigail.

@Maxim and @DemetriKane...I will have to check it out..when I am in a particularly masochistic mood!

Working from home today I had GH on...if that is an example of what a soap looks like now there is no future. The sets look like crap..are they shooting with GL's old Peapack cameras? There are two people talking in each scene with no lap over...there is a good looking guy with an okay (for TV..good for real life) body shirtless, and though he has a beard his chest is completely shaved...(is that still a thing???) Some young actresses that are horrible...and poor CW with her very bad plastic surgery. West looked good (though work has been done...) and Francis and Hurst both look great for their age..but those were the "vets". I guess I have to resign myself that the "old people" on soaps are a bit older, or my age, or just a bit younger than me. No more voices of wisdom? The dialogue was terrible.."You made me smile...now what can I do for you," (are they getting porn writers now?) Please tell me that the other soaps are better! Sorry, I have to go tell kids to get off my lawn!

I thought the second Chris, Kover was good...not the best actor..but I will admit cute as hell and he had great rapport with Hastings, Hays, Wagner and Fulton..he seemed like a kid raised in a family of strong women. It was the bad thing with Holden's plain ass daughter that made it go south. None of the others up to Cosgrove were Chris to me..that Dylan guy was way too porny to be a Hughes. Creech is great....sexy, earthy as Denise. Too bad they didn't make it last longer (though Andy and her should have had a short shelf life.) I didn't think the show was as bad as people say like Sheffer "saved it"

Yea, it's too bad...a great idea to bring the original adult Ed actor back, but he had no chemistry with anyone and was too stiff. Too bad as that put the kibosh on Ed until Simon briefly comes back.

Yea...when people look at Poser's Amanda they say..."Oh she would not be like THAT" I mean, yes, the actresses were completely different but Amanda was always willing to screw someone over a guy..I just wish they had wrote that Amanda was NEVER going to get screwed over and that she knew just what Roger was up to..( I would have her go in on forging the docs that claimed she was Brandon's as a way to get more, and to screw both Alex and her mother over.)

I think the issue with Pinter and Leplat both, is that they, or the characters, come off as inherently "sleazy" which does not make a good long term villain. Roger and Alan, despite their crimes, never came off, at least to me as..."yucky" and I think in a woman's medium that is important. Leplat looked like he should have been hanging out in a fern bar in the 70s, not a matermind of mischief...and Pinter, no matter how often they paraded him around shirtless (too skinny...) always, no matter what character, came off as..skeevy. (his Brian McColl was dull AND sleepy to me...) And a big yes that Marland could not write a good villain to save his life. Tonio was supposed to be sexy darkness on a stick and I thought he was cardboard and completely without charisma...) He took a sexy villain 30 something Tad Channing and recast with a guy who looked 50 and drank too much...a total sleaze. Johnny boy was already on his way to just being the town curmudgeon and flicking the Hughes and the Stewarts noses, but Marland made even him bland..rubbing feet with Emma...(UGH) and talking about honesty with Iva! Thank you for someone saying that Jennifer and Amanda were dull...Cullen was a washout in the role..sorry. So bringing it back to Diana Ballard...I also though Poser would have been a great lost daughter of Dianes (I could see her giving the kid up to pursue her career..) not of Alan...she could come back for revenge and assume a new identity and seduce Alan (much better then him panting over 44 year old Reva..the eternal sex goddess..) I know so many viewers would not know who Diane was but a good writer could update them on her back ground easily.

The one good thing about the "Phillip goes to Hell..and takes Everyone with him.." storyline was that GA is so imposing that it was kind of scary when he went nuts...add that the swearing and the baring of teeth, and that he was SF' Golden Boy so everyone wanted to give him slack..and it COULD have been good, besides the hot mess of Good Coopers vs. EVIL Spauldings.

God..it is so sad I remember that..where the hell are my keys though! I liked Warren as a..side character.. kind of Alex's version of Lucinda's "Am BROSE!!!!" The "romance with Hope (okay he was after her money and her name) and..Leslie Anne..fell flat..we all know Warren was Alex's gay bestie/henchman...and they never had to spell that out..just having him make side eyes at the other characters and making bitching comments were enough. I always thought it would be funny if Alex fired him for a bit..(just to keep him in his place) and he had to move in the Boardinghouse...Bea(or whoever was in charge at the time) "Im sorry Mr. Andrews, but the only room we have is with Hawk Shayne..and since Hawk is ALWAYS late with his rent...I ]'m sure h wont mind splitting it..." Hilarity ensues...

I think they are there to see Hope, who remains offcamera. I know that AM or Hope give Harley a book from Bert..."Little Women?" and AM says, "Grandma Bert would love you....pause, but she loved everyone!" (which we know is not true.) There is also a mention of Harley seeing his mom's dress maker or something. But yea, it's weird they never just mention AM going to see his mom, etc.

It had to be THE most sexless pairing on earth! I just remember the first Morgan loosing her virginity in Laurel Falls and the poor actress couldn't stop her teeth chattering! Vanessa is preggers with Little Billy, and in the midst of turning her into a boring Frau to make Reva look more..interesting! I remember that, Newman was involved in that plot as a bad guy I think during his time away from GL.

I would have brought Sabrina back again without Frankie. I can't believe that Sheffer didn't...of course Sabrina would most likely be running a prostitution ring, but it would be better then Marlan's sad limp Sabrina...(really, Seth had a taste for dishrags from spending too much time in Emma's kitchen?)