Paul Raven

Chance is killed. Damian mistakes him for Cane. Any other theories? Lily will sleep with Damian as a way of proving to Cane she is over him, then will feel bad she did so after he is revealed as the killer. Cane will be upset she did which creates an obstacle.

DAYS Not nurturing the Hortons. They should always have been a priority. Firstly, aging David and Mike too quickly. Now after a decade they needed new young characters but Steve Olsen would have been perfect for David's stories and aging Mike a little bit to say 12 would have made him old enough to react to all the Bill/Laura/Mickey stuff. For Mike's stories give Maggie a younger brother that she has been caring for. The Hortons become the family he never had. That leaves Mike and David available in the 80's. Once the 80's rolled around the older Hortons were slowly dropped. A half hearted attempt was made to bring on Sandy. Steve would have been perfect to be involved with the DiMera's as he was in Europe and had shady connections. Even offscreen, the Horton relatives should have been mentioned and visited. eg Johsua and Jessica have a son. Tom and Alice visit offscreen and mention him. Planting seeds for the future.

The Aristotle Dumas supercut. Both hilarious and sad in equal portions.

Victoria's Rachel went to a curly look in the 80's but that was the fashion at the time with the big permed look. But throughout the rest of the run she went back to the severe straight look.

Is anybody at Y&R actually watching this and thinking 'Great,well done'. I hope for Billy's sake he is getting more money, a better schedule/commute and forming good relationships b/c the story stinks. So no reception and the guests are stranded but Cane is able to fly from France to Wisconsin to talk to Holden? And the director made the choice to have Cane enter CL and walk through a deserted set to the back area? At least he could have come in the other entrance and we might be fooled into thinking there were other customers in the main area. And then when Cane and Holden were talking, we had a waitress wandering around. Why bother? I really expected a villa a la Tuscany and not some plastic hedges.It's embarassing.

What are some decisions made by particular soaps, past and present that had negative short or long term implications? It might be a plot twist, casting choice or BTS happenings that didn't work for you. For starters Y&R Killing off Colleen Carlton (and giving her heart to Victor) Yes Tammin Sursok didn't click in the role and it gave Beth Maitland some good scenes, but to eliminate a core family member meant less for Traci and the Abbotts in the long run. Keeping Victor front and center. And to do this he became involved in repetitive stories, which dumbed down the rest of the cast as they had to cowtow to his malevolence and forgive and forget heinous actions. Not nurturing next gen kids Abby has never clicked, Noah, Scott, Fen, Daniel etc are more adjunct to their parents stories than fully fleshed characters in their own right. Allowing Josh Griffith to stay way past his use by date.

Making Martin a congressman rather than an up and coming politician is another example of a too high reach. I don't believe congressman spend their days at home, in cafes or with their relatives. And Chelsea having millions of followers. Unnecessary ...

CBS Radio Sept 1951 10:00 A. M. —"Big Sister" —Reed hears with little regret that his successor, Dr. Marlowe, experiences a difficult first day at the Health Center. 10:15 A. M. —" Ma Perkins" —Disheartened by his hopeless love for Fay, invalided Tom Wells considers the possibility of leaving the Perkins home. 10:30 A M. —"Young Dr. Malone" —Sam quietly convinces Anne she should restrain her first impulse to refuse Jerry's generous check. 10:45 A M. —"Guiding Light" —Trudy's return occasions a tender family gathering which touches Bill and awakens a new appreciation of home life. 11:00 A. M. —"Second Mrs. Burton" —Rupert Gorham, tormented by the dangerous proximity of Gus Belmont, schemes for his removal. 11:15 A M — Perry Mason" —Perry's trump card in the hide-and-seek game with May and Dorrie Grant loses its full value in a precarious gamble. 11:30 A M. —"This Is Nora Drake" —Tension bet ween Vivian and Seargent increases when their daughter Grace demands answers to troubling questions. 11:45 A. M. —"Brighter Day" —Vicki's concerned mother and stepfather debate the effect of her growing affection for Tony Race, whom they distrust. 1:00 P. M. —" Hilltop House" —Tony's loving and possessive grand mother injects a new and serious handicap for the talented boy's musical career. 1:15 P. M. —" Kings Row" —Fulmer and Rena threaten Rex with exposure if he does not co mply with their request, which involves the life of Elise Parrish.

Back to 1976 Pt 6 John, recovered from his nervous breakdown, again is asked for his resignation. When he won’t give it, Dr. Strassfield fires him. Susan, desperate that John not reveal what he knows, tries to get him a job out of town, but fails. John tells Susan that his being fired is Kim’s way of having him run out of town. Kevin is disgusted with Susan for failing to admit her responsibility to Dan. But Susan, assuming that John has left Oakdale, tells Kevin she doesn’t have to, as John is gone now and things can resolve themselves. Mary tells Grant she has a new neighbor: John Dixon. Susan is very upset to find John hasn’t gone after all and he wants her to visit. John informs her he’s happy where he is and is planning to do some medical research writing he’s put off for years. John and Mary become good friends, and she is happy to have someone to help with little repairs. John, in turn, having lost all his friends and acquaintances, is grateful to have someone to talk to. Susan goes away for a few days to get herself together, and is hurt to find that Kevin has been seeing Sandy. Sandy assures Susan that Kevin is just a friend, but Susan finds them together too often to be reassured.Sandy, meanwhile, has confided in Kevin that she’d like another chance with her ex-husband, Bob, but he is apparently too interested in Valerie. Betsy, realizing that her disapproval of Valerie has interfered with Dan and Valerie’s friendship asks Kim’s help to get on Valerie’s right. side. Kim intercedes with Valerie for Betsy, but Valerie interprets this as Kim’s way of trying to break them up. But Valerie then tells Betsy she realizes she doesn’t like her dating her uncle, so she won’t see him. From then on, whenever Dan calls Valerie, she is unavailable, and Betsy soon sees that things are now much worse, that Dan is miserable. This makes Betsy ill from guilt, and Kim angrily feels that Valerie is manipulating both Dan and Betsy to get back at her. Valerie sets Dan straight on what’s wrong with Betsy by explaining that Kim interfered. Kim is sure that Valerie shaded her comments to conceal her own need to hurt Kim. Kim has seen Dr. Strasfield occasionally, and John,learning this, accuses him of firing him to replace him professionally and personally. Dr. Strasfield dryly reminds John that his problems preceded him. Right after Jay’s return, Natalie shows up in person,demanding money in exchange for her silence. When Jay explains that Carol handles the books and he can’t pay her off, she decides she'll settle for a really good job. Jay pressures Gar Kramer, a real estate broker who handles many transactions for him, into hiring her as a secretary at an exorbitant salary. When Natalie informs Tom that she’s in town and working, he instructs her to see a divorce lawyer. Carol and Jay attend a meeting for prospective adoptive parents. Carol is dismayed to learn it could take two years to get a baby. Jay suggests that their lives are so full, a child isn’t that vital to them. Carol takes this as a sign that Jay doesn’t want a baby. In reality, his sudden hesitation is due to learning that applicants are screened thoroughly—he’s not sure his relationship with Natalie can stand up to harsh scrutiny. But Carol looks at things thoroughly and tells Jay she will be patient and things will work out. Don Hughes returns from California and decides he will rejoin the family law firm, even though it means that he will have to work for Grant, who is now heading the department that Don himself originally set up. Joyce’s “help” with Dawn comes to a head when Ellen finally has to tell her that she’s interfering in the mother/daughter relationship. Joyce realizes she has indeed been doing this and backs off. Dee’s problems stem from the casual way a boy she really liked dropped her and her sister Annie’s announcement that she’s going to attend medical school just as Dee has decided she doesn’t want to go to college at all. Her parents are disappointed by her decision, but even more by her recent dismal attitude toward life. She’s not interested in anything and rejects all efforts to cheer her. One afternoon, escaping from her mother’s well-intended suggestions that she decide to do something with her life,Dee takes off in her car and drives too far. She tries to call home, but the line is busy. As she waits, a young man calls to summon repair for his disabled car and then leaves to wait for the car-club repair truck. Arriving home, she explains she tried to phone, and notes that she dented the fender when she swerved and hit a sawhorse in an attempt to avoid an animal in the road. When, the following day, she reads an account of a Bo Spencer III who was involved in a car accident,she agitatedly tells her parents she caused that accident. They check the hospital and find that the young man suffered concussion, fractures, and internal injuries in a freak accident. Dee takes it upon herself to visit Bo daily despite his rudeness, which, she is assured by his doctors, is his reaction to pain. He later assures her he enjoys her visits. To the Stewarts’ gratification, Bo’s pressuring Dee to take stock of herself leads her to enroll in college. When Bo’s parents, in Europe, notify him they can’t come home to care for him, Dee asks that he be allowed to recuperate with her family, but the Stewarts feel this wouldn’t be wise. However, his mother removes the need for Bo to go to a hotel when she later calls saying she’ll be back in Oakdale after all. But when Dee drives Bo home, he tells her it’s not a home, it’s only a house.

At this point, the Articulettes reunion story has been a bit of a letdown. After the buildup, Anita goes out of town and we here about it through a phone call to Vernon. Very Y&R. Now maybe, they will go back to it, but are we going to see them perform? I doubt it. Seems to me like another case of reaching too high in the back story. Had the group maybe had one hit and a few minor follow ups (quite realistic) that would have been more believable and just as dramatically interesting. And both actresses playing the other members were good but not dynamic enough to be a major rival/irritant to Anita long term. I was thinking how Anita could have a housekeeper who would be revealed to be a former co member who fell on hard times and is grateful/resentful of Anita's generosity and success.

Have to disagree. No comparison to what ATWT and GL were doing a quarter of a century ago, compared to what BTG could achieve today. The shots in the first week looked fine and with the studio facilities available it should be easy to incorporate some outdoor scenes each week. I was surprised that they went to the trouble of taping that first scene of Nicole driving up to and entering the Country Club and not doing any more scenes there.

Big fan of Timmon/Bill but that line 'Do you know what they call me? They call me the fixer.', had me cringing. Of all days for Bill to be in a light suit-took away from the sinister feel. And where is the cane? He had it for like one episode and they made a point of referencing it, Bill even saying he enjoyed using it and would like custom one made. Now he seems to be moving normally a day later. And I'm tired of Jacob and Kat meeting at Orphey's to debrief. If they're going to have characters at venues a lot, they need at least one more,especially as only certain characters can be at the Country club.

Add Bryton into the mix and... BTG for the win.

June 81

PHIL PETERS GUIDING LIGHT ??? August 79 Alan Spaulding's pilot -when his plane crashed and he and Hope were stranded on adeserted island.

March 1966

Terry O'Sullivan in his memoir 'Did I Miss Anything?' talks about SS and the infamous Joan Crawford appearance One day, I got a call from Roy Winsor, producer of “The Secret Storm,” a TV soap. Roy seemed to be studying me as we talked. Then he said, “Yes, I think you could play a judge. We’re going to audition next week. I’ll be in touch.” That was an audition I really needed to win because I was running out of chips. Whether it was my reading, my reputation, or Irish luck, I cannot say, but something fell into place and I became Judge Sam Stevens, a new character on “The Secret Storm.” In the cast of “Secret Storm” was Christina Crawford, Joan Crawford’s daughter. She played the part of Joan Borman, a very difficult young lady, not at all like the Tina we actors knew and loved. The first day on“Secret Storm,” Christina made a point of welcoming me aboard. Not too long after I joined the show, Tina became ill and had to go to the hospital for an appendectomy. Someone in the production office had a truly brilliant thought: “What if we got Joan Crawford to play her daughter’s part?” It was an offer Joan couldn’t resist. Due to her Pepsi commitments, she could only tape on weekends. I cannot tell you the excitement Joan Crawford caused at the West 57th Street Studios of CBS. From a dramatic point of view, it was preposterous. Joan and Tina were a generation apart. Tina was a blonde, Joan a brunette. They didn’t resemble one another in any way, but from a showmanship point of view, it was utterly brilliant. The ratings of “Secret Storm” shot up. It made a wonderful publicity story. “Joan Crawford covers for her daughter in a soap opera.” All anybody at CBS could talk about was Joan Crawford, how she sipped vodka in her dressing room. Whatever Joan did, or didn’t do, was whispered about in the corridors. It was like the second coming of Christ. Everyone was mesmerized by this former movie star. I didn’t play any scenes with Joan, but the scene that stands out in my memory was one she played with a lawyer, Mr. Fluellen. I don’t remember the actor’s name. The tape was rolling, Joan was slicing him up verbally, and then totally unrehearsed and unexpected, she backhanded him across the chest. He staggered back in wide-eyed horror. It was wonderful. I wanted to shout, “Hit him again, Joan.” That was the take that our astonished viewers saw the following week on TV. Perhaps it was this kind of daring that made Joan Crawford a great movie star. Then Tina returned, good as new, and “The Secret Storm” resumed its normal pace. But it seemed to me that Joan Crawford’s ghost hung around CBS for several weeks.

I do not want to see fake exterior sets. Based on wk1 I assumed exterior shooting would be integrated into the show. I think this is a problem in that launching a new soap in 2025 a lot of new,younger viewers might have been turned off to see everything set inside, as this would not be something they expected when every other drama they watch uses exteriors. I thought shooting at that facility allowed for that but for whatever reason we are not seeing it. The scenes in Wk 1 appeared to have been taped outside the studio in the same area and looked good. Surely with the type of cameras and production techniques available these days it would be fairly easy to take a few actors and crew outside. They could set up some tables and chairs and maybe a fake counter to simulate an outdoor cafe. Hopefully this is something that will be addressed.

That budget issue goes all the way back yo the early days of Search for Tomorrow. Mary Stuart, in her book,tells a story along the lines talks of how miniscule budget for the show was and one producer managed to save some money and was told not to go forward with it, because if they showed they could do it for less, they would get less.

No, that's a great place to meet in secret b/c there is never anyone else there. And they've gone all out on a hospital set for Cole!

Eps 1-5. Means viewers can watch Ted #1 again. At least a full week of repeats means that the days are not further out of sync.

Grandpa's funeral was June 76. Santos passed away April 76. Synopsis says that Irma Kopecki Hughes was too ill to attend. Don arrived played by Martin West in July 76, Soap Central was wrong(again). Odd that they couldn't have delayed the funeral to accommodate Don's arrival. I wonder if Irma and the farm were ever mentioned again? Same with John and Edie Hughes. Once Irna left in 73 they were probably consigned to history. I have a feeling that when she was in charge they would have at least been mentioned.