P.J.

Yes--Billy's alcoholism would pop up, and he'd eventually go to a few AA meetings, but mostly it was about driving his story. Most shows probably would've explored Mo's quest to have a child, but it's a reoccurring plot enhancer, a point of contention between her and Ed. I don't think social issue stories were really a thing until the mid-80's, were they? Yes, shows would do cancer stories (Bert's cancer, and there was Jennifer Brooks' breast cancer on Y&R) or alcoholism stories as we as a society began to discuss them openly. I don't know how much they did with TJ's teen alcoholism story. Holly pressing marital rape charges was definitely one. But a lot of times, issues like Vanessa's pill addiction and even Reva's suicide attempt, were simply plot points. Even in the '90's, other than Lucy's rape and maybe Susan's HIV status (that was the girl Nick ended up marrying right?), I can't think of anything that comes close. Well, maybe Vanessa pressing attempted rape charges, but I don't think anyone much even suggests her getting therapy/counseling. Beth did, now that I think about it, after her rape.

Not to mention her fractured relationship with Blake, which never seemed to really heal. I don't really seem to recall Guiding Light doing social issue stories. At least not in the way Marland's ATWT did. (which could get a little preachy, admittedly) Characters dealt with situations, (Bridget's teen pregnancy, Billy and Ed's alcoholism, Sam and Mallet's paralysis) but there's not a lot of focus on educating the audience. If this makes any sense...maybe I'm forgetting parts of the stories.

Marland was smart, incorporating Tom Neilson's music into Floyd's storyline. While the "let's turn Floyd into a rock star" story was lame, Floyd's music gave him a way to express himself and showed you he wasn't a complete clown. Cynically, yes, Marland needed a sperm patsy for Nola, and maybe it was a way of keeping Lisa happy. What's up from the first half of '89 is a little spotty.

Give it a whirl. Start with who/what you like and build out. Trying to write for everyone at once is a lot to ask of yourself.

Junk food is about right. It's weird, I was so into ATWT because Maura had returned, and remember it so clearly. I remember some broader strokes, but most of GL is a blank. Another bandwagon type story that Guiding Light tried to jump on, and it didn't really work. Meg always felt like a stunt that they had no real intention of following through on. They really missed the boat on Peter/Maureen/Kevin/Jason/Jude/Zach/Leah. Legacy kids that we actually would've cared about vs the Rafes, Ashleys, Avas, etc....kids of characters only briefly tied to the canvas by their more obnoxious parents. I guess things got out of whack when Marina and Lizzie are out of order aged, and I'm sure younger kids in Peapack wouldn't have been ideal. (Except of course, that little matchmaker Emma...or devil incarnate Will...rme) but those kids should've been more than blips on the canvas.

Yeah, at the time, Tony was really the only blue collar in a world of doctors and lawyers (aside from the hapless Floyd.) At least that I can recall. And admittedly, he does treat other women (like Katie and Hillary) with respect. Admittedly, Van earns his scorn.

Honestly, I have no clue what Derek does other than mope after Hillary. I only know of him from some clip sets. I don't even think he takes part in a major trial in his "blink or miss it" time on the show.

I can not cite examples (as I don't watch he who shall not be named) but I would assume so. Hence the nickname "Contessa", and the way he later introduces her to the wonderful world of chili dogs (seriously, I had the misfortune to hear that tidbit. From crystal and designer gowns to jeans and chili dog stands SMH)

Tony is one of those characters that just doesn't age well. Macho without a Cause, if you will. Hillary had really bad taste in men. Even Kelly is a bit iffy, if you know what I mean.

LOL...in some ways, I think Vanessa was still a little put off she'd been dumped for a grandma (Jennifer), and a double murderess (Carrie).

I see what you're saying about the plottiness of it all (ugh...I'll see your Mark and raise you Tony on the useless humiliation scale..)

Oh, God, I can't ever see them having sex, much less being a couple. It gives me the heebee geebees. At any point. They just aren't each other's types. When they're younger, Josh isn't ambitious enough (or apt to let himself be "molded") for Vanessa, and Vanessa is clearly too high-strung and demanding for Josh. When they're older, the friendship is too established. Besides, each knew the other was too hung up on Billy and Reva. The only kind of story I can see is Nadine manipulating Billy to believe somethings going on, with disastrous results.

Well, in his defense, he was only 45 (and younger than Eileen Fulton) when Alan-Michael was born on screen. Given the way grandfathers on soaps were portrayed (gray-haired, escorting other older ladies to restaurants and never having romance again, I can understand his point of view. What he probably should've done is asked for Mike to have an unknown son dropped into his life.

I don't think you'll find anything in print about Don preferring younger costars. Reportedly, he also balked at being a Grandfather.

I forgot the Man of the Year debacle, but that body lands much more at Nadine and Buzz's doorstep than Roger's. Thank GOD, no, Josh and Vanessa never hook up---although it seems to be heavily hinted at at times in the '90's. Reva, during her post partum depression thinks that they're having an affair. (which naturally leads her to go chasing the men of Springfield to prove she's hotter than Van....RME) After Reva dies, and Billy jilts Van at the altar, there's a period where Josh and Van are leaning on each other (because of Billy's drinking) and both Billy and Nadine start getting a vibe that there's something going on there. Nadine even tries encouraging Harley to push them at each other (she doesn't realize Harley has feels for Josh) because she knows that would get Van out of Billy's life, but there's nothing going on. Even when Josh returns from Italy, and Billy goes to jail, Van and Josh share the house with the kids, and Josh helps her fight for custody of Peter. But shortly thereafter, Van is having sex with &&&&. When Van and Josh met, they actually actively disliked each other. It was hinted at in a recap that Josh made a pass at her, but I've never seen it in a clip. Of the three of them, Ross gets the most tail, but he is perpetually single for a decade after he and Carrie divorce. Van has brief affairs, but usually gets dumped (at least before marrying Billy.) Josh chases, but doesn't get a lot before Reva comes to town. LOL

Well, Ross also doesn't cheat on his wife three times. Both Vanessa and Josh got the same kind of whitewash. They're all better people after 1983. Ross wasn't even cheating on Holly when he slept with Blake, in spite of her protestations to the contrary.

Well, yes and no. What really started the dust up was the Al-Radi oil deal. Roger is trying to impress Alex by setting up a deal with some Saudis that Billy also knows, and he tries to swipe it out from under them. Vanessa is acting Spaulding president, and Roger uses Vanessa (who's already miffed at Billy for intruding on a party to set up the deal and lying to her and going to Saudi Arabia on NYE when they had a date.) to "distract" Billy and keep him from submitting the Lewis bid at the appointed hour. (Josh has gone home because Reva's having labor pains.) Van and Billy end up falling into bed, and Billy misses the deadline because his travel alarm broke during a fight with Van. Billy realizes Van set out to undermine him and breaks things off with her and ends up waving Nadine under her nose at every opportunity. What really puts gas on the fire is that Roger ends up swindling Henry out of his Spaulding shares, driving him to attempt suicide. Later, there's also the fact Roger fires Vanessa, and when Reva is deep in her post-partum depression, he takes salacious pictures of her and threatens to publish them if Billy doesn't give him back the deed to the Towers. After the Towers, it's Roger and Mindy's affair and then Peter.

Oil was still their main concern, but there was also a construction division. When Josh returned in '86-'87, he didn't immediately come back into the fold. He works for a construction company, and the owner dies, leaving it to Josh. Dylan ends up working there while he's in town, as the wheelin' and dealin' is not for him. There's also briefly a trucking division, which Mindy and Rusty run. Billy later inherited The Towers, but I'm not sure that was ever truly a part of Lewis.

Honestly, I don't pay that much attention to the trial. I mainly watch those episodes to catch Ross and Vanessa, who is dashing around like a mad hatter getting Ross ready for court. Is she concerned about truth or justice? NOPE. Her main concern is whether or not Ross' pocket hankie is fresh. LOL. I'm not sure what soured Mike on Alex. One episode they're flying a plane, the next he ends up escorting Lillian to Founder's Day. You'd have thought as much as he hated Alan, he'd have been thrilled Alex got one over on him.

Honestly, Mike more than once comes off like an [!@#$%^&*]. there's a moment when after scoring points against Alan at the custody hearing, Elizabeth's a little concerned about how Alan's going to handle it, and Mike is smiling that he stuck it to Alan. And I don't like how Mike treated Trish when they're breaking up (not that they were more than kissing friends, but still). Alan gives Trish a bracelet, Mike finds out and really lays into her, not really listening when she denies an affair (well, it's not at that point) or that Hope is drinking too much. Then there's the way he forces the truth out of Jennifer on the stand at the trial. Granted, she is stupid for risking jail rather than simply admitting she had a child, but still.

I do love when Phillip pins them to the wall and figures out a lot of people knew. Alan had told Hope, Jackie, Justin and Ross knew, Ed knew and had told Maureen, I believe.

Which is probably part of the reason Phillip was a fan favorite. They knew he'd been !@#$%^&*]ed up as a kid by these "loving" adults. I give Marland some slack. I kind of detest Elizabeth, and see her as a spineless wonder. I can see where it would be hard to write for her believably. The fact she scoots off to Europe and never visits Phillip again almost seems in character for her. Maybe the Dobsons had some kind of spine for her, but I can't envision it.

LOL...for all of Marland's wizardry, there are times the writing is just so...trite(?) Fall, hit head, mumble secret. Or the ever-present "skulk in doorway and over hear secret." It was almost refreshing when Vanessa simply blatantly snooped through files. The other thing i off-handedly wondered was if all "the fancy parties" at the country club kind of put the Reardons (like Tony) in a corner. You would've really had to invent a huge reason for them to ever be there (like Nola's engagement party, and I think Nola then guilts Vanessa into inviting them to the masquerade that introduces Alexandra to town). Where the Lewises like to cling to their "down home" roots, they were very comfortable dressing the part and putting on that tux. Tony, Jim and later Rusty Shayne never were comfortable in that millieu.

LOL...that's ok. As you can see, my know-it-all-itis/explain-it-all-itis is operating in full force this morning!

Hamp at least was in the original version of the opening. (the earliest I could find skimming was July'91) It went Blake, Billy, weird pic of Mo and Ed, Alex, Roger, Hamp, Mindy, Mallet, Vanessa, Dylan, and Harley. And that went untouched for at least a year. At some point, I recall Eleni, Alan-Michael and Nick being added. So a lot of characters weren't included originally. Josh, Reva, Phillip, Beth and Rick weren't, because they were either gone (Reva) or leaving shortly (Josh, Phillip, Beth, Rick) that you would expect. By May '92, the lineup is Blake, Billy, Holly (pic of Ed/Mo is bigger, but still weird) Ross, Alex, Roger, Hamp, Mindy, Mallet, Vanessa, Dylan, Nick, Harley. I'm not sure Eugene Troobnick (Stavos) was ever a contract role, while Larry Gates and William Roerick (HB and Henry) would drift back and forth over the years.