EricMontreal22

OK so he was involved in the Will plot (was it his plan at all?) or at least him talking about Dixie's guilt re Will helped it. The rumours of McTavish's first tenure ending ina huge mess like her others have are *greatly* exagerated--well at least I've always felt so though I've only had the chance to catch up with much of it--now actually. So I'm glad you seem to agree. I mean maybe it's hindsight--I do get some of the criticism but there seems to be a common wisdom when discussing her work that she went completely "unabortion, burried alive killing" out of control in that run, and the show still felt largely like 90s AMC identiy (even if that slipped away throughout most of the nineties I wouldn't blame her so much as cast aging, and other cast issues, as well as a changing soap climate, including their timeslot rival in many places suddenly climbing--Days).

I had no issue with the Will double story myself (again I was I guess 14/15 when it happened and maybe less critical than I would be now, so take it with a grain of salt). It probably was smart of Broderick to cut down on Janet "boiling over" and make her sympathetic when she came on. Was Seabone and all that gone by the time of the Will Double? I have some of that mixed up in my head. Pine Charles thanks for posting that! It's great to see how Brooke grew--she really is a troublemaker and a snob when she came on (at least with Barr)--like in that 78 wedding episode, you see her start to grow out of that in the '80s episodes I posted--it all feels quite natural, even if poor upright/victim Brooke caused some story issues much later on (though she was always a fave character of mine despite some bust stories). Here's the last of the three episodes from Palmer's 1980 Masquerade I have-this one is 10 minutes shorter because most commercials were skipped... Enjoy!

All the UK soaps seem to have a bit more of that now, but Emmerdale in particular was never about that really...

Right I forgot about that--I remember some comic scenes between all the brothers at the Springs or somewhere but that seemed to be their only real purpose--and maybe a desire to have a group of younger hunks. Speaking of, queerty posted a tribute to the more often than not shirtless men of OLTL. Annoyingly it focuses mainly on the last little while where I found it beyond ridiculous, but... http://www.queerty.com/photos-the-shirtless-hunks-of-one-life-to-life-in-memoriam-20120116/

Besides which, it's on a night where it works well as counter programming. It's true that ABC on Sundays has far more soapy shows than the other stations as well, but I think the competition is stronger for some similar viewers (and depending if Smash can live up to its excellent pilot--and that'll be very hard I admit--they might have more...) And as YRBB said, ABC has had a tough time with Wednesday dramas--I think it would be foolish to move Revenge, especially after just one season.

I am so dense--I just remember where the actor who played Declan first annoyed me--he was Starr's first crush (Travis?) when she ran away on One Life to Live lol. And he seemed like he was trying to act like a grown up James Dean (poorly) even back then.

Will double--part of the beginning of the end of McTavish's first reign... (I admit in hindsight I can see why Behr and others felt she was losing control, but at the time I was still loving the show). Nelson Branco or whatever--obnoxious Canadian soap reporter.

I've never seen a pic of Dan Kennicott--or heard the role was hated. Tom and Brooke loved each other but it always seemed much more like a deep friendship love.

OK re your question about where Erica was (I think it was you and not SFK) I assume they did say she was on a modelling shoot in NYC (and I think she was on maternity leave--wasn't this around the same time Slezak was replaced due to her maternity leave on OLTL?). The famous Cliff/Nina wedding episode is from later 1980 (I want to say Summer--anyone know for sure?) and in it Tom and Erica have a fight because she wants to stay in New York to some fancy dinner with Brandon Kingsley.

Oh dear, I never noticed how awful/hysterical those two look in the photo till now... Liza had a scene with Marian/Stewart (wait--I think she did?) So I agree

I didn't even remember Linda till now. Yes, for whatever reason (I guess Luna was gone by then, and his other siblings who never did much?) they seemed to have no use for him after that triangle, which made me angry.

Me too actually--more than I expected to, although the ridiculous little kid overload in the Kane pic just makes me laugh.

I think I was the only one who prefered Dylan (even if he was a thankless role) over Patrick...

Interesting, this era is a muddle for me, but it must be from whgen JFP was ghost headwriting (reportedly) after Pam Long left and before McTavish came in. Anna Cascio is listed first in the writers--and *Harding Lemay* is listed last--I didn't know he was credited on the show though I know he consulted (and I think has only had good things to say about JFP)...

Glad you watched! I'll get the third (and sadly last I have) Masquerade ep tomorrow or Wednesday and the May 1980 ep a bit after. Oh yes! god this is a tantalizing brief, good quality clip... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rejHXWbLiZc

Phil died in 1981 in (I thought) a plane exploding, something to do with politics... But I think it may have even been off camera when Tara was meant to find him and she shortly moved away with Mr (Jim?) Jefferson. But I think Phil may have been missing for a while in the explosion and then never found--I can't remember. It seemed like they realized that Phil and the endless new Taras were finally played out.

Yes it was--a full year after their marriage. SHe may have been involved in her New yorkl world more again? It is interesting she's not there--then again maybe they (rightly) felt with nearly the whole cast in these special episodes she wasn't needed and Susan could take a break...

I am too though she was more sympathetic (as a B character) later on--helping Brooke with her rape, the lesbian stuff, etc. Devon and Wally are in that 1978 Tom/Erica wedding episode as well. It's there. I find it amazing that they licensed Muzaky (OK I guess it's meant to be big band or something) versions of Beatles music, of course soaps in the 70s and 80s were much more likely to use "real" recognizable music.

I think this was the first time AMC tried anything gothic, and it seems like it went over really well (I've read articles about people seeing promos for the Cortland stuff and being intrigued and finally getting hooked on AMC) and in some ways seems like the first major change in style the show did to accomodate the hour change a few years before. I never have got why they aolways returned to the Kennicotts too... There wa Dan who was bad right? And? Mary was very popular but it was quite a few years before...

It's partly how it's filmed I guess--I completely see what you mean.

And there Dixie has a whole speech to Seabone (Seabone Hunckle?) about her guilt over Will...

The thirtieth was decent, but after the better 20th episode, and the awesome 25th week--and the Daytime to Remembers, etc, it was less exciting. It was at a Crystal Ball--I have it on tape somewhere and believe it might be online, and was just one episode. The 35th was at the hopsital with Agnes for Joe's anniversary or something and was Phoebe's last appearance days before her death (I actually remember the OLTL anniversary's much less clearly--I think they did the first one for their 25th as when AMC did their 20th it was still rare for soaps to do that--of course they did have the flashback week when Megan died. I remember thinking as a whoile they were more disappointing--I remember a thirty fifth one I think that had brief musical montages for key characters like Dorian/VIcki but nothing too rare).

Hrmm is that the colour episode there's like 4 minutes of on youtube?? (And now I can't find the link...) Jeff Mary seemed to really be a big deal at the time, it would be nice to see more. I've never got the disco whistle thing I know in the early disco days if a man had a whistle it usuallyw as meant to be an indication he was gay and on the prowl (maybe cuz he was "bloawing?" but by 1980 or whenver Pine Valley finally got the disco thing it had all become fairly mainstream kitsch). (And that's a great gag gift! ) I must find that album... Yes, I mentioned earlier that clip from around '92 with him--which is interesting because at the time I really didn't remember seeing him except the 25th week, when Iw as pretty excited to finally see him on screen--but I watched regularly in '92 (I swear I didn't miss an episode, so...)

Not to the best of my knowledge--nothing pre the 1978 wedding and those 70-71 B&W kinescopes has popped up. WOST had some good episodes from around '81 though... I believe Dixie always felt that she kinda let Will down, that there could have been some way to save him. Anyway, I think in situations like that people often blame themselves.

It really is a full on valentine to fans--the way they don't even try to explain who everyone is in fact but just assume long term fans will know is something I kinda respect--that together with the Burnett primetime episode showed how well regarded the soap really was--and I don't think ever quite was again. And yes, there is a ton of heart. I still often saw glimmers of that I guess, especially compared to some other soaps, but a big part of that is nostalgia for when I first started watching and the history I knew. AMC really was a soap (like, of course many others) around families and generations when it was at its best. And I do think that even compared to many other soaps, the appeal of it at its height was really more about hanging out with these characters than wacky plot twists and shocks.