vetsoapfan

12 hours ago, FrenchFan said:

Thanks ! I wish i could find more about the late 60s-early 70s of the show

TEON was a soap I literally watched every day back then. I audio-recorded episodes and kept scrapbooks with storyline synopses, cast/crew interviews, etc. It was excellent for many years under writer Henry Slesar.

On 1/6/2024 at 2:33 AM, Vee said:

So did Martha Marceau just fade offscreen in the mid-70s, still in town but unseen like Bill a few years later? What little I've seen of Teri Keane on the show is very impressive.

Martha's final on-screen appearance was with Geraldine Whitney, when the two women were discussing Kevin Jamison's and Phoebe Smith's relationship. Then she simply stopped appearing and went unmentioned for several months. Finally, while he was testifying on the witness stand in court, Bill was asked about his relationship with Mike Karr. Bill replied that he, Mike and their wives had been close friends for many years, but that they saw each other much less now, "...since my wife and I moved to the country."

On 1/11/2024 at 3:26 PM, danfling said:

Yes, Mary K. Wells as Louise did eventually disappear in the same way that Phil had disappeared earlier.

Louise did not simply disappear. She had an official "write out," with the character visiting the Karrs' home and telling Nancy that she was leaving town to be with Phil who had left Monticello for business.

8 hours ago, DRW50 said:

At 2013's Nurses Ball Lucy acknowledges Jessie and then Amy, around 9 minutes in, and there are blown up photos.

Thank you for the link. I had heard about this respectful Amy/Jessie mention from a friend of mine who also watched GH during the 1960s, '70s and early '80s, but I had never seen it. I suppose I shouldn't quibble about it happening more than two decades after Emily McLaughlin's death. As a long-time fan, I always appreciate when shows honor their roots.

8 hours ago, DRW50 said:

It still saddens me that Jessie got nothing at the time. I wonder if she had just been phased out so much over the years that many of the remaining viewers did not understand her importance or impact.

I'm sure that was a significant part of it. The network was determined to pander to the youth market, but as well, McLaughlin did have various issues over the years which interfered with her work life. That also factored in to her dwindling presence on the show. There were times in the 1980s when Jessie was off-screen for extended periods of time, without explanation. The show cast actress Lisa Figus as Nurse Georgia Price as a standby for when McLaughlin couldn't appear, so there still must have been some interest in using Jessie, at least from time to time. By the early 1990s, however, Jessie had dwindled so far into the background, she might as well have been an under-fiver.

8 hours ago, DRW50 said:

I can only echo what others have said about Ryan Carnes. Carnes was not actually there for most of the important moments in Bobbie's history, but you still felt the weight of his performance. Considering how close Lucas and BJ were, I'm glad, if pleasantly surprised, they gave that final moment to him, instead of Carly. 

Carnes is an actor whom the show should be trying to keep. Lucas is a legacy character with built-in rooting appeal, and Carnes is a) a good performer and b) beautiful.

10 hours ago, Faulkner said:

Totally agree and I admit I came in with a lot of skepticism. The way the episode came together was beautifully executed, and the “journalist interview” actually managed to be a smart device. It was like a little self-contained movie. I even teared up when Carly and Felicia found the woman who’d been trafficked. (Talk about making a lot out of a minor character!) Makes you wonder what these people can do with more time, thought, budget, and care, as they managed an episode so powerful even within the limitations of the show.

ITA. After seeing so many botched "tribute" episodes to beloved characters/actors over the years (from all the soaps, not just this one), I wasn't expecting much of anything from GH's send-off to Bobbie.

(Considering Jessie Brewer's death was not even acknowledged by other characters in Port Charles until years later, when she received a brief mention in an anniversary special, even a beloved vet's receiving the respect she deserves cannot be taken for granted. Did Amy Vining receive an on-screen send-off when Shell Kepler died, or did the character simply cease to exist, without acknowledgement? I forget.)

10 hours ago, Faulkner said:

I do think GH does tributes to its departed performers well. This was better the Sean/John Reilly tribute, which had a similar feel with the self-contained WSB story with Reilly’s real-life daughter. GH employs these personal touches in these tributes that really resonate deeply.

I agree that when GH actually chooses to do them, the tributes tend to do justice to the departed characters/actors. When that sad time times, I hope the show honors our dear Rachel Ames.

10 hours ago, Faulkner said:

Brighton Hertford looks so much like JZ. She’s beautiful. And a fine actress.

Ryan Carnes really nailed it. He’s the real deal as an actor. I wish they’d find a way to keep him, but then you realize that day-to-day GH is absolutely trash. Love him, but his talents would be wasted.

To me, GH is top-heavy with irrelevant characters who could and should be pruned out. But Lucas is a legacy character and should definitely be on contract and featured regularly. I'd take Ryan Carnes over Steve Burton in a heartbeat!

This is devastating.

May he rest in eternal peace.

3 hours ago, Paul Raven said:

Shouldn't Peter and Diana Taylor be on the memorial wall?

Yes, but I'm afraid those once-popular characters have disappeared into Forgotten History territory. I was (pleasantly) shocked to see that Lucille March was featured on the wall.

I legit haven't watched an entire episode of GH in decades, not since Claire Labine left as head scribe. I've seen clips and partial eps here and there, but nothing that satisfied me or made me want to tune back in regularly.

That being said, I've actually sat down and watched the last few episodes (it helped a lot that so many vets were featured prominently).

I'm shocked to admit that I was pleased with today's episode (January 11, 2024), and felt it was an honorable and touching send-off to a beloved actress and character.

And it made me cry. A crusty curmudgeon like me, who hasn't shed a tear over a soap since Maureen Bauer (TGL), and BJ and Stone (GH) died in the 1990s!

Hell has frozen over, LOL!

Good job, GH.

8 hours ago, Liberty City said:

He's there; he is in episodic stills from the episode, as well as the collective shot released via People.

I'm pretty sure he's sitting next to Kevin (and Laura).

Thank you. I couldn't spot him in the photos I've seen, but I'm glad he was there, considering the long history he shared with Bobbie.

Where's Scotty? I don't see him in the church.

Dear God in heaven...NOOOOOOOO!

Hold back my hair; I'm gonna hurl!

When Burton was actually trying to act, decades ago, he was at least adequate. He's been expressionless and robotic for many years, however, and his "stone-cold," unrepentant, mass-murdering and sociopathic character has long outlived his usefulness on the canvas. 

How many people have Jason and Sonny assassinated by now, anyway? (Serious question!) Why are these putrid slugs glorified as "anti-hero" leads of the show, who continually attract romantic desire of so many women?

UGH!

17 minutes ago, dragonflies said:

There wasn't much mention of Audry, but they showed quite a bit of Steve. I was like "HELL YEAH" when Becky said her character is the grand daughter of Steve 

I'm shocked they didn't show BJ's heart ,no mention of Tony Jones or Kevin and Lucy. They left out A LOT

No mention of Lucy and her work with AIDS or Robin etc

I guess TPTB wanted to pimp the current pod-incarnation of the show, more than celebrate its extensive and rich history. That makes sense from a commercial standpoint, perhaps, but it's not emotionally satisfying to long-time fans.

30 minutes ago, dragonflies said:

Yeah Kin was on, they showed, I think it was, the very first scene with Steve, and a woman who got burned

Thanks.

It sounds like the "special" focused on the recent years of the show; the Frank Valenti period. If I had sat through it and seen no Jessie or Audrey, no Lesley or Lee Baldwin, I would have been bitterly disappointed.

Were there any mentions or clips of the legendary stars and characters of yore, like John Beradino as Steve Hardy, Emily McLaughlin as Jessie Brewer, Rachel Ames as Audrey Hardy, Denise Alexander as Lesley Webber, etc.?

Scotty Baldwin is the longest-running character still on GH; did Kin Shriner make an appearance?

TIA.

As always, I appreciate the heads up.

Good find!

Thanks, @DRW50!

13 hours ago, DRW50 said:

A great end of the year gift! The last few minutes are missing but that's definitely nothing to complain about as this is one of those transition periods that we don't have much of. Two more episodes after this as well.

@Vee @dc11786 @Khan @SoapDope @soapfan770 @vetsoapfan @Khan @Mitch64 @Dan @Donna L. Bridges @slick jones @FrenchFan @Soapsuds @MichaelGL @jam6242

What? Additional rare, classic episodes of TGL, right after the TEON treasure was unearthed?

Stuff I am overjoyed to see, which I don't already have in my collection?

The soap gods' love is shining down upon us these days!

Thanks @BoldRestless and @DRW50!

20 hours ago, Paul Raven said:

Yes there was site that offered those DVDs several years ago and that is where I first saw mention of the Allens in 1966. I had it bookmarked but must have deleted it unfortunately. Not  sure there was as many as 40, at least on this site.

Way back when, a trader friend sent me three, 2-hour VHS tape of SFT from the summer of 1966. I'm trying to remember the total number of episodes I received. I believe she recorded nine on each tape, so a total of 27. I thought that was a huge amount. I don't recall any trader or fan referencing a whopping 40 episodes from that year (great as that would have been).

On 12/30/2023 at 12:44 AM, Paul Raven said:

When did Bill Bell cut ties with Days completely? I know for some time PFS had pretty much free reign but Bill was dictating long term stry.

I wonder if Days falling ratings were the result of Pat taking complete control and not having Bill's input-hence the dark stories lacking Bill's unique touch.

Bill Bell was still executive story consultant after Smith left, and into Marcus' tenure. He is the one who created the Trish-mental breakdown story, which Smith said she kept trying to put off for being too over-the-top. The ratings had dropped from in the 9s down to the 8s during BB's and PFS's last year working as a team.. After Smith was fired, she sued the network. Ann Marcus was continuing to use PFS's story (which had been created in coordination with William J. Bell.), but acknowledged in the press that if she did not wish to write what Bell suggested, she would just change things as she saw fit. There was a huge deterioration in the quality of the writing once Marcus took over.  Comments in the press were not kind ("Never have I seen a show go downhill so quickly.") The ratings really dropped after PFS was axed and AM was in charge. They fell into the 6s. Thus began a revolving door of headwriters.

1 minute ago, Khan said:

That is exactly what I would call GL's cancellation, @vetsoapfan: a mercy killing. 

ATWT still had life left in it, because its' core had not become as wrecked as GL's had become.  All it needed was an EP and HW who cared enough and who could write and produce the show without too much interference from P&G or from CBS, and it would have bounced back in no time.  But GL could have had all those things and more and it still would have needed at least 1-2 years that it did not have just to become watchable again, let alone good or great.

Again, ITA 100%.

Although the writing for ATWT had wavered between tepid and poor for a solid decade before its demise, and although a plethora of inept production choices had been long been heaped upon the show, the core was still relatively intact and recognizable. ATWT miraculously escaped the enormous damage that had torn apart TGL (and which has destroyed Days of Our Lives). This miracle left Oakdale still salvageable in its final days. A capable producer and writer could have turned ATWT around relatively quickly, whereas I believe it would have taken a complete, extensive and lengthy overhaul to get TGL anywhere near "fighting shape" again.

5 minutes ago, Donna L. Bridges said:

If nothing else people should remember that GL at the end added to the body of knowledge on how to produce a show in the modern era.

To be brutally frank, I would say that TGL in its dying days added to the knowledge of how NEVER to produce a soap in this or any era; that canceling it, before steering it right into the toilet where it circled the drain before the inevitable flush, would honor the show's (and the overall genre's) integrity much more appropriately.

JMHO.

9 minutes ago, Khan said:

I agree.  I might have said this before, but I think Nancy Curlee was GL's last, best hope.  When she left, GL was finished.

ITA 100%. After Nancy Curlee left, TGL was severely decimated, and began a crippling downward spiral to its inevitable death.

Its cancellation felt, to me, like a mercy killing.

It was disheartening to peruse the two recently-posted cast pictures and realize how many totally irrelevant, pointless characters were taking up space on the TGL's canvas, while so many beloved, essential-to-the-show's core were nowhere to be seen.

I really am surprised this soap lasted as long as it did, after being on life-support for YEARS.

12 hours ago, DRW50 said:

I remember Laurie Heineman also said that she bought the episode of AW she submitted for her Emmy reel. I always wonder if that is still available.

And with Jacquie Courtney passing away, I presume her kinescope archives went to her daughter. I wonder if she still has them and has ever had them digitized for safe-keeping.

11 minutes ago, Vee said:

Holly also made it clear in her memoir she had local affiliate packages of early episodes. It's just tragic some of this may be sorted in future by loved ones or family estates.

I would kill to see the AMC pilot.

Over on Facebook, there's a group entitled Vintage Soap Opera Episodes Trade. One of the administrators is a guy named Robert Forester, who announced he had gotten vintage videotapes from Rosemary Prinz (including the AMC pilot) to digitize. He has a list of his stuff for sale.

I've never dealt with him (he doesn't send to Canada), but you can always try contacting him through that FB group.

45 minutes ago, Vee said:

This is why I hold out hope for more of so many shows, especially '60s/'70s OLTL where for years we thought we'd never see more of it and now of course we have. We know some cast and crew took home kinescopes, affiliate packages, etc. from their shows. The material is out there.

I have no doubt that various actors, directors, etc., have kept copies of their favorite episodes over the years. In interviews, both Jacquie Courtney and Robin Strasser acknowledged having had kinescopes made of highlights from their days on AW. Just recently, the debut episode of AMC from 1970 appeared in soap-trading circles. We've seen footage of Gillian Spencer, Ellen Holly and Lillian Hayman from the early days of OLTL, so that era's material cannot be lost completely.

I think the issue now is, getting the people who possess the buried treasure to share it with the rest of us.

9 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

That's so wonderful to hear - you've done so much to help fans with your vintage episodes, and memories. I'm so glad something came around that you didn't have. I think we all needed this type of Christmas gift.

I've held a grudge for decades against the unscrupulous "trader" whose unethical behavior originally made me lose out on the chance of getting this TEON treasure. I've longed to get my hands on it for so many years.

No matter how many times I come to accept that no other gems from the past will ever be uncovered...they keep on coming!