I think they could have waited longer to recast Lily, but I also think that the changes were just too abrupt in Lily even with more time. Things like telling sending a letter to tell Hal that Barbara had known Adam's paternity - that was pure spite. Lily at worst would have told Hal in anger, in a spur of the moment action.
I loved the edge they brought to Lily under Rattray. And the gas lighting of her with Angel's dad. I remember viewers weren't sure if it was Barbara or Angel but most thought it was Angel …turns out it was her dad. Good stuff!
I think he wanted to leave. I'm not sure. I know he agreed to extend his stay by 6 months so that Casey would have a bond with Ellen Dolan's Margo the way he had with HBS, otherwise they knew viewers wouldn't have as much emotional involvement in Margo pulling his plug.
I never cared for Casey and Lyla…they were so boring together. I don't know who I would have paired Casey with but it wouldn't have been boring Lyla. I can just imagine how awesome the scenes would have been with HBS in the role.
Frannie was basically still Frannie, and Julianne Moore had not even really had that much of a role as Frannie in her last year on the show. She'd split her scenes between Frannie and Sabrina, and Frannie left town a lot.
I was reading an old SOD from 1990 about the nastiest thing your character has done. Liz Hubbard said during the John/Susan affair, she wanted to make Susan fall off the wagon, but the show wouldn't let her. While I respect them for that choice (later regimes would have loved it), I have to admit it would have been interesting to see.
Sabrina was such a boring character. I didnt care for her story even though it involved Bob and Kim heavily. Add to that her pairing with Seth…zzzzzzzz
I remember Lucinda pushing Susan away as she left her place and she fell off the ladder?? I loved anything that involved Lucinda and a rival….whether it was with Susan, Babs or Iva.