Paul Raven

That probably took rehearsal of both camera operators and cast and there is not the time or budget these days. It's pretty much limited movement all round so they can get it done quickly in one take. There are barely even any interesting camera angles eg shooting from a different vantage point or with objects in foreground etc.

CBS collapsing on Sundays with only The Jeffersons making an appearance after 60 Minutes at #2. Fortunately MSW was around the corner. ABC strong with movies. Monday saw CBS start strong with Scarecrow and After Mash but the latter faded. Late in the season Kate and Allie/Cagney and Lacey scored. But NBC got a midseason hit from Bloopers as did ABC movie. Tuesday at last NBC scored a hit with A Team taking 8pm away from ABC after many years. All of ABC Tues was weakened and mid season NBC found a hit with Riptide at 9. ABC gained on Wed by moving Fall Guy and Dynasty up an hour and inserting Hotel. CBS continued to win Thurs with Magnum/Simon/Knots CBS won Friday but unable to come up with an 8pm hit to lead into Dallas/Falcon ABC won Sat on strength of Love Boat. 1 Dallas 2 60 Minutes 3 Dynasty 4 The A-Team 5 Simon & Simon 6 Magnum, P.I. 7 Falcon Crest 8 Kate & Allie 9 Hotel 10 Cagney & Lacey 11 Knots Landing 12 (Tie) ABC Sunday Movie 12 (Tie) ABC Monday Movie 13 TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes 14 AfterMASH 15 The Fall Guy 16 The Love Boat 17 Riptide 18 The Jeffersons 19 Scarecrow & Mrs. King

Not a good omen for ABC....the week Loving debuted in 83 was the first time since April 1979 that CBS won the daytime ratings.

Agree. It is monotonous to watch. Y&R dug a hole for themselves by relying for years on the same characters as front burner and not properly nurturing the next generation. Premature SORASING (Abby, Noah,Charlie/Mattie/Fen etc) poor recasts (Billy, Mac) questionable story choices(basically making everyone a criminal) have brought us to today where the show is forced to use the same characters over and over and is scared/unable to rid themselves of dead wood and introduce interesting new characters.

Fannie May Baldridge Betty and Bob Gardenia

Danny's intro is in the lobby of Grand Pheonix-is that set being resurrected?

Craig McDonnell Backstage Wife Commander Poole 1945

I think the new sets like the Chancellor room are smaller and therefore take up less space in the studio. This means they can have more permanent standing sets and don't have to pay for sets to be taken down and put back up. What puzzles me is the random nature which is applied to sets. Harrison in one episode got a bedroom set, yet everyone else has to get it on in the living room. We have discussed before having a generic office set that could be cleverly redecorated for use by different characters or the two wall sets like we saw for Chance's psychologist months back, or the Marchetti office etc A booth, a wall and some decor and you have a restaurant.

As much a problem as the writing is, the production does nothing to enhance the show. Music, sets, costumes, etc all need an overhaul. Yes, the budget is tight but surely there are ways around it. We have discussed this many times. Sharon in an ugly spangly top in an empty (old fashioned) Crimson Lights with generic music playing is not compelling viewing.

It looks like the Carrie story was planned as a one year thing from the get go and Potter agreed to that. Jane Eliot obviously only wanted a year at the outset so that was the intent going in. Marland had a Plan B which Jane agreed to, having decided to stay a further year. This might have happened behind Potter's back, as Doug and Jane had a personal relationship. Jane would have been on good money and a contract renewal would have affected the budget. So cuts would have had to happen elsewhere to cover her salary. Potter didn't think that one story/character was worth it.

Awww...guess my razor sharp wit isn't for everybody.

Josh Griffith's first job as EP should be to fire the headwriter...

Llanview??? But even the Snyders were decimated. Seth, Ellie, Caleb etc were forgotten. Emma was cast aside. Why not have Michael Park be Seth? They invented Jack and Brad -who when played by Austin Peck bore no relation to the original actor or character.

Sarah was a disaster. i guess the plan was to ease her in so the audience would accept her but the the reaction seemed to be universally negative and Victoria was hardly seen until HT returned.

Great stuff. Please post more if you have them PS Do you have any other summaries from that era for other shows?

That all sounds good to me and easily achieved. Don would not even have to be contract, just used when needed and around enough to have a presence on the canvas. The Don/Lisa/Bob story would only have to play a few episodes here and there if they wanted to focus on the young'uns. But the Hughes and Stewarts were basically of no interest to TPTB.

What were some of the controversial backstage events at GL over the years? Offhand I can name Michael Zaslow firing Jane Eliot dismissal Kim Zimmer's refusal to renegotiate her contract to assist budget cuts Beverlee McKinsey's departure Mart Hulswit being replaced Can others add to the list? Here's an article dealing with Jane's dismissal. Guiding Light' producer won't renew Carrie's contract Hirsch Field Syndicate July 8 1982 Allen Potter, the urbane, triple-Emmy-winning producer of "GuidingLight" has been reading all the reports concerning the imminent departure of that program's JaneEliot who plays Carrie. He does not wish to do battle but merely set viewers' ease by telling the other side of the story. Regarding the issue of Jane's departure: not axed. When we went into negotiations it was for a year's contract only. As the end of that year drew closer it was obvious from the way the Carrie storyline was being written that the character was being terminated. I spoke with Doug Marland, the show's head writer, a few months earlier, and he said he had an alternative story which would have Carrie develop a third personality. "I felt that the story had been done. At no time was Carrie's storyline about her per se, but it was really about her effect on those around her and those who loved her. To me, seeing Carrie's evolvement would not have been a great storyline, although it would have been feasible and I know as a writer Doug Marland could have handled it. "Jane felt that as her contract time ran short she should have been called into the office by me and told. Maybe so, but I felt she knew when her contract was coming to an end- she negotiated it - and seeing how the story was going, didn't need to be notified. At that point I felt it would have been stating the obvious. Perhaps I should have spoken with her and said, 'By the way, your contract's up in a month.' I didn't. It was not meant as a slight in any way. Other actors have had their contracts come to a close and have not been called into the office." In a previous column we mentioned the possibility that the cut of Elliot may have been due to budget. Potter says not true. "Procter and Gamble is not pinch-pennying on 'Guiding Light.' I was just told last week by the powers that be that any money needed for storyline or location will be given to the show." Potter also spoke to the possibility of further cast cuts "We have begun a 13-week cycle, and none of our stars has been let go. Janet Grey, who plays Eve, has just signed a new contract. Every cast member who is part of the show will remain with the show through this cycle and the foreseeable future." Potter's main concern is that neither cast nor viewer feels that "Guiding Light" will be sending tons of characters to the hinterlands. One rumor that Potter is trying hard to squelch through the press and by sending memos to the cast concerns Doug Marland's leaving the show. According to Potter, "Doug is still doing breakdowns for the show, he is under contract and will continue to remain the 'Guiding Light' head writer in the foreseeable future. 'However. Procter & Gamble and Doug have decided to explore the expansion of Doug's considerable talents in the area of consultant to other P & G soaps while he continues as head writer of 'Guiding Light.'" This is not an uncommon practice, since Agnes Nixon often toiled as consultant to ABC's soaps while exercising control over "All My Children." As for Jane Elliot, she considered staying in New York since her husband Luis was working as a cameraman for "All My Children." but the duo decided to pack their bags and head home to Los Angeles. And in the future for "Guiding Light," Potter promises and will certainly deliver if last year is an indication exciting storylines, sleek production and a socko cast.

The only reason to forget Bob had a brother was the show's choice to ignore it. Don didn't have to be a main character, but some mentions, an occasional visit or even a short arc story would have been appreciated. Don had previous involvement with Lisa, that could have been explored. He and Mary had a daughter Christina Hughes, who could have been a new young character with ties to the vets. This ridiculous notion that the history and legacy had to be downplayed if not ignored altogether was ridiculous. Are viewers really going to change channels if there is a scene b/w 2 over 50 characters?

Did this person go to the police? Or the production company? Or was first response to post about it?

In episode six, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex worked side by side in their sunny home office in Montecito, California, when Meghan said, "Beyoncé just texted" as Prince Harry, 38, theatrically gasped. "Just checking in," Meghan said with a smile of the message. "I still can't believe she knows who I am!" "Go and call her," Harry suggested. "No, it's okay," his wife replied. "She said she wants me to feel safe and protected. She admires and respects my bravery and vulnerability and thinks I was selected to break generational curses that need to be healed." "That's well said," Prince Harry replied, as the camera panned away.

A poor choice of words on my part. As for not being a huge retcon- Mary's husband and Paul's father vanishes one day and they never mention it till years later? No, something that would have been a huge story at the time, huge angst, investigation, false leads etc So I regard it as a pretty major retcon. And the other annoying thing is that once it came into the open,it was dealt with and forgotten. Paul never mentioned his father again.

Martha Greenhouse Guiding Light 1967

Adrienne Marden Lone Journey 1942 bachelor's Children 1942 Brave Tomorrow 1944

Yes it was Feb 20. i misread my notes. Guess I just liked the idea of La Fulton returning in living color! Thanks for the correction.

That was bizarre to undo one hated retcon and then replace it with another stupid move that went nowhere. Jill should have been revealed to be Bill Foster's daughter that he and Liz adopted. It would fit into his character that he might have an affair and then Liz, wanting a daughter, took on his child.