P.J.

You won't get any argument from me re: Block. I hated him on GL before I hated him on ATWT. I wouldn't be surprised if GL kept him on a little longer than they wanted. The fall of 99 was supposed to find a "Richard Branson" type character coming to town to get involved with Carly. It was in the previews, but then got derailed by Maura's pregnancy.

Sheffer's obsession with Hunt Block was weird. Yes, arguably, ATWT needed a rich [!@#$%^&*]-stirrer to drive story. (Alec Wallace was an epic failure..) But Block didn't have the charisma to do the role justice. Block should've been fired about year three. After many years of contemplation, I've decided that Craig's obsession wasn't really Carly. It was any one who had the talent to make him a buck. After Rosanna, when he's inexplicably involved with Jen's design business, he spouts the same tired lines to her that he said to Carly. And then Meg (even though that's SB.) ATWT got really lazy and couldn't develop story for Craig out of Carly's circle.

Found it----it's 2/12/01.

I can't be sure, but Colleen's might have aired 11/10/2000. Recaps of the episode say she and Hal had a fight over Craig. I'm pretty sure the scenes would've aired after the Halloween party that Craig threw that year. Barbara had asked for Craig's help getting an envelope addressed to Jack away from the courier (it held a picture of Julia and Winston Lowe) for Julia. But the episode isn't quickly found on youtube.

I wish her nothing but the best, but we all know she deserves more than she'll get.

Marie seems to have lasted a year or less, the book only lists her for 1985. Tad is listed as 1986. (I had forgotten there were two Tads.) I couldn't tell you for certain if Doug and Iva ever had a scene, but since Caroline's opened, I would guess they might've had a few lines. Marland wasn't a big "wink wink" , Easter Egg kind of guy from what I remember. I'm not sure you can blame PR for that. Marland wanted suspicion to fall on everyone other than Doug.

LOL...my memory's not that good..but wasn't Babs trying to hold on to Brian at that point? It might explain some dramatic rape whistle scenario. I did read in the ATWT book that Marie's baby was Tad Channing's, and that Iva was questioned, and she admitted she had also been having an affair with Tad. Also, Lisa suspected John was trying to cause trouble between Bob and Kim. Lisa was admitting to Babs she still loved Bob and that Ellen noted that the "gifts" always seemed to show up while Lisa was around. I couldn't find a specific reference to the card, but I know it tied into the lyrics of Someone to Watch Over Me, as it was a picture of a lamb and shepherd.

I wouldn't doubt Lisa suspected John, but I think the Christmas card Kim received was the same one Lisa was sending out that year.

I can't speak to whether Iva was a red herring in Marie's murder, but I distinctly recall we were led to believe it was Shannon calling Lucinda re: Lily.

In a strange coincidence, I also happened upon a Susan/Kim fight (which must have been early in Marie Masters' return) where Susan brings up Kim's acquiring daughters through marriage (Betsy and then Frannie) and then winding up with Bob's illegitimate child back in her life. I guess I had kind of forgotten how protective Kim could be of her kids.

Thanks for posting! I doubt I ever saw that, given I was probably in school. I had read about Iva not getting a warm reception from Emma, but YIKES. My guess would be Iva lost her spunk to be a direct contrast to Lucinda and thus Lily's "best mom/friend". Oh, I got lost down a youtube rabbit hole, and saw Kim give Seth true smoke for falling for Betsy. DAMN. Seth Snyder, the most empathetic, zero attitude guy ever in Oakdale, got a "kiddo" speech from Kim, who slept with her sister's husband. I am flabbergasted.

ATWT was clearly trying to recreate Lily/Holden and ride Shawn Christian's popularity. Of course, the best thing to come from the Ro/Mike relationship was Carly. LOL.

But IIRC, Don was gone shortly thereafter. It doesn't feel like his character was ever well-defined. Certainly not the same kind of impact Mike Bauer had on GL. If there was ever any kind of rivalry between Bob and Don, it certainly got overshadowed by Bob and John's animosity.

What? Bert was certainly no slouch in the vinegary-interfering mother department. If Nancy was seen as a bit colder, maybe it was because she didn't have the obstacles (broken marriage, health problems) that Bert did. I think the structure of Guiding Light at the time allowed the Dobsons to keep the Bauers "front and center". (Although there were probably viewers who saw the Spauldings and Marlers as interlopers) Mike and Ed were diametric opposites, each who generated story. When the Dobsons took over ATWT, they didn't have that with the Hughes, who at that time consisted of Bob, Tom and teenage Frannie.

And scenes like those were why I could never buy the regression of Craig in the '00s.

I believe Cricket's cousin's name was Skip, but that's neither here nor there. Frannie had led the teen set before Lily came to town. I would guess maybe Lily was brought on to give Dusty someone his age to interact with? I'm wracking my brain to try and remember...but other than Paul and Andy, who were younger, what kids were on canvas.

Lily was supposed to be some kind of moral center of the show (or one in training). She was especially Lucinda's judge, which in retrospect is kind of silly. She some how managed to be every man's ideal, so much so it was refreshing when Duke treated her like the brat she was. The break from Martha was good for the show, much like the break GL got from Kim Zimmer in the early '90s. Although they tried recreating the Lily/Holden dynamic with both Rosanna/Hutch and Ro/Mike.

I agree, it was stronger writing, and I'd actually argue the writing shone more because it wasn't Byrne in the role. I think DM had a huge blind spot where MB was concerned, and stories usually tilted to "fix" things to make Lily's life easier. I mean, the Snyders had to "accept" Josh so Lily could get to know her father. Rattray at least tried to be more mature in the role. Byrne would inevitably end up stomping and yell-crying through emotional scenes.

I'd say KMH. In later years she had fans of Hal/Emily and Em/Paul, but I don't remember many EmilyFirstFans, per se. Her Emily was just a little too acidic for my taste. I'd put Lesli Kay in the same group. Before her pairing with Jake, she didn't seem to impress viewers.

Well, tbh, Rattray didn't have romantic chem with anyone. I think he had to at least try to manufacture Lily/Holden chem, given the years of investment the show had in them. Granted, it was his fault ATWT was so heavily invested in Holden and Lily as a young lead couple, but still. It's not like Rosanna and Hutch were burning down the house.

The first real time I just gave up a soap was Y&R, when they spent an entire episode recapping Nina's trial on a Monday, when they verdict had come in on Friday. I know I would at least watch now and then, but I never loved it again the way I had. I even tried going back after ATWT was cancelled, to see Maura. But they killed off her character, violently, in a way that seemed almost gleeful to be rid of her, and I have never turned it on again. I can't even pinpoint when I gave up on GL. The last five years maybe? I still turned it on, but it was like watching someone die a slow painful death. The show became obsessed with Gus and Jonathan, and those "Inside the LIght" episodes quickly grew horrible. Peapak might have been underwhelming, but the soul had left the body long before that. B&B---I stuck around much longer than I should have. Maybe the weird Brooke/Ridge tropical wedding, where Ridge was then presumed dead shortly after the ceremony so that Brooke could knock boots with Nick 10 seconds later? At some point I realized B&B was more invested in keeping them apart by any means necessary than writing for them as a couple.

It's funny how much I've forgotten, but how the characters still feel like home. LOL, this is the Holden I remember, not the ever-patient dad-to-half the town dude he became.

Thanks! I hadn't heard about this!

SMH. Linc/Lily/Holden, torrid? Oookkkaayy. I wonder what boosted them to tie with GH? ohh, maybe the reveal of Brock's murderer? I'm trying to remember what was happening, in the early '90's.

I used to LOVE articles like that. And the yearly review they'd do. Back when SOD was a magazine.