Khan

It's incredible to me how ATWT experienced so much upheaval during that period, yet remained at or near the top of the ratings.

He probably did. Frankly, Jeremy Hunter wasn't much of a character even on AMC. A mercenary (or spy, can't remember which)-turned-monk, with a knack for adventure and a yen for rescuing damsels in distress, works really well in a Robert Ludlum novel or on a Donald P. Bellisario-produced series. On a daytime drama, however, it can become rather tiresome - both for the actor, and for the audience - especially if you rarely tap into the mercenary side of his persona. The most complex relationships Jeremy ever had on AMC were with his father and Natalie, but they killed off the one and separated him from the other for reasons which still aren't clear.

It could've been worse. He could've come back wearing blackface.

Just another example of what could happen when you don't give actors enough rehearsal time. At the very least, it would've been CB and BF's chance to get the laughs out of their systems so they could really sell the fight later on in taping. (Of course, as ridiculous as the show's writing often is, I don't blame them for having near-laughing fits while taping, lol).

Yeah, but the Anna Devane of 2025 is a far, far cry from the Anna Devane that many '80's viewers still remember.

Of course, I agree with you, @Franko, as you can see from my last post. But I guess I also can see the rock and the hard place that NBCD was stuck between. ABCD pretty much had a lock on the younger and "urban" demographics, while CBSD had their lock on older, more conservative viewers. So, where did that leave NBCD? I guess that's why they made such a big deal about "Passions" hitting big with 12-17 years old, lol.

I still remember watching "Something Wilder" and thinking HBS and Gene Wilder together were odder than Oscar and Felix.

Those are the rumors I recall reading as well. I certainly remember SOD reporting Fiona Hutchinson's first exit to OLTL was due to negotiations breaking down with the network. Dennis Swanson, who had helped launch "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "Live with Regis & Kathie Lee" and who was overseeing ABC Sports at the time, hadn't too long been named ABCD President as well; and he was looking to cut costs.

I wouldn't say Jeremy was trustworthy. After all, he had a nasty habit of falling out of love with women he "rescued," lol.

I agree, with both points.

I think if NBCD had just left their shows well enough alone, allowing each one to develop its' own identity, and not be forced to chase after ABCD's demographics, they could've knocked CBSD down a peg or two.

Same here. The end of that whole "Wait Until Dark" homage with Todd and blind Nora should have been the end of Todd as well. I'm not sure how I feel about Grace Phillips. On the one hand, she was certainly a more substantial actress than Jensen Buchanan. But, on the other hand, she just didn't click with anyone on the show, let alone with Robert S. Woods.

On the one hand, I'm happy for the people backstage, whose jobs are now secure for another three years (a blessing in these very uncertain times). But, on the other hand, why do I feel like B&B keeps being rewarded for being so godawful?

"Wait a sec, that's Ben Murphy," lol!! Even odder: she's playing a prostitute whom Amanda helps to get out of "the life," which is ironic when you think about how MMT brought her back.

I tried. I really tried. But I threw in the towel, twice: once, in '95; and the second, in '98 or '99. After that, I'd still watch, but sporadically, and never for any substantial amount of time.

Hormones never dictated which shows my mother watched. In fact, I'm not even sure she HAD hormones anymore after she had me. The truth is, Mama Khan's more the "It blowed up real good!" type. The more explosions, and the more women creating those explosions in order to kick some doofus guy's ass, the better.

You're both correct, lol. When Pat Falken Smith introduced Stefano DiMera in 1982, she was clear on who and what he was: a mafioso who was looking to expand his criminal enterprises to the Midwest - specifically, to Salem - and to help reunite Tony and Liz as well. (Of course, it comes out that he's also Renee's biological father, which throws a huge monkey wrench into her own relationship with Tony, lol). Stefano's exact origins were murky - after all, to suggest that he was Italian would've invited lawsuits from anti-defamation groups - but he had businesses the same way Vito Genovese had businesses - which is to say, he was a racketeer. It's only after Pat Falken Smith quits or is fired that we start talking about prisms and [!@#$%^&*]. At that point, everything connected to Stefano and DiMera becomes convoluted and logic-defying, including "DiMera Enterprises" and the Brady/DiMera/Kiriakis feud (which, contrary to DAYS' comic book-like history, did not begin with the fall of Rome).

I agree! Granted, I didn't watch back then, but what I've read - Rachel had gone blind AND had lost her memory by the mid-'80's? - doesn't sound all that great to me.

I think so, too. Just as I think expanding TD to sixty minutes was worth a try in order to save the show. If P&G and NBCD really wanted to spin off AW again, then they should've used Victoria Wyndham/Rachel. Maybe create a new, half-hour serial that followed her to a new town after her and Mac's marriage blew up over Janice or something.

ICAM!!

Is it wrong to say Iris was "toothless" on TEXAS? Maybe. As a character, however, Iris was about one thing: her obsessive love for her father, and her jealousy over her new stepmother's place in his life. Everything Iris did on AW was motivated by that obsession. Take that away from her, and what is she? I agree. Furthermore, P&G and NBCD had spun off AW at least once before, and the results were mixed to say the least. What convinced them and Paul Rauch that the second attempt would be more successful?

If anyone (who isn't named Megan McTavish) ever needed to write a memoir about their career writing for daytime dramas, it's Patrick Mulcahey.

I'd agree that that was TEXAS' number-one issue, along with premiering at sixty minutes (too much padding!) and trying too hard to be daytime's answer to DALLAS.

Remember when the Nurses' Ball was a simple, understand event to remember those who'd been affected by AIDS? Now, the damn thing's bigger than the Oscars. It's tacky.

I highly doubt it, lol.