P.J.

Basically...he practically steps into Josh's life. He got Billy as a brother, he's fighting with HB and lusting after Reva. Robert's last scenes aired late November 84 (HB has a heart operation, Vanessa gives birth to Bill) and Kyle shows up in town in late December. Then Josh returns after Kyle and Reva's aborted wedding. I'm not exactly sure of Malloy's last airdate, but it's soon afterward.

I just really found it odd that they'd obviously invested a lot into the character of Kyle, he dominates a lot of story, and *blip* he's gone in two years.

Did Larkin Malloy jump directly from Guiding Light to AMC? Did he leave on his own? Jumping from LaZimmer to LaLucci must have been....unique.

I didn't think Wert was the answer, but compared to Shawn Christian, he was bleepin' Olivier.

I don't think that's just your taste. I would've called it off-putting and amateurish.

Valid point re: Scott. But Breen was a very good and popular actor. I think ATWT would've at least tried to keep him happy. I think a lot of Mary Ellen Stuart, but she was no Julianne Moore. I don't think she could've handled a dual role.

Yep. It's a basic failure if you can't scout a better location for characters to talk than a random open field. And you can't tell me there's not one pretty place in that entire town. I'm sure that GL's crew did the best they could, but a lot of those sets were visual junk. Well, those shows certainly learned what not to do.

I couldn't disagree more about the Sabrina story. It drove story for years. Just because Sabrina wasn't in Oakdale doesn't make the story a failure. Scott could've driven story for years. That got derailed by Joe Breen's health. God knows Lisa could've used another son on the canvas. Scott Holmes was a drip in the role.

ATWT did a much better job with their outdoor stuff. I have no clue why Wheeler thought shooting through weeds or branches was necessary or attractive. And I don't buy that it was all about the new technology or the budget. They never truly learned to adapt. Wheeler got stuck in the "this is our reality" mindset and sacrificed creativity.

In essence I have to agree, Guiding Light is the show that suffered the most. But, then again, it had the longest history to lose. I mean, how could you possibly compare Capitol, Sunset Beach or Passions with their blink-and-you'd miss runs? I'm also the most disappointed with Guiding Light's final episodes. Other than giving me a Billy and Vanessa wedding (which got crashed by Buzz and Lillian of all people), the focus is drivel surrounding 75 percent of the cast and meaningless surprises. Jeffrey and Edmund, Jonathan, Cyrus, Natalia's juvenile deliquent son, I didn't need them sucking up dwindling time in Springfield.

Anna Stuart-- September 7 1981 to December 1981/January 82(?). Anna is in the Christmas 1981 episode, but I'm not sure of her exit date. Vanessa is mentioned as being gone 1/15/82 but Maeve returns before Ross and Carrie's February wedding. Sonia Stuart-- December 27 & 28 1991 (German episodes 2949. 2950) August 25 & 26, 1992. I don't recall any in 1993. I'm not sure of any after mid-'93.

Early Ross and Vanessa are delicious.

Well, just quickly scanning credits, she's credited in the Dec 18th 1979 episode, but not in the February 4th 1980 one. So my guess is she left with the Dobsons.

Not that she isn't a character with depth, but early Vanessa does seem to be there to stir the various plots. She's more attracted to men with ambition or status, but then she'll veer off to men she can dominate like Fletch or Matt (or try to in Tony's case.) In rewatching, I'm surprised they didn't try Katie with Justin at some point. Katie just seems to be an afterthought whenever I do catch her. Which is too bad---I actually like Katie more than Hilliary. But Hillary is constantly getting laid. Katie is the sidekick.

I know Stephen Yates is handsome, but Ben's hardly Vanessa's type. Although she did occasionally like to cross the tracks, iykwim. The thing is, (if I can trust the SOD recaps) she and Ross have already fallen back into bed, which makes it a little more twisted. *sigh* Fun twisted, that is. It blew my mind finding out mousy little Hillary had screwed Roger.

that's up on youtube, but thanks for thinking of me! I really have no clue why Vanessa would find Ben fascinating.... other than she's trying to figure out what Ross is up to. I FLOVE early Ross and Vanessa. It's really weird when I go back and watch mid '80s stuff and realize they are barely speaking. I just saw a clip from GL May 9 1979 that is Ross cross examining Hillary and Lainie Marler rolling into the ER that I can't recall seeing before. Although the Hillary part feels like might be covered in one of classic GL's clip storylines.

LOL...yeah, figuring out what the Chamberlains own after 1984 is a head scratcher. And Vanessa spends 89-93 bouncing back and forth between Spaulding and Lewis like a ping pong ball. There are times when a fair number of people work at Spaulding. Carrie and Ben were graphic artists. Blake started out in PR. Ross worked in legal. Mo was briefly a something or other. But yeah---there were a lot of VP's and people scheming to be President.

LOL, well I never thought the corporate mechanics would be that exciting. It's always the personal backstabbing within the corporate structure that I liked. I just always wanted that consistency in the details.

The first I remember hearing about WSPR, Spaulding owned it. Phillip gave it to Blake as a wedding present. (there's a whole subplot where Vanessa and Henry only agree to it if Phillip offers Ross an executive position at Spaulding, because Vanessa is trying to chase Ross again) Somehow, Holly finds a clause that allows her to buy half, and she and Ross go in as partners, owning 25 percent. They find out that Roger has bought the other half, and Holly freaks. (that's spring of '90, at the same time Roger has swindled Henry out of most of the Chamberlain stock in Spaulding) Ross eventually gets out. Dinah buys it at some point, and Vanessa is overseeing it around the time Holly goes bonkers, because Holly wants Vanessa to stop some story from airing, and she won't. At some point, I read Josh owned it, and Vanessa bought it for Dinah. Dinah owns/runs it when she gets shot. Vanessa is running it in the last weeks of the show.

OMG...if episodes of Jordan Clarke as Dr. Tim Ryan show up, I will freak.

I swear that is Ross' front door...and that painting behind Joe looks familiar.

*mind blown* the soap world is small...

@Vee thanks! I feel completely lost, but Sara's a hottie and I feel like I remember Joe. Related question: I scrolled through the other videos that were put up on the account, and perversely stumbled into a Doctors episode (I had to click, I saw Kimmer with foot-wide hair and just couldn't resist, lol) but was the guy who played Joe Bradley (Carrie's other victim) also on the Doctors, or does he just have that kind of face? Or Vanessa having to choose between Billy and Mo? No matter which way it went, it would've been GOLD.

Yes, that one. I don't think Billy and Josh's treatment of Reva has anything to do with her being "loose" or their housekeeper's daughter. Billy gets handsy when he's drunk or angry, and with Josh it's his anger too. Not that her manipulations excuse their actions, but Reva has zero problem playing all the Lewis men to get what she thinks she's owed. Their anger isn't unjustified, but the side effect (IMO) is that it somehow makes Reva sympathetic. They become the assh(oles, even though what Reva's done has torn their family apart. Before the accident, Billy is actually the one who encourages Josh to admit he loves her, and he's fine with the Josh/Reva relationship. It's marrying HB that crosses the line. LOL...considering how many times Reva got married, I think that was the only time she really had bridesmaids. I love them both, and I actually think each was perfect for who A-M was at that point in his life. But yeah, I can't believe another soap didn't snap CTE up. It still just boggles my mind. And it would've been so fascinating to have Maureen as part of Peter's custody fight.

I didn't really appreciate what a big, imposing presence Jordan is until I started rewatching. I'm not even real sure how he managed to keep a hold of her with Kim flailing like she does in that scene. Reva had to have guy friends. She didn't have any women friends until Abby.