RogerNewcomb

I honestly couldn't remember anything distinctive about Lucy Deakins (which is probably why they replaced her) but she's actually pretty decent in her few appearances on this DVD. Martha would come on about a month later. Does anyone know the exact date Ben Hendrickson debuted on ATWT?

It was like they knew Julianne was going to blow up (maybe from her time on EON) because she was thrown right into the fire. Lots of Christian LeBlanc here and Marisa Tomei. Also, sexy Craig and Lucinda and then he suddenly reunites with Sierra. Lucy Deakins is Lily in this. Dusty and Andy are young and adorable. Ben Hendrickson as Hal is on (I didn't even realize he was on the show yet at this point in time). Carl, it's definitely warm & fuzzy ATWT at least when it comes to the Hughes stuff. There was a lot going on at the time and Harding Lemay was creative consultant.

I was mostly comparing 1985 to the writing of today but I thoroughly enjoyed 1983 and 1984. By the end of 1985 it started going downhill for me with a new Phillip, Lujack dead, Kyle Sampson and some other things I didn't enjoy. GL changed radically from the Dobsons to Marland and later to Pam Long. I managed to enjoy most of all three.

Not really. I think the second Beth and Lujack rode that horse down the beach with "Almost Paradise" playing I was sold. Footloose is still my all-time favorite soundtrack. And they were writing Phillip a little darker at that point. I thought John Bolger was all wrong for Phillip but that was later. I also loved Darcy (Robin Johnson). The writing in general was richer and even the minor characters (that the writers cared about) had interesting backstories.

I was the biggest Beth and Phillip fan in the world and one year later I was the biggest Beth and Lujack fan in the world. Nothing like that before or ever since has happen with one half of a soap couple, but there was just magic in both pairings. When the writing makes sense and you understand everyone's motivations, it goes a long way. These days we're left to fill in a lot of blanks to justify why people do/say things. GL was an ensemble so I don't remember Lujack taking over the show at all or being annoyed in any way. A lot of characters took the lead in 1984. I think the fact that they could afford to show more people on each episode helped the community feeling.

She couldn't remember but if it was 1985 or 1986 maybe something involved Donna/Nicole or the McKinnons? A lot of actresses left in 1986 - Ellen Wheeler, Julie Osburn, Anna Stuart.

I posted a bit more of my interview with Denise Pence http://www.welovesoaps.net/2012/07/denisepence2.html

Speaking of Paul, the very first one was Canaan Crouch, who was the son of Colleen Z's boyfriend at the time (and future husband). Director Bruce Barry's son was second. Not sure who was third and then Danny Pintauro was the fourth Paul.

Marie Wilson has shown me her chops in some post-ATWT roles, but the day I saw Meg walk across Emma's field in high heels I knew (if I didn't already) what a bad recast it was. The last decade they seems to love digging up old names to use on new characters.

Carl, this was August 1981. The Ellen response, "Yes, you do" totally made me laugh. And Peluso on SFT!

We actually haven't interviewed her. Great idea, though. I would love to pick her brain about her soap roles.

I think we'll see a new Knots Landing and/or Dynasty if Dallas does well. If they are on TNT or a cable network, I think they have a chance. The landscape has changed since then though. There are more primetime soaps/serials than ever now.

Could be. I was always a soap historian so loved watching stuff "before my time." Some episodes are no brainers based on the subject like James falling out of the airplane to his "death" but where there are some options I try to pick episodes that feature a lot of the cast and ATWT was a show that had people on for 50 years. This DVD contains lots of Kim, Bob (he marries Miranda, yuck), Nancy, Tom, Margo, Paul, Emily, Lisa, Lucinda, Barbara, etc that were on till the end. That may not always be obvious for people who just casually browse the site and base their decision on the name of the DVD or the cover photos.

I actually wanted to call this the James and Barbara story or the Stenbeck Family Saga, but we ended up with James. The episodes on the DVD are about James and Barbara reuniting, the struggle for control of the Stenbeck empire, the fight for Paul, etc. In some ways, it's almost as much the John Dixon Story or the Barbara Ryan Story from the '80s as well. It's doing fine now, just a bit of a slow start so have pushed it a little harder to get the word out. Could have been the timing, maybe less people online or maybe just completely random and it all evens out over time. The feedback has been the biggest group of fans want the 1980s. But when you fill out a survey that doesn't necessarily translate into the group with the highest responses being the ones who will spend the most money. I did a survey on my site of these 10 episodes and the bullring episode was voted as the favorite. Brunette stuntman in a bad blonde "Gunnar" wig!! Thinking back to a year ago, the fact that we're having this conversation now about all the many DVDs we have is pretty AMAZING!!

It may just be that it was around the first of the month or a number of things I've speculated in my mind. Hopefully it will sell as well or better as time goes on. This is probably my favorite ATWT DVD so far.

Joan Van Ark is on Pretty The Series. Michelle Lee will be on the new season of web series Fumbling Thru the Pieces. I want to see Donna Mills on a web series!

This one has started out a little slower than the others. The final 10 episodes did well (better than I predicted--shows how much I know). Are people more willing to buying the newer stuff? For some younger or new fans, maybe the older stuff is taking a chance on something unknown? I find it all very fascinating. I am a sucker for the oldest material but the sales and feedback will determine what comes in the future. barber, I found out the tape for that episode is missing. It was to be somewhere but no one can find it at the moment.

I liked the 18th century stuff too, it was around the time I turned 13. If they were trying to pull in younger viewers, it worked on me, although my family had always watched. I've liked the Dobsons work on every soap.

That's how my mother felt at the time. But as a 12 year old I loved it and they remained my fave Tom/Margo till the end. I guess a lot of it has to do on our age/perspective/experience and how long we watched. Loved Brent Collins on both ATWT and AW.

Mitch, he still looks sexy! I don't know about Dolan, when I was early Ed and Maureen on GL with Dolan in the role she reminds me of the fun, adventurous Margo on ATWT. And when I've seen her do plays, she has great comedic timing. Wait till you see her on Empire this season. Really awesome. I'm trying to think what Tom and Margo even had to do the last several years other than her being a cop. And yes, when I watch back Deas on ATWT he was still very sexy then.

When I was watching shows for this DVD I found an old Deas-Colin episode where Tom shows up at Margo's and she's about to go jogging. He wants to go with her but as to wear one of her sweatshirts so she gives him a Wonder Woman shirt to wear. They were so much fun. Gregg kepts a lot of that fun as Tom. I guess Scott did too at first but Tom and Margo weren't written for the last several years (Ellen talks about that in our most recent interview, not enjoying playing her at the end). The free episode is the Friday before the Monday one on the disc from Nov. 1987 http://soapclassics.com/index.php/free-online-episode.html

He still looks great!

Okay. I'll ask about it. Someone asked me about weddings, and the only wedding in this collection is Bob and Miranda (that may not be a selling point LOL)

I am not involved in that but can you explain more? Did they skip that episode? I can try to find out for you.

Some of those episodes could be DVDs of their own - the plan crash where James died is followed up by everyone left on the plane crashing. I think I was in school pre-VCR then so hadn't seen some of those. The entire Spain location shoot could be its own DVD. I really love this one. I would love to do Barbara Ryan collection. She had 9 successful wedding along and that doesn't count the interrupted one, plus all her work with animals (bear, bull, etc). LOL Hopefully someday.