vetsoapfan

Carol was indeed becoming a major character during her time on the show, and it's unfortunate that Jeanne Lange did not stay longer. The character clicked and the actress was talented. John Getz was very affable as Neil, and had good, easy-going chemistry with just about everyone. The problem is, Lemay did not seem to know what to do with him, and he drifted around for a while, not doing very much of note, being being phased out. It's a shame. He was so sweet. I would have accepted the actor as a new Russ Matthews. Unfortunately, IMHO, David Bailey never really brought much depth, strength, or interest to the role. Of course I have never met him personally, just seen what he's like in interviews and read his autobiography, which also provides some examples of his character. He comes across as very prickly and prone to arrogance. That being said, his work on AW was excellent, and I would watch his material over many other writers'.

James Lipton...ugh.

Jada Rowland, an original cast member, was very sweet as Amy Ames, and her charisma continued to make the character appealing, to me at least. even when the writing was not great. Of course Susan, depending on who was playing her at the time, was a wonderful character who should not have been eliminated. fans did not approve of the Ameses being axed.

There are many soap-related books that a die-hard fan would enjoy, I believe, even if they did not watch daytime TV way back when. Some examples: Reference books like The Wonderful World of TV Soap Operas by Robert LaGuardia, From Ma Perkins to Mary Hartman by Robert LGuardia, The Love of Their Lives by Lynne Rogers, The Complete Soap Opera Book by Madeleine Edmondson and David Rounds, The Soap Opera Encyclopedia by Christopher Schemering, The Encyclopedia of Daytime TV by Wesley Hyatt, The Guiding Light: A 50th Anniversary Celebration by Christopher Schemering, etc. Novelizations like The Guiding Light by Dr. John Ruthledge (published in 1937, but still findable on eBay and amazon), the Dark Shadows book by Marilyn Ross, etc. Autobiographies like One Life by Ellen Holly (Carla on One Life to Live), Both of Me by Mary Stuart (Jo on Search for Tomorrow and Aunt Meta on The Guiding Light), Portrait of a Soap Star; The Emily McLaughlin Story (written by the late General Hospital actress' daughter, Mary Ann Anderson), etc. These books focus on soaps and stars from the golden era of daytime TV, and favorites are bold-faced. There are many more, but...this is a good start.

I know people who did NOT watch the show during Lemay's reign, and even they enjoyed the book to a degree, but if you WERE a regular viewer during the 1970s, I think you will find Lemay's autobiography quite fascinating. He projects his own negative motivations onto actors he dislikes (and then castigates the performers for them), and his opinions of/reactions to the cast are clearly biased and hypocritical, but his prickly personality is part of what makes the book engrossing. Go for it.

There is nothing sexier than a man who can show love and tenderness, and the "everyday" dad is soooooooooo hot.

That's a good idea. I'll probably recognize the photograph if she played a significant part on the show, even for a year.

I have several soap-history books, and she's not listed in any of them. Googling her name produces no results, either. I found an obituary for a woman with the same name, who died recently and was in her 90s, so the age might fit, but they referred to her deceased husband and it was not Dolph Sweet.

I was a big-time soap watcher way back then, but unfortunately, neither the actress' name nor the character ring any bells. I can say that she must not have been a major player, or lasted very long, because I would have remembered her, or been able to find some references of her in my soap-history books.

I swear the pictures posted are becoming...friskier!

Of course, anything can be alluring on the right man. Uniforms, swim suits, underwear, and even the traditional jeans and T-shirt.

Neither can I. There is something very alluring about uniforms which give a hint of what lies underneath, but still leave something to the imagination.

I thought PFS was great everywhere she went and at everything she wrote, except RYAN'S HOPE. The show was curiously stilted and unnatural at the time. Bad direction and many unworkable characters may have sunk the show, however. I think on RH, PFS was fighting an uphill battle that no one could win except Claire Labine.

My parents always told me that policemen are our friends....

I loved GH in the 1960s, early and late '70s (the middle period of that decade was not this show's best), and into the early '80s under Pat Falken Smith. We'll never see a soap like this again, alas.

Well...Lito for sure. Remember, however, that I mentioned Wolfgang was my probable first choice...but I must admit: that sexy devil Will still pulls at my heart strings! Anyway, at least we each have one that is ours, exclusively, without question! ROTF! Here's a video that makes me question my NOT making Will number one.

Great hair! Great torsos!

Great, sexy smile.

He can drop his pants anytime and anywhere he likes. And YRBB, I think I have made my final selection among the Sense8 hotties. You may be relieved to hear (LOL) that Lito is yours free and clear, because I have narrowed down my choices to Wolfgang and Will...with Wolfgang the probable winner, thanks to this hot video.

I am tempted to start a new thread in the general forum, asking other SON members' whom their fantasy soap husbands would be. I wonder if certain characters would be atop many posters' lists. I am closer to making my final Sense8 decision, and will notify you when I do.

For me, ideally, the role of the wise and kindly chief of staff would have gone to one of Steve's sons (step- or biological) or grandsons. Since the show never groomed anyone long enough to fit this bill, however, I would have accepted Rick or Lesley running the hospital. The horrifying way they slaughtered the character of Rick is inexcusable, so alas, there was another potential candidate down the drain. I doubt TPTB have any interest in making Lesley an important part of the show again either. What the blind executives don't understand is, while THEY are obsessed with extreme youth and a rigid, idealized standard of beauty, the audience itself is not so restricted. We can, and do, love characters of all ages, shapes, and sizes. We want to see all sorts of characters find love and romance, not just the nubile teens. Many years ago on ANOTHER WORLD, grandmother Ada McGowen unexpectedly became pregnant, and went through with a late-in-life pregnancy. Even though the network executives had fought against telling this story, the audience, even the kids in the audience, LOVED it. The viewers love their vets, just ask the many devoted fans of Katherine Chancellor, Steve and Audrey Hardy, Bert Bauer, Nancy Hughes, Tom and Alice Horton, etc. The suits at the networks just have to wake up to that reality.

I find more interesting soap material to watch on youtube now, than I do on CBS, NBC, or ABC. I'll even watch vintage eps of long-forgotten soaps like HAWKINS FALLS or PORTIA FACES LIFE over today's current soaps.

Of all soaps, GH in particular should have a compassionate, older-and-wiser doctor as its patriarch. I think either Alan or Tony could have filled that role as time gone by, so losing BOTH these key characters was one of the show's many blunders.

At least its fans are lucky that this show only started to die long after many other soaps were already on life support. No one loved Bill Bell's work (overall) than I did, but even as a master of the medium, he made some painful boo-boos. The Suzanne Lynch story was just...embarrassing.

Michael Storm confirms this. In an interview once, he said he found it hard to fake grief on-screen when Lynde's character was killed off, because he was personally so relieved, LOL.