Khan

Ain't that the g-ddamn truth! Even my onn Roku TV that I bought at Walmart is better than Vizio, which exists solely to [!@#$%^&*] with people, lol. You're not wrong. Subsequent seasons have their moments, but nothing matches the brilliance of S6, or the Peter Dunne-produced seasons in general. In a perfect world, Dunne, and not Ann Marcus, would have been asked to return and fix the show at the end of S13 (and I say that as one who thinks Marcus did a better-than-expected job). What Greg Sumner/William Devane's introduction does for KL - besides beef up their male presence in order to compete with "Hill Street Blues" - is allow the show to expand the kinds of stories it could tell, especially as KL itself is morphing into true soap opera. The backyard BBQ's and afternoon assignations from seasons 1-3 are nice to watch, but if KL has to compete not just with HSB but with DALLAS and DYNASTY in order to survive, then it has to get a little more...ambitious, which it can't do otherwise with Richard Avery, Kenny (and Ginger) Ward, or even Sid Fairgate.

For me, the problem with Wheeler is that, even if she had a vision for GL that was true to the show's spirit, she simply lacked the experience or skill to pull it off even a lil' bit. It's really as if she was learning how to produce on our time. As for the rest... Kobe brought GL into the DALLAS/DYNASTY era, but at terrible expense to the Bauers and other core families. Nevertheless, the acting, the direction, the day-to-day writing and production values remained as top-notch as ever. Willmore, IMO, was like GH's current EP, Frank Valentini. There was no vision or heart to anything Willmore did on GL; he just kept the trains running on time. Plus, he was the only EP who couldn't make Pam Long's writing "pop" in any way - and that's including stuff she has written for other shows. Robert Calhoun certainly could; Kobe could, too (that is, when she wasn't interfering or being flat-out petty); even Paul Rauch and JFP could produce great stuff with her work at SaBa and OLTL, respectively. Long's writing under Willmore, however, just lays there. JFP might have coasted on her predecessor, Robert Calhoun's, vision for much of her run, but she was arguably GL's last, successful EP. Other EP's that came after her could have been as successful as she'd been, but the proverbial stars weren't aligned for them the way they had been for her for the majority of her time there. Laibson could have been a real shot in the arm for GL after the abysmal way JFP's regime had ended - his time at other shows (specifically, at ATWT and AW) is marked by strong performances and solid, if occasionally uninspired, storytelling - but he had the misfortune of working with Megan McTavish, a writer who had no affinity for GL (and certainly not as HW) and who clearly took the gig as a means of avenging her being dismissed from her last job at AMC. Rauch brought GL into the JER era with its' gimmicky, OTT storylines and two-dimensional characters. He also was (IMO) the last EP who might've understood the common thread of the "brotherhood of man" running through all the eras and regimes that preceded his, even if that thread was often at odds with the stories that the show was telling atm. (IOW, Rauch's GL was the last time that GL felt like GL to me, even if it still was a shell of its' former self). Conboy was like Kobe, in that both aimed to make GL more upscale. The difference, however, was that Kobe had a stable of associate writers (Nancy Curlee, Stephen Demorest, Trent Jones, etc) and a solid cast to smooth over the rougher edges. Plus, even if many longtime favorites were no longer on the show, Kobe's GL still felt like GL to me, with the core themes laid by Irna Phillips and others still intact. Conboy's GL was the first time in all my years of watching the show that I felt like I was watching something other than GL. Hardly anything about it was recognizable, or even made sense. Simply put, Conboy was the wrong man at the wrong show at the wrong time. But, hey, at least that baseball field set turned out great!

I tend to blame the darker storylines in seasons 4 and 5 on network interference. It's clear NBC wanted "Sisters" to be edgier in order to grab a wider audience. By comparison, season 6 feels lighter, but between Charley being recast by an even weaker actor (and not really filling the hole left by Frankie) and all the tumult that has gone on in Georgie and Teddy's lives, it also feels like a letdown. I think what I remember most fondly was Beatrice always telling her girls: "Husbands come and go, children grow up and leave you, but you will always have your sisters." If you want to know what the show's overall theme was, look no further, lol.

Once again, I pitch my serial killer/hurricane/Lassa Fever outbreak combo. Between those three, that should take care of 75% of the current cast.

"Oh, for God's sake, just drink the damn tea already, Ken!" And I would've been glad when he finally drank the tea, too, except the interminable dialogue and music just kept going on and on and on.

Of course, this is good news for all Democrats who live in Oklahoma (including yours truly). People assume that all of OK leans conservative, but that isn't entirely true. Democrats actually perform well in Oklahoma City and Tulsa; it's the "God and guns" rednecks in the rural areas that do us in every time.

What IS it with that man and his obsession with people (not) having children? I know I've joked before that I think JDV is secretly jealous of those who aren't "tied down" with kids like he is, but I'm starting to think I actually hit the nail on its' head.

You should! Granted, there are moments when the writing, direction and acting are too whimsical for their own good, but the chemistry among Patricia Kalember, Swoosie Kurtz, Sela Ward, Julianne Phillips and Elizabeth Hoffman is phenomenal; and the interludes between the characters and their younger selves lends a nice, theatrical quality to the series overall.

Obviously, I shouldn't speak for all KL fans, or even for the majority, but whenever it comes to assessing the quality of the Lechowicks' work there, I never look at it in terms of seasons, if that makes any sense. Instead, I judge the Lechowicks' work the way I would judge most HW's work in daytime - which is to say, on a storyline-by-storyline basis - because I feel like that's how the two approached the show: like they were writing a daytime soap, but one that aired only once a week and for so many weeks during the year. Generally speaking, the major difference between the Lechowicks' seasons and the seasons that preceded theirs is that you don't have the umbrella storylines that you had with Ciji's murder, the Wolfbridge Group, or Bobby and Betsy's abductions. IMO, characters and storylines under the Lechowicks' regime become more islanded from each other, with minimal amounts of crossover. At least, that's how I'm remembering it all (and I'll admit, it's been awhile, so I'm probably way off-base, lol). Moreover, as I've said before, you can't appreciate a Lechowick-penned storyline the same way you could one that was penned by Peter Dunne or Ann Marcus. The earlier seasons were quieter and were more focused on character moments, whereas the Lechowicks' stories are geared more shocking the audience and upending their expectations. That isn't to say what the Lechowicks did was lesser or wrong for KL; it was just...different. But Tommy Krasker makes one, very good point: "Legend has it that Knots fell apart at the top of Season 13, when a set of new writers came in with no familiarity with the format or the characters. But in the truth, it all goes to pot at the end of Season 12, as the characters are so compromised, and the story-lines so drawn out and desultory, that any good will engendered by the first half of the season is forfeited."

Another bad habit he learned at the feet of Paul Rauch.

Great, GH, now kill off Molly, too (and maybe reveal that Alexis and Julian actually gave birth to a boy, not Sam).

I think "Blairly Legal"* had some potential as well. I'm not sure about the "working with the former professor" angle, but I definitely see young Blair, fresh out of law school, now working at an upscale Manhattan firm. There, you'd have the fatherly senior partner, who co-founded the firm (the other partner passed away) and who has handled all her parents' divorces; two other associates at the firm - one male, one female - who jockey constantly for position, and who engage in a Tracy/Hepburn-esque battle of wits; maybe a receptionist, who is a single mom from Queens and possesses an anti-elitist attitude; and a mail clerk, whose mission in life is to get rich quick and retire early (preferably, on an island surrounded by scantily-clad women who don't know the English language). And then, just to round things off, you have Blair, in the first episode, taking in an old childhood friend, who is filthy rich, but who must learn to be independent after leaving her longtime fiancee at the altar. (Yes, years before Rachel Green on "Friends."). Blair's parents would've made occasional appearances throughout each season, since both lived in NYC. However, I would've been very careful not to have the other "girls" on FOL appear right away - maybe, one per season, like how "Frasier" handled all the reunions with Kelsey Grammer's former "Cheers" co-stars - as the spinoff would need to be able to stand on its' own. (*Yes, I'm calling it that. Shut up, lol).

As one who lives everyday with depression and anxiety, my heart goes out to Maurice Benard and his struggles with bipolar disorder. Those who are fortunate enough not to live with psychological issues don't fully understand how debilitating our conditions can be; preventing us, in many cases, even from being able to support ourselves financially or maintain close relationships with others. At the same time, however, TPTB's job is to entertain the viewers, not make life easier for MB. If he can't or won't play a storyline that would make sense for Sonny given his circumstances at that moment because of the risks it would pose to his mental health, then he needs to consider retirement and explore new ways in which to express himself as an artist.

I think the more sane members of the GOP - who want to win, yes, but not at the expense of our democracy - know that as long as Donald Trump remains the face and voice of their party, their only alternative is to support whoever's on the Democratic ticket. It might even mean leaving the party altogether and either realigning with Democrats or forming a new party of their own - one that would appeal to moderates and independents - but regardless, they realize what's at stake in this election.

Again, I could be wrong about this, but from what I recall, Larkin Malloy left GL in '87, only to pop up shortly thereafter on AMC, as Travis Montgomery. I remember missing him very much on GL (because my eight-year-old self LOVED watching Kyle and Reva) but being very excited to see him again (and with Susan Lucci). Just as I recall how cool it was to Susan Pratt show up on AMC as Barbara, after watching her play Claire Ramsey on GL. AMC and GL were and are my two, all-time favorite soaps to watch, lol.

I always wanted Reva and Cassie to open a dance studio, just as I wanted Beth to get back into art and maybe open a new art gallery.

I could be wrong, but I think he still was with GL. He only appeared in SFT's final episode, because much of the crew there had also worked on EON in the same studio (EUE/Screen Gems).

I, too, don't think the S14 "remix" of the show's theme song works with the opening titles, but since everyone involved with KL - David Jacobs, Michael Filerman, Lorimar, CBS - knew going in that S14 would be their last, I tend to view the arrangement as a sort of thank you to viewers who had stuck with the show all those years. How Ann Marcus was able to turn things around in that back half with little-to-no prep time boggles the mind. Was it as thrilling to watch as "peak years" KNOTS? Probably not. In fact, if you were used to wild twists and turns that had defined the Lechowicks' era, the latter half of S13 and all of S14 might have been a letdown by comparison. But I really appreciated how Marcus salvaged as much of the show as she could from John Romano's disastrous time there and allowed KNOTS to end on a more dignified note than it would have otherwise. Frankly, I thought it was silly how Claudia was allowing a virtual child manipulate her like that - and over what? A "secret" that turned out to be a big bunch of nothing in the end. But, like I said before, I think Kathleen Noone was largely wasted on this show until Marcus came along and figured out how to employ her better.

As best as I could, I compiled a list of shows, all owned by WB, that realistically could run on their "Primetime Soaps" streaming channel. It's probably not a complete list - and no, I'm not including "Dallas," b/c something tells me that show would get a channel of its' own, lol. Bare Essence Berrenger’s Falcon Crest Flamingo Road Homefront King’s Crossing/Secrets of Midland Heights Knots Landing The O.C. Ringer Riverdale Sisters The Yellow Rose

You aren't alone. John Pleshette told knotslanding.net pretty much the same thing years ago: that it isn't realistic for neighbors to become so involved in each others' lives. That's why, for example, they had Gary (and later, Abby) work with Sid at Knots Landing Motors, so that they would have more ways for the residents to interact.

It is. Her costar is the one I can't exactly place, though. I know I've seen him before - maybe on one of the soaps? - but I'm not sure.

I think I've said this before, but in the series finale, I wanted Claudia to meet on her flight to Paris (or whatever) a handsome stranger played by Kathleen Noone's former AMC co-star, Mark LaMura (ex-Mark). If I were to reboot/revive KL today, I think I would start fresh, with 3-4 new families living on Seaview Circle that reflected more of America in 2024. There might be shout-outs to the old show and cast, but, otherwise, it'd be its' own animal.

Thank you for reminding me, @kalbir, I totally had forgotten that, lol. ICAM. Like you said, @SoapDope, Larry Hagman had his onscreen sparring partner back, but I think the audience was pissed off at the suggestion that they had wasted an entire season of their lives watching that show.

I think the majority of voters in this country feel the same way that Kate Mulgrew does about abortion. Most aren't necessarily "pro-abortion," but they do believe that that is a choice that each individual woman has to make for herself without fear of retribution from the government. It's only those "moral majority" types on the right who believe they have to intrude in and regulate every aspect of people's lives, including whether a woman has the right to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, because "Jesus told them to;" when, in fact, Jesus would be the first one to tell them to mind their own [!@#$%^&*] business.

Of course, I'm only speculating, but I suspect the original plan was for Teri Austin to return as a Jill lookalike, much like when Lisa Hartman returned as Cathy after being killed off as Ciji. Why else shroud "Sally's Friend" in so much mystery at the beginning? But, either Austin and Ted Shackelford were breaking up IRL, or the producers decided that since they'd told that story already with Ciji/Cathy, they didn't want to repeat themselves.