Paul Raven

Arlene and Edouard

Lewin had big shoes to fill,but was she really given a chance?

Maybe Vicky needed to be supporting for a few months after all the Jake/Marley/Vicky stuff and give the actress and audience a chance to adapt. Same with Lauri Landry as Nicole.

Instead they were dropped.

I remember Whitsell saying that by the end of 86 only a half dozen or so actors remained from the start of that year.Hardly a testament to the writers and producers forward planning.

I read about Pam's return way before Iris arrived.

The mention of Rex brings another lame story to mind.DePriest recycled hokey Days stories.Instead of Cass coming back estranged from Kathleen (maybe he couldn't cope with her being more successful) and seeking solace from another woman,they go with the presumed death and doppelganger stories.

Then we had Nicole return completely different from previous incarnations.And the horrible Jason Frame character.

Pam was Rachel's half sister from the somerset days.SOD mentioned a possible return.

Having her return as a rival to Rachel would have been great.Perhaps jealous and trying to worm her way into the Cory family.so many possibilities.

Agree with your assessment of the Loves.That family had potential.

Originally DePriest said AW would be about the Corys,Loves and McKinnons and each family would have an identity.But all they did was write most of them off within 1 or 2 years.

BTW hated Felicia and Mitch.

Another character not used was Ada's niece Susannah.Have Cory Ewing come to town as a new teen.

I would have resurrected the Matthews earlier too,

The MJ story was completely out of left field.Maybe it would have worked for Nicole Love.

The DePriest/Whitsell revamp promised a lot but it all fell apart.

Killing off Maisie and Quinn,who because of the constant cast changes, were vets by this time.Have Maisie and Vince become a new tentpole working class couple.Bring back Ben.

The Nicole and Vicky recast and later the terrible Donna recast.I consider Jamie (Laurence Lau) a bad recast as was making him a doctor.

Reg had the potential to be an Alan Spaulding/Victor Newman type but was wasted.

Getting rid of Nancy,a legacy character with tons of story to tell. The proposed return of Pam that never happened.

Matt McAllister was (I think) a lawyer and sidekick to Dorian,He was played by Vance Jeffries and returned in 79 for a short time.

Karen was described as Jenny's younger sister,but was that changed/ignored when Judith and later Brynn were in the roles?

Whatever happened to Eileen? Did she die,leave town or just vanish?

In a January 81 SOD article,Allen Fawcett,then playing Kelly on EON said he had a 10 week holding option at Y&rR while they waited to see if a particular actor would depart.he didn't and Fawcett then tested for Edge.

I can't think of a role that Fawcett would have been right for at that time at Y&R.

From The Soap Opera Book

Ryan's Hope (now almost two years old) is said by those in the television industry to be the most ambitious of the newer soaps. It may also be the happiest soap. The show is written and produced by Claire Labine and Paul Avila Mayer, who formerly wrote forLove of Life. Like All My Children and The Young and the Restless, Ryan's Hope attracts a young audience. In fact, when the show first came out, the Nielsen's went up and down, sometimes by as much as 7 points, depending on whether the kids were in or out of school. Part of this appeal may come from the show's newcomer status; this is a soap nobody's parents watched. Equally important is the ambience and attitude conveyed.

As the title suggests, this is supposed to be an optimistic show. Claire Labine likes to say that it is "the opposite of defeatism." There is a belief that characters can cope; that the human condition should be celebrated rather than merely endured. The mood is established by the theme music and logo; we see a young version of Mother and "Da" Ryan dance joyfully with an infant son, holding him to heaven at the end.

Ryan's Hope is a home-and-family show and to some extent a doctor-lawyer show. But it differs from others in that it is set in an identifiable place. It's New York City—the place referred to with such horror on the other shows. Since this is New York, and not Oakdale or Rosehill, people of different ethnic backgrounds can be realistically portrayed. The Ryans are not Unspecified Protestants, as are their many counterparts. They are Irish Catholics who frequently refer to their Church, their beliefs, and their traditions. They operate an Irish pub (called "Ryans") in which one has to make excuses for ordering English mustard. Characters from outside the family are also drawn and developed with attention to ethnic background. There are Italian-Americans who call each other "paisano" and attend the Gennaro Social Club. And when an Assistant District Attorney appears, he is identifiably Jewish. Other shows will occasionally throw in an ethnic-sounding name (usually Italian), but Ryan's Hope is unique in its use of ethnicity to explain character and behavior.

This is a show in which there is much happy romanticizing about family life. Maeve Ryan is the archetypical mother: warm, supportive, wise, and humorous. "There are some women who can't have too many children," says one character in recognition of her motherly interest in virtually all who set foot in "Ryans." Other members of the family partake of her strength. The Ryans believe in themselves and say so often. Characteristic of the show are two-person scenes in which family trust is exchanged. Upon important occasions, characters say things like, "I want to thank you for a lifetime of love and understanding," or "You're a Ryan and the Ryans are proud of you and are behind you always." Particularly strong are the mother-daughter scenes between Maeve and Mary. (Most of these are written by Claire Labine, who volunteers that she has a very good relationship with her mother.) Characters who do not have families, or are missing a parent, tend to be confused or evil. Everyone understands this. For example, whenever Jack Fenelli so much as frowns, characters begin harping on his lack of family.

In order to put across this romantic sense of family, Labine and Mayer have created a whole mythology of the old Ryans in Ireland, and younger Ryans in childhood. Hardly a day goes by without Mary or Frank relating some long and charming anecdote from childhood—or without Maeve and Johnny describing the wedding party, the potato stews, and the first hard, happy years. Babies and children—mothering and fathering—are shown to be the greatest source of joy. Whole situations (and even arguments) are constructed to reveal the need for family continuity. Some viewers find this soap "preachy," or at least heavy-handed in its family values; others find the Ryans and their familial intensity deeply satisfying.

Storylines are smart, strong, and rather less predictable than those on other soaps. Lost parent fantasies and amnesia are avoided—but divorce, accidents, unplanned pregnancies and unresolvable romantic triangles are always going around. The difference is that here, amidst all the problems, is humor. The Ryans have their troubles, but they also have their fun—rowdy, noisy fun, full of good- natured and bad-natured kidding. Family holiday scenes are staged with a skill that any dramatist would admire; they manage to show a large family enjoying itself, while one or two characters in its midst reach the height of a personal crisis. Love scenes manage to be intimate and playful (something often achieved in life, but seldom, it seems, on the soaps).

How successful Ryan's Hope will be is not yet clear. Stars like Nancy Addison (Jill Coleridge), Kate Mulgrew (Mary Ryan), John Gabriel (Seneca Beaulac), and Ilene Kristen (Delia Ryan) have already attracted large fan followings. Nielsen ratings are only a point or two below those of All My Children, which now follows Ryan's Hope on most line-ups. As Labine and Mayer like to point out, that's higher than the first year ratings for The Young and the Restless.

SOD Dec 89Max and Gabrielle spend the night locked in the costume room, just talking. But when Megan enters, she overreacts, insisting, "It's over, Max. I swear it this time. I can't stand the pain of loving you when I know you'll never be completely mine." Later, Prince Raymond charms Megan into being his US tour guide.

The Donovan family

Intense = George Reinholt Hearthrob = Lee Paterson

Jonathan and Sacha

Ben in prison.

Thanks a million for those 1973/74 articles Carl.

Never knew before why Robert Loggia stepped in as Tony. Loggia started off in the movies in the 50's and was offered a Columbia contract but tuned it down because he didn't want to become part of the Hollywood machine.Parts dried up and he went to TV.By the early 70's he was drinking heavily and his career was going nowhere.Guess that why he took on Search.

He credits meeting his now wife around that time who supported him and got things back on track for him personally and professionally.He related this at a showing of his movie The Garment Jungle.

Wonder why Considine didn't work as Phillip?

Always love to see Brenda with the lampshade on her head!

Prinz's first love has always been the stage.After 13 years on ATWT she vowed never to take on a long term gig.She wisely used her popularity to make some money and push some issues dear to her (anti-war on AMC and 'womens lib' on HTSAM) before taking off. I think I mentioned earlier that she was making big bucks for Marriage,possibly soap's top earner at the time.

Some 1980 highlights

Maggie Ashley transformed herself into the spitting image of her sister Pat. After imprisoning Pat in a locked cellar, Maggie began posing as her own sister. Clint finally put the pieces together, and raced to Pat's house, where Maggie was just about to shoot her sister. He found Maggie dead and Pat standing over her with a revolver in her hand. Deeply traumatized, Pat broke up with Clint and found herself drawn to his younger brother Bo, who was in the midst of an affair with his father's mistress, Mimi. Dorian Lord was delighted by this turn of events. She set out to make Clint Buchanan fall in love with her, only to fail when he saw through her manipulative ways.

Richard Abbott returned to Llanview with his new wife Becky Lee, who had signed with Buchanan Enterprises recording label. Becky Lee was pregnant, but a miscarriage landed her marriage to Richard on the rocks.

Asa Buchanan finally blew into Llanview. He hired young Samantha Vernon to work for him. Sam, who was living with skater Mick Gordon, became instantly enchanted with her new lavish lifestyle. Asa was equally impressed by Samantha's youth and her body. So captivated by Asa, Sam did not see that her best friend, Tina Clayton, was seducing Mick! Sexpot Tina was also waging a campaign to attract Bo's protégé, country-western singer Johnny Drummond. When Samantha found out about Mick's affair with Tina, she threw him out.

In Paris to visit Pat, Bo was spotted by Pat's new friend, Nicole Bonard. Bo was her son! Nicole Bonard was actually Asa's wife, Olympia Buchanan. Many years earlier, when Bo and Clint were children, Olympia had an affair with ranch hand Yancy Ralston and became pregnant. During an argument, Olympia killed Yancy. When Asa found out, he had Olympia banished to Europe, telling his children that their mother had died. Asa saw a photo of Nicole and Pat in Paris and went into a state of shock! He feared Olympia could ruin his empire and destroy his relationship with his sons and Samantha. Nicole told Pat that "Bo is not a true Buchanan." But before Pat could find out what her cryptic comment meant, Nicole was gone! Asa had her flown to Llanview, where he imprisoned her. Asa hired his nephew, Rafe Garretson, to watch over her, telling the naive young man that Nicole was insane.

As Bo and Pat fell in love and got engaged, Asa did his darndest to break them up. Asa Buchanan hated strong, independent women like Pat Ashley so much that he forced his own mistress, Mimi King, to try and seduce Bo. She attempted unsuccessfully to lure him into bed. Bo and Asa's relationship grew more bitter and competitive, until Bo finally opted to leave the family fold and start his own company, Lone Star Records.

The only father that Tina had never known -- Ted Clayton -- arrived in Llanview intent on reconciling with his daughter. However, Ted was actually Tom Clarkson, a recently released inmate who was about to try and con Viki out of her fortune and Tina out of her inheritance. Ted pitted himself against Clint Buchanan, who had taken more than a professional interest in Viki. When Ted learned that Clint was about to propose marriage to Viki, he stepped up his plan by masterminding the kidnapping of Tina. His goal was not only to get his hands on the ransom, but to make himself indispensable to Viki. When Tina was safely returned home, Ted proposed marriage to Viki. Flustered, but touched by his request, Viki opted for time to consider the offer.

Karen Wolek grew nervous every time Katrina Karr visited Jenny and her baby girl, Mary. Jenny found herself drawn to Dr. Peter Janssen and they made plans to marry. But Peter needed a divorce from Melinda, whom Dorian had declared mentally incompetent. This troubling situation put a strain on Jenny and Peter's relationship.

When baby Mary became ill with a minor blood disease and needed a transfusion, Peter realized that Jenny could not be her mother. One look at the footprints and Peter saw that Mary Vernon was Katrina's baby, not Jenny's. Karen had switched babies! Tormented by his discovery, Peter promised Karen that he would not reveal the truth to Jenny.

When the stress of leading dual lives proved too much, Marco developed selective amnesia. To her horror, Karen Wolek witnessed cool and calm Mario turn into wild-eyed Marco -- and didn't turn back! Karen hid her Jeckyll/Hide pal in a sleazy motel, then had him committed to a sanitarium.

As the gap in his relationship with Karen widened once again, Larry turned to Ivan Kipling's estranged wife, Faith, for companionship. Karen, who still loved Larry with all her heart, grew jealous of his friendship with Faith. Faith's husband, Ivan, was a brilliant brain surgeon with a host of secrets. Among them was the fact that he was the natural father of Edwina Lewis, who despised him. Kipling shuddered when he saw Karen Wolek for the first time because she had been one of his hookers and could expose his perverted obsession for them.

Ivan set a trap for Karen, intending to kill her! In the ensuing struggle, Karen took a terrible tumble down a flight of stairs. Just as Ivan was about to finish her off, two vagrants entered the building, forcing him to flee. Karen was rushed to the hospital in a coma. Ivan, as chief neurosurgeon,was put in charge of her case! He called for immediate surgery, where he planned to kill her -- this time for sure! The moment arrived when Ivan decided to make "the fatal mistake" which would end Karen's life, but Kipling's pride and devotion to his profession prevented him from kill-ing her on the operating table.

In the aftermath, Ivan injected Karen with drugs to keep her silent for as long as possible. Reconciling with his wife Faith, Kipling coerced her into becoming his accomplice. When another attempt to kill Karen failed, the Kiplings escaped to South America.

Dorian tried to convince Edwina that Mario was an imposter on the morning of their wedding, but failed. Dorian did manage to get an indictment against Mario, and he was arrested just before the marriage took place. Edwina, in a state of shock, broke all ties with Marco, who went to jail. Larry knew enough to assume that Karen had to have aided and abetted Marco. Larry, caught between his love for Karen and his desire to accept this, asked Karen for time. The following day, a guilt-ridden Karen packed her bags and moved into Ina Hopkin's boarding house. Eventually, Marco and Edwina reconciled and married.

After her breakup with Clint, Dorian sank her claws into Llanview's ambitious District Attorney, Herb Callison. With Dorian's guidance and financial support, Herb won a close election for Governor in the fall. Dorian had obtained a huge illegal campaign contribution from Asa Buchanan in exchange for his winning a state highway contract from the new Governor. Unbeknownst to Dorian, Herb made a secret deal to award the same highway deal to a local mobster. News of these dishonest maneuvers began to leak to the press. At year's end, Dorian made final plans to become the First Lady of Pennsylvania -- just as whispers of "scandal" were heard in the inner circles of Llanview.

Would love to see that script posted in this thread.Any chance???

Re Dec 77.

The woman was Bob's new love interest Karen played by Leslie Dennison,who would become Mrs Don Hastings.Karen was involved with some shady types and lasted 6 or so months.

Mark Lewis was killed off in march 78,so the character/actor didn't work out.

Other ATWT relationships

Larry Brygmann and Jacquie Shultz were married(then divorced,I think)

Don Hastings and Leslie Dennitson (still married)