Khan

I agree. Doug Higgins, who resides in the Southwest today and works as an artist, was a dud as Bennett Hadley. In order for the character and storyline to have worked, they needed someone who was very charming, yet who also retained enough of an aura of mystery to be slightly sinister, especially for Eileen Fulton/Lisa. Higgins, however, was just so dull. But, then again, everything that I've seen and read re: the Willows just feels like filler to me. I'd really love to know Ralph Ellis and Eugenie Hunt's original intentions with the storyline. Was the plan to have Bennett move to Oakdale with Lisa after the storyline finished? Was there maybe going to be a Lisa/Grant/Bennett triangle of some kind? Perhaps, one reason why P&G had Douglas Marland work temporarily on ATWT before moving over to GL was to wrap up the Willows storyline and get Lisa back in Oakdale as quickly as possible, since it's obvious the Ellises left or were fired before they were allowed to finish it. Meanwhile, what are everyone's thoughts on Valerie adopting Kate, which was another storyline that was running at the same time as the Willows and the whole Lisa/Grant/Joyce/Don/Mary-go-round? I haven't read many comments about that storyline on this thread, so I was just curious. To me, the actress who played Kate kind of reminds me of Lucy Deakins or (God help us) young Martha Byrne. She comes across as a real teenager, not a twentysomething pretending to be one; and she also had a good rapport with Suzanne Davidson, who was very convincing as young, awkward Betsy as well. Honestly, I didn't care, lol. The whole situation felt so contrived to me. I, too, have been pinned against a wall by a car that somehow had rolled back, but I didn't have any trouble pulling myself out. Either Joyce was the stupidest person alive, or she was trying once more to manipulate poor Don, lol.

I've always believed that if a scene is well-written and well-directed, then it doesn't matter whether it runs for 10 minutes or 10 seconds, it will grab people's attention all the way.

Shemar is right: what goes on with him and his loved ones in his personal life is nobody's damn business; and it's sad that he even has to go on social media and address the reports about him and Jesiree, but such are the times that we live in.

Actually, @te., I think "Gunsmoke" would be PERFECT for a reboot, especially if the tone were more in keeping with the original radio series and the earliest TV seasons, which were darker than the later ones.

The DNC electing Ken Martin as its' next Chair falls in line with what I had expected the Democratic Party to do: pick, as its' newest official "face," someone white, male, from the Midwest and "non-threatening" enough to folks who wish someone would revive "Hee Haw." Going forward, these will be the ones we'll have to reach out to, even if it means making a bunch of concessions to absolute rubes.

He also did very good work as a dialogue writer for THE DOCTORS, although that's not the same thing as HW'ing.

And the so-called "mainstream media," who sold us all down the river just so they could have access to a tyrant, has been left to twist in the proverbial wind. Couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch of traitors.

All I can say is...

I mean, yeah, they tackled some very topics during their run, but not in any way that I would consider "woke" or "progressive." Of course, "Highway to Heaven," which Michael Landon also starred in and produced, suffered from the same problem. In both cases, weightier subjects were dealt with in very shallow ways, with happy endings tacked on that were cloying and unearned.

One thing's for certain: Lorraine Broderick would know how to write for a cast of over 60 actors, lol!

Thanks, @dc11786, for filling in the blanks re: Peter and Ruth's affair (?) and Henry and Doreen's assignation!

ICAM!!

He did. IIRC, that (Ruth or somebody discovering a panicked Doreen hovering over Henry's unconscious, half-naked body in bed) was the last cliffhanger, as "TO BE CONTINUED..." scrawled across the bottom of the screen. And it was mostly because Henry felt Peter Whitmore was coming between him and Ruth - luring Ruth back into a singing career, for example. I can't remember whether it was common knowledge that Peter was Chantal's biological father, but I do remember Henry had been drinking when he and Doreen went to bed and before he had had that (fatal?) heart attack.

Unfortunately, you (and we) are dealing with religious zealots, who believe this all has been prophesied in the Book of Revelation, and a sign that Jesus Christ is coming back, and soon. So, those folks are only TOO happy to hasten the planet's demise.

I want to think @GymnastGuy as well for sharing so much hard-to-find material with others. Watching these episodes has been a real treat - and a FANTASTIC way to kick off 2025! Welcome back, as well, to @EricMontreal22!! Many of us on this board have missed you and your love of all things Agnes Nixon. Hope you'll stick around/post more often?

I'm sure this reboot will be produced like most productions are these days: either too-fabulous-for-words campy (I can already see Nellie Oleson doing "Real Housewives"-esque commentaries on the action) or sad and dismal, with scenes that are plodding and have been drained of all energy in order to be "edgy."

I mean, that's the way it SHOULD be. Not just for Steve Burton/Jason, but for Maurice Benard/Sonny and Laura Wright/Carly as well. They shouldn't still be playing the same kinds of stories that they played 15-20 years ago. Let their offspring be the ones doing the stupid [!@#$%^&*] while they get frustrated with them, "because it's clear you didn't learn JACK from what I went through!" People never stop making mistakes, but they do try and learn from them as they get older, unless they're just total sociopaths, lol.

Marlena should be like the warm, stable, non-judgmental mother figure Leo's always craved, not his ride-or-die.

I always remember what Henry Slesar once told Soap Opera Weekly: "[After EON, I went to work at OLTL], with the caveat that I not turn it into a crime show; yet, at the time, they had two murder mysteries running simultaneously, with two different murderers."

I shouldn't have laughed, @marceline, but you are so spot-on, I couldn't help BUT laugh, lol. IIRC, even stuff that Trump didn't handle personally or couldn't have predicted turned to [!@#$%^&*] when he won last time, too. If you ask me, this is another one of those times when God chooses to "turn His face" and allow nature to do what it's gonna. So, among other things, get ready for another, massive wave of people dying, just like all those celebs and public figures did in 2016.

I think I read somewhere a long time ago that he wrote Karen Wolek's confession on the witness stand.

I think Steve Burton has reached a point in his life where he is grateful to still be working in the industry at his age. If TPTB were to come to him and say that Jason won't be a principal driver of story anymore - that, instead, he'll take more of a back seat to his now-adult kids - I think he'd be okay with that. Not excited at the prospect of taking a more patriarchal role on the show, but content. (Provided, they don't turn Jason into Steve Hardy, lol).

Pairing Jason and Sasha is like pairing any other two people on this show: it's not the least bit organic or logical. It's motivated strictly by giving two actors/characters something (or someone) to do.

Honestly, trying to appeal to people who otherwise wouldn't watch soaps is the reason why we're down to four soaps today.

Joel Fabiani also played King Galen on DYNASTY.