Paul Raven

Doug Hutchison,who played Sebastian,is in the news for marrying a 16 yr old. He is 51. http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2011/06/21/2011-06-21_green_mile_actor_doug_hutchison_51_marries_aspiring_country_singer_courtney_alex.html?r=topnews

How things have and haven't changed.Jada's outlook seems very modern and quite 'out there' for the time. It seems attitudes have moved on but in the last few years there seems to be a regression regarding women's roles. Looking at some 'women's magazines' today and all you see is fashion,celebrity (not about their professional acheivements,only what they're wearing and who they are dating) and finding a man and having a baby. Wonder what Jada and other women of that time would think of all that?

Around the time that Y&R were hinting at Patty's return, SOD posted a blind item along the lines of....'what popular actress was in line to return to her role on a West Coast soap but the whole idea was dropped when TPTB contacted her only to find her appearance had changed drastically since her time on the show'. Seems Lilibet was a lot heavier than in her heyday as Patty. Makes you wonder why they didn't check her out before starting the story.

From NY Times March 1975 There's a schism in the world of the Grand Old Soap Opera.Life can be beautiful/relevantby Anthony Astrachan Cathy Craig was a teen-ager who experimented with drugs and was cured of her incipient habit at Odyssey House. She went on to become a reporter for her hometown newspaper, the Llanview Banner, and wrote a nationally syndicated article telling nice people what to do when they get venereal disease. She turned some of her newspaper experiences into a best-selling book of short stories that won feminist praise. She has borne a child without a husband but is enthusiastic about being a "single parent" rather than an "unmarried mother." On a national television talk show, she looked meaningfully down at her bulging belly and asked the interviewer, Melba Tolliver, to call her "Ms." Cathy Craig is not a real-life feminist but a character in a soap opera, ABC's "One Life to Live." It's recipe for dramatic entertainment includes a large dose of realism, ranging from real-life drug treatment centers like Odyssey House to real-life television personalities like Melba Tolliver. It makes quite a contrast with the classical canon of daytime television drama embodied in CBS's "As the World Turns." ... The contrast between the two programs shows what James Thurber once called "Soapland," like American society as a whole, is torn between the need to keep up with changing realities and the desire to stick to tried-and-true formulas that have never expressed reality - to tell it like it isn't. The search for relevance has led daytime drama to deal with social issues like drugs, venereal disease and the Vietnam war, to take feminist positions on questions like abortion and women working, and to bring blacks and ethnics into the WASP population of Soapland. ..."One Life to Live," which seems the most consistently innovative soap opera, has a recurring feminist story line in the adventures of Cathy Craig. Dorrie Kavanaugh, who plays Cathy, feels that the program has not gone far enough, even though she regards it as the best on the air from the feminist viewpoint. She says the best script she has been given was her childbirth sequence, alone in a snowbound resort cottage with a male newspaper colleague. When he sees her in pain, he says, "Be a brave girl." Between deep contractions, she replies indignantly, "Don't call me a girl! I'm a woman." Miss Kavanaugh is only half pleased that Cathy could go to bed with another male character, Joe Riley, without being in love with him. "Before, we couldn't say 'Yes,' now we can't say 'No,'" she commented. "That has nothing to do with human liberation. I play a character as though she's liberated, but she's 28, she lives with her parents, she wen to bed with a man once in her life and got pregnant - is that so liberated?" ...Racial attitudes are also changing, a dozen years after the peak of the civil rights movement. Many programs have one or two black characters to put the networks' employment of actors in compliance with the Federal law. "One Life to Live" has gone one step further by making its black characters really important in the story line. Ed Hall, a black police lieutenant, has been written out temporarily because the actor who played him, Al Freeman Jr., went to Hollywood. He will be replaced. Ellen Holly, who plays his wife, likes the Ed Hall role because it calls for a black who comes on like Carey Grant instead of the macho gangsters - like Superfly - who have become models for black children. Miss Holly has been described as a mixture of three racial strains, and there was no doubt that she could pass for white when the story called for it. In the process of deciding to admit she was black, she had romantic involvements that required her to kiss first a white man and then a black, making a Southern red-neck equally indignant about both when he wrote in to protest. Usually, daytime drama shows only two or three blacks in an all-white world, and their problems tend to be classified as human rather than racial. The amount of realism remains a matter of dispute. "One Life to Live" also tries for a greater degree of realism in having an important set of characters who are both blue-collar and ethnic, whereas most soap operas merely drop in an occasional Italian or Jewish name to add what is thought to be a desirable touch of the exotic. "One Life" also had a Jewish- Christian marriage (until the Jewish husband "died") with one-liners about Christmas and Hanukkah. The blue-collar couple on this program also provide something else that is a rarity in the old- fashioned kind of soap-opera humor. It tends toward slapstick, as in a scene in which they test a water bed when they set out to buy furniture for their new home. But even the middle-class WASPs in "One Life" are capable of wit by Soapland standards. Joe Riley is painting the carriage house that he and Victoria Lord Riley Burke Riley are remodeling. When Viki applauds his work, Joe says, "Michelangelo, eat your heart out!" She deadpans, "I thought he only did ceilings." "One Life to Live" and "All My Children" were both created by a woman who cheerfully takes credit for much of daytime drama's new willingness to face social issues - Agnes Eckhardt Nixon. ...Mrs. Nixon likes to introduce into the soaps not only such relevant issues but scenes and people from real life. One of her favorites was the Odyssey House sequence in which Cathy Craig went for her drug cure on "One Life to Live." Doris Quinlan, the producer of "One Life," still speaks proudly of that story. The show spent five days on location at the real Odyssey House in 1970. The cameras shot Cathy with the black and Puerto Rican youths there, and the writers spread the footage over a summer's worth of episodes intended to deliver the message to young people home from school or college. Actors on the show speak of the excitement in the fan-mail of that period, and the ratings went up slightly. (Ratings have actually gone down when other soaps showed less realistic drug sequences.) Amy Levitt, who then played Cathy, says the management thought the Odyssey House youngsters interfered with the entertainment values of the show. She resented what she regarded as a diversion of the story from the ghetto kids to a blue-eyed blond hero with whom Cathy was made to fall in love. Miss Quinlan says, however, the sequence lasted its natural life, ending at the same time as the summer and the Odyssey House footage. A veneral-disease sequence followed some time later. Dr. Larry Wolek spoke on the subject at Llanview High, which made it only natural for Cathy, his stepniece, to write an article on the subject for The Banner. Mrs. Nixon wrote the "article" herself from research with William D. Schwartz of the Communicable Disease Center of the U.S. Public Health Service in Atlanta. Mrs. Nixon says that more than six thousand people wrote to ABC for copies of the article - an enormous response, especially considering the fact that "One Life" subordinated the V.D. theme to the continuing, disease-free romances that are the living matter of all soap operas.

Both Russom and Fairchild did appear . Zachary Stone was assisting young Paul Stenbeck and Richard Fairchild was involved with Craig. Maybe there was a writer change and the intended stories for these characters were changed.

Marcia McLain- Dee Stewart

LOL At least it seems Ms Stevens hasn't gone for extreme surgery as some of her peers have.

Bond Gideon as she looked as Jill.

I think Anna Stuart left in 76 and they planned to recast.She was written out with Toni visiting her sick mother. Then she was killed off -probably a different writer who wasn't interested in continuing Mike/Toni (Marland?) That's why I thought killing off Sara was a mistake-having Mike widowed twice within a few years was a silly move. Also,having Carolee kidnapped and raped a few years after being stashed in the sanitarium was also a bit much.Was the previous ordeal ever referred to? I wonder how Jada Rowland felt about Carolee being such a victim? And then not long after Maggie is kidnapped during the tornado.Those sort of storylines really damaged the show. Mind you,these days,the likes of Ms Arena Bell think nothing of wreaking this sort of havoc on a weekly basis.

I guess that would have been Mike Powers. What writers would that have been? re Doreen and her obsession with Carolee.Do you think it would have been more interesting had Ann Larimer returned and pretended to be all friendly with Steve and Carolee,whilst planning this? Doreen seemed to lose interest in Jason and switch to Steve. How did Mona feel about Doreen?

Was it a lack of chemistry between Robin and the actor playing Jeff,or just a miscast badly written role? Perhaps Robin was so identified as Rachel that viewers were disappointed to see her being'nice'.

I pretty much agree with everything you said Carl.Why Keemo has been ignored all these years is a mystery. Killing off Coleen,destroying Billy,having Jack marry Emily,Ashley marry Victor etc have been further nails in the coffin. The Newman/Abbott war should have been put to rest until a new set of circumstances arise that put them back into each others orbit.- rather like Katherine and Jill who didn't have much involvement for a few years until Jill married John and the battle was renewed. When MAB first started and we had the potpourri thread I proposed Keemo coming back and he and Dina working together.Keemo aligned with Dina as he felt rejected by Jack.Traci returned to GC as the turn to matriach.Have Jack involved in business/family affairs and lay off the romances and marriages for a while. Billy/Mac should have played out with them realizing that they had grown apart and have Billy try to make things work with Chloe.

Grant Cramer (Shawn/Adam) was afriend of the Bells.His mother is 40/50's actress Terry Moore who claimed to be married to Howard Hughes and who (I think) did get a payout because of it. Adam flirting with Ashley in the lab reminded me of Ashley's first story when she worked in the lab with Brian. That story went nowhere also. Talking Bill Bell,I often wonder where he would have taken the Abbotts and Newmans throughout the 2000s to today. Not excusing the rubbish we see onscreen now,but it does get harder as the years go by to give vet characters and long running stories new twists to keep them fresh, Imagine if the Brooks and Fosters had have remained throughout the 80's after their original stories wound down. We saw with Leslie/Robert how that worked out Would Lorie and Lance be remarrying ala Victor and Nikki? Would Greg be onto his 5th marriage? .Bill Bell was smart and/or lucky enough to basically start with a clean sheet of characters when he brought in the Abbotts etc. and not face that problem. Same with Days.He was basically gone and the challenge of writing interesting stuff for Bill/Laura,Doug/Julie etc once they were together was not his. Re Salena- she was a smart ,dynamic woman played by a good actress, Not a lead but strong and believable as a cop.

Once again thanx to Saynotyoursoap for taking the time to detail Irna's final storylines. I believe Lisa was involved with Wally,the doctor/minister played by Charles Siebert,best known from Trapper John MD in the 80's.How serious did that relationship become? Also,from what I can gather,Tom and Carol were friends of Peter and their story during this time (the happily married newlywed phase) was in support of them. It seems this story and Amy Hughes are ignored in summaries because they had little effect on the continuing story.Those characters were there and gone within the year. Maybe Irna's long term plan was to have Peter and Wally integrated into the canvas, She liked to tell adoption stories (Ellen/Dan,the premise of AWA).Seems her real life circumstance influenced her. I know Kim was also introduced in 73 and her original incaranation was different to the long suffering heroine she became. Again, it would be interesting to know where Irna would have taken that character. As regards Rosemary Prinz,I think I have seen articles from when she was on the show complaining about her character and soaps. What surprises me is that she stayed 13 years.

I believe that marland wanted to keep Sara but CBS and/or P&G wanted the oldies out and Sara,Adam,Ed(Mart Huswit) and Barbara were written off.

SOD synopses July 76 Mike is at Spence's cabin. From his position on the cot across the room, he observes Spence. Mr. Jeffers sits behind a small table loading a shotgun. His hands are shaking, he's perspiring and he has that nervous look of a man on the run. Mike observes this, and other things as well. He notices that behind the brash exterior there exists a very frightened man. Mike senses that he might be able to persuade Spence to give himself up. It won't be easy, but Spence is really not that certain about what he wants to do. He's just running scared and maybe, just maybe, he's now tired of running. Mike's hunch is correct. Spence is indeed tired of being on the run. He feels he's basically a good man who has just had a large dose of bad luck (first the man in the bar in Juneau and now, Leslie). He's really sorry about Mike's wife (he claims he didn't see her) as he is about the young man he killed in Juneau. Mike tells Spence that since his crimes weren't premeditated, the courts will probably go pretty easy on him. Mike gets through to Spence, and he agrees to return to Springfield and turn himself into the police. Before they leave the cabin, Spence tells Ann that Jimmy is alive. He left their son with David Rustin's family. They live in a small town, just outside of Juneau. Ann is overjoyed to learn that her son is alive. Rita: Roger's Salvation? Roger wants to give Peggy so much, but he can't, not with the burden of having to pay off all that money he owes Holly. After he's through sending her the monthly payments, he's left with very little to save. He needs a way out. But is there one? Yes... there certainly is. Roger suddenly remembers Rita... Rita and all that gorgeous money she owes him (while they were in Texas, they made a deal. Rita was to give him half of an inheritance she would soon be receiving). Better late than never, Roger thinks, as he dials Rita's number. He meets with Rita. She says she can't give him the money. She's been deluged with family problems (she's helping to pay her mother's hospital bills). Roger says he doesn't care about her problems. He just wants the money. She skipped out on him once before, and it's not going to happen again. Dr. Ed Bauer sits in his office staring off into space. In his hand is a legal document from Holly's lawyer, stating that Holly's and his divorce will be final very, very soon. Judging from the look in Ed's eyes, it seems very obvious that he's having second thoughts about this divorce. He still cares very much about Holly and in recent days, it appears, they have been getting a bit closer. The brick walls they built around themselves are beginning to crumble. They've been touching, verbally, for the first time in months. During the last few days they've been sharing laughter and jokes, instead of more strained formalities. Ed now knows he has a difficult decision to make (to divorce, or not to divorce) -- and he only has till the end of July to make it! This new closeness between Ed and Holly is also becoming quite obvious to their friends and family. Ed's mother, Bert, decides to give them a push in the right direction. She arranges a double birthday party for Ed and his and Holly's daughter Christina. Rita gets a distressing late night phone call from her sister Evie. She can hear the quiver in her sister's voice as she says that their mother had another blackout spell. Rita makes a quick decision. She tells Evie to bring their mother to Springfield. She wants to have her admitted to Cedars Hospital. Ann nervously stands by Mike's side as he dials David Rustin's telephone number. She can barely contain the anxiety and joy she is feeling. The moment she has waited for has finally arrived!! An can hardly believe it, but in a few seconds she'll be talking to her son Jimmy... Or will she? Ann's stomach hits rock bottom when she hears Mrs. Rustin tell her that Jimmy is no longer living with them. He left home a while ago and they don't' know where he is. "But," Mrs. Rustin continues, "there's a good responsibility Jimmy hitched up with a boat and went out to sea. That's the one thing I remember most about Jimmy, his love of boats." Guess Who's in Love? Can it be? Can it really be happening? Can this super-independent Ms. actually be falling in love? Can Cupid's arrow actually have landed right smack in the middle of Rita Stapleton's heart? It's a loud, affirmative "Yes" to all of these questions!! Rita Stapleton is happily, glowingly in love... and the object of her affections... Cedars Hospital's chief-of-staff, Dr. Ed Bauer. It's great to be in love, but not so great when the man you love is still married... and is now giving every indication that he might remain that way. Rita is not wearing blinders and she is quite aware of the rekindling of old feelings between Ed and his wife Holly. Rita's devious little mind goes to work, and she plots how to win this man for her very own. Let's hope Holly is up to sparring with the super-cool -- and quite attractive -- young woman. Though her heart is filled with love, her mind is deeply troubled with the thoughts concerning her mother. Viola Stapleton is now in Cedars Hospital, undergoing a series of tests, that will hopefully put the finger on what is causing her blackout spells. Viola's doctor is the very capable Dr. Sarah Werner. Sarah tells Rita, and her younger sister, Evie, that so far they haven't been able to locate the cause of their mother's troubles. Dr. Justin Marler, that esteemed heart surgeon (and possibly heart wrecker), has been trying very hard to reignite the fire that once burned between him and Sarah. It's not going to be easy. He can sense Sarah is still very attracted to him (her blush is obvious proof), but he also realizes she's very much in love with her husband. It seems that Justin now feels he made the wrong choice. While they were in medical school together, Sarah advised him not to marry Jacqueline. She said it would be a mistake. But being a bull-headed son-of-a-gun, Justin didn't listen, and he went ahead and made that woman his wife. It comes as no surprise to Sarah to learn now (from Justin himself), that he and Jacqueline are divorced. Time has become quite an important factor in the lives of two women in Springfield. Both Rita and Holly are watching the calendar rather closely. It's only two more days until Holly and Ed's divorce becomes final. While Holly ruminates, Rita plots. Holly knows she wants to try to make another go of her marriage. Rita knows that she has to make herself #1 in Ed's thoughts. How does Rita handle the situation? Well, one way is to entice the young doctor by inviting him and his son, Freddie, for a swim at her pool, and then appearing before him in a rather skimpy bikini. It's quite an effective maneuver. Ed's eyes widen with delight as they gaze upon her luscious form. While Rita and Ed take in the sun, Holly takes in her current situation... then makes a decision. She tells her mother, Barbara, that she's going to try to stop the divorce, but so far she hasn't been able to reach Ed, and let him know how she feels (Holly left word with Ed's answering service, but when the service located Ed at Rita's; Rita didn't tell Ed Holly called). Ed and Holly finally do connect and they agree to meet the next day at his office. Holly arrives on schedule, but what she sees is something that causes an abrupt change in her plans. She catches Rita in Ed's arms and now knows Ed won't want to return to her -- he obviously has started a new life for himself. What Holly doesn't know is that Ed was holding Rita out of comfort, not love. He was trying to ease her suffering after he told her that they discovered a cyst on her mother's brain and they have to operate. Viola Stapleton comes through the surgery with flying colors. The cyst, which the doctors found to be benign, is successfully removed. Rita's mother can now look forward to a long and happy life. It's a shame the same can't be said of Holly. At the same time that Viola is successfully pulling through surgery, Holly learns from Mike that her divorce is final. Upon returning to her home, Holly reflects on her loss and breaks down in tears. To Pose or Not to Pose Will Hope Bauer follow Ben McFarren's advice and rid herself of her inhibitions? Will she agree to pose nude in her art class? Surprisingly enough it seems as though the answer may be yes. Hope seems ripe and ready to shed her upbringing and become a freer person.

Having Ashley marry Blade and then Cole was totally unnecessary.Those 'stories' which didn't really amount to much could have easily have played out in the context of a relationship rather than marriage and not made Ashley seem like such a bimbo by constantly marrying any man she got involved with. Many characters have suffered the same fate due to the outdated view that marriage is the ultimate,yet characters go through marriages like kids in a candy store. Seeing Ashley gushing about her latest marriage to Tucker was ridiculous. Cole should have been written off after he & Victoria split.