Paul Raven

OK The Flame Is Love was a TV Movie that did perform poorly as Monday movie,along with a lot of other stuff on NBC at the time. It seems ridiculous that you would equate a one off movie's ratings having any bearing on the possible success of a daytime soap, but the more you read about how the TV industry operated back then (and now) the story is quite believable.

Mmmm...not sure what that would be. I think whoever told that story might have been off base.

April 8-14 1985 Night by night. Mon 8-9 ABC Hardcastle & McCormick #38 CBS Scarecrow & Mrs King #20 NBC TV Bloopers #24 9-11 ABC Young Doctors in Love #55 CBS Kate & Allie #16 Newhart # 15 Cagney & Lacey #22 NBC Wallenberg Pt 1 #9 Tues 8-9 ABC Three's A Crowd #43 Foul Ups #32 CBS Lucie Arnaz # 57 Coal Miners Daughter (1st half hour) #51 NBC A Team #3 9-11 ABC Who's The Boss #5 Hail to the Chief #7 MacGruder &Loud #21 CBS Coal Miners Daughter #55 NBC Wallenberg Pt 2 #12 Wed 8-9 ABC Fall Guy #23 Dynasty #2 Hotel #10 CBS Double Dare #31 Movie Stark #37 NBC Highway to Heaven # 30 Facts of Life #40 Sara #54 St Elsewhere #61 Thurs 8-9 ABC Wildside #64 CBS Magnum #34 NBC Cosby #1 Family Ties #4 9-11 ABC Eye to Eye #63 20/20 #47 CBS Simon & Simon #17 Knots Landing #11 NBC Cheers #8 Night Court #18 Hill St Blues #25 Fri 8-9 ABC Webster #29 Mr Belvedere #44 CBS Detective In The House #53 NBC Knight Rider #50 9-11 ABC Benson #59 Off the Rack #66 Me & Mom #68 CBS Dallas #6 Falcon Crest #19 NBC Half Nelson #52 Miami Vice #28 Sat 8-9 ABC TJ Hooker #27 CBS Charles in Charge # 69 E/R #65 NBC Diffrent Strokes #49 Chipmunks #48 9-11 Love Boat #35 Finder of Lost Loves #36 ABC CBS Airwolf #45 Cover Up #60 NBC Gimme A Break #41 Under One Roof #46 Hunter #39 Sun 7-8 ABC Believe It or Not #56 CBS 60 Minutes #13 NBC Punky Brewster #58 Silver Spoons #62 8-11 ABC Poltergeist #42 CBS Space Pt 1 #14 NBC Playing with Fire #23 sSene of The Crime #26

The natural story would be for Victor to step back and have his numbskull kids run the business. And being Victor he would override their decisions, thus causing some conflict. Or maybe Victor brings in someone knew to take over, again causing ruptures. But no more GC being controlled by an 85 yr old sociopath.

The whole Texas concept was misguided from the start. First using elements of the Reunion proposal. Then the story that Pat and Kevin (and others) would spin off to a show based in Boston and finally using Bev for Texas. It seemed like it was made up along the way.

Great news for BTG. It seems that criticism is now classed as hate-the distinction has been lost.

Exactly-so what is the point of these stories? They make no sense and there is no fallout or consequences. Will they be still telling this story when Eric is 90? On the one hand I admire the man for continuing to work at his age, but also wonder why he bothers. Doesn't he have anything else to fill his time? Is he that limited that he needs to be defined by showing up to play an awful character week after week?

So, Diane is furious with Jack because he was kidnapped and drugged and ended in bed with Patty. No forgiveness on that score even though,as Traci pointed out, she faked her own death. Nikki splits from Victor over the kidnapping even though he had repeatedly done similar stuff, including having a double take over Jack's life. Victoria siding with her dad, again even though this is the latest in along line of horrible things her father has done, others of which she had blasted him for. Just dumb moves to create conflict over horrible plot lines. If Jack is so outraged at Victor why not go to the police?

Looks that way. Grayson was introduced for Asley when Derek was phased out, so it will be interesting to see who they have lined up for Kat. Although BTG use their recurring players fairly regularly so Tomas might hang around for a while.

From Variety's 50 Years of CBS tribute 1988. Soaps received short shrift with this article not evening mentioning ATWT, a ratings powerhouse in the 60's which brought in huge profits. And who can forget the contributions of Agnes Dickson! Sudsers bubble up touchy topics by Natasha Sizlo With a spicy formula of corporate takeovers, cloning, teen suicide and a whole lot of sex, CBS’ daytime sudsers continue to triumph as the network approaches its 500th straight week atop the daytime Nielsen ratings. According to network execs, the daytime drama lineup has established both a production and a content standard for serial dramas across the networks and continues to draw millions of viewers both domestically and across the globe. “It’s important for us to reflect the realities and the tensions that women experience today,” says Paul Rauch, executive producer of “Guiding Light.” “I think you can tell a much more exciting story about women today than you ever could before. Women are more exciting today han they have been.” “Guiding Light,” the longestrunning program in broadcast history, celebrated its 61st anniversary Jan. 25. Rauch explains, “It’s consistent with the best of what daytime is and where it’s come from.” “Guiding Light,” first broadcast on the radio on NBC’s Red Network, debuted on Jan. 25, 1937. The program was a 15-minute drama created and written by Irna Phillips. Phillips broadcast one or two stories with half-adozen characters, five days a week, every week of the year. In its long history, “Guiding Light” has surpassed other daytime dramas in exploring socially relevant topics. In 1961 “Guiding Light” tackled the seldom discussed issue of uterine cancer. While the character recovered from the cancer, she went through a lot of difficulty at the time because she was reluctant to get a Pap smear. This story encouraged women to be alert Since then, CBS daytime has approached such issues as breast cancer (with the first mammogram done on camera, Dec. 17, 1991), blindness, rape, teen suicide, eating disorders, substance abuse, postpartum depression and AIDS. “Guiding Light” made its passage to television when it premiered on CBS June 30, 1952. It is the only radio drama to make the transition to TV that’s still on the air today. Nowadays, the writers of “Guiding Light” have at least a dozen stories harmonizing at once, with roughly 35 characters, five times a week, 260 shows a year. Rauch explains the evolution of the serial drama: “Irna believed in the importance of families. She passed her legacy on to writers Bill Bell and Agnes Dickson, and those two writers went on to be great stalwarts of the daytime business.” “What we did in the ’50s no longer applies in the ’90s. We were limited with production, sets and stories that were almost totally tied up in family issues. We have much more latitude now,” says William J. Bell, who became co-creator, senior head writer and senior executive producer of “The Young & the Restless.” “Y&R” just celebrated its 25th anniversary and has spent 485 consecutive weeks as the most watched daytime program. When “Y&R” premiered on CBS on March 26, 1973, it revo¬ lutionized the daytime genre with its emphasis on the younger generation. William Bell’s 25-year tenure as the head writer of “ Y & R” is the longest in the history of daytime TV. “From the onset it was highly received. It was a show that was very different,” Bell says. “We dealt mostly with younger people and the sensuality and the sexuality that was prevalent in the early ’70s. What it did was reflect what was going on in the world at the time. It wasn’t there for shock value. ... It was a serial that caught on like no other before or since

Ed Zimmerman (Dr Joe Werner Guiding Light) wrote 'Love in the Afternoon' in 1971. It was a light hearted look BTS at a daytime soap. One of the characters was an LA primetime actor who came on the show and was completely out of his depth. Probably based on Ray Fulmer who was on the show as Lee Gantry. He also had an older character playing a beloved patriach who had an eye for the young ladies-based on Stefan Schnabel perhaps?

At what point did Marland change direction re Kelly/Nola? Weren't Morgan/Kelly the supercouple with Nola as the spoiler a la Scott/Laura/Bobbie, Steve/Alice/Rachel etc. With the villainess reforming a finding love elsewhere? Nothing in the story suggested that Kelly and Nola were endgame unless it was going to be several years down the track. Would Kelly decide Morgan was too immature or was the plan for Morgan to be swept away by Josh or a similar character and Kelly move onto Nola and his child? and then find out Stacey was not his?

Deirdre got 'and Deidre Hall' in the Hacks credits. Loved the joke about taping till midnight every day.

@MissPalmer Thanks for posting. Gillian Spencer as Viki, Ernest Graves as Victor. Both worked on .Guiding Light when Agnes Nixon was writing that show.

GUIDING LIGHT Colonel Carl Dax Thom Christopher Sept 7 1999-2002; 2003-04 occasional Roxie Shayne Corday Kristi Ferrell Sept 1984-88 Joshua "Josh" Lewis Robert Newman 1981- Nov 84; Nov 1986-91; 1993-2009 Elizabeth "Liz" Atherton Kate Collins Dec 84 - 1985 Nurse Katherine "Katie" Parker Reed Denise Pence Feb 1977- March 85 Annabele Simms Reardon Harley Jane Kozak May 1983- June 85 Tony Reardon Greg Beecroft 1980- June 85 Dr Henry Myers ??? March-April 1958 eminent surgeon overseeing Dick at County General Dorothy Weeks ??? Dec 58 society columnist covering Anne & Paul's wedding Joe Turino Joe Campanella April 1 1959-62 Alex Bowden Ernest Graves 1960-? Feb 64 - 12/24/1965 Dr. Johnny Fletcher born 1959 William "Bill" Bauer Sept 77-May 78 Dr Weatherall ??? Brandon Spaulding's doctor at retirement home

Please give the Hawthornes a house. So we get to see how the family dynamics work. Meeting at Orphey Gene's isn't enough.

We've seen so many of these insta family connections over the years and none of them have been necessary or worked longterm Katherine/Jill Jill/Lauren Paul/Nikki/Dylan Nate/Damian Theo/The Abbots Claire/The Newmans

Agree on this as well as Martin and Smitty being married. The writers immediately boxed themselves in by choosing this. Had we and Naomi first met Jacob at the start we can follow the romance and get to know the characters . Then have the obstacles introduced along the way. eg Naomi meeting Jacob's folks, clashing careers, a third party on either side, pregnancy scare etc. Classic soap storytelling.

I think those scenes were reused in the ABC mini series 'Pearl'.

Yes bringing back Malcolm for such a depressing story, so all he got to do was look sad. And then to have it introduced and pretty much wrapped up in a GC day. And then remind us that Olivia had the same ailment and Lily is a cancer survivor-all too much. It's the kind of story that need to be played out over weeks, if at all. As for the Holden reveal-now he and Claire can compare notes on discovering new parents. and having Holden in GC is another one of those soap coincidences. I think a more upbeat story would have been more suitable. Malcolm could have turned up to introduce his son to Lily and Devon. Son decides to stay to get to know his family. New young black character. I know, no chance of that happening.

Night by Night Mon 8-9 ABC MacGyver #24 (season high) CBS Live In #64 (season low) Heartland #61 NBC Alf #13 Nearly Departed debut # 27 9-11 ABC Mystery Movie Gideon Oliver #49 (season low) CBS Murphy Brown #29 Designing Women #17 Newhart #26 (season high) Kate & Allie #39 NBC Country Music Awards # 19 Tues 8-9 ABC Who's The Boss #8 Wonder Years #6 CBS Tour of Duty #60 NBC Matlock # 2hr rpt # 22 (season low) 9-11 ABC Roseanne #1 Anything But Love #10 Thirtysomething#28 CBS Movie Kiss Shot # 55 NBC Matlock 2hr rpt #22 Midnight Caller #35 Wed 8-9 ABC Growing Pains #15 Head of The Class rpt #28 CBS Hard Times on Planet Earth #70 NBC Unsolved Mysteries # 14 9-11 ABC Coach #50 Robert Guilliame #53 China Beach #47 CBS Jake & Fatman # 33 Wiseguy # 43 NBC Night Court rpt #16 My Two Dads #36 Nightingales #41 Thurs 8-9 ABC Family Classic Return of Shaggy Dog rpt #72 CBS 48Hours # 56 NBC Cosby #2 Different World rpt #5 9-11 ABC Dynasty #51 Burning Questions rpt #66 CBS Equalizer #46 Knots Landing #21 NBC Cheers #3 Dream Street 90min premiere #42 Fri 8-9 ABC Perfect Strangers #40 Full House #23 CBS Beauty & Beast #53 NBC Jim Henson Hour debut #71 9-11 ABC Mr Belvedere #34 Just The Ten of Us #37 20/20 #32 CBS Dallas # 31 Falcon Crest #45 NBC Quantum Leap #65 Unsub #63 (season low) Sat 8-9 ABC Mission:Impossible #68 CBS Paradise #67 (season low) NBC 227 #44 Amen #30 9-1 ABC Man Called Hawk #69 Men #78 CBS Movie Tarzan in Manhattan #54 NBC Golden Girls #7 One of The Boys debut#18 Hunter #12 Sun 7-8 ABC Great Circuses #75 CBS 60 Minutes #9 NBC Disney Parent Trap 3 Pt 1#58 8-9 ABC Moonlighting #73(season low) CBS Murder She Wrote #4 NBC Family Ties #48 Day by Day # 57 (season lows) 9-11 ABC Movie A Deadly Silence #11 CBS Movie Love & Betrayal #20 NBC Movie Around the World in 80 days Pt 1 # 25

@JAS0N47 Brilliant. Thanks so much!

AW and SFT ruled the cast change columns around this time.

Wk ending Jan 21 1979 Ratings where available Mon 8-9 ABC Mork & Mindy 1 hr special 38 share #11 CBS Tim Conway pilot special 20.6/28 share #31 NBC Little House 9-11 ABC How the West Was Won 20.9/31 #27 CBS MASH #9 WKRP (timeslot debut) 23.1/33 Lou Grant NBC Movie Pilot Charleston 20.3/30 #33 Tues 8-9 ABC Happy Days 34.3/50 #3 Laverne & Shirley 35.3/51 #2 CBS CBS Reports 'The Boat People' 12.0/18 NBC Grandpa Goes To Washington 13.1/19 9-11 ABC Three's Company 34.3/50 #3 Taxi 28.5/43 #8 Starsky & Hutch 21.5/36 #23 CBS Movie 'Skyrider' 16.1/25 NBC Movie 'Murder in Music City' 14.0/22 Wed 8-10 ABC Eight Is Enough 2hr 30.1/44 #7 CBS Incredible Hulk 13.7/ 20 share new timeslot debut (season low) One Day At a Time 21share new timeslot debut (season low) Jeffersons NBC Movie Special 'People That Time Forgot' 10-11 ABC Vegas 36 #15 CBS Kaz NBC Special Amazing world of Psychic Phenomena Thurs 8-10 ABC Mork & Mindy 33.8/44 #6 Delta House 26.3/41 #10 CBS Waltons 33 share #18 NBC Legends of the Superheroes special 11.5/17 9-10 ABC Barney Miller Soap CBS Hawaii 5-0 NBC Quincy 10-11 ABC Family CBS Barnaby Jones NBC David Cassidy Man Undercover Fri 8-9 ABC Donny & Marie CBS Captain America 2 hr pilot 20.7/33 NBC Diff'rent Strokes 21.9/35 share Joe & Valerie 23 share 9-11 ABC Movie 'Last Cry for Help' CBS Captain America 20.7/33 Paper Chase special 12.9/22 NBC Rockford Files Joe Namath Celebrity Roast Sat 8-9 ABC Love Boat special 21.0/34 CBS White Shadow debut 15.6/25 NBC Chips 9-11 ABC Salvage1 2hr pilot debut 19.1/32 #36 CBS Movie 'WW& The Dixie Dancekings' NBC Superbowl Saturday Night special 30 share Sun 7-8 ABC Hardy Boys CBS 60 Minutes 15.9/23 NBC Superbowl runover 42.5/62 Post Game 7.50- 8:12 31.7/47 8-9 ABC Battlestar Galactica 30 share CBS All in the Family 33 share #19 Alice 39 share #11 NBC Brothers & Sisters 8.12-8.42 31 share 9-11 ABC Movie 'The Longest Yard' 24.6/39 share #13 CBS Movie 'Black Sunday' 35 share NBC Centennial Pt 9 27 share Weekend 9.1/16

I tuned in for Malcolm/Stephanie and watched every episode, Saw next weeks promo and made other plans...checking which pens in that junk drawer still work, untangling a chain necklace...