P.J.

Well, considering GL would've produced around 250 episodes a year, that means Beverlee was in 45 percent of them. And if you figure in her 8 week vacation (subtracting 40 episodes) raises it to 54 percent of episodes. Which is nearly 3 days a week. I think the bigger point was, Bev wasn't happy with how she was being treated (and I recall her saying that she spoke up for all the performers, not just herself) , and she had spoken to Jill about it. Jill basically told her to read her contract and did nothing. That's not the best way to handle anyone, not to mention a 22 yr veteran of the genre.

In 2001, he was the longest tenured cast member. When they first turned to him, after Charita Bauer's death, I don't think Don Stewart (who had played her son since the late '60's) was on contract. Jerry didn't announce all such passings, I'm sure Grant Aleksander did the tribute to Chris Bernau (who played his on-screen father). Even when Charita died, because of cast turnover, Jerry had been there the longest, arriving in March 1979.

There's a sub for Kristen Vigard on the 1-13-81 episode of Guiding Light. But I have no idea who it is. Oh, and I spotted Julie Warner (Doc Hollywood, Tommy Boy) on the 1-12 episode, talking to Morgan.

It's Don Hastings' 91st birthday!!

Well, obviously Billy had to find out about the affair. And Vanessa or Hamp sitting him down and telling him the truth calmly wasn't going to happen. But getting back at Mindy through her family--that's a Roger-like (or Alan-like) move. While I don't have a catalog of Alex's actions, I can't recall her doing that before. If you pissed Alex off, she came after you. Not your daddy. As for Nick--he was a grown-ass man. You don't get to dictate who they date. Even if they had slept with your husband. And at that point, Nick didn't even know he was her son. I don't disagree--at one point around the time Roger loses the Towers, she says "are all these men (Phillip, A-M and Roger) idiots?" It's just hard to really describe Alex.

1*13*81 There's a substitute Morgan? Any idea who the actress was?

I understand---but (for lack of a better word) Alex could be extremely "hard" when it came to family. Alex really had no love for Billy, but even if she had, she would've still done anything she deemed necessary to protect a Spaulding (or the Spaulding business). I didn't feel that changed. Her actions were simply more extreme because she had found Lujack's twin. (sometimes I don't think she even saw Nick as his own person.)

I don't forget that, and I don't excuse it. But Alex had already crossed a line when she told Billy about the affair, long after it was over, out of spite.

And I'm loathe to dig into late '94 (phooey to MrGigolo) and get the deets. They treat Vanessa's sex life (post Billy) like one long Desperate Housewives level joke.

There was a weird point where they tried to Spaulding-ize him, and it just doesn't work. I caught something where (after he's married to Mindy) he's trying to trap Vanessa into a bad business deal (and/or blackmail her over her sleeping with Matt) for some unknown reason, and it makes him look like a real pig.

I know her bitterness started with Roger, but I think it focused on Mindy because of who Mindy was---as Alex said at one point---Mindy had been like family to her through her friendship with Phillip and Beth (as well, perhaps, her brief marriage to Phillip) not to mention Alex's relationship with HB. As well as the fact that people close to Alex (Vanessa and Beth) knew about the affair and didn't tell her. But I agree re: Mindy&Nick they weren't all that, even though I know P&G promoted the hell out of them.

Given that this show is not even six weeks old, I don't think it's unreasonable to want some of these plot points to percolate before everything's resolved. I would've preferred to see more than one or two instances of Chelsea resenting Dani's "momager" moments, and her struggle to tell Dani before "BOOM" Dani (who is still hanging on to the ashes of a lousy marriage) is just all mature enough to be ok with Chelsea leaving her. For that matter, why isn't Chelsea's POV re: Bill and Hayley explored?

I'm not sure that's unpopular, given how it all shook out. Neither Hamilton or Crampton was a good recast. They could've simply stuck Eve with Nick and played out her nutso behavior until Alexandra came back. I don't think Mindy was really vital to the canvas at that point, although it would've eventually been awkward to send Billy off to jail without some kind of presence from Mindy. They could've even shifted Nick toward Holly, given that I felt some chem there, but maybe that's just me. Or played Ed/Holly more.

I mean, I know. And at the time the awards were much more geared to honoring established actors with years of experience behind them. I just think it's a shame, when it's such a powerful, iconic moment.

I swear I remember Bea walking through the doors to Ed's patio and announcing to Nola that she'd told Kelly during the Kelly/Nola confrontation, but I was completely wrong! It's nice to have the entire episode up. I can't recall having seen the Bea/Nola part up anywhere. I'm not sure even the Quola fans had that.

lol...me too. No one got under Van's skin like Nola. As a reliable source of info, no Fletcher didn't annoy me. Although I'd classify him as familiar rather than a "comforting" presence. It's when they pushed him into a romance that set my teeth on edge. Fletch got "yelly" and presumptuous when he got involved. He's downright clingy and self-righteous with Vanessa, although I do recognize that part of that is that deep in his soul he knows Vanessa's just not that into him. No matter what she says. It's also one of Jane Elliot's first appearances as Carrie. And there's a scene with Henry and Vanessa, where they discuss she's being blackmailed, which I didn't realize that he knew.

it's back. air date 7 27 81

Lisa is practically the entire episode. After Kelly chews her out, Nola tries playing victim with Bea and Tony, and Bea just isn't having any of it. It is literally a crime that Lisa wasn't even nominated for it.

The part about Marland coming back and writing the Kelly/Nola confrontation does sound a little familiar. OMG...I just rewatched it. It's literally 15 minutes long. Perfection barely begins to describe it.

Ugh...blatant is right. I don't remember Fletch with Ben much, actually. Which is odd, since they often made such a big deal about how hard raising a kid on his own was. I know while he was involved with Alex, she became attached to Ben. Ben is around a little more when Fletch dates Vanessa, but not a huge amount. I know Greg Burke said he remembered them hanging out with Holly, so I'm guessing it's around '94-'95? Morgan and Kelly had had sex in the summer of '80. Nola had helped her get the birth control pills (that Jennifer found) as a result. Kelly and Morgan married in August of '81, which is also a little creepy. There was a writer's strike in '81? I've forgotten...

Kristen Vigard. Around September 1980, Morgan ran away after having a fight with Jennifer (Jennifer had found her birth control pills). She wound up in Chicago and walked right in to a pimp named Duke. He was about to rape her, but Kelly saved her. Duke went to jail, but busted out in the spring of '81. He kidnapped and raped her the week of April 20th, according to the TV Guide recap.

I admit, I don't get it. I mean, I disliked Nadine, but even I felt a tinge of sadness she got whacked. I loathed Jenna, and cried buckets at her death. One of the few times I was unaffected by a rape storyline was Emily Stewart's on ATWT. But I had years to build up my dislike of the actress that played into that. I will say, Guiding Light didn't overuse the rape trope (although other soaps did, I recall distinctly DAYS getting called out on having all of their heroines raped). I'm probably forgetting something, but there was Rita, Holly, Morgan and Beth in the late '70's-early'80's, and then it was years before Vanessa's attempted rape in '92, then Lucy's in '94 (or '95).

There may have been an element of Guiding Light burn out going on. In the early '90's, Ellen Parker and Maeve Kinkead won supporting actress, Deas and Jerry ver Dorn won supporting actor (JvD back to back years), Deas and Zaslow won Lead Actor, Melissa Hayden won younger actress, and Monti Sharp, Kevin Mambo and Rick Hearst won younger actor (not to mention, Bryan Buffinton, bless his sweet face was a perpetual nominee). Zimmer had won lead actress in '90, and Maeve Kinkead, Marj Dusay and Maureen Garrett had been nominated. In looking, I think I know why---Satra would've been 28, meaning she'd have needed to submit in supporting, not younger lead. The younger lead nominee from GL that year was Kimberly J Brown. the Supporting Actress noms that year were Anna Holbrook, Rosalind Cash, Victoria Rowell, Tonya Williams and Michelle Stafford. Anna Holbrook won.

Fletch was that utility player that sticks around because other players move from team to team. And other than Maeve (and perhaps Alexandra) he dated the ladies of the town as a placeholder (like Ralph Bellamy) in the story. Good grief, before Chelsea leaves, they banter, which we all know was a precursor to romance. Oy vey. If any regime had had staying power, they probably would've tanked Fletch after Maeve died.

Yeah, sometimes I wonder if he liked Ellen Dolan more, or didn't like Ellen Parker, or just got bored in the role. But there's a definite shift, even for PS, who I wouldn't call the warmest presence in town.