Cat

I was sorry to see them go. I liked Paula and Laura Harring a lot -- she played one of those decent characters who tries to do the right thing. I liked how Gabi was jealous of her and how she still tried to form a sisterly relationship with her. I also liked Elaine because she was such a big part of the "history" of Sunset Beach -- her love affair with AJ and the fact that Annie's father stole their baby and told Elaine it had died. I wish SuBe had hired Gordon Thomson earlier so we could have gotten to see all that Elaine-AJ history play out again, and how jealous Olivia was of them. I don't know why they left so abruptly but I'm thinking that behind-the-scenes changes in the HWing team prompted it. Guza left and was replaced by his wife, Meg Bennett, who was later replaced as well. I got a sense after the first year that they re-evaluated the show and decided to reorient it a little and dump a couple of characters along the way. Like, they also got rid of Nick and I really liked him! And Rae and Wei Lee and I liked them too (although I know I'm alone in that feeling).

Ben and Maria?! Cheap, say it ain't so! JMO, I know, but I thought Christina Chambers made the drippiest Maria.

Oh, I liked Ben & Meg -- and I liked Annie. I actually thought Ben & Annie had a lot of chemistry and that's why it was a good triagle at the beginning! But it became clear that Ben & Meg were the star-crossed endgame and that's cool, too, as Robertson and Ward had a nice working relationship. Ben & Meg were always going to be where it was at!

They don't do TV credits like that no more! I love it. Dynasty always had the best. LOL at that champagne cork popping on Gordon Thomson's credit. And I don't even mind the Special Guest Star and Special Appearances By. My Stephanie Beacham looks divine tossing that fur coat across the room. Honestly, she, Barbara Stanwyck and Ricardo Montalban was the only good part of The Colbys. Beacham and Montalban popped. I am LOL right now just thinking how awful Maxwell Caulfield was. True story: Catherine Oxenberg's cousin went to my grade school (this was just after CO had left Dynasty), and one day Catherine came to school to pick her up. Dynasty was HUGE among us kids (I even got the commemorative book for my birthday!) and there was a mini-riot as hundreds of 9, 10 and 11-year olds stampeded the locker room and swarmed around her. I think one of the teachers had to fight us off and bundle her back into her car.

I feel like I'm watching SuBe all over again, over your shoulder! Oh, LAD, DJ and KN were awesome. Kathleen Noone is like the Carolyn Hennessy of SuBe. She played one of my favorite characters. Dominique was a STAR and I wish I knew what she was doing at the moment so I could keep tabs on what she is up to. Virginia was ultimately too constrained a role for her. She could definitely glam it up in a role if she was allowed to. True confession: I much prefer Heskin's Caitlin to Dorman's. True, that. Adams surprised me sometimes with how much better he could be when given the material. Jason Winston George has gone onto better things and that's good because Michael was pretty much a one-note character. Hank Cheyne was never that great. Ever. Cibrian gets a free pass because he was insanely hot.

Bellcurve and his Leeza love. Actually, I loved Leeza, too. Just to underscore what Tomlin said about groups watching soaps, our dorm left the NBC affiliate station on from 11am (when Leeza aired) right through until Oprah-time (4pm) on the ABC affiliate. The NBC soaps were huge in the dorms. And Leeza was a great vehicle for Days. I remember she used to have Patrika Darbo after she lost her Days stint coming on as a talking head.

I think SuBe *did* know that they would soon get the chop -- which is why its last year had a Long Goodbye feel to it. Which I wouldn't want any other way because SuBe managed to end on a very SuBe-like high. I did think Gregory returning as Uncle Whatshisname was a mistake -- it was drawn-out and tedious. Although the irony was that Gregory was nicer and more lovable as this uncle than he was as Gregory! the final scene between Olivia and Gregory in jail was one I still have imprinted on my brain, it was so good. Sam Behrens never got the kudos he should have for playing Gregory Richards, but he was phenomenal at it. Best SL of that last year was Ricardo stroking out when he finally saw that tape of Gabi and Antonio makin' sweet luv in the rubble of the church after the earthquake. He was in a wheelchair plotting revenge on G&A and that was by far the most interesting Thickardo has ever been on the show. Antonio continued to look hot and Priscilla Garita stole the show with her decision to eventually leave town rather than continue to hurt Ricardo and Antonio. I also think that the show would have invested a little more in Casey and Meg if they hadn't known that the axe was falling. As it was, they had to drop that and make sure Meg and Ben found their way back to each other relatively quickly. Sarah Buxton continued playing Annie like her life depended on it. More than anybody else, she really was the star of that show. I'm bummed Sean Kanen didn't have enough time to establish himself, though.

Exactly! I never understood why people always shat on Donna just because the Great Michael Hudson deigned not to be with her. As for Kale, is/was he JFP's personal chewtoy or just an ordinary FOJ like John Bolger and Robin Christopher? Speaking of RC, was she any good as Lorna? I have to say, I love the long, lithe Sofia Coppola.

I hope that Kale Browne gets down on his knees daily and thanks the good lord that Anna Stuart swept his professional life. It is because of her wonderful interpretation of Donna Love that Michael Hudson was such a fixture on AW, on and off, for 20 odd years. And I know he was her first love and and she was all flighty and spoiled etc., but he was such a judgmental, trifling, pompous ass. He really jerked her around -- especially when she started moving on and falling for other men!

I'll be honest. I really did not enjoy that whole Taylor SL. At the risk of getting spat on by hard-core AW fans, I find Sharlene & John to be a total snore. Even with the hint of multiple personalities. I do like John when he's in Doctor Mode at the hospital, and the only part of this particular SL I enjoyed was Carmen Duncan as Iris presiding over the mediation between John and Taylor. But every time John and Sharlene share screentime, it's like all the oxygen has been sucked out of the room -- in stark contrast with the many other chemistry-rich characters and pairings on the show. Taylor was a fun, unstable psycho though (is there any other kind?).

Oh, and forgot to add: Judi Evans blows me AWAY as Paulina. I liked her on Days but she was crying an awful lot and the role was typical ingénue. Here, her face radiates such love and beauty when she contemplates Grant... and her low voice suggests intelligence and warmth. She is a "complete" multi-dimensinal character. It also helps that she has chemistry with absolutely everybody. The scenes when Jamie took her to a classical music concert and she fell in love with the music were remarkable for everything she expressed without saying a word. I can see this Paulina-Jake thing is going somewhere special. The only regret is that Dack Rambo's Grant was replaced by Mark Pinter. Rambo had more charisma and I totally bought his love for Paulina.

"LAY-DEHHHHH. Lay-deh KILLAHHHHHH." God, that song. That music video! That awful mullet. Carl, I love that episode you posted for exactly the reasons you stated. These strong, relatable yet glamourous women. AW was so great at drawing out friendships as well as romantic relationships that scenes like that never come across as filler, they merely lay the groundwork for possible future storylines/friendships/rivalries. I've been watching about 2 episodes a day. I would normally watch one but early 90s AW is like plunging into a compelling book where you just want to sneak in one chapter more. Some might argue that this kind of soap would never work today because people just do not have the attention span for it. Take it from me who wields her remote control like a weapon -- my FF button is my friend. I am constantly FF the soaps I currently watch, but I have rarely felt the need to with AW currently. You might argue that it is nostalgia-love which is stopping me from doing so, but I believe that 1991 AW is well-paced and structured. There is always something in the final few scenes that makes me want to tune into the next show.

WHAT?! No! Why would they want to do that? I am loving discovering AW for the first time. All those supercouples I only ever heard by name!

Wow. Charles Bateman was a GREAT CC. His reaction throughout that whole SL was spot-on. I grew to love Jed Allen and he absolutely embodied CC for me, but CB had chops, too. And Lane Davies memorizing so much dialogue, some of it theatrical and overwrought, and delivering it perfectly. Judith McConnell was also great. We really took for granted back then just how good most soap actors could be. And the theme tune and music between scene transitions -- awesome, thumping soap music.

OMG! ROTFL! I love early 90s cheese and boy did I get it with the dress rehearsal for Dean's "music video" and Olivia expressing her emotions via the medium of dance. Not going to lie, I sort of miss the fact that soaps are now too cash-strapped to pull "hip" stuff like this.

I am working my way through AW episodes, watching them for the first time. Right now I am at 9/6/91. Carl tried to have Rachel killed, and Jenna is in love with Dean (a mullet-haired RPG). Oh, and Jake is in a marriage of convenience with Paulina (Judi Evans) and currently making cow eyes at Marley but I think he's going to end up falling for Paulina. God, I really love this show! The only person I miss is Anne Heche, though I will give Jensen Buchanan props. Her Vicky is cringeworthy, but her Marley is spot-on.

Not to sound like those crazy peeps who think everybody in show business is gay but... I just assumed CK was as gay as Christmas! I figured they had a very close friendship, like Linda Dano had with Stephen Schnetzer et al., both being NY theatre people. Anna Stuart can do NO wrong as far as I'm concerned. She is Diva gorgeousness.

Viv's hair reallyreallyREALLY bothers me. It's like a cross between a beehive and a mullet, and she's got hair that sweeps down in front of her ears and... ugh. I just want to take the gardening shears to that mop. And you both seem like fans of Viv/Bob/hazel etc. Can I ask why? It's an honest question, not a snarky one. I tend to FF whenever they are on. I love Diane and the old biddies of the village who gossip about everybody else at the Woolpack. I even like crazy religious Edna and her yappy dog. Love the Wyldes, of course. But V/B/H leave me cold, for some reason.

An episode from 1970. Even with the hazy film quality, I found out rather gripping -- especially the confrontation between Victoria Randolph and her mother, Amanda. <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qblvMGB6Snc?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qblvMGB6Snc?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qblvMGB6Snc?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNvnFqLTN6A?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNvnFqLTN6A?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNvnFqLTN6A?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> Also the closing credits from the mid-70s. I love this theme. <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me2Rr-WoUN0?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me2Rr-WoUN0?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me2Rr-WoUN0?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Oh, jp, LOL.

I loved the way Another World was written out in cursive handwriting at the end. And the way Constance Ford embraced Sandra F and Vicky W. All that sparkly hand holding and the way the voices diverge with "you are the one who lets me fly SO high." JFP's AW opening was just so... generic. I usually defend JFP as an EP but she has a mighty big flaw and that is her shame in Daytime. She is referncing Primetime because that is where she'd really love to be EPing.

People complained about AW's opening with its rainbow colors and 80s song but I used to singalong to it and loved it. LOL. ITA about Dean he used to bother me so much. His mullet was irritating, his keyboard music was the shits and he was just so annoying, always having to win every scene with his "tuff guy" overacting. Come to think about it, RPG still makes me cringe on AMC. Donna is my favorite. I just love Anna Stuart. And Victoria Wyndham's English voice... she and Cal had sparkage.

Yeah, great interview. ITA what she said about GH -- at the time she emphasized what a soap fan she was on AW, and how she used to watch GH in her dressing room and wish she could land a part on it. What a disappointment. And I wonder who the "inappropriate" actor on AW was? The one she kept having to report to the EP.

Yes, I do like Schnetzer, there was something very urbane and "I've lived in Paris and Vienna" about him. His voice is incredibly distinctive. When he was torn between Kathleen and Frankie and hopped from one to another, I think that hurt the character because it was such a Ridge Forrester move -- having his cake and eating it, too. But IA that when he got the material, Schnetzer would be point perfect. And that Felicia-Cass-Wallingford friendship was made of awesome.

Was Shane played by Robert Kelker-Kelly? Because pairing them together two seconds after Ryan's death was mega stupid of AW. Also I never liked Vicky-Jake even though he was a reformed character and everything, and that was because he raped Marley. Vicky was so outraged and protective of her sister at the time, I cannot imagine her developing feelings for Jake McKinnon again. I get why they paired what they considered their two most popular stars, though. Also Vicky/Grant -- annoyingly bad.