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Thanks for sharing! It's great to hear about the pilot. The Biff / Francie relationship is interesting. In the scripts I have, I don't think Francie was presented as a prude, but I also don't remember her being overtly sexual. Despite this, the show still positioned the 'good' girls into sexual positions. Biff fantasized about Francie cooking for him in nothing but an apron. It kept Francie pure, while requiring Dana Halsted to bare herself to the audience. Lara Parker talked about torpedoing her romances with her leading men so that she wouldn't have to appear in sexual situations, which is probably why the show resorting to raping Betty not once, but twice. It's interesting that Shelley and her cousin ended up meeting Biff under similar circumstances. I also believe that Biff and Shelley's encounter in the pilot may have been Biff's alibi for the first murder. Gail Ramsey (Susan Moore) was married to Steve Carlson (Josh Collier, ANDiE).

Britt Hefler (Lily #2, Loving) was Cynthia Clayborn.

What a great picture! Thanks. The picture is from 1968-1969. Terry O'Sullivan arrived in Woodbridge about September 17, 1968 as Judge Samuel Stevens. I believe Nicolas Coster ended up leaving in 1969. I wonder who it is with their back to the camera.

Yeah, I definitely confused Dirk and Duke.

The elder Bridges appeared on "The Brighter Day," not "The Clear Horizon." The episode aired April 10, 1962. In the story, Sandra Dennis had been suffering from mental health issues for some time and had ended up in a sanitarium. Lloyd Bridges appeared in a scene with Sandra talking about therapy.

Duke appeared from November 1983 to about February 1984. Lorna dated him because he had evidence related to the Garth Slater murder trial. I believe Duke robbed the Slater home the night of the murder. The trial ended in January so he may have left even earlier. I know Lorna immediately was thrown into a triangle with Stacey Donovan and Tony Perilli which lasted all of a minute despite the fact that Lorna got pregnant, got married (I think), and had an abortion. I don't remember reading about Chuck Ellis.

I'm pretty sure I have the book in question. It's called "Writing for Television." Max Wylie is the writer. In the soap writing section, Winsor and Shaw were the subjects who provided a majority of the material. The episode provided is from Robert J. Shaw. It's heavy into the Tess / John Randolph story. The storyline projection, titled "Extended Visit," involves Sarah Dale selling her home in Barrowsville and moving in with the Sterlings in Rosehill. Sarah's presence in the Sterling home puts pressure on Vanessa and Bruce's marriage which leads Bruce to stray with Lucy Beale, an expert on historical sites in New York. Part of the projection does outline Meg's return (she wants her mother's money) and delves a little into Meg's time away from the story (involvement with a married man and running a tavern). The projection is credited to Winsor and the story is set to start in December. I found an article from February, 1968 mentioning Sarah's return and the friction caused by her arrival on the Sterling's marriage. I don't know why Meg doesn't return, but it's interesting to note that Meg is mentioned by Winsor in the article. There is also another book, it may be "From Mary Noble to Mary Hartman," that details another planned return for Meg. I believe this one would have been under Don Ettlinger around 1963. I'm pretty certain Paul Raven posted it in the "Love of Life" section years ago. The book included a monthly outline of "Love of Life" during the Phillip Holden / Glenn Hamilton story and it stated something along the lines of Meg returns and becomes involved in real estate.

On "The Secret Storm," Jessica Rains' character was Bunny, an 18-year-old friend of Wendy Porter. She appeared in 1967. The part appears to be recurring and she first popped up around January/February Erik Rhodes' "Storm" character is described as a "suave country club steward" in 1963.

In the end, Amy Russell's story went unresolved. I don't think Bruce had learned Amy's secret yet. In December, Amy had sent Bruce a letter claiming he had ruined her mother, but I believe it was also revealed that Amy's mother was mentally ill. Amy managed to land an invite to Sarah and Timothy's holiday wedding by going with Steve Harbach. I think the disco sequence may be from the final weeks. Chandler Harben Hill posted the scene on his channel with the last week and that sequence from July, 1979. Saynotoursoap, who hasn't posted here in ages, said that Ann Marcus planned to reveal that Amy was NOT Bruce's daughter. Marcus had played a similar story on "Days of our Lives" about a year before with Don Craig and Donna where it was revealed the mother was lying before changing it again (or maybe another write changed Donna's paternity). This poster also revealed that Marcus planned to bring back both Barbara and Alan Sterling. Bruce mentioned his son and his daughter to Amy in conversation in the final month or two. I also heard a rumor that Peter Reckell had been hired at the time of the cancellation to play Hank Latimer, but I'm not sure if that is true or not. "Love of Life" DID evolve though, didn't it? It went from Barrowsville to New York City to Rosehill and from Peggy McCay to Bonnie Bartlett to Audrey Peters. Also, there had been a "youth focus" since the mid 1960s with Bill / Tess / Jamie / Sally and then later Betsy / Arlene / Ben / Cal / David. I do agree there seems to be a struggle maintaining a cohesive narrative thread as the show evolves. Often, it seems characters were not weaved in and out of the story in a natural manner. Characters like Barbara and Alan should have come back at some point even if they don't stay. As mentioned, Van had stepchildren in Alan and Barbara Sterling. If the show was playing the long game with Amy's paternity, Alan's return could have really ruffled some feathers. Alan wasn't Bruce's biological son, but rather the product of an affair his wife had with another man. Imagine Amy learning that her 'father' Bruce had raised another man's child but not her? I've read that Vanessa miscarried a baby in the 1950s during her marriage to Paul Raven. Considering that she was looking to adopt Carol, the daughter Paul Raven didn't know was his, or wasn't his, I would assume that Vanessa suffered fertility issues. Later, Vanessa looked after Stacey Corby, Paul's stepdaughter when he suffered amnesia and believed he was Matt Corby. Also, Vanessa became involved with Lynn Henderson, a teen alcoholic. Vanessa went to see Lynn in April 1979 when Peters was off screen for several weeks. When Vanessa returned to Rosehill in May, she was offered the job at the university. I agree "Love of Life" should have been able to maintain its focus with virtuous Vanessa vs. self centered Meg. We should also remember that Tudi Wiggins was set to depart the show early in 1980 even if the show hadn't been cancelled. I think that would have been a blow to the show as not only was Meg such a crucial piece to the story, but the Meg / Tom / Liane story reads as pretty strong with several emotional pay outs yet to be cashed in. It's interesting that Marcus had both Vanessa and Meg involved with younger men in very different situations. I would have liked to seen the reaction of each sister to the other's situation. In terms of expanding, I have to wonder if the show was getting too big under Marcus to the point that characters would need to have been cut and story shifted. In the final week, the Kim / Tony / Bambi story seems to reach a natural conclusion without much conflict building. I guess the show could have done more with Bambi's relationship with Dr. Paul Graham, but even Paul seems extraneous on a show that already has doctors Tom, Liane, and Andrew. Wes Osborne, Mia's kid brother, finally got a story after a brief departure (maybe Woody Brown was away filming the "Flaming Road" telefilm?) with newcomers Kelly Wilson (Liane's sister who arrived to attend Rosehill University) and Cheryl Kingsfield (a coworker at the disco). With Alan and Barbara (and possibly Hank) set to return, some of the characters were going to need to go.

I don't think this has shown up here. This material appears to be from January 1980, but some of it may be earlier. It definitely seems to lead up to the final days. This seems to come from Christopher Wyatt who played Joel Stratton, the young law student who was introduced as part of the younger set by Ann Marcus. It's all a nice tangent to the main story (Amy may be Bruce's daughter, Steve has romantic inclinations towards Vanessa). The dialogue is a bit stilted, but I adore the what they are building to in terms of story and character. Anyway, it's a chance to see some of Dana Delany as the deceptive Amy Russell and to get a peek at what the end of "Love of Life" looked like.

Barbara Rodell ended up on "The Secret Storm" as Jill shortly after leaving "Another World." A couple of the papers commented how Lee had just been killed off and Rodell was assuming the role of Jill. I want to say she took over in late July 1969.

I believe it was Eric Peters and his roommate. Someone once posted here or on another board (maybe danfling's or Steve Frame's old board) about how when Stanley Kamel played Eric he was seen living in a one bedroom apartment that both Eric and his roommate would enter and exit from a various points.

Randolph Mantooth and James Horan, Alex #1 and Clay #1 respectively, were both on the show from 1989 - 1990. Based on the way the story was structured, the real Alex had to return eventually. Mantooth's contract may have been up in Spring 1989 around the time of the South America story and this was used as a negotiations tactic, but I don't know that for sure. Mantooth left of his own accord in early / spring 1990 with Robert Dubac replacing him. This was around the time of the merry go round of head writers and producers. I don't think Dubac was well received as Alex, and that may be why they paired Alex and Egypt and had them leave town in spring 1991. By that time, Ava was paired with Paul Slavinski (Joseph Breen) and Clay had impregnated Abril Domeq (Marisol Massey) but was casually seeing Carly Rescott (Coleen Quinn), Ava's sister and the mother of Paul's child. Dubac's Alex departed at a time where the show wrote off a bunch of Aldens (Wesley Addy's Cabot was killed off, Chip Albers's Curtis was shipped off to the Persian Gulf, and who knows what happened to Augusta Dabney's Isabelle). Alex's role was minimized by these departures. With that said, there was easy ways to work Alex back into Ava and Paul's story. James Horan's Clay was written out a short while later in the summer of 1991. There was a change in producers and writers so Clay was rested for about six months before they brought back all the Aldens (Celeste Holms' Isabelle arrived in November 1991, Larkin Malloy's Clay arrived in January, and I'm pretty sure the show planned to bring Curtis back in the summer of 1992). Malloy and Holms played the poorly conceived "Clay Sullivan" storyline which I don't think was ever effectively used. Malloy's Clay doesn't work for me in what I've seen. I like Clay brooding and sullen, like Parlato and Horan. Malloy seems more misunderstood. To be fair, Malloy was brought back on the cusp of a writer's change (Mary Ryan Munisteri to Addie Walsh). Munisteri is not a writer many have fond memories of from across her soap experience, but I think the material from her period that has popped up has ranged from slightly below average to stunning. For instance, her interpretation of Isabelle Alden as a snobby aristocrat is vast departure from Augusta Dabney's stoic but motherly matriarch. In the fall of 1992, Malloy went out on a medical leave and Dennis Parlato took over temporarily. When Malloy was set to return, he was fired and Parlato continued in the role until the show was cancelled. I believe Parlato played the gaslighting of Stacey Forbes and was then paired with Gwyn, Deborah, Stephanie, and Tess in no particular order. The daily summaries I read of the Cradle Foundation story, where Clay was secretly hiding his father and was blackmailed into marriage by Deborah Brewster, is probably my favorite story Parlato's Clay was involved in. There are also some good bits of Clay and Alex (upon Mantooth's return) when Alex decides to impersonate Clay in order to trap Dante Partou, Tess' villainous ex-husband. I'm not sure if Alex and Clay interacted much after that arc. Parlato's Clay seemed more villainous like Horan, but I think that was more of a change in story direction (and writers and producers) rather than writing. Randolph Mantooth returned in September 1993 right around the time Agnes Nixon took over from Millee Taggert. Alex was reintroduced during a storm by running into Dinahlee Mayberry, who was Ava's friend. Dinahlee and Alex didn't overlap during Robert Dubac's run (Dubac left in March/April 1991 and Dinahlee first appeared in August 1991). I don't know if the intention was to use Dinahlee as a third wheel to Alex and Ava, but Alex was clearly brought back to give Ava a stronger love interest (she had been with Leo Burnell and Jeremy Hunter, but there didn't seem much place to go with either even though Peluso and Leclerc had decent chemistry).

IMDb lists Jasmin Paul as Amber. I think that is right. I don’t know about replacing Sussman Morina. I think she struggled a bit with plotting, but created very strong characters. I think pairing her with someone who had a stronger sense of plotting the day to day episodes would have improved the show, but there were times that the show was excellent. If they had replaced Sussman Morina, I cannot imagine who NBC would have brought in during the early 1990s. Who would you have liked to see? The moments Sally gets it, the show soars. I was rewatching some of the March 1990 episodes I’ve acquired, and the story is quite good. The canvas is constantly interacting. In the episodes I watched, Doreen has been shot at Johnny’s Hideaway during a conversation with her friend, Daniel. Daniel manages to save Doreen and deliver her baby, but his involvement threatens to reveal his true identity. Also, when Daniel returns home to Maya and Adam for dinner, Adam learns that Doreen has been shot and delivered the baby, his child. We see Martin dealing with Doreen’s condition, Martin holding the baby for the first time, and Martin confronting Adam when he arrives at the hospital and sees his daughter in the nursery. Later, an emotional Adam calls Sam at Kyle’s place after the couple has made love for the first time. Sam rushes to Adam, who admits he is afraid he will never see his daughter if Doreen dies. Daniel worries that Doreen will recall his involvement and that questions will arise. Ruth learns of Doreen’s accident in the paper and rushes to her side. Doreen and Ruth, who have been fighting because Doreen alerted the press about the racial attacks against the Marshalls, reconcile when Ruth realizes she could have lost her best friend. It’s a tender moment that I fear we might have lost if Sally had left. I also watched some episodes from November/December 1990, and they weren’t as good. Jordan and Sam have married in Jamaica, Peter Whitmore is back in Chicago not doing a whole lot, and Eric Royal has been released from prison. The Sam / Jordan / Kyle triangle has taken an odd turn. Jordan’s backstory has become more elaborate and the character works a bit better in the romantic triangle. Jordan’s father, a Chicago gangster, had a mistress who he impregnated and abandoned. It was the gangster daddy who set Jordan up in the hotel business in Las Vegas where Jordan created his brand. Jordan’s father is also the man who Peter Whitmore testified against. It creates a rather rich conflict between Sam and Jordan, who both have serious Daddy issues but who would also be odds as the Taylor family still wants to kill Peter. The real loser in the triangle is Kyle who is sidelined as a bit of pariah for thinking that Jordan is a fraud for the Ming vase story. In the spring episodes, Kyle is a cunning cop who is intrigued by complicated cases, but instead of finding further evidence of Jordan’s guilt, Kyle is offscreen while Sam tries to track down the stolen art. I don’t begrudge Sam, but I think it would work better if Kyle and Sam were both investigating Jordan separately and sparred over their dueling agendas. I don’t hate Chantal and Eric, but their story lacks any real conflict at the moment. It is nice seeing an African American couple receiving the same supercouple treatment that couples like Sam and Kyle received, but the story is weaker. From what I’ve seen, Eric’s trial was a bit lame, and Debbi Morgan seems unsure how to play, or the writers seem unsure how to write, Chantal. There are definitely hints that Chantal feels inferior to all the other women in playboy Eric’s life, but given where the story is heading with Peter and Ruth, it would be nice to see more of that relationship affect her own with Eric. Eric is given an interesting perspective, a young man from modest means who was able to rise above and avoid gang life because of his involvement in sports. Knowing where this is heading, it’s all right, but if I didn’t, I’m not sure how I would feel. I will say the best thing I saw in the December episodes was another reunion between Doreen and Ruth. This is only several months after Ruth has learned that Danielle is her grandchild, and she and Doreen have been on the outs because of the deception. When Danielle nearly chokes with a babysitter, Ruth rushes over. Doreen and Ruth reconcile and Ruth makes some comments about being empathetic about the lies Doreen told regarding her child, which is pointed in terms of the long story. There is also some minor bickering between Maya and Doreen when Maya convinces Adam to let her move in now that Sam has married Jordan and moved into the Winston. There is also the lingering question of whether or not Eric will be allowed to return to the Rifles. A good chunk of time is spent on Reginald and Jordan’s scheme to keep the Ming vase hidden, while Sam is determined to learn whether or not Jordan is lying to her.

This person's channel has fourteen episodes from December 1990/January 1991. I can never remember if it is in this thread or not, but it probably is since the episodes are so old. The show does have long stretches of weak episodes. What I've seen of November 1989 through March 1990 is pretty solid, but even in March things start to fall apart. I would like to see the conclusion of the Daniel Reubens story, but I wasn't thrilled that the show went recast crazy by dumping Sharon Brown, George Shannon, and Pat Tallman. The final months aren't bad, but who knows how things would have turned out.

NOVEMBER 1969 Monday, November 3: Sandra realizes that Dave could make trouble for Bill Ferguson. Martha’s anxiety over Bill’s relationship with Sandra prompts her to write Sandy a letter. Tuesday, November 4: Ann attempts to uncover Sandra’s feelings for Bill. Mike relates some rather unexpected news to Tom. Dave presents Bill with an ultimatum. Wednesday, November 5: Bill is faced with a weighty decision regarding professional ethics. Sandra finds herself confused by Martha’s recent invitation. Thursday, November 6: Bill confronts Tom with his problem. Sandra’s visit doesn’t seem to placate Martha’s mounting worry. Friday, November 7: Bert finds his son Mike is to become a father. Bill rejects Martha’s insinuations of a personal relationship existing between he and Sandra. Monday, November 10: Tom is puzzled about how to approach Bill concerning the relationship that should exist between a student and a teacher. After great hesitation, Bert reveals the truth about Mike and Dawn to Alice. Tuesday, November 11: Jennifer becomes miffed over her and Chet’s apparent lack of togetherness. Sandra tells Ann of her lunch with Martha. Wednesday, November 12: Red presents Dave Martin’s case to Tom. Martha is faced with the fact that she may have spoiled her marriage. Thursday, November 13: Sandra confides her relationship to Dave with Bill. Ann attempts to reassure Martha that she has nothing to fear about Sandra, but should seek to cement her marital ties. Friday, November 14: Tom notices that Red may be taking a personal interest in Ann. Tom surprises Ann with a proposal. Monday, November 17: As unexpected development in Mike’s life draws Tom and Ann closer to him. Jennifer is afraid that Chet will be forced to withdraw from medicine. Tuesday, November 18: George makes several inferences about Bill to Martha. Martha, however, is not insensitive to George’s mounting envy of Bill. Wednesday, November 19: Bill becomes infuriated by George Townley’s insinuating remarks. Henry feels that Bill should confine his student relationships. Thursday, November 20: Tom learns of Dawn’s death. Jennifer tells Chet of her undisclosed visit to Professor Mitchell. Tom makes an attempt to contact his son, Jimmy. Friday, November 21: Ann tells Tom of Red’s suspicion of Bill. Bill becomes aroused by Sandy’s expression of adoration. DECEMBER 1969 Monday, December 22: Martha reflects on the past of Christmas with her father. Henry is pleased by Martha’s renewed understanding and acceptance of Sandra. Tuesday, December 23: Though the shadows of loss and sorrow linger, Tom looks to the future for himself and his son, Jimmy. George Townley finds himself wanting to know Sandra better. Wednesday, December 24: Red tells Anna bout his life in an effort to win her confidence. Martha is elated by the Christmas gift she receives from Bill. Thursday, December 25: A Christmas Day of Joy, of living, of belief, and remembrance is shared by Tom and Ann, Bill and Martha, and Sandra and Jimmy. Friday, December 26: Sandra makes an overt attempt at being friendly with Dave. Jennifer is adamant about Chet’s remaining in medical school and becoming a doctor. Sandra begins to realize there is but little hope for a deeper relationship with Bill. JANUARY 1970 Monday, January 19: Ann senses Jim’s dislike for Marian, but tries to overlook it. Martha’s long suppressed suspicions prove to be correct. Tuesday, January 20: Martha represses her need to expose Bill, despite her inner turmoil. Red seeks to protect Ann from any possible repercussions resulting from her recent decision. Wednesday, January 21: Unsure of what decision to make, Chet goes to see Prof. Mitchell. Martha finds it necessary to circumvent the truth to protect herself and Bill. Thursday, January 22: Ann receives a letter from Sandra’s mother. With the threat of possible scandal, Tom decides to alert Bill. Friday, January 23: Jim does something out of impulse that he cannot explain. Unknown to Bill, he is seen leaving Sandra’s apartment. Monday, January 26: Martha finds that she cannot pinpoint Bill’s feelings for Sandra. Bill’s most recent visit to Sandra’s apartment could prove troublesome for him. Tuesday, January 27: A phone call from Bill creates embarrassment and uncertainty for Martha. Ann attempts to steer Sandra away from a potentially unpleasant situation. Wednesday, January 28: Sandra finds out that Bill was seen leaving her apartment. Tom realizes he can no longer protect Bill if he persists in maintaining his relationship with Sandra. Thursday, January 29: Bill asks Sandra to accompany him on a trip. Jim Boswell and Red Wilson meet for the first time. Friday, January 30: George suspects that something is going on between Sandra and Bill and determines to learn the truth. FEBRUARY 1970 Monday, February 9: Martha wonders if the end of her marriage is drawing near in the face of humiliation and Bill forced to make a choice. Tuesday, February 10: Marion advises Tom to be watchful of Jim. Jim’s feelings for Ann are more than platonic. Wednesday, February 11: Martha seeks to make Bill happy and at ease with himself. Bill and Sandra reach a momentous decision. Thursday, February 12: Martha realizes that she has forced Bill to make a decision about Sandra. Bill is reproachful of George for having upset Martha. Bill makes it clear that he only wants Sandra back. Friday, February 13: George pays a visit to Tom. Martha reconciles herself to the fact that Bill will be honest with her, unaware of Bill’s compelling thoughts of Sandra. Monday, February 16: Bill’s physical anguish over Sandra leads him to point of no return. Dave confides to Red his suspicions of Bill. Tuesday, February 17: Marian knows that any mention of Ann will bring on a reaction from Jim. Jim tells Ann of his love for her. Wednesday, February 18: Marian senses Jim’s overt admiration for Ann and decides to question her. Henry is dubious of Martha’s reasons for wanting a child. Thursday, February 19: Bill learns of Martha’s desire to adopt a child. Ann knows she cannot allow herself the chance to prove her feelings to Jim. Friday, February 20: Stu Pierce arrives at Bancroft to start a law practice. Martha makes a point of having Sandra meet her brother Stu. MARCH 1970 Monday, March 16: Tom and Bill disagree over bill’s attitude toward marriage and solidarity. Martha asks where she stands in Bill’s life. Tuesday, March 17: Bill reassures Martha that he wants to maintain their marriage. Jim becomes irate when he finds Red at Ann’s apartment. Wednesday, March 18: George informs Marian of the campus gossip circulated about Bill and Sandra. Red advises Henry to intervene in the unsavory situation fostered by Bill. Dave pushes Sandra to the breaking point. Thursday, March 19: Marian and Tom discuss her recent conversation with George Townley. Bill withdraws as a candidate for chairman of Bancroft’s English department. Friday, March 20: Sandra tells Stu her views on living. George leaves no stone unturned in his interview at the adoption agency. Friday, March 27: Colleen Gray’s last episode as Ann Boyd. Monday, March 30: Gail Kobe assumes the role of Ann Boyd. APRIL 1970 MAY 1970 Monday, May 25: Stu sets out to persuade Sandra not to visit Bill in jail. George betrays a confidence when he tells Red about Jim Boswell. Tuesday, May 26: The assistant district attorney seeks to make a deal with Howard to obtain a murder confession from Bill. Martha knows that despite everything she will more than likely have to appear in Bill’s defense at the trial. Wednesday, May 27: Martha agrees to appear as a character witness for Bill. Howard presents in court his opening statement for the defense. Thursday, May 28: Ann goes to Tom with Jennifer and Chet’s problem. Bill is stirred by a ray of hope when he learns Martha will testify on his behalf. Friday, May 29: Stu tells Henry and Martha of his intentions to marry Sandra. Martha shares her disturbance over Stu’s recent decision with Ann. May 1970: Peter Ratray (Stu), Susannah Darrows (Sandra), Paul Lukather (Bill), Richard Eastham (Red), Eric James (Jim), Robert Hogan (assistant DA), Mark Miller (Howard), Susan Brown (Martha), Nancy Stephens (Jennifer), Gary Pillar (Chet), David Lewis (Henry), Lesley Woods (Isabel), Ed Gilbert (Lt. Rutkowski), Marion Brash (Marian), Nigel McKeard (George), Rusty Lane (Judge). JUNE 1970 JULY 1970 Monday, July 6: Martha cannot bring herself to accept Sandra, despite her love for Stu. Bill takes a badgering from the district attorney when he fails to explain his reasons for lying. Tuesday, July 7: Tom’s anxiety over his son Jim begins to ease. Jennifer is not reassured by Chet’s promise to return to medical school. Martha goes to visit Ann. Wednesday, July 8: Sandra discusses her mother’s unstable life with Howard. Ann shows concern over Sandra’s health. Red seeks to use Marion as a go-between with Tom. Thursday, July 9: Marion forced a bitter argument with Tom. Tom goes to visit bill in jail. To the surprise of the court and the district attorney, Howard petitions to introduce new evidence in Bill’s trial Friday, July 10: Townley’s subpoenaed by defense. A dramatic and revealing scene erupts when Emily Woodhue, the city librarian takes the stand. Monday, July 13: George Townley confesses, and Bill is released. Tuesday, July 28: Ann gives Howard her answer.

The early episodes are very heavy in exposition. There are still some interesting moments, but, as you've said, very little happens, and what does happen has only smaller implications. For example, the affair between Sam Whitmore and Rob Donnelly is a bizarre situation. Sam is struggling to pass biology so she sleeps with her professor Rob so she can steal the final exam. When Rob learns what she has done, he fails her so she retaliates by claiming sexual harassment. Rob isn't interacting with any of the other main characters except for some tense moments between him and Adam. Because Sam can't tell her family about the situation, the whole story is in a bit of a bubble. During this story, there is a great scene where Sam has to see the university psychologist as part of her sexual harassment claim. In the session, there are hints that Sam is deeply disturbed by her father's abandonment and some of her other motivation is explored. It's a really well done scene, but a great scene doesn't make a great story. The impact is lacking all over the place. This all would have worked better if Rob was friends with the McCallums and Rob was hiding his affair with Laura's kid sister. Similarly, look at these episodes. This back and forth between Martin and Henry about the South Side plant has no real meat to it. What is the impact of this? It would have been more meaningful if the show featured some have nots living on the South Side, working at the plant who would have lost their jobs over this. People from the neighborhood who knew Doreen back when she was Doreen Walker singing at Johnny's. The show signed Myles Thoroughgood to a contract as Wally, the ice cream shop scoop boy who had been running with gangs before Henry gave him a job. Wally's family or neighbors could have worked at the factory. This would have given Wally something to do. Stuff is starting to happen in June / July, but not all of it good. In July, the Doreen story picks up with Doreen and Adam meeting at the menswear store where they begin their secret rendezvous. By August, Martin has learned of the affair, had Adam thrown in jail on drug charges, and Doreen takes an overdose. In September, Martin throws the anniversary party where Doreen and Adam realize who the other person is (both were unaware of each other's true identities) and Doreen learns she is pregnant. Also in the summer, you have Sam meddling in Jason and Monique's relationship through her modeling work. At the end of the summer, Sam sets herself up to be raped so that Jason can play her savior. Jessica and J.D.'s relationship peters out when Jessica learns J.D. needs her money to finance his new album and Jessica goes on a bender with Rob Donnelly. Rebecca loses out on the partnership, then gets offered the partnership, and then declines the offer. By the time November rolls around, that's when things really start to move: Jason is 'murdered,' Kyle and Sam meet, Ruth buys the Whitmore house from Rob, Helen Mullin appears, everyone starts working at the Winston, Adam is trying to figure out Maya's mystery, etc.

Thanks for replying. Do you know when and how Matt and Liz were written out? Or were they always around in just a limited role?

BakerSq, I always love reading your insights on "The Young Marrieds." I have a question. How did you come across the information about Jim Elwards' feelings about the show? Did he donate his papers somewhere?

A 1993 promo featuring one of the blink and you missed him Curtis Aldens as well as a bit of the Faison crossover.

Labine was still shopping around "Union Place" in some form or another at least a year before she passed. I heard her and Kate Mulgrew speak at an event benefiting a theatre group Claire was involved with in Connecticut. When Claire was asked about "Union Place," Claire gave some details, but admitted she couldn't say much but that a mutual friend was helping. When Mulgrew asked who, Claire stated it was "OD," who I assumed was Rosie O'Donnell.

Those episodes are from late June 1989, not August. I think they give a good glimpse of early "Generations." There are so many side characters featured in these episodes. We get to see Chris Mendoza (the lawyer at the firm with Rebecca), Billie and Amber (the leather and lace models), Joel (Martin's slimy business associate), and Lloyd (the British lawyer dining with Rebecca). Carl, as you probably know, the actor playing Lloyd Bradfield is Ronald Allen, he appeared on the British soap "Crossroads" as David Hunter. Billie, the model featured in the photoshoot with Sam, is Pat Tallman, who would return in the winter as Christy Russell, a cop often paired with Kyle Masters on assignments. Tallman is a lot of fun in both her roles. Joel Resnick is played by Rick Lohman, who I believe was one of the Tom Bergmans or Gary Waltons on "Search for Tomorrow." The exchange between him and Jonelle Allen's Doreen is fun, but the sort of whitewash Joel and later give him a C-romance with Laura McCallum, Monique's mom after the show writes off Trevor McCallum. The Sam / Monique / Jason stuff is weak overall. Kelly Rutherford is still rather green as Sam and, as I recall, Sam's motivation for going after Jason seemed to arise suddenly. They are clearly playing the resentment that Sam feels toward Monique (Monique and grandma Rebecca were incredibly close while Sam and Rebecca were always more combative). There is definitely some nice groundwork for a smaller climax (Rebecca losing out on the partnership) with Sam's comments about not being disappointed. There was definitely an attempt to parallel Sam not graduating from school with Rebecca not being made partner at the law firm. The show still seems to be hinting at the Sam / Adam angle, which is fascinating, but I don't get the sense that Kristoff St. John is playing that subtext. There were some scenes, I believe, where it was stated, or implied, that Adam had an unrequited love for Sam. The Doreen material is great. If I remember correctly, this is really Doreen's first set of meaty scenes. The dinner party was fine, and there is a great conversation between Doreen and Henry where Doreen first talks about growing up on the South Side. The tension in the Ruth / Doreen scene is great. Doreen and Ruth's relationship is one of the best elements of the show. There are some great scenes from about a month later where Ruth is accepted into the Women's Arts Council where Ruth defends herself against a snobby and bigoted Mary Gardner. Jonelle Allen does a great job playing a supporting role in those scenes. Ruth and Doreen are also a great pair during the racism storyline. I hope some of that pops up online because the material is really strong. It was nice to see these again. Thanks.

I don't think Chris' last name was McKee. Amy remarried after Chris died. Bruce McKee was her second husband. Bruce's daughter was Jenny McKee. I think Jackie was probably a misprint in some publication. I've seen an episode of "First Love" when I visited the Paley Center years ago. In the episode, Amy is dealing with Jenny while Bruce is out of town. Jenny was a mischievous hellion of about ten. She and Amy did not get along. I believe in the episode I saw Jenny chased after her little dog in the rain. The episode was dated November 1955. Also in that episode, Matthew James had just arrived in town and was renting a room from Leona.

I've read Enid Allen and David Allen were brother and sister. Robert Mandan was introduced into the story in August, 1958, when Provo and Pickard, the writers, were looking to give Enid someone to share her thoughts and schemes with. The original triangle pitted Liz Fraser and her glamourous big city fiancé Bruce Crawford against her small town doctor childhood sweetheart 'Buck' Weaver. I think Enid pursued Bruce and married him, not David. The audience really liked Mandan and Provo and Pickard expanded David's role as a temporary obstacle in Liz's pursuit of happiness. The triangle eventually became Liz, Buck, and David, and Liz and David ended up marrying in February, 1960. I'm confused on exactly who Lyddy was married to. Wesley Hyatt's "Encyclopedia of Daytime Television" states that Lyddy and Lance are expecting a child together as the series closes. Lance Patterson was an English professor who appeared on the show, but it appears that David Daniels left the series many months before the show's conclusion. I think he aired in 1960-early 1961. An article from October, 1961, states he appeared on the show for eight months. In another article, Lyddy is credited as "Lyddy Curtiss" in the fall of 1961. To add further complication, the Radio-TV Mirror reported, at one point, that the actor playing Don Curtiss was looking to leave the show. So maybe Lyddy was married to both? Or maybe Hyatt got it wrong? Dr. Enoch Andrews only appeared in 1958. The actor playing the role died in the fall of 1958. Later, Pickard and Provo discussed the struggle of finding elderly actors to fill a lot of the roles on a television series. I'm not sure how the Judge was related to the other Tompkins if they were related at all. I don't remember how the Corellis were related.

The budget issue might be true, but the rating decline wasn't any different than it had been in the previous years. Labine and early Lucky Gold managed to hit in the 3.3 - 3.6 range in the summer of 2001. Gold fell under 3.0 in March 2002 and the show never went back. During the summer of 2002, the show averaged in the 2.6 - 2.8 range. Probably as a result of Gold's poor stories, Taggert and Culliton were initially mostly landing in 2.5 to 2.6 range. There last weeks they jumped into the 2.7 - 2.8 range, but we'll never know if they would have been able to maintain that. Conboy and Weston did have an initial drop, but they managed to rebound to the 2.6 - 2.8 range for most of the summer of 2003. The remainder of their run was in the 2.4 - 2.6 range. After Conboy departed, the show dipped, Weston and Wheeler's work mainly fell in the 2.2 - 2.4 range with the occasional dip above and below. Yet, Wheeler and Kriezman were able to get back to the 2.4 - 2.6 range for a bit in the winter of 2004/2005, the show falls back into the 2.2-2.4 range fairly quickly only to settle at 2.3 in the fall of 2004.