vetsoapfan

Holly and Rita were somewhat prickly, which made sense because at the time, Holly was still in love with Ed. Eventually, however, even Holly admitted that Ed was in love with Rita. To me, it looked like Ed and Holly would be the end-game in the writers' plans, but after a long, multi-year story of many complications first. Back then, soaps actually tried to layer and extend stories, keeping popular couples separated for many years.

Initially, she fell in love with Dr. Tim Ryan (played by Jordan Clarke, who later returned to the show as another character, Billy Lewis), not knowing that the scoundrel Tim was also pursuing Rita. When she found out about Tim and Rita, Evie was furious, but she needed to be in Springfield when her mother became ill, so after discovering what a piece of work Tim was, Evie eventually reconciled with her sister. She started to become interested in Ben McFarren, but worried that he was not over his feelings for Hope Bauer. Tim Ryan veered off into a relationship with Pam Chandler and Hope got involved in Alan Spaulding's orbit, so Ben and Evie were free to pursue each other, much to Amanda's chagrin. It was a disappointment with Evie disappeared from the show, with an off-hand remark by Justin Marler, "Oh, Eve has left Springfield to be with Ben." After seven years, the character deserved an actual send-off and goodbye scene.

Killing off Suzy: another inexplicable, bone-headed move that further decimated Jo's family and ultimately led nowhere.

Right. Without any build up, without allowing newer/current viewers to get to know Bill Bauer and who he was, his death was irrelevant. It was upsetting and a waste to veteran viewers, but it meant nothing to anyone else. Actually, even the Bauer family got over and forgot about him in a heartbeat. For those of us who had known and watched the character struggle for three decades prior to his demise, his brutal death was sickening. Many of the core families got gutted within a few years, which made the show feel unfamiliar and alienating. This was probably not all Long's fault, for she seemed willing to write for some of the vets, like Mike Bauer. Gail Kobe and P&G suits probably helped cripple the show too. My favorite Lewis was Trish, and as you point out, SHE was the one to get the axe, LOL.

Yes, from what we had already seen ON-SCREEN, it was literally impossible (and painfully STOOPID) to make Amanda Alan's sister. On his deathbed in 1979, Brandon ACKNOWLEDGED that Amanda was Alan's daughter. So did Jennifer Richards a few years later. So you think that if Brandon and Jennifer had had a sexual relationship, AT LEAST ONE OF THEM WOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT IT. Apparently, Amanda was the world's second case of immaculate conception!!! I hated Paul Rauch for that story. (Actually, I hated him for many reasons, but THAT could be an entirely new thread of its own.)

Maybe I was being too hard on SFT, but I never felt they used Jo enough, or effectively enough, towards the end. I was tired of all the strangers parading through Henderson. Even Patti was a stranger (and half her actual age too!) when she returned. As you say, the best, indeed the ONLY acceptable way of ending the show was a quiet moment between Jo and Stu, the only two characters on the show who still made SFT feel like home. If Christopher Goutman and, say, James Reilly had been in charge, we would have gotten a final scene of the McCleary brothers doing a group strip tease to Village People music, and being chased around by an inflamed, love-starved gorilla. ((Roll eyes)) The final scene we got was appropriate, poignant, and lovely.

To me, with Hulswit playing Ed, Ed and Holly were the end-game and I longed for them to get back together and raise Chrissy and Freddie as a family. The show let that slide for many years, but I was pleased to see them come together as the light dimmed in 2009. The stupid retcon about Amanda being Alan's sister rather than he daughter drove me insane. Of all the idiotic, history-trashing mistakes TGL made in its final decades, this was the one I most wanted to be fixed. Having Elvera Roussel return at the very end of the show as Alan's life was ending would gave been a wonderful move. Hope had become, by default, the new matriarch of the Bauer family. Frank Cooper was sexy as hell back in the day. As an experiment once, I wrote to several actors from the show to see if I would get a response (polite, short notes, telling them I enjoyed their work and would like to havean autograph). Frank was the only one who replied. He laughed about one of my comments: that he looked hot in the tight blue T-shirt he used to wear. Apparently, it was a running theme in his fan letters, LOL. LOL! Various other actors chosen to play Mike did not look so Sicilian. I am sure that if our Bert had been carousing and cheating on Bill, we would have heard about it. The truth would have been revealed decades ago. Are you referring to Holly's brief, off-screen marriage to Dietrich Lindsey in the 1980s? We never saw him. I don't recall is he had a title, himself, or bestowed one upon Holly. Maybe other members will remember.

I think Ed initially fought to make a success of himself in order to differentiate himself from his father, whom Ed always regarded as a loser. Then he turned into a mean drunk and lost the full use of his hand after being shot, which seemed to give him some perspective on life. I wish the final weeks of TGL has focused more on Ed and Holly's relationship so that we could have seen them working their way back to a place where would consider running off together. It seemed kind of sudden, almost thrown in as an afterthought, but as a veteran fan, I was happy to see the show's two longest-running characters finding some possible closure, together. If only Mart Hulswit had been playing Ed! I would have been sooooooo happy. I miss my Bauers. Bauer Power forever!

SFT viewers, like all soap viewers, tend to prefer seeing beloved characters at the core of the action. When a show becomes a sea of newbies floating around, it's harder to maintain interest. Fans wanted to see "our" Jo, but when she was shoved onto the backburner yet again, we turned off the SFT stove.

Justin and Jackie Marler arrived in 1976; Alan, Phillip and Elizabeth Spaulding showed up in 1977. Sara was beautiful. I always found her to be regal looking. She was quite popular during her day, although towards the end of her run, she had been backburnered and used mainly as a talk-to. Soaps represented viewers' fantasies, and nobody wanted to see frumpy, unkempt people in curlers and flip-flops, LOL. On ATWT, Nancy Hughes was known to do housework while wearing black velvet and pearls. It was amusing. Yes, Diane Ballard arrived in 1977, when the Spauldings did. As the show geared up to expand to 60-minute episodes, many new people arrived. I was hoping they would bring Meta Bauer back to town at that time, the way they did when the show expanded from 15-minutes to half an hour. Ed had a telephone call regarding her, and when a soap starts mentioning departed characters out of the blue, it usually means they will pop back up shortly. Alas, no Meta, but we did get some great new additions to the cast anyway.

Jo's abduction made the ratings rise a bit, as I recall.

Back row, left to right: Tim Werner (adopted by Joe and Sara Werner), Dr. Justin Marler (Phillip's biological father), Dr. Steve Jackson (Rick's maternal grandfather), Evie Stapleton and her sister Rita Stapleton (Ed's ex-wife), Roger Thorpe, Barbara Norris (Holly's mother), Adam Thorpe (Roger's dad). Front row, left to right: Dr. Sara McIntyre (in blue), Dr. Ed Bauer, Frederick/Rick Bauer, Bert Bauer, Mike Bauer, Jackie Marler (in dark green, sitting behind Holly), Holly Norris, Christina/Blake Bauer. I hope this helps.

Here's a picture of young Frederick from shortly after Leslie's death. At that age, having memories of her would be possible.

Yes, Clarke had previously appeared on TGL as Tim Ryan in the mid-1970s. When we saw him on the show again after a long break, my first thought was, "Now, what's Tim doing sitting there in Alan's chair?" LOL. Generally, I do not like actors being cast as different characters on the same show. TGL toyed with the idea of having Michael Zaslow play Alan Spaulding (!!!) at one point, which would have been absurd. He was iconic as Roger Thorpe, and the only Roger viewers wanted to see, IMHO. I'll never adapt to Chris Kositchek playing Roman Brady on DAYS. Yikes. Both those scenarios would have been great.

Yes, unfortunately, the shows do have to work within the confines of the actors' availability and willingness to sign contracts. Mary Kay Adams was worth making the effort for. I wanted her to appear consistently on the series, but at least we did continue to see India from time to time. What bothered me about the actors/characters who made cameo appearances towards the end of TGL was...it looked like the show had only sprung into existence in the 1980s. Characters from before that, who had been on the series during its halcyon years, were under-represented. Couldn't they have asked Elvera Roussel back as Hope Bauer, to interact with Alan one last time? If she had been able and interested, I would have loved to see Helen Wagner pop up in Springfield as Trudy Bauer, a role she had played decades before. Or if that did not work out, why bring on Jeanne Cooper as an irrelevant, anonymous nobody for a few scenes? Why not cast HER as Trudy Bauer, as a nod to TGL's roots? And why did we not see any flashbacks or tributes? I thought at the time: Wheeler and P&G do not want to remind viewers how stellar the show USED TO BE, compared to the drivel it is now. It's too bad that the show went out with a whimper rather than a bang.

While the show failed in many, significant ways under Wheeler, TGL was lucky to find and cast some actors who were perfect for their roles, like Pelphrey and Branson. Earlier than that, you are 100% correct: the show brought us brought remarkable talent among the younger set. Good casting can help override weak scripts in some cases. William Roerick had been on the show previously in another role. He was the last actor to play Aunt Meta's third husband, Dr. Bruce Banning, in the 1970s. When he reappeared as Henry Chamberlain, it was a jolt to me at first, but I quickly adjusted because he was so perfect as Vanessa's father. No other performers would ever have been accepted as the show's most iconic figures: Bert Bauer, Roger Thorpe, Nola Reardon, Reva Shayne, etc., and I'm glad the show never tried. ATWT attempted to replace Penny Hughes and Lisa Miller a few times, without success. I like Lee Merriwether, but she simply felt wrong for the part when she took over for Mary Fickett as Ruth Martin on AMC.

It sure is.

Many of the characters whom you mentioned would have also fit into my best-loved list, had I not been determined to restrict it to a reasonable length, and not include too many names. Joy Lenz was wonderful as Michelle (Rachel Miner was very good too) and could have developed into a strong tentpole character over time. It's unfortunate about the revolving-door of actresses in the role, because I think the character really clicked and left a mark on the show with Lenz and Miner playing her. Beverlee McKinsey was, of course, a goddess, and any show would have been lucky to have her. When written well, Alex was a jewel in Springfield's crown. Robert Newman exuded leading-man charisma, and he aged beautifully, helping the former bad-boy Josh develop into a solid hero who was never boring. Tom Pelphrey ended up being a real find, and an excellent scene partner for Kim Zimmer. Even when the character misbehaved, you wanted to watch him anyway. He had that "certain something." After some misfires, TGL finally found the right Shayne in Jeff Branson. Over the decades the show presented us with so many wonderful, memorable characters.

It would be highly improbable (and kind of boring too) if everyone had all the exact same choices on their lists. That being said, I'll bet a character like Bert Bauer will be a consistent winner (for anyone who watched her). I can also see someone like Buzz Cooper being on many posters' loath lists. Seriously, I would be shocked if any longtime viewer said he loathed Bert! We will see. BTW, I had completely forgotten about India. She was great and should have had a stable, more permanent place on the canvas. I had also blocked that abrasive Lucy Cooper from my mind. She deserves a place on my hit list. Lucy was to TGL what Katie Peretti was to ATWT.

For a while, it looked like the show was headed in that direction, but then TPTB simply dropped Steve Jackson without explanation, and any potential romance with Bert disappeared along with him. Too bad. They were cute together.

The Loved and the Loathed: The Guiding Light edition Feeling very nostalgic about TGL lately, after being involved in the discussion of its history, I am curious: who were your favorite citizens of Springfield, the characters who made the show really feel like TGL to you; the characters whom you considered an intrinsic part of the fabric, and who would keep you loyal to the show, even if its writing were not top-notch for awhile? And who were the characters whom you simply loathed beyond endurance (LOL), whom you did not love-to-hate, but just...hated, and wanted off the show ASAP? It will be interesting to see in any particular characters show up on most viewers' lists. THE LOVED --Bert Bauer --Papa Bauer --Meta Bauer (particularly Ellen Demming) --Bill Bauer --Mike Bauer (particularly Don Stewart) --Ed Bauer (Mart Hulswit, and even Robert Gentry) --Hope Bauer (Elvera Roussel) --Peggy Scott --Holly Norris (Maureen Garrett) --Roger Thorpe --Ross Marler --Robin Lang (Gillian Spencer) --Dr. Paul Fletcher --John Fletcher (Don Scardino) --Sara McIntyre (Millette Alexander) --Amanda Wexler (Kathleen Cullen) --Vanessa Chamberlain --Henry Chamberlain --Maureen Bauer (Ellen Parker only) Honorable Mentions: Rev. John Ruthledge, Trudy Bauer, Kelly Nelson, Nola Reardon THE LOATHED (As they pop into my head) --Jeffrey O'Neill --Richard Winslow --Lesley Ann Monroe --Fletcher Reade --Susan Piper --Reva Shayne --Hawk Shayne --Minnie Pearl Shayne --Rusty Shayne --Roxie Shayne --Jackson Freemont --Cassie Layne --Danny Santos --Tony Santos --Abuela Santos --Father Ray Santos --Rose McLaren --Buzz Cooper --Beth Raines (Beth Chamberlin's unbearable version) --Eve Guthrie (It's harder to keep this list short, considering what a mess the show was in its final years!)

Someone commented here at SON that William Bell and James Reilly were the two most influential writers in DAYS' history. That may be true, but it was for different reasons. Bell made the show a huge success after its first tepid year on the air, and turned it into a mesmerizing, adult, high-quality romantic drama. Reilly came aboard with his high camp and low-brow, gimmick plots, and completely and forever destroyed the show's integrity and credibility. Bell influenced the show upwards, Reilly drove it into the toilet and kept on flushing. Goutman's destruction of ATWT was less obvious, more subtle, but the damage he did to Oakdale ended up crippling ATWT too.

Thank you, Katie, for that insightful and heartfelt analysis of the Bill Bauer saga. You expressed it PERFECTLY. I certainly did not hate Bill; indeed, I loved all the original core Bauer family members and loved watching their journeys unfold over the decades. I saw Bill as an essentially kind-hearted, quiet man who would have been perfectly content working at a comfortable, middle-class job and enjoying a tranquil family life at home. But no. That was not good enough for Bert, who was quite a shrew and a harpy back in the day. Not content with what she had (which was a stable home and security), she kept nagging and nagging Bill to earn more, to be more, to achieve more, thereby pushing her poor husband out of his comfort zone and inflicting undue stress on him. Papa Bauer had his own, old-school ideas of what it meant to be a man, and I don't think he really understood Bill's underlying contentment with just having a simple, quiet middle-class existence rather than striving for high-stress-inducing jobs and greater (unnecessary) financial gains. I think Bill turned to alcohol because he felt like a personal and professional failure, and he turned to other women because they made him feel like a desirable man. He got little support and little understanding from his family who put unreasonable expectations on him. This did not excuse his bad choices, of course, but his reactions were human and at least understandable. He was not a strong, naturally-aggressive person. He did not have the resources to fight the negativity he was receiving at home, so drinking and carousing were his coping mechanisms. To her credit, Bert eventually started to come around and see how life had hurt her husband. She finally started to respect him for the person he was, rather than the man she wanted him to become. One of my all-time favorite TGL episodes aired in 1966 (I think). Ed was railing to his mother about all of Bill's shortcomings and failures, and Bert finally had enough. She tore Ed a new one, vehemently telling him that Bill was a good man and a kind man; that he was ultimately a BIG man, and although it horrified her to acknowledge it, Ed was not. Ed was a nothing more than a small man who did not live up to his father in any way. IT WAS WONDERFUL to see such truthful, explosive family drama unfold that year, for characterizations to deepen, for Bert to grow as a person and come to realize her own guilt in exacerbating Bill's problems. What I always wanted the show to explore, was Ed's abject hypocrisy towards his father. For as much as Ed denigrated Bill for drinking, for infidelity, for failing the family, Ed HIMSELF became a drunken philanderer who abandoned and failed his own family in the exact same way. I did not want Bert and Bill to remarry after he turned up alive in 1977, for that would have undermined all the progress Bert had made during his absence. She had grown into a moral, strong, sympathetic figure who put her family's welfare above her own needs and ambitions. She had became "the guiding light" of the Bauer family and of the show. And while I had all the sympathy in the world for Bill's pain over the years, his allowing his elderly father, wife, and kids to believe he was dead for so long was inexcusable. I wanted Bill and Bert (and Ed) to finally work through their long-standing issues and come to some sort of understanding; at least an uneasy peace. Bert and Bill could have become sympathetic friends and allies to support their family, not husband and wife again, and if he had died at that point, after the healing process with his family was established, then Bill Bauer's death would have meant something. It would have had emotional resonance with the audience. It would have brought the character around full circle, back into the bosom of his family and the hearts of viewers. But the callous, indifferent way TPTB chose to kill off the character, with none of his issues dealt with, explored, or resolved, was simply a slap in the face. A cheap gimmick done for shock value that offered no emotional pay-off, no closure, nothing. An original character from the early days of the show, killed off for no reason other than to jump=start a ludicrous story that was not appropriate for TGL anyway. Sigh.

I thought Frank Beaty was attractive and charismatic in an absurd and over-the-top role. It's too bad he got saddled with this part. I would have preferred him on the show long-term, over many other actors we got stuck with. I don't think Dicopolous had much sexual heat with anyone on-screen either, but speaking as someone who has the heart of a 'ho, he looked very sexy in that tight blue T-shirt he wore in the 1980s. Woof! I could have tolerated Fletcher in small doses as a supporting-buddy kind of character, but that loud-mouthed, screaming, belligerent Buzz just HAD TO GO. I also prayed every night for the extermination of Richard, Jeffery (they brought him back...aaaaack!), Crassie, all the Santoses, faux Beth, and many others. On the other hand, by the time the show actually died, there were so many characters hanging around who were actively BORING and pointless, I just yawned my way through many episodes. (Peapack did not help.) In all the time from 1950 to 1982, I was NEVER bored.

I think that Long eventually evolved into a good writer, but some of her initial choices for TGL should have been vetoed (like the supernatural/sci-fi nonsense). In an interview years after the fact, she confessed that she had finally realized the fantasy stuff did not work and it was "better to get real." Many of her interpersonal-relationship scenes were quite poignant. She wrote Bert well. She wrote the Phillip and Rick relationship beautifully. (I, and Michael O'Leary, suspected Rick was subconsciously in love with Phillip, but Long pooh-poohed that idea.) If she had had a strong producer who knew what she was doing and who understood the show (Gail Kobe did not fit the bill), Long's more annoying, failed plots might not have seen the light of day, and her better, human drama might have taken center stage and been her primary legacy. Her second stint at headwriter, under Calhoun, was significantly better than the first. I credit the producer with a solid part of that. I agree that the Dobsons were better at TGL than Marland was, but ironically, Marland was better at ATWT than the Dobsons were. Different writers just click better on certain shows, I guess. Pat Falken Smith's scripts for TGL were excellent, and I was thrilled when she initially took over for Marland. She seemed to possess the best of the Dobsons' and the best of Marland's style. It was a major disappointment when she was so suddenly replaced. The writing deteriorated significantly and remained problematic for years afterwards. I'd like to know that too.