Khan

I feel like P&G would have allowed Douglas Marland at least SOME creative latitude, if only because ATWT was still often ranking as high as #2 before his death. But, as you've said, @DRW50, the entire daytime landscape was changing at that time, too.

According to Velekka Gray, Don Hastings wanted his wife, Leslie Denniston, to portray Lyla, even though Denniston had appeared already on the show as Karen Parker.

Oh my God, lol.

She looks like she's wearing one of Willona's wigs on "Good Times."

I've always maintained that, had Douglas Marland not died, P&G would've asked him to try and save AW, because AW needed a HW with vision BADLY. Either that, or some network (but probably not ABC) would've bought "The Soul Survivors," the new soap he was working on at the time of his death. I still laugh over that SOD item that reported Kate Collins, who'd just left AMC, had auditioned for Mindy. Talk about taking a character in a new direction, lol. I don't see Douglas Marland going to work at any ABC show after the way they forced him to truncate the Lily Slater incest storyline on LOVING. On the other hand, I could see him returning to GL, or even writing for AW or even DAYS!

No need to apologize! I'm just glad I didn't dream the whole thing! (Although, part of me wishes it HAD been just a dream, lol)! I'm not sure, but I think the "Cape Fear" ripoff homage was before John Wesley Shipp crossed over to LOVING? And weren't Jeremy and Ceara involved in that crossover as well? Or was their crossover unrelated? Honestly, I just remember wishing JWS had signed a long-term contract. I know he's gained popularity outside of daytime through "The Flash" and "Dawson's Creek," but I don't think he's ever had a role as good as any he's played on the soaps. To me, Kate Collins and Natalie were never better than when she was with Jean LeClerc/Jeremy. God, how I wish that had been true for me. Unfortunately, I started watching soaps with my mom when I still was a pre-teen; and by the time I was in my adolescent years, a lot of my favorite soaps - AMC, GL, OLTL, ATWT, DAYS - were on their way down (IMO, anyway). I never stopped loving "the soaps," but that's pretty much when I started getting more into classic sitcoms like "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "The Bob Newhart Show." Nick-at-Nite at that time was EL FUEGO, lol. Pretty much what I said whenever Joy/Camille was on. Maybe if they had hired Megan Follows instead of Schuyler Grant, lol? I agree!! Another shaggy dog of McTavish's that irritated me to no end: the Tad/Ted saga. Lord, what a confusing mess. Were they twins or not, Megan? And if they weren't, then why the hell did they have the same memory of being locked inside a trunk by a man (Ray Gardner?) wearing a gold watch?

I think Sonny/Natalia could've been viable, had Natalia not been introduced as the Latina female Archie Bunker, lol.

As the kids are prone to say nowadays, "the math ain't mathin'."

Oh, PLEASE don't remind us of Gina Jeans. We could've gone the rest of our lives without being reminded of that foolishness, lol.

I hated when they wrote him off the show. Just imagine if KdP's Blair, for example, had become involved with Rafe, acting as stepmom to Sami, etc.?

I think it goes without saying how foolish TPTB were to recast Natalie, lol. Melody Anderson was and is a very pretty woman, but she was NOT Kate Collins. If I had had my way, Trevor and Natalie would've left town with little Amanda after Janet was sent off to jail or the sanitarium for killing Will, arguing that they needed a fresh start. IIRC, Adam and Natalie had learned that Laurel was a con artist who had stolen some money from some foundation or benefit or something. Natalie took off in her car (with Adam in the passenger seat) to expose Laurel. However, Natalie was either driving too fast, or she swerved to avoid hitting something. Either way, she crashed the car. Natalie lingered for awhile in a coma, then opened her eyes briefly before being declared brain dead. Adam survived, but was paralyzed from the waist down, thus setting in motion the "Lady Chatterley's Lover"-esque storyline with him, then-wife Gloria, and Alec McIntyre, whom Adam hired to look after his company, I think? But don't quote me on that, lol.

Then, I guess I don't have half a brain cell, lol. On the other hand, I'd go along with Jason/Liz, but only because I think their fans have suffered enough. (Plus, it seems like we are heading toward a Lucky/Liz reunion, which makes me ill. Call me crazy, but I could never find love again with someone who told me they should've left my bleeding ass to die in the snow, lol). I'm starting to think GH is a front for a money laundering operation and all those people are getting paid with mob money.

Don't you mean Blasé? I feel like GH has reached a point where there aren't any more viable love interests for Jason, Carly or even Sonny (Brenda notwithstanding, lol). That's why Jason/Sasha and Brennan/Carly are so...underwhelming. And I'm BEGGING Frank to pry open the piggy bank and use just that song for Drew's shooting/murder, too, lol.

And instead of having Paige fall in love with DIRTYCOPDIRTYCOPDIRTYCOP Tom Ryan, I would've instead introduced a police detective as a love interest for Cathy, who's being stalked by an obsessive fan.

Honestly, @DRW50, I would've written out Jill as Peter's murderer.

And if people do throw tomatoes at Robinson simply for taking a job, then it'll only prove the point that "fans" on social media are morons and should not be catered to at all.

In a way, RR reminded me of Franklin Cover, a.k.a. Tom Willis on "The Jeffersons," who always acted as if he was on an entirely different show.

And I think I would've cut Gary. KNOTS didn't need the connection to DALLAS or to the Ewing clan anymore. It was its' own animal. And I know some would say, "Well, what about Gary and Val?" But, you know what? I'm inclined to think that maybe Gary and Val had outgrown each other by that point, too. Of course, the question remains: how DO you write off Gary Ewing? Well, if it had been me, I would've just had Gary return to Southfork - which, by now, existed in a wonky, parallel universe; one where Bobby remained dead - in order to help Miss Ellie and Clayton run the ranch.

Oh, Lord. The homeless story, lol. BTW, @DRW50, love the new avatar photo of John Payne.

I can't argue with anything you've said, @DRW50, @kalbir and @Vee, lol. I certainly would've brought him back during the final season and paired him up with Anne. I know I've said this before, but I just think John Pleshette and Michelle Phillips would've been a very fun, interesting, and totally unexpected couple to watch.

I think @Alan hit the nail on the head: Ron Raines played Alan Spaulding the same way many musical theater performers might - which is to say, very broadly, and big enough for the folks in the back of the house to see. I know various people have cited moments when Raines toned it down a bit, but I never saw it. To me, his Alan always seemed to be on the verge of breaking into song.

I agree. Don Murray, James Houghton and Kim Lankford might've been expendable, but writing out John Pleshette, Julie Harris and Constance McCashin, as well as losing Donna Mills, really hurt KNOTS in the long run.

Anything to spare us the sight of the AW cast singing a James Brown song to soothe a savage gorilla, lol!