Paul Raven

It seems that Barbara Rodell,replacing Lynne Adams, was well accepted as Leslie on TGL .So much so that when Lynne took back the role a lot of viewers preferred the chemistry b/w Barbara and Don Stewart as Mike to that of Lynne and Don.

The Lucy Show went through a lot of changes over the course of it's run but still finished at #2 for it's final season. Lucy would hum and ha every year as to whether she would continue. And then she would decide to stay once CBS offered more money. I have to admit the celebrity episodes were usually my least favourites. Lucy would be starstruck each time, even though she had met most of Hollywood, and the scripts were often paper thin, resulting in Lucy and said guest star singing and dancing for what seemed like half the show.

When we see Tomas show something more, I'll buy into that.

The show is already revolving around characters who have been there for decades and when they get the chance to bring on a new character with no baggage they blow it by recycling Cane.

When Meta married Joe Roberts he had 2 children. Kathy who was Robin's mother and Joey who was written out in the mid 50's. So Meta could have had 'grand children' through Joey. Or they could have done rewrite whereby Bruce Banning found out he had a child and there were grandchildren through that.

Also the show was losing a major portion of the All in The Family lead in each week. The shows tone didn't fit with AITF or MTM that followed.

Really? You know I could respond to things I disagree with in your daily BTG postings, but I choose not to because I honor your right to post them and don't want to part of any negativity. If I did, it would be in a respectful way. I would have appreciated if you pointed out my error re Camryn w/o having to go Mean Girl.

Didn't Laura get a new car gifted to her by her boss at one point, causing Richard to be jealous?

ATWT Patricia Bruder replaced Wendy Drew as Ellen after Wendy, an original and popular cast member, left after 4 years. Pat was popular enough to be there decades later.

In primetime Donna Reed replacing Barbara Bel Geddes on Dallas Karen Cellini replacing Catherine Oxenburg on Dynasty Emma Samms replacing Pamela Sue Martin on Dynasty. They stuck with Emma but she didn't hold a candle to PSM.

SB John Novak was brought in as Keith a couple of years after Justin Deas departed. Deas played Keith for more than 2 years Novak was gone in 6 months.

Of course many of these primetime stars had instant misses when their pilots weren't picked up eg Shirley Jones had at least 2 attempts at a series before landing Partridge Family Out of the Blue. CBS 8/12/68. 30 minutes. CBS Entertainment. Director: Sherman Marks. Producer/Writer: Sol Saks. Shirley Jones, Barry Dennen, Carl Ballantine, and Marvin Kaplan are aliens from an overpopulated planet who come to Earth to see whether or not they should move some of their people here. They befriend a physics professor (John McMartin) living in Hollywood, who helps them under- stand our often confusing world. Dream Wife 1965 Actress Shirley Jones stars as Lisa Michaels -- a wife with a husband, a boy, and the ability to hear other people's thoughts. Whether she's trying to use it to have a better marriage, make her kid happy, and even trying to save other people's lives, she just can't quite seem to get things right. Her TV hubby was Donald May who went on to daytime as Adam on EON.

Camryn Grimes Jan - 11 Feb- 1 March - 12 April - 1 May - 2 June - 4 July - 2 August - 2 September - 2 October - 0 The numbers speak for themselves.

CBS should have moved Edge to 4pm. Or NBC picked it up for 4pm to replace Somerset.

Ric hard Crenna seems pretty much forgotten today but he got off to a good start with 2 hit series Our Miss Brooks 52-55 The Real McCoys 57-63 He then tried drama with Slattery's People 64-66 which only lasted a season He then moved into movies and later Tv movies before returning to a series All's Fair 76-77 with Bernadette Peters Then TV movies until another sitcom attempt It Takes Two with Patty Duke 82-83 Back to movies Rambo most notably, Tv movies/mini series before his final series Pros & Cons 91-92 a revamped version of Gabriel's Fire with James Earl Jones He also recurred in Judging Amy in 2003.

The story is dumb but at least having Rick Hearst come back would have allowed for flashbacks. Newer viewers would have no idea about this story and flashbacks would help.

Love this. The show biz connection could come into play from time to time. Lucy could get a bit part in a movie filming locally and is reacquainted with an actor/actress from that time. They could use footage from one of her old RKO b movies. There would be a lot of story possibilities. And it wouldn't always have to be a murder plot. Lucy and friends go on a cruise and get entangled in murder. Goes undercover at a retirement community. Goes to a nostalgia movie convention. I'm thinking of movies I've seen that you could steal plots from Manhattan Murder Mystery . Lucy and her friends try to get to the bottom of the death of a neighbour Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice? Lucy goes undercover as a companion to a woman who's previous companions have managed to meet untimely deaths. Witness to Murder-Lucy witnesses a murder across the street but no trace can be found.

The internet. Once upon a time you watched the shows by yourself and maybe knew someone you could discuss them with. So it was a much more isolated experience.

AMC Barbara Kearns and Heather Stamford as Nina. 2 attempts and both times the audience said NAH. They finally got Taylor Miller back but Nina never really worked as a character again because all they seemed to want to do is put her back with Cliff. Alice Haining as Liza, trying to step into Marcy walker's shoes. AW Margie Impert as Rachel. Taylor Miller as Sally. DOOL John Ingle and Kevin Dobson as Mickey.

Yes, Sloan gifting Viki that photo-'just to remind you of your carefree youth that lead to you developing a split personality!'

The flipside of @DRW50 thread. Let's talk about the actors that had big shoes to fill by taking over from actors who made their characters popular and failed to make the grade. They either were dropped fairly quickly or hung around, always playing second fiddle to the previous actor in the role. Y&R Darius Mc Cary taking over for Shemar Moore as Malcolm. This was ??? Shemar made such an impression. The role called for a cool sexy actor with a certain physicality which Darius lacked. There was no lack of suitable actors around but for whatever reason the went with an unlikely choice. GL Nicole Forrester as Cassie replacing Laura Wright. ATWT Pamela King as Lisa. She spent her first few episodes in shadow but once King was shown, there seemed to be a general outcry of "That's not Lisa!!' Within a few months Eileen Fulton was back. Pheobe Dorin as Penny. A few years after Rosemary Prinz left, Dorin was cast as Penny. But again there was negative reaction and Dorin was dropped, pretty much relegating that iconic character to history. Prinz returned for a few brief appearances over a decade later.

Sharon was one of the final group of actors that was under contract to Universal in the 70's so she turned up in guest spots in alot of their shows eg Rockford Files, Kojak etc Following Switch 75-79 Turnabout 1979 NBC (based on a book and 1930's film) with John Schuck 7 eps House Calls 1982 (replacing Lynn Redgrave) 15 eps Cagney & Lacey 82-88 Trials of Rosie O'Neill 90-92 QAF 2000-05 Burn Notice 2013-2017 Tyne Daly Cagney & Lacey 82-88 Christy94-95 Judging Amy 99-05 John Schuck McMillan & Wife 71-77 Holmes &Yo Yo 76-77 Turnabout 79 Munsters Today syndicated 88-91

Lucy could have a police officer grandson that lives with her and is her link to crime. And she needs a female sidekick that is dragged reluctantly into her schemes.

That's a good concept. And they could bring in younger people with staff, family members etc. I also mentioned before doing a light comedy/mystery show with Lucy getting involved with various mysteries.

Isn't this thread about actors who worked backstage whilst appearing on said show? If we move to actors who also wrote for soaps at some point it's away longer list. BTW Ellen Weston appeared as a judge on GL while she was headwriting the show.