jmgaw

David Bailey was the only actor that I remember as Russ. I was too young to remember Sam Groom or Robert Hover. When David Bailey returned in 1989, I thought the powers that be should have recast the part. However, I went back to watch some episodes with Bailey. Actually, Bailey was good. The show missed a great opportunity to keep Bailey on longer than six months. Bailey always great chemistry with Vickie Wyndham, Irene Dailey and Connie Ford. And he was good in scenes with Carmen Duncan. Russ could have been involved with Iris again and possibly Rachel with the return of Carl Hutchins. Charles Keating's reappearance in 1989 with Carl being involved with the Red Swan story. Beverly Penberthy's return in 1989 would have been a treat. Pat could have played the aunt for Josie to lean on, and good romantic pairing later for Spencer Harrison. Even though Paul Stevens had passed away in 1986. I would have brought back the character Brian Bancroft; this time being played by Donald May or John Gabriel. Was the intention for David Bailey to return for only short-term purposes.

Amanda getting pregnant didn't help character development and long term harmed the Sam and Amanda relationship. If this story came to be in 1984, thoughts on Mary Page Keller playing Amanda instead of Sally and her husband Thomas Ian Griffith playing Sam instead of Catlin. And Jack Wagner as Evan.

Absolutely great piece of writing revealing Evan being Janice's son. I think a better actress playing Amanda ( not a fan of Sandra Ferguson) may have provided for a great triangle of Evan, Sam, and Amanda. Each character with a connection to Janice, Mitch and Rachel.

Yes, I am familiar with Fred Silverman. Agree, the 90 minute AW a very poor decision by Silverman. I think Silverman was behind the decision to go with Texas.

I stopped watching Another World in 1990. Simply, lost interest in the show. I had watched the show from 1973 to 1990. The 90 minute show started the decline of AW. NBC panicked with expanding AW due to the GH hoopla. As mentioned above, 1982 was a trainwreck for AW. The introduction of the Shea family, the movie storyline involving Jamie, and Steve Frame favoring Rachel over Alice. The writers went into that direction due to the forgettable performance of Linda Borgeson.

Great scene with nice reaction from Rachel.

Texas struggled to find suitable young female performers, casting inexperienced actresses Dana Kimmell, Catherine Hickland, and Lily Barnstone. Dana Kimmell's Dawn Marshall was perceived as too bratty and failed to resonate with the audience. Catherine Hickland's portrayal of Courtney Marshall was unconvincing as a young resident doctor. Lily Barnstone displayed potential as a young woman from an upper-middle-class background, but the producers seemingly did not value her role. Notably, Hickland and Barnstone are quoted prominently in Tom Listani's book about Texas.

Ada's kitchen was the centerpiece of the action. The numerous visits by Rachel which normally resulted in an argument with Ada. Others may recall, Mac trying to reconcile with Rachel in a classic 1975 scene. Simply a brilliantly written scene by Harding LeMay with terrific performances by Douglass Watson and Victoria Wyndham. Of course, Ada's making meals, or frosting the cake.

In 1969, two big changes in casting. As mentioned, Hugh Marlowe takes as Jim Matthews while Nancy Wickwire as Liz Matthews. Without a doubt, Wickwire had a difficult replacing Audra Lindley. Marlowe played Jim Matthews up into his death in 1982. IMO, Marlowe seemed to be phoning it in.

Definitely, Virginia Dwyer as Mary Matthews but I think it’s Hugh Marlowe as Jim Matthew’s

Keeping Another World at 3 pm was the best move after cutting back to 60 minutes. Possibly Another World doesn't lose its audience when it move to 2 pm. Another World had problems to solve. Without the creation of Texas, Beverlee McKinsey was leaving. The Frame family was moving off the canvas. The Holloway Family wasn't working. Maybe bringing back the character of Sharlene Frame in 1980 had endless possibilities. At this point, Josie would be a little girl with the mystery surrounding who the father was. Russ Matthews is on the front burner and creates discourse with his new bride Tracey Dewitt. Perhaps Sharlene has a connection to Jason Dunlap and ILSA FREDERICKS. Just a thought...

P&G/NBC killed Another World beginning with the 90 minute expansion in 1979. Harding Lemay quit the show a few months later. Realizing the 90 minute show wasn't clicking, the next costly decision was the Texas Spinoff. Texas had no chance going up GH. Moving Another World to 2 pm was the next blow. The show never recovered.

The Sin Stalker story had a great finish. The revelation of Dr. Alan Glaser being the Sin Stalker concluded the story with a nice twist. David O'Brien gave a good performance as the mentally disturbed Dr. Glaser.

I liked the concept of the Mary/Reginald story. Casting Denise Alexander as Mary was a terrific decision by the parties involved. The casting of John Considine as Reginald was a good move. I really liked him in the role. As the story played out, many issues came to the forefront. To begin with, Duke Stroud was a mediocre choice as Vince McKinnon. Then, Julie Osborn, Sally Spencer were gone a year later. So, Mary's family disappeared. Kristin Marie (Cheryl McKinnon), although totally gorgeous, was not a good actress. By late 1987, Cheryl was the only child of Vince and Mary on the canvas. Robert Hogan, replacing Duke Stroud as Vince McKinnon, improved the chemistry between he and Denise Alexander. On the Love front, Anna Stuart leaving in 1986 didn't help either. The character of Donna hated Reginald. Had Stuart stayed, I think the drama could have been compelling. Too many cast changes killed a great story.

What was the reason for Harding Lemay's brief tenure as HW in 1988?

1. The Egyptian dust story was horrendous. Poorly written.... 2. The return of Steven Frame. Perhaps had Jacqueline Courtney played Alice at this point it may have worked. The writing was pretty bad in 1981-1982.

Texas had no chance from the beginning. Daytimes answer to Dallas killed the show before the first episode. The introduction of the Texas characters in the final five weeks of the ill-fated 90 minute Another World made no sense at all and turned Another World viewers off. Looking back, the creation of Texas harmed Another World. The Bellman's Reeva, Striker and Victoria would have been good fits on Another World. Beverlee McKinsey was getting ready to exit Another World in the fall of 1980. Carla Borelli would have been Another Worlds' new villainess. Lee Patterson had good chemistry with Beverley Penberthy and Carla Borelli, this made for a nice triangle. Kin Shriner casted as Ricky Matthews provided for a better story for Shriner instead of being underused on Texas. Catherine Hickland playing Marianne Randolph and John McCafferty as Michael Randolph builds a strong connection to the core family. Caryn Richman as Blaine and Larry Ewing sister made for interesting storylines. Just a thought.

The Red Swan was slow moving and boring. Ken Jordan was a dud of a character. Donna Swajeski was lost without Harding LeMay's outlines. LeMay was the reason Another World was nominated for best writing in 1989. The Jason Frame Murder, Iris revealed as the Chief, and Josie Watts learning Russ Matthews was her father put Another World at the tops of its game. The inexperienced Swajeski couldn't keep the momentum going.

Bad Recasts: Russell Todd ( Jamie Frame) Very Bland... Linda Borgeson ( Alice Frame) Boring...Boring...Boring... Judy Dewey ( Blaine Ewing) What a letdown after Laura Malone... Good Recasts Irene Dailey ( Liz Matthews) Great Actress...Great chemistry with Doug Watson, Victoria Wyndham, Beverley Penberthy and Hugh Marlowe... Nancy Frangione ( Cecile DePoulignac) I did enjoy Susan Keith as Cecile.

Bad Recasts: Russell Todd ( Jamie Frame) Very Bland... Linda Borgeson ( Alice Frame) Boring...Boring...Boring... Judy Dewey ( Blaine Ewing) What a letdown after Laura Malone... Good Recasts Irene Dailey ( Liz Matthews) Great Actress...Great chemistry with Doug Watson, Victoria Wyndham, Beverley Penberthy and Hugh Marlowe... Nancy Frangione ( Cecile DePoulignac) I did enjoy Susan Keith as Cecile.

I agree that role of Russ should have been played by another actor. I don’t think Bailey was the right fit in 1989. AW had changed so much from the last time Bailey played the part in 1981. Rod Arrants or Jerry Lanning could have played Russ.

The Matthews living room set was used on AW from 1964-1986. The original core family of AW was pushed to the side in 1982. Liz Matthews hung around for another decade. Josie was revealed as Russ Matthews daughter in 1989, the same year Russ' other daughter Olivia came to Bay City. David Bailey returned to the show as Russ for six months in 1989, but was soon written out. The writers missed a great opportunity to keep Russ around longer. For long time AW viewers, the Matthews family back on the canvas would been treat. I think there could have been great conflict between Josie, the daughter who didn't have the privileged upbring that Olivia had. Also, Aunt Liz as the constant thorn in Josie's side that she grew up a Frame and poor.

I just completed the Tom Lisanti book about Texas: An oral history of Daytime TV's Answer to Dallas. I highly recommend the book. It was great read which I couldn't put down. Some great interviews and insights from Kin Shriner, Phillip Clark, Harley Jane Kozak, Andrew Weyman, Pam Long and the show's creator Joyce Corrington. Texas was doomed from the start. NBC putting Texas against General Hospital made no sense at all. Paul Rauch's involvement in Texas wasn't helpful. To begin with, Rauch was overseeing the decline of Another World. At this stage, Rauch's decision making at Another World was questionable. Casting was another issue that plagued the show. As been mentioned numerous times, Bert Kramer was a disaster as Alex Wheeler. I think Donald May would have been great as Alex Wheeler. About a year into the show, Donald May joined the show as Grant Wheeler. Hiring Kin Shriner, with no defined role ,was a million dollar mistake. I wonder if Shriner would have been a good fit for Mark Wheeler, later played effectively by Michael Woods. At least, Shirner would have had some scenes with Beverlee McKinsey. There is good story in the book regarding the casting of Harley Jane Kozak. At first, Kozak was to replace Lily Barnstone as Lacey Wheeler. Then, the head writer Paul Rader decided Kozak would a better fit for a character he was developing for Hitopah story. Thus, Kozak became Brette Wheeler. I guess Barnstone had been fired, but she was brought back to wrap up Lacey Wheeler and to introduce the Brette Wheeler. That had to be an awkward situation for Barnstone, who was in her first major acting role.