Paul Raven

TV Guide August 13 1994 TAWDRY TREATS OF THE GUILTY-PLEASURE ELITE Bill Moyers, PBS fixture I've been watching As the World Turns off and on for over 30 years. One of my mentors once said to me, "Never go anywhere without a cheap book or magazine to read." As the World Turns offers that same kind of escapism. 20

No Dallas that week -Knots aired Fri at 10. Peoples Choice aired Thurs 9-11 pre-empting Barnaby Jones & Knots. Tenspeed & Brown shoe was heavily promoted and the 2 hr premiere did well Sun 8-10 but the ratings immediately dropped as Archie Bunker/One Day at a Time dominated.

TV Guide July 14-20 1984 Sometimes a fan's dreams of daytime can come true. They have for New York hair stylist Jim Nelson, an avid viewer of All My Children for more than 12 years, Last winter, Nelson had a friend get him in to see a rehearsal of the show. By day's end, he had been hired as the soap's new hairdresser. "I couldn't believe it," he says. "I had just wanted to meet Susan Lucci." Ah, but there's more. Nelson is also something of a songwriter. And backstage one day recently, he was playing a tape of one of his compositions. The show's musical director heard it, liked it—and picked the song as the love ballad for Tad and Hillary. “This whole thing has been a dream come true,’ says Nelson. “It is possible for a fan to get in there. I feel like one of the family. It's not even like going to work.”

TV Guide July 14-20 1984 Guess the Plot Line Although details of NBC's Santa Barbara are still under wraps, its co-creator Bridget Dobson did drop this hint about the new sudser's central issue: ‘The plot involves a social and personal contemporary issue that is not a disease and has not been part of a soap plot before." While you ponder that one, it should be noted that Santa Barbara will include a daytime first: one of its core families will be Mexican-American and, according to Dobson, “strong, solid and tightknit."

The following week ending Jan 29th Airwolf from #11 to #37 in its first regular timeslot outing opposite Love Boat #8 Webster had another good week remaining at #14 with Benson jumping to #13 Dukes of Hazzard was #36 Fall Guy from #10 to #19 Dallas up to #2 from #4 A Team up from #6 to #5 No Dynasty, Knots Landing or Falcon Crest that week. TV Bloopers NBC Mon 8-9 up #11 Riptide NBC Tues 9-10 prempted Seduction of Gina CBS Tuesday Movie 9-11 Foul Ups, Bleeps and Blunders ABC Tues 8-8.30 down #21 Cheers NBC Thurs 9-9.30 same Benson ABC Fri 8-8.30 up #13 Silver Spoons NBC Sat 8.30-9 down #27 Matt Houston ABC Fri 10-11 down #25 Scarecrow & Mrs King CBS Mon 8-9 pre-empted Hill St Blues NBC Thurs 10-11 down #32 Dukes of Hazzard CBS Fri 8-9 down #36 AfterMASH CBS Mon 9-9.30 up #16 Fantasy Island ABC Sat 10-11 down #34 Diamonds Are Forever ABC Sunday Movie 9-11 Newhart CBS Mon 9.30-10 up #18

Would Santa Barbara be the leader of the pack in terms of cast changes, dropped stories etc? Seeing William Johnstone on ATWT until 79 and given no farewell or return appearances. I assume he retired and perhaps didn't want any fuss? But he was only 70. Which means he was playing much older on ATWT. Les Damon who played his son was just one year younger!

I loved the opening with the disclaimer/ exclamation point then fictional series represented and the exploding TV. And of course the playful title of the show.

That Kathy was a fast worker - 2 marriages in a matter of months. I think Kathy's non stop drama kept viewers hooked and then her daughter Robin followed in her footsteps. Is the Alice mentioned here Alice Holden? Must have been quite an adjustment for those actors to move to TV. Probably their first TV roles. Were there any cast changes as a result? Were there any actors who couldn't cope with the demands of TV or just didn't work out onscreen?

RE Joe. Ed Zimmerman's untimely death meant a recast with Anthony Call. Was he a successful recast? Did they kill him off because Call's Joe wasn't as popular or simply ran out of ideas for Joe/Sara? Or did Call want to leave,so their hand was forced? Was TYJ killed off? I don't think so. There was just a poor recast and he faded away,which was a pity as it gave Sara less to do.

Sheila: I pitched a sprawling family in the DMV (Washington, D.C.-Maryland-Virginia) area, that lives in a gated community with a country club on a golf course. [The show] would be a view from inside the gates, as well as a view from outside the gates So is Sheila talking about MVJ's concept or did Michelle have to modify her bible to incorporate Sheila's ideas?

With Days taping so far in advance, I wonder if they are doing any type of audience research? A-because it costs money and B seems pointless to bother finding out what the audience is interested in when there is no opportunity to respond until a year down the line. Now I 've never been in favor of shows writing to the dictates of fans, but I'm sure in the case of something like Body and Soul, there would have been a lot of negative feedback from research, online etc that the whole thing would have been wrapped up way earlier if the show was only a few months ahead. Now they are flying blind, without the likes of Bill Bell or Agnes Nixon at the helm.

The competition was Dukes of Hazzard 26th and NBC's new show Master which was an instant flop in it's debut 50th. CBS seemed happy to let Dukes wither away. They were lucky the competition was pretty soft. Webster regularly outrated lead in Benson but ABC held onto that combo until midseason of 84/85 when webster became the lead in and Benson got moved to 9pm. Airwolf debuted in a 2hr episode Sunday taking advantage of the Superbowl/60 Min lead in. 16-30 for that week TV Bloopers NBC Mon 8-9 Riptide NBC Tues 9-10 Seduction of Gina CBS Tuesday Movie 9-11 Foul Ups, Bleeps and Blunders ABC Tues 8-8.30 Cheers NBC Thurs 9-9.30 Benson ABC Fri 8-8.30 Silver Spoons NBC Sat 8.30-9 Matt Houston ABC Fri 10-11 Scarecrow & Mrs King CBS Mon 8-9 Hill St Blues NBC Thurs 10-11 Dukes of Hazzard CBS Fri 8-9 AfterMASH CBS Mon 9-9.30 Fantasy Island ABC Sat 10-11 Diamonds Are Forever ABC Sunday Movie 9-11 Newhart CBS Mon 9.30-10

Sharon has had more work done on herself than her business...

Looking at that week Father Murphy was #27 beating Happy Days and Laverne& Shirley. Those sitcoms were weakening finishing 18th and 20 th for the season. But Father Murphy was the first show that provided any sort of competition. In Wk10 of the 81/82 season FM took the time period ranking #20 while HD was #30 and L&S #23 which I think was the first time ABC had lost that time period with regular programming since 1976. So no small achievement for NBC and Father Murphy. FM again won its timeslot in Wk 18. But NBC decided to move the show to Sundays @7 to fill that difficult timeslot. The momentum was lost as FM performed poorly up against 60 Minutes and Bret Maverick didn't do as well against ABC on Tues. NBC returned Father Murphy to Tues @8 for 82/83 but it performed poorly and was replaced by The A Team which became a hit and finally beat Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley on a weekly basis. Had NBC not moved Father Murphy it might have grown further and provided NBC with another much needed hit show.

Wasn't Eric's 40th anni set at TOTT? So 2020. That dumb story where some insignificant stalker mistook Victoria for Amanda and stabbed her among Noah's photo tribute to TGVN.