P.J.

This is Shawn Christian as Mike. He's on ATWT until early '97. Mark Collier takes over the role in 2002. Jon Prescott comes on in 2008. I can't think of another character named Mike/Michael on the show. Of course, Michael Park later comes on to play Carly's love interest Jack Snyder. I believe Mark Kasnoff (the Kasnoff screwing Connor) was played by Alexander Walters. Oh, and the "other" Betsy is Lindsay Frost. She was totally miscast as Betsy, but went on to have other good roles after ATWT. She's also the daughter of Warren Frost who played the original Jarrod Carpenter (Iva's natural father) and then Lara Flynn Boyle's father on Twin Peaks. Lindsay's son is a major league pitcher now.

In case it's not spelled out, Carly is pregnant with Mike's child. She's scheming with Lisa's son Scott Eldredge (that's Doug Wert, he'd previously been played by Joe Breen). It's the last month of Maura's first run on the show.

"other" Kasnoff is Mark. Yes. Sam was blinded in a plane crash. In the same crash, Damian was presumed dead and Margo developed PTSD. The villainous Umberto Malzone (aka Diego Santana) was responsible for the crash and is masquerading as Sam's therapist. Emily somehow found out who he was, and helped him terrorize Sam. When Em threatens to turn on him, he rapes her. Yes. that's OG Mike and OG Rosanna.

The only actor I can think of that might've worked as a recast is Anthony Herrera. I think he and Bernau had a similar kind of lurking, ruthless vibe. And before anyone rolls their eyes, go and find some of Herrera's early work as James. But I'm not sure viewers would've liked it. And i wouldn't have wanted to lose James on ATWT.

Thanks for the perspective.

It is odd to think that at that point, Bert didn't have those connections across the canvas--thanks to the cast turnover.

Oh, I agree there's no reason to write in every real life passing. There was no reason to kill Roger off. But it would've been awkward for Henry to just disappear from Vanessa's life and be continually off on "a trip". I can't believe they considered recasting Bert. Then again....

And I don't get that thinking. All fans really want for a good funeral is to remember the character (and performer, if they've died IRL). Where writers fail is being too lazy to do the homework and have a character remembered honestly, instead of making BS up to fit the current writer's version of a character the viewers have known longer.

Thanks. I hadn't realized it took them so long to script Bert's death.

I'm sure that all the regimes came up with their own "game plan" and that contributed to it. It's just a stat that boggles my mind. At that point, your 33 yr old (tv) show's "vet" had six years in. Those four performers would've had less time onscreen combined than ATWT performers Wagner, Hastings or Fulton had by themselves. When was Charita's last appearance?

As much as Reva annoyed me no end, it's ironic that she kind of flounders outside of Josh/the Lewises.

True. I don't think he became really established as Ed until after he returned in 1987(?) And this is an insane happening. It's more than the equivalent of Bell dumping the Fosters/Brooks and rebooting Y&R circa 1980.

I hate to put it that way, but yeah. And I'm not sure I'd consider Woods, Carolyn Clark or Peter Simon major losses (even if he's much better than the recast Van Vleet).

It's odd--I would consider Zimmer and Aleksander major losses and true fan favorites, yet I on rewatch, I barely notice their absence. I consider mid'89-mid'93 almost perfectly balanced in terms of character and story. If you tallied figures, maybe '86 and '91 are similar in terms of new characters, but '91 doesn't feel forced at all.

Charita Bauer, Lisa Brown, Michael Tylo, Greg Beecroft, Harley Kozak, Michael Woods, Marsha Clark, Carolyn Clark, Denise Pence, Peter Simon, Rebecca Hollen.

1988 was the writer's strike, which contributed to why the Sonni/Solita story is such a convoluted quagmire. I can't really evaluate though...I haven't ventured further than the first few weeks in January. Maeve leaves and I'm outta there. I do know it's the year Phillip goes full on [!@#$%^&*] and impregnates Rick's wife. Which I will never understand.

Agreed, the HW merry-go-round is disastrous. But even casting seems to have gone to the dogs. There's not one keeper (arguably) between Mary Kay Adams and Carl T Evans.

That's probably pretty close. Springfield 1986 is teeming with unlikeable people (Sally, Jackson Freemont, Calla) and imposters (faux Phillip, Ed (VanVleet, God bless Ellen Parker for not just running for the hills) Alex in her Heidi-hair era, whoever the hell Simon is). And drips like Maeve and Jessie. It's just ugh. And Johnny and Chelsea must be on the way soon. *double ugh* He was awful. I've never seen anyone laughably overacting trying to be bad ass. I think he tried channeling Zas and missed, horribly.

The only welcome new face in 1986 is Ellen Parker. Is there a lower point prior to Peapack?

It's literally four minutes of forlorn Reva trapsing around in her HUGE dress to the swelling music of Barbra in the background. Does Reva deserve her moment? Sure. (..rme as much as I've come to detest Reva and now think she's getting her karma for how she careens like a wrecking ball through everyone else's life..it's a tragic moment) But four minutes? Oy vey. Mindy's husband is dead, and she's not gonna get that treatment.

LOL...Reva walking over hill and dale in a daze...rme.

It's amazing how big those sets were. There were two main places where half the cast (it seemed) gathered---the hospital and Alan's office.

Long did enough whitewashing. There was always a new sob story to explain her selfish, idiotic behavior. And the Lewis men worshipped Reva practically as soon as the ink was dry on her divorce from HB. Billy may have been a little more realistic in his vision, but he always seemed to forget how badly she treated him. I didn't think the addiction story was a bad idea for Vanessa. She was a wealthy, spoiled woman with low self-esteem who looked to men for validation and rarely found it. Long just didn't care to probe that in any depth, and the story lasted three months. (And yeah, if someone from 1986 could've jumped back and told Maeve that Vanessa had given up a child, after she cracked after nearly lost Little Billy, it might've helped with the motivation) References to it did occasionally pop up, but not in any depth. And the viewers who only knew cool, calm and collected Vanessa probably didn't understand what they were talking about. Although not a lot of 86 is up, I think Vanessa was more of an office manager, not a secretary. Not that Ross needed an office manager either, as he was just re-establishing his practice. And she's back at Spaulding running the foundation by May-June when Alan comes back to town.

June '83 is when she comes apart at the seams.. I wish I could find the episode where she almost stabs Ross.

Yeah, Vanessa's addiction is mostly an answer to a trivia question. Maeve did the best she could with what was there. I believe she got a supporting actress nomination for it.