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I didn't have a problem with 2011 until MarDar arrived, but I also wasn't as aware of how dark the tone had gotten by the dying days of Higley/Whitsell because I was so in the midst of it. Despite the darkness (Carly the pill popping doctor and Chloe the post partum mom turned prostitute) there was such lighter fare involving people like Maggie, Justin and Adrienne, and others that it didn't feel as bleak as it was. There was definitely a massive shift in cast and story in the first to second quarter of 2011, which hadn't been the case for the past 2 years. After the big names were dumped in early 2009, the show's cast was relatively stable with a few people coming in and leaving. By 2011, there was a mass exodus (Shelley Henning and Jay Kenneth Johnson quit and Mark Hapka was let go) and there were new people introduced. I thought the transition was smoother than expected by playing the Brady / Melanie / Dario triangle, which wouldn't have worked forver, but made story sense given Arianna's recent death, Melanie and Brady's connection to Arianna, and resolving the thread of the hit and run driver by tying it back to her ex Troy. I don't know how I would feel revisiting that period today, but I enjoyed it immensely at the time.

@BetterForgotten I may have misremembered the Riche / Elliott tension. I know there was the abortion comment, but I just reread Wendy Riche's interview with "We Love Soaps" and I am wondering if Tracy's abortion stance was made in 1992 when Tracy was pregnant with Dillon and Riche was defacto headwriter. I also find some of the backstage drama odd. Kin Shriner goes to the press in 1993 about how he and Riche had a public blowup on set and he stormed off. Yet, later, Riche launches and entire show around him. I don't understand. I hadn't read that the plan was for Tracy to return in 1996 to "General Hospital" permanently. Thanks for sharing. The score is amazing.

Louise Sorel's Donatella Stewart's stay may have also played a part in the Lucy / Rachel battle for a seat on the hospital board, but maybe that was later. The scene @Franko shared is a bit of a trip. More lesbian undertones to Lucy's relationship with women. I am assuming Sorel's character is a combo Donatella Versace / Martha Stewart. The short run patient arcs in 2000 are pretty strong from what I've heard. Linda Purl is the next one, I believe, with her right to die story that was suppose to echo some of the Dominique story with Scott acting as Claire Wright's attorney. It was very interesting seeing Sal Viscusco later in the episode as the tabloid reporter that Alan catches snooping around. 2000 is a pretty decent year despite the insane turnover in the writers seat. I wish Harris and Bloom had been given another year or two to continue telling their version of "Port Charles."

I wonder if its a case of what set was up. There is a brief period (spring 1990?) when they were testing Katherine and Colton while Colton was setting up the gym. It was said that the gym and Delafields were either next door to each other or around the corner. I found Katherine out of place in her relationship with Robert and his crew. I thought she was a theatrical actress in her delivery and would have potentially been better suited in the Quartermaine crew, but mostly better suited out of Port Charles. Thanks! I'm glad Cindi commented on Audrey's makeup post surgery. Audrey looked awful. The damage that was inflicted on her by Ryan is truly unsettling. I don't like Bill and Holly's story much, but I like them as individuals. I thought Bill worked better in 1992 with loving Julia, but Julia being unable to get past Bill's role in her father's death. That's a very nice clip I hadn't seen before. I am really enjoying the early 1990s. I think there is so much potential in late Monty 2.0 and throughout the Riche's run from the minute she arrives through the 1995 episodes I have seen. I am not surprised it continues into 1997. Tracy's exit is remarkable especially given the tension between Elliot and Riche leading up to her departure and the misogynist slant of the writing in this period. It is such a layered performance in all of those interactions with so many little moments to cherish ("I care about you." "Are you ok?" "Goodbye, my girl.") The music though just elevates it to a new level. I assume this is Marty Davich? It's just remarkable. The final shot of Jane Elliot in the Q mansion looking back at Lila just gets me. Watching Tracy's return is hard after watching her 1993 exit. It's not like Tracy was leaving on good terms in 1993; she has run over Jenny and has been kicked out of the house by Edward. She has conceded to let Paul off the hook on the trumped charges and agreed to joint custody. Tracy isn't leaving town a winner, but she isn't treated like a loser. Her departure is treated as a true loss and Tracy's self-destruction has gone so far that Edward has deemed it necessary to rid himself of her. It's a devastating blow to the family and I am glad it's treated as such. The 2003 scene has that same hostility that could be present in 1993, but it lacks the sentiment and emotion. Tracy was still someone's mother, sister, daughter in 1993. In 2003, those relationships have been stripped of any meaning and devalued to the point that Tracy is nothing more than a parasite. It's a very disappointing writing choice. Also, reverting back to hostility between Tracy and A.J. when A.J.'s final moment in 1993 shows genuine concern and this is what finally breaks Tracy is such a disappointment. A Tracy / AJ partnership would have shaken up the Quartermaine family. The idea of Tracy taking Monica's son under her wing would have just added a new layer to the hostility between Monica and Tracy. It's just a shame to see how far the show falls in a decade.

This is hard to read. As some know, I have been making my way through early 1990s "General Hospital" and am up to mid 1993. Riche is a gift to so many of the GH legends, particularly the women like Leslie Charleson. Monica is a fully developed character who is a brilliant surgeon, a mother who never feels she is doing enough, a wife who loves her husband but doesn't always like him, and a friend to her colleagues like Bobbie Jones. And Leslie plays each layer of the character with a quiet strength that makes you feel each individual slight from Alan and her boys AJ and Jason. Her rapport with Stuart Damon is remarkable as well as her ability to go toe to toe with Jane Elliot's Tracy. In the pre-Labine Riche era, Tracy and Monica are still at odds, but come together at times to support one another. In the GH thread, there is talk of Tracy's 1993 goobye, but one scene that isn't included in the video is from an episode or two earlier where Tracy and Monica have their last scene together and Monica is very optimistic and encouraging Tracy to not count herself out. It's a really tender moment for a prickly relationship. In Charleson's honor, I watched all the clips of the David Langton trial from about May 30, 1992-June 15, 1992. Charleson is great, per usual. I didn't realize that they hadn't dropped the bomb that David was Dawn's father to the boys by this point and the courtroom revelation shocks Jason to his core cause a deep rift in his relationship with Monica. It's a heartbreaking ripple of this trial. Additionally, another courtroom bombshell from Monica's diary reveals that David made Monica feel a way no other man, including Alan, ever had. This leads to a bitter confrontation in the manse between Alan and Monica where Alan's pride gets the best of him and Monica remains humble, but never the victim. I am sorry Charleson never got to appear under Mulcahey this last year. I hope her farewell episode is as memorable as Bobbie's.

I am very sorry to read this. I thought San Martin's original iteration of Dario worked for the time and for what the show was in that moment. I liked Dario / Melanie even if I liked Melanie / Nathan more. Pairing the former con woman with the current con man had potential that never was monopolized due to timing (Dario was introduced very late into Higley / Whitsell / Tomlin and quickly booted). San Martin was green, but I remember him being charming and leaving an impression earlier when he appeared as a hospital patient who infect Nathan and Melanie with some fictional virus that required them to quranatine together while the hovered near death. I know Banus is a bit controversial, but I am glad she shared this. There is something special to me about those soap friendships that are maintained beyond the space of their time on the soap (in this case it was particularly short). Too many soap people have passed in recent years.

@Lust4Life76 The father daughter incest storyline was between Lewis Electronics attorney Emmett Claybourne (mentioned by Bryan and Miranda as being missing in the episode having dipped Eden at the end of episode 50) and his daughter nursing student Cynthia Claybourne. Cynthia was played by Britt Hefler (Robert Newman's wife) prior to her appearance as Cynthia's successor Lily Slater in the late 1980s. The story culminates in the final episodes as a mystery. Logan Claybourne arrives in Eden probably toward the middle of the run or slightly later. He is determined to reunite with his sister Cynthia and to discover why and his mother Blanche (or maybe it was Shirley?) were banished from Eden years earlier. Logan confronts Emmett, who was unaware of Logan's return. Logan informs Emmett he knows his mother didn't have an affair with Ham Fisher like he claimed and wanted to know the real reason behind the exodus. In episode 49 or 50, Emmett drags Cynthia in her nursing uniform off camera where we hear her screaming. The next scene, Cynthia is in her bathrobe after showering. Emmett has already been accused at this point of being the Campus Strangler, who has been raping and murdering women. In addition, he nearly raped Gail Lee, a government agent working on the urban renewal project with Josh Collier and the Lewises. In the final episode, Logan gets into a confrontation with an intruder in the library of the Claybourne estate and a gun goes off with the fate of Logan and the identity of the intruder (presumably Emmett, possibly recast) up in the air. The production of the show is a bit odd. The episode order was 33 hour long episodes but they were aired in 2 parts each for a grand total of 66. The pacing is daytime. At 66 episodes, that's basically a 13-week cycle. Jaffe Enterprises produced the show which was mostly underwritten by Showtime, but other media outlets also purchased including Prism and Oak Media I believe. Jaffe was interviewed a few times during production about how it was going and he was making it on the cheap. All the scripts were written in 1982 between Marland's departure from "Guiding Light" and maybe shortly before. The final nine scripts (18 half hour episodes) were all filmed in the month of December, 1982. The only thing filmed in 1983 was a one scene resolution tagged on to the final episode where Francie learns her father is the serial killer who has been offing and raping the college co-eds. Jaffe spoke alot about filming two versions of the episodes with the intention of selling the show into syndication. I'd be curious if they ended up at the NATSC show or whatever the big syndication trade show is in February, 1983. Actually, I wonder if that's why they wanted it all done in 1982 so that they could try selling the original 13 weeks into syndication. Flannery was involved, per her own interviews. I believe she stated that Showtime wanted more but that Jaffe was too overworked by the grind and didn't want to continue. Not sure if that's accurate. Also, in my more recent readings, Jaffe implied that the early audience feedback to the show was that there wasn't an intense desire for the sexual content that people assumed there would be. More speculation than fact, there were issues trying to secure and keep talent with the nudity clauses. Anne Lockhart was set to be a lead, but refused to strip so she was killed off. Lara Parker also felt uncomfortable. The real champ seems to be Maggie Sullivan who beds down with Jack (J.P.) Wagner and Rachel Todd, both many years younger than her, while maintaining that Elvira beehive in this episode. By the time renewal would have come up, summer of 1983, Marland was definitely deep into "Loving." I imagine he could have done both since Nixon seemed to micromanage Marland to bits and pieces. Also, Marland's pacing is all daytime. Shelley Novak has been in the hospital since late April/early May. It's now late July. If the show was daily, it would be six weeks. With Showtime schedule, it was 3 months Watching it all again, I do think some of the relationship is deeper than I thought on the first viewing. There is complexity to the Francie / Biff material that is lost do to acting choices and to a lack of time with a 30 minute show. Francie's desire for marriage and respectability, Biff's desire to be with Francie and his fear that she is too crude like Shelley, and the resentment each feels towards one another regarding their views on sexuality. Dana Halstad (Francie) looks like Lauren Marie Taylor from some angles and I couldn't help but think about how Taylor might be playing this opposite someone like Christopher Marcantel, or even Scott Doebler. Also, I thought there was a bit more depth to Shelley and Hank with Shelley's past haunting her and Hank constantly swooping in when she needed him (I think someone tried to rape Shelley earlier in the story). Shelley, the seductress, fearing that no one can love her now that her looks are no longer her asset and Hank, the good ole boy who has had to adapt to the modern world of Eden and abandon the farm for work at the factory. Greg and Laurel seem to be the simplest relationship, but once Betty reveals her little secret, they were going to make Franice and Biff look like Ward and June Cleaver. There were some other light touches that I really enjoyed like Biff spiraling out of control because of the Campus Strangler investigation and his decision to shoot Honey with the watergun. Miranda commenting that Laurel's presence made Biff and Greg stick around for the family affair alluding to her knowledge that Laurel and Greg might be hooking up (Biff had told her earlier he thinks Greg has a girl on the side post-Pam). I'm still not sure what Jane Eliot is doing in her performances. I imagine she is trying to play Madge torn about her plot in Eden because she seems to be growing fond of Bryan again, but her plan may have been just to expose Miranda and leave town. Either way, bravo to Eliot for playing some sorta subtext to any of this material.

In terms of "Romance Theater," there were a series put out on VHS in the 1970s that I bought probably 12 or so years ago. They really aren't good. I know one of the books said "Image of Passion" was the best and I don't think it's terrible. "Bayou Romance" with Annie Potts and Paul Rossini was one of the better ones, but still nothing I'd rush off to see again. If they had managed a syndication deal, I think it would have been a daily show. The pacing at two episodes a week doesn't work. This would be the tail end of the first 13 weeks so I think there was potential with "Rituals," but it probably would have only made a year like "Rituals." Regarding the nudity, I think people filmed the pilot knowing it was a possibility but not really wanting to go there. I know Anne Lockhart said she didn't want to continue with the show so that's why her character Susan Walsh was the first one murdered. I am not sure if that is logical. I wonder if Lockhart was originally slated for one of the more prominent female roles (Francie, Shelley, Laurel), but because she refused to do the nudity she was given the role of the first victim Susan. The serial killer story seems so important to the show's origin story about the urban renewal project being threatened by these murders which could prevent people from moving to a revived Eden. Parker has said she purposely torpoed the romances with characters in order to escape sex scenes. Given Betty Franklin's significance to the story, I think they would have been better off recasting. Frank Richardson was the serial killer in the end faking his paralysis, which kept his daughter tethered to him. I missed her offhand comment aboutdumping him in a home, but that's a wicked little comment from Mulcahey that I can appreciate. The shot of the lovers at night that closes it out is great. I hope that some of the bigger sequences show up for this show one day (I.e. the poolside seduction, the final two episodes with the very gothic undertones and Frank rising out of the wheelchair to reveal to Francie he was the killer). The end of the opening sequence is used in promo material that has popped up. I always assumed it was Eden at dusk, but now I realize it was Eden at dawn, which makes the most obvious sense. From what I can tell, Eden is located in the southwest, maybe the only soap to be set in that part of the country. The ending shot of the opening with its bizarrely animated garden of Eden seduction is very romantic. The end credits really evoke the idea of a cable soap.

@DRW50 Regarding Horan, he played a stripper turned male model for a week on "Romance Theater" from this same time period as "New Day in Eden." Here he is as Jake Jordan doing test shots for a swimwear company: "Image of Passion" was released as a complication several years after "Romance Theater" folded along with several other stories from the series. This is only missing about 10 minutes or so from the original which was probably a lot of credits and narration by Louis Jordan. Back to "New Day in Eden," it was very neat seeing Francie's dream of her and Biff together in contrast to Biff's dream of him and Francie several episodes earlier. Even down to the staging of having Francie's dream being more chaste than Biff's. That also may have been down to Patrick Mulcahey, who's disinterest is apparent in the scripts. Also, I suspect that the Biff / Francie confrontation reads better on the page. It was definitely Mulcahey's style to have the younger characters swear more which I thought made sense. On my last reading of the scripts, the sexual content really seemed to be reduced to things that could be easily cut out and tended to be in the first part of a script. As an even number, that's why this episode might have been pretty thin in provocative content. I think Jaffe was really hoping to syndicate this, but I am not sure if they were aiming for late night or daytime because I know tamer versions of scenes were also filmed.

Yeah, I don't know what I would make of this episode if I hadn't read the other episodes. I believe this episode is also new to me as it is from the one script I don't have of the last nine so its a treat. Seeing Jane Eliot was a treat. Awesome to see that she got a Special Guest Star credit. Even Eliot seems bored, but I'm not sure Jim McMullan is the most dynamic screen partner. The faint Southern accent she gives the character is jarring for me having watched so much of Tracy's final episodes on "General Hospital" in 1993 in recent weeks. It makes sense though for a character born and raised in Atlanta living in Paris the past few years. By all accounts, Lara Parker was miserable on "New Day in Eden." I think what you see now is probably pretty consistent. The character was tested with Jim McMullan and Michael Laurence, but she always tanked the pairings so she wouldn't be nude. They end up having her raped twice; once in a flashback by Joe Franklin, her husband who is lurking outside the Parker cottage at the start of the episode, and later by her daughter's writing professor. Styling Maggie Sullivan's Miranda in the big hair doesn't work. The character of Miranda is suppose to be sleek, cunning; she's a master manipulator. This look doens't work. The exposition heavy conversation with Miranda and Beau in the office with Betty listening was definitely a highlight, which isn't saying much. Jef Severson's Ememtt is mentioned and in the credits, but the character is long gone. Unless he popped up in episode 59, he last time he appears is episode 50 when he flees Eden as his son Logan closes in on the secret that kept Logan and his mother Blanche out of Eden. The Sowolsky brothers definitely seem to be two of the stronger young leads. James Horan is the standout in the role of Shelley's redemption, country boy Hank Sowolsky. Shelley is a typical Marland anti-heroine who was scheming at the beginning with Biff Lewis (hence the comments from Lockhart about providing an alibi for Susan Walsh's murder in the pilot) before being burned in the factory explosion about midway through (episodes 35-36). I thought they might use the fire to recast but Wendy Barrie does seem to be elevated by Horan's performance. The setup here with the Sowolskys and the Lewis boys is more interesting than I remembered. In addition, I know the Sowolskys owned, or had owned, farm land where Davey caught Greg Lewis deflowering Laurel Franklin. The farm land more than likely was tied up in the land deal that was going on involving Emmett & Miranad and the urban renewal project being overseen by Steve Carlson's Josh Collier from AURIC. So that would have pitted the Sowolskys against the Lewises. In addition, Davey witnessing the little tryst between Laurel and Greg means that the secret regarding Laurel's paternity would have become messier. Scott Doebler dying so young was upsetting to see. I didn't realize he had also been the dead Buck Jarrett in "Ordinary People." Shame he didn't do more soap opera work. The Laurel / Greg scenario ends up being reused by Marland with Lily and Holden with Holden coming from Sowolsky like family. I have to wonder how Marland would have handled the Laurel and Greg situation in the second set of episodes. I imagine he would have undone Greg's paternity. I would have revealed that Greg was Miranda's son by another man (lets say Beau Ravenel just to maintain the very unlikely event you could convince Eliot to stay on as Madge). Having Miranda's son involved with Betty's daughter would propel conflict and having Miranda more attached to her nephew Biff over her son Greg would have also propelled drama. Poindexter is great for a very gentle part. I appreciated him when he was playing the replacement for Father Matt on "Days" after Ralph Waite's death. Ava and the Sowloskys aren't in Nixon's bible, but I wouldn't be surprised if those early ideas didn't pop up early on in Marland's outlines due to "Eden.

I was shocked when it appeared. I can see why it was lost to time. A lot of the younger actors were definitely still learning their craft. Also, it was the typical soap grind of filming an episode (parts 1 and 2) a day. It's really great seeing that cast list. @slick jones there are a lot of answered questions including on-air confirmation that it was Madge Whitehead: Logan Claybourne played by Stephen L. Shubert Dr. Mark Hammond played by Michael Laurence Joe Parker played by Nick Eldredge Frank Richardson played by Paul Kent Hud Richardson played by Robert Lisaius Hank Sowolsky played by James Horan Davey Sowolsky played by Scot Doebler

@Reverend Ruthledge I don't know what to say about your namesake character. It would seem that he was reintroduced and maybe quickly cast aside. The article I have says that Reverend Ruthledge reappears tomorrow from a March 31, 1946, newspaper. I did a quick Google search to see if that happened to be Easter as I know he was known for the Easter service. Easter was a week earlier. The ads aren't always consistent on things like names so if it is Clare from the woman's mouth, I would take that.

For the last two decades, very few shows have worked to really develop the characterization and relationships of new characters. While LOL might have a very black and white mindset for morality, those relationships are much murkier. Evans says he is for Van, not against Meg. That's a clear and important distinction. Also, there was that dynamic between Van, Paul, and Matt. I don't feel like there is a clear good guy or bad guy between the two men. Paul is overstepping by showing up and Matt is clearly peeved. Also, Van is tolerating those men because of her connection to both. Similary, her sisterly love for Meg sometimes causes her to support her sister when she shouldn't, but rarely at the sacrifice of her nephew. Nowadays, characters and stories are islands. I think there were some benefits to those tighter 15 minute shows.

@carolineg When did they reveal that Brenda's mother died when she was three? I'm sure carolineg has seen this, but for @j swift. In this scene here, from February, 1993, Brenda speaks about her mother being an alcoholic and Harlan loving Julia's mother more than hers. I definitely think this, combined with the death, would have worked for a "Madame X" style story where Harlan learned Veronica was cheating and drinking and shipped her off to some far off destination and told Brenda that her mother was dead, especially since he preferred Julia's mother.

Again, thanks @Reverend Ruthledge! All those pieces make sense regarding Mary, Jan/Meta, Charlotte, and Julie. I'll definitely look at those summaries and message you through the PM system. I had speculated to myself that Jan might have been a rival of Charlotte's professionally as I think they were both vying for jobs in entertainment. I know part of the shift in locale was due to Irna Phillips moving to California and her new fascination with Hollywood. I believe "Right to Happiness" introduced Constance and Susan Wakefield, a mother and daughter duo with one of them in Hollywood, around the same time. Also, I think Jan/Meta angle of dual identities had been used on one of Phillip's earlier shows, "Lonely Women." I believe the other reason for the shift was the lawsuit with Emmon Carlson ( I probably butchered his name). That was why I was surprised about the inclusion of Ned. I did some research using newspapers.com several months ago and have done other searches in the past for radio soaps, "Guiding Light" included. I have a very general sense of the show's progression, but not the details. The Lawrence story didn't super interest me when I first read about it. Claire is definitely a variation on the adopted mother story that Irna was so fond of telling. I know in the original series Ricky's mother Nina popped up. I don't think I knew that Charlotte's breakdown was tied to her past involvement with Larry. So I appreciate that detail. Ohhhh, Charles Matthews and John Ruthledge being friends from seminary and Ned bringing the lamp now pieces everything together based on the two version of the story I had read. The newspapers announced that Reverend Ruthledge was returning starting Monday, April 1, 1946. He is listed in ads and among cast listings throughout the year. Here is one for example from May 30 1946: The timelines for the marriages was helpful. Thanks. I am not surprised things took a while to settle down.

I think the class conflict needed to be addressed. Depending on the timing of the story, I believe "Port Charles" was doing a story about the homeless late in Karen Harris' run so there may have been ways to tie that into Tony's redemption work. I think looking at medical equity to different communities would be appealing. It also would have opened itself up to different arcs. I'd have liked to see a shorter arc about possibly HIV, elder abuse, and the barriers that prevent people from accessing quality health care (language, education, insurance, immigration status). A running, understated thread would be Tony's slow realization that his life wasn't as bad off as it was. Also, I didn't mention it for purpose of length, but I would have tied the protege to B.J.'s accident. I would have had it that his younger sibling had also been on the bus or he had witnessed the accident and it was that incident that made him want to be a doctor. Revisiting B.J.'s death in a way that would allow Tony and Bobbie to heal and for Tony to realize that again there were good things to happen even in the worst moments of his life. I would also lean into Tony pushing Bobbie away thinking he was not good enough and letting Bobbie take on the role that Tony had played in the 1980s/1990s reassuring him that he is not his past. My mother was a teen during Luke and Laura. She and all her friends watched. I remember watching bits with her in the early 1990s. That crew that grew up with Luke and Laura real stuck around in some form and I think a lot of them identified with people like Bobbie, who wasn't perfect and didn't always think she was good enough, and wanted her to find a good man like Tony who loved her anyway. If this audience was willing to forgive Luke raping Laura, they would have accepted Tony and Bobbie finding their way back to one another. I was reading an interview from Karen Harris from a decade or so ago. She spoke about how she got into an argument with Claire Labine over Brenda wearing the wire. Harris (and I believe Elizabeth Korte) both insisted that Sonny could never forgive her for this and they would no longer be a couple. Labine's response was something along the lines of but won't it be fun watching them get back together. I feel its the same here. Tony and Bobbie reuniting may have been beyond the pale. There would obviously be stuff that would have to be done on top of that (mainly, therapy with Gail, but not Kevin because of his ties to Lucy). Something I was considering was that Tony had mostly forgiven Bobbie for things that hadn't happened during their marriage. The other big lie (Lucas) led to a breakup.

Erin Gray may have misremembered. She specifically stated she didn't get it because she looked too healthy and the character was sick and going to die. Again, for a role she didn't get, she probably misspoke.

@Vee I agree with your assessment of Dani. Anatagonist may be an oversimplification. I think she certainly more of the "bad sister" compared to Nicole. The "momager" label rarely tends to be a compliment though I don't think Dani will be anywhere near the caliber of GH's "sympathetic" homophobic momager Natalia. I think it is said Bill / Hayley were involved during Bill and Dani's marriage, but the desire for acceptance seems more of a gray area character. I could be wrong. I am more out of the loop on the modern soap tropes so you are probably right, Vee.

I knew that Veronica was crazy, didn't know she was dying. Thanks @Vee and @DRW50

Reading that Tony was in contention to be Liz's rapist makes watching entire episodes a no for me. I really can't stomach a writing team that thought that was a solid idea. I don't think there's a single scenario I can think of where that would be possible outside complete and total break from reality (on the part of Tony or the audience, I'm not sure). I think a lot of the complaints about Tony and Bobbie are fair. Tony and Bobbie were not smoldering in sexual chemistry. The basis of their relationship was their ongoing friendship that turned into a romance. This was the story. It was about Tony loving Bobbie despite Bobbie's (sometimes neurotic) insecurities regarding her past as a teenage sex worker. They were a skilled pair working together in the OR and in raising their kids together. I think there is a great deal of the audience that finds that sort of relationship appealing. I don't think that every couple can drive grand romantic storylines involving third parties and super villains all the time. Sometimes there is comfort just watching two suburban parents try to find their way back together after one of the most painful periods of their lives as individualss, and as a couple. Do I think there would have needed to be work to be done? Absolutely. Less so that Carly and Tony didn't actually have a child together. If they had, I don't know if Bobbie and Tony could have reunited. That would have played too much on Bobbie's own feelings of self worth in her relationship based on her infertility issues. I think her thinking the baby was Tony's was an obstacle to overcome. If it were me, I would have had Bobbie be the one to bring Tony back from the depths of hell he had allowed himself to succumb to during that period because she knew that B.J. wouldn't want her to let Tony end up like that. Also, Bobbie would see it as a way of relieving her own guilty. I would have had Tony kicked off the stay of GH (was he?) and end up working in a free clinic (maybe on Charles Street). I would have there be conflict between Tony and the staff who think that the disgraced Tony Jones is only there because he has nowhere else to go (which is probably true). I would slowly have Tony win over the administrator of the clinic (a Mary Mae Ward type) and build a relationship with a rough around the edges doctor who wants to give back to his community. Eventually, the utter violence of Sonny and Jason's world would find its way into the clinic (first when some new employee starts using it to move drugs and later when a turf war leads to a standoff at the clinic). Bobbie and Tony would both continue to live in the brownstone (on different levels) for Lucas' sake. Tiffany would come in for an arc to play Auntie Mame to Lucas with Lucas contemplating living with her and Sean and their family permanently. The threat of losing Lucas would bring them together and they would agree to go to counselling to better co-parent. Tiffany would reluctantly take Lucas for the summer, but Lucas would return (probably slightly older). To give the story some necessary drama, I would have the turf war play out at the clinic and for Tony's young protege to be in the line of a gangster's bullet only for Tony to step in and take the bullet, saving the young man's life. Tony would go into surgery, it would be touch and go, and then you have Bobbie confess that she still loves him. In recovery, people would start to warm to Tony again and Tony would be offered to return to GH, but he would elect to run the clinic. Tony would speak about how the Charles Street Clinic gave him a second chance (even if it was reluctantly) and he wants to continue to oversee its success. But what I want probably isn't what the majority of viewers would have wanted.

I think comparing "Generations" and "Beyond the Gates" seems like a necessary evil, but it's two entirely different shows in terms of audience. "Generations" was about integration; white characters and black characters having a (relatively) equal footing. "Beyond the Gates" is offering its audiences a daily African American soap opera. Those aren't the same things. With that said, I initally assumed it would be, but then the finalized cast list showed this is (at this moment) a predominantly black soap, not integrated. That is interesting to me. I wasn't thrilled when it was revealed that Robert Guza was on the writing team, but I remind myself that he isn't the creator/headwriter. Guza and Val Jean are friends. I don't see him usurping her role. I see him elevating her material, which I remember being fairly strong when she wrote GH in 2001 if not lighting the world on fire. Additionally, Guza's work paired with Millee Taggert on "Loving" was pretty strong for a show that typically wasn't. Together, they wrote the initial Shana / Leo romance, the Curtis / Dinahlee / Clay triangle, and handled the tailend of Ally's pregnancy with Cooper's baby. I hated the Curtis / Tess / Buck backstory (which had a lot of Guza trademarks in my opinion looped in with some of Taggert's tropes), but it cannot override the good. To be honest, I have several heavy hitters in this thread on ignore so I am sorry if this was mentioned already, but I don't think it was: I am looking forward to this show. Happy we are approaching the premier in under 2 months.

I didn't think Julie Pinson was strong enough to be opposite Kin Shriner in the beginning, but I think she would have grown with time. She was definitely green, but there was a spark there inside her that made Eve stand out a little more than some of the interns. I am more interested in Lucy vs. Eve than Eve / Scott and possibly even Scott and Lucy. I don't remember much of Lucy / Kevin in my viewing of 1995, but I feel they had declawed Lucy too much... and I think reuniting her with Scotty and Serena and potentially threatening that happiness with Eve usurping Lucy as a mother figure (in Lucy's mind mostly) is appealing. I know Lucy / Kevin were well liked, and I could see why in 2000 when they actually had story that worked for them. I don't remember Lark being amazing from my first viewing of the SoapNet rereuns, but I remember she had a bit more energy than other parts of the canvas. I also noticed some parallels to the Karen Wexler story in my more recent viewing of some episodes so I am curious to see how that works out. In general, I don't think the Scanlons are interesting until they bring on Courtney, who seems like the perfect instigator. Sarah Aldrich played that part well. Courtney made them messy, which they needed to be to milk actual drama out of that unit. Feel free to fan fic lol. Christina was Frank's biological daughter, but i would definitely have Chris Ramsey act as a pseudo father figure. Also, Tommy and Christina should have some pre-existing relationship in theory as Scotty was Christina's father for a moment and presumably is still tied to her and Tom Hardy and Scotty Baldwin were close cousins at one time. I really wish the show had roped Tom and Simone into Port Charles the more and more I think about it. @DRW50 I can't imagine who they were planning on pairing Lark with. I watched an episode from October, 1999, to make sure it wasn't Eve's son who was mentioned a lot late in Scott Hamner's run. Eve's son would have only been nine and I would have found it hard to buy Pinson as a mother to a teen in 2000. I think they should have given back some of Scotty and Lucy's edges. If Karen Harris had arrived a year earlier, I could totally see Lucy and Scott dealing with VD rather than DV. *** I'm up to mid-November. It is mostly background noise because it isn't very compelling. Greg Cooper as a Stefano Dimera figure is a choice... not one I would have made, but there it is. Greg's kidnapped Julie which has produced two decent moments. One, the investigation has brought to the forefront that Julie's disappearance might be caused by Julie's emotional turmoil over learning that Bennett and Eve had been lovers. The intense hatred for Eve is pretty one-sided and I wish there was more vitriol sent in Bennett's direction. The second moment sees Mark Boardman stabbed by Greg Cooper and saved by Matt Harmon, who Boardman has been shunning from the surgical rotation because he doesn't think Harmon can be a surgeon in a wheel chair. Harmon's story continues to be the strongest. Alan Q pops up for a nice cameo and so does Monica. It looks like the first new character introduced by Latham is Barbara Stock's Nicole Devlin. A nice addition. She does well opposite Albert and Pinson. I'm curious to see how she does with Hadley. They set up some minor groundwork for what is to come with Chris / Nicole, which I'm onboard for. In 1999, I know they briefly bring back Nicole as part of a story involving Rachel investigating Chris' past. Erin Gray (Nicole #2) says she had auditioned a year ago for GH and wasn't hired becasue she looked too healthy and the character died. I wonder who that could have been. The less said about the Rex Stanton stuff the better. There was a nice reference to the park that Dominique died in and the atmosphere in the Baldwin / Collins circle is nice with nicknames and favorite stuffed animals and such, but it lacks the bite that is necessary to be compelling. I skipped ahead and watched one episode from October, 1998, and the Scotty / Lucy / Kevin stuff appears more compelling, but not original. There's an emphasis on emotions that seems missing in the 1997 stuff. I think I'll stick with it to see when (if?) things get better.

@Reverend Ruthledge thanks for answering my question. I have seen the casting notices for Jan and Mary from late June / early July 1948. I wasn't really sure how they initially fit into the story. Were they neighbors to someone? Was Mary somehow tied to all the medical / psychological issues Julie Barton Collins faced? Did Clare's adopted son Ricky appear or was he just spoken about? I know her former brother-in-law (Larry Lawrence?) was introduced into the new "Guiding Light," but I don't think he appeared on the original. I was surprised that they had Larry tied up with Charlotte at one point (I think she received pills from him). I'm surprised to hear that Ned Holden did appear as I thought that was just urban legend. Peterson had been serving overseas during World War II and I don't think they had Peterson return to the show until May, 1945; I might be wrong on the date. By then, I think Reverend Gaylord and his family were the family connected to the clergy. Then, of course, Frank Tuttle towards the end of 1945 until 1946. I feel like they burned through a lot of story in that first year. Weren't Charlotte and Ray married before the show's first anniversary? And Susan and Roger were also married by the summer i feel like. I apologize for the 100 questions.

Thanks @DRW50! I have come to appreciate the layers of John Hess' writing in the past few years so watching a lot of early "Love of Life" plays out differently for me than it did in years past. I do think there is a sleek simplicity in all of this and a low level of relatable humor that adds to the scenes without breaking the dramatic tension by shifting the mood too far in the opposite direction. At first, I thought the obviously budget dictated decision to not show Meg's accident was glaring, but I now consider that it allows one to question what actually happened. Did Meg do this intentionally? Was it completely and accident? @Paul Raven You probably already knew, but Claire Labine had watched "Love of Life" in the 1950s when her children were young so she had seen Jean McBride's Meg so she was able to capture the essence of the character. In more recent years, I've noticed some writers seem to know a character's history rather than their personality which often makes decisions made by the characters under new writers have questionable motivations based on lack of true understanding of a character. "Love of Life" fans were lucky that Labine was able to bring the essence of Meg back based on first hand knowledge.