Khan

I've wondered that myself. Just as I've wondered how Gary Tomlin, of all people, was the EP who finally won the damn thing for the show, and for something as goofy as "Trading Places," or whatever the hell they called that country-ass dumb episode.

In a way, BEN JARROD (BJ?) reminds me of "Murder One," the Steven Bochco-produced series that ran for a couple of seasons on ABC.

Wow. And from that list, I'd say only one show, "Cagney & Lacey," still holds up okay. At the moment, I'm trying to plough through season 6 on the Primetime Soaps channel; and I'm having the same issue with it (and with the show in general) that I always have: the scenes are shorter, the dialogue is crisper, but it's all just wallpaper. Otherwise, it's the same old, same old: Angela vs. Chase vs. Richard, with Melissa trying to assert herself as a major player but shooting herself in the foot every time. (How she walked right into getting Agretti-Stavros Vineyards shut down the previous season has to be one of the boneheaded things I've ever seen anyone do in soaps, lol).

So, now we know what Sheila was up to before she hit Genoa City.

Of course, that could be attributed at least partly to the fact that CBS itself was in terrible shape throughout the mid- and late-'80's; but I think Jane Wyman and Angela Lansbury, along with the cast of NBC's "The Golden Girls," helped to reshape the image of older people on TV.

I still hate how KL wasted JE. Judy Trent, IMO, was a nothing character. There wasn't even any way to expand her place on the show beyond Gary, Val and Abby.

ICAM!! I still crack up over Terry's last words - "Richard, what about MEEEEEEEE!?" - and the shot of the back of her stunt double's head in the next season's premiere, confirming she had died.

I agree, lol. I'd never place Stephen J. Cannell in the same category with Steven Bochco, but I do believe there's a difference between the shows he was involved with before "The Rockford Files," and those he was involved with after "Rockford"; and the shows that came after "Rockford," including "Palace Guard," tended to be so lightweight and unambitious, with "Wiseguy" being the notable exception.

I see "A. Nelson" listed in the writing credits. Does anyone have any idea who "A. Nelson" was?

Basically, Allen Potter didn't believe the ratings justified so much airtime being given to Carrie and her situation.

I agree. Then, in season 8, you saw FC getting back to basics, but in re-assuming control of the show, Michael Filerman made the biggest, most fatal error: he allowed Melissa to be killed off, just as she was poised to be Angela's greatest threat yet.

Is it a heart transplant or just heart surgery? If it's a heart transplant, you could get SOME drama from someone stealing the heart meant for Sonny, or someone paying off the hospital to give Sonny a heart that was meant for someone else. Just sayin'.

God, I hope not. She wouldn't be worth killing off like that. In fact, I wouldn't even bother writing a "goodbye scene" for her. Just stop writing for her, period, and make like she never existed, lol.

I think that's because they thought FC was fast-paced and unpredictable. I wouldn't suggest that I preferred seasons six and seven over the rest of FC, but I do give FC (and KNOTS LANDING) credit for attempting to keep things fresh at a time when nighttime soap operas were on the decline.

Well, folks have always said I was an old soul. I can't remember exactly when MEK returned as Ted/Tad, but I do remember that Megan McTavish was on thin ice with me already. The quality of the day-to-day writing decreased for me almost as soon as her name began appearing first in the credits. Tad/Ted, however, was the first time that I questioned her ability to tell a story cohesively and on her own. It was just too damn misleading, creating a whole bunch of suspense - "Why do Tad and Ted look alike? Are they related? And why do share the same memories?" - that led to nothing.

"The Bride in Black" is probably Susan Lucci's best role outside of AMC. She had a good script to work with and a good co-star in David Soul; and even though seeing her work in a deli was a stretch, it ended up not being as soul-crushing as watching her play a dual role ("One is a NYC cop; the other, a stone cold killer!") in "Double Edge."

Proof positive that @Vee does not watch Lifetime Original Movies, lol.

I think it's because she doesn't judge the writing. She just commits to it, 110%.

PG was typical post-"Rockford Files" Cannell: cute and a little clever, but not exactly quality TV.

The failure of "The French Atlantic Affair" must've really stung, because I don't think Aaron Spelling tried again with the miniseries format until "Hollywood Wives" in 1985.

Nor have Betty Friedan's views on how soaps portray women, I'm afraid, lol.

The '70's seemed to be a fantastic time for made-for-TV movies. Just think about all the ones that aired on "ABC Movie of the Week": "Duel," "Brian's Song," "The Night Stalker," "That Certain Summer" (which I would LOVE to see), "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark," "The Girl Most Likely to...," "The Morning After" starring Dick Van Dyke (in a very rare, dramatic performance), "Trilogy of Terror" and the list goes on. Many of those movies, in fact, helped to launch TV series, such as "Kolchak," "The Rookies," "The Six Million Dollar Man" and "Get Christie Love!".

Ah, yes. The Tad/Ted storyline. AKA the story where I officially washed my hands of Megan McTavish.

Ron Raines never worked for me either. As I've said before, watching him play Alan, I always felt like he was on the verge of breaking into song. But another problem was that soaps weren't writing characters like Alan anymore with nuance. You either were a saint or a sinner with no in-between. Many of daytime's most complex characters have suffered as a result. I feel the same way whenever I watch GH. It's bad enough that their EP, Frank Valentini, puts so many kids front-and-center on his show, but why must they be so damn precocious? On the other hand, I don't believe I've witnessed a more realistic portrayal of a child coping with the sudden loss of a parent than I did with Rachel Miner on GL. Her performances were nothing short of breathtaking, achieving a level of maturity and clarity that would've been beyond a lot of seasoned, older performers' capabilities, let alone her peers at the time.

At this point, I think, Salem exists in a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man.