Paul Raven

I remember reading that Audrey was ordered to modernize her hairstyle in the Jean Arley years as part of the update of the show. Interesting they would have a party because 2 cast members were leaving. Even then that was not such an uncommon thing. Nowadays, it would be one non stop party! I think i mentioned this in The Doctors thread, that Pamela Lincoln was wife of LOL's previous producer Darryl Hickman. when she was axed from LOL, he arranged for her to get a job on TD, as he was friends with Bud Weiss,producer of TD. Actress Jennifer Wood was dumped to make way for Pam as Doreen

Lucky Nancy! Erwin Nicholson was at Edge for years. I wonder why P&G left him there when every other soap got new producers. I can appreciate why Slesar stayed as, Edge was a specialized show to write, Even so, when the ratings dipped,Slesar stayed on for years. However,perhaps a new exec producer may have breathed new life into the show. Nicholson & Slesar were a team at Edge for many years, Nicholson was producer from 66-84, No other P&G show producer had that kind of longevity. Maybe Nicholson had some 'leverage' that kept him in a job?!?

P&G Firings- I'm pretty sure that all of these weren't voluntary. SFT Carl Low - Dr Bob Rogers 65-79 Val DuFour - John Wyatt 73-79 Millee Taggart - Janet Collins 71-82 Billi Lou Watt - Ellie Bergman 68-81 EON Mandel Kramer - Bill Marceau 59-79 GL Fran Myers - Peggy Scott 65-79 Stefan Schnabel - Steve Jackson 65-81 Barbara Berger- Barbara Norris 71-81 Robert Milli - Adam Thorpe 72-81 Millette Alexander - Sara Thorpe 69-82 Mart Hulswit 69-82 (replace with younger actor) AW Michael M Ryan- John Randolph 64-79 Beverly Penberthy- Pat Randolph 67-82 David Bailey - Russ Matthews 79-82 ATWT Helen Wagner - Nancy Hughes 56-81 (technically not fired,but P&G didn't try hard to keep her) John Colenback - Dan Stewart 66-73,76-79 Marie Masters - Susan Stewart 68-73,74-79 Carol Deming - Rita McLaughlin 70-81 Barbara Rodell - Joyce Hughes 74-79 80-81 James Douglas - Grant Colman 74-81 Conard Fowkes - Don Hughes 76-81 Kelly Wood - Mary Ellison 75-81

Yes, I think so. It was either during or after the writers strike when Don Chastain was writing.I guess her contract was up and P&G said goodbye. Chastain was horrible and really did a number on the show. 79-81 was when P&G got rid of so many vets and older characters.

And a few years later,Ellie would suddenly run off with the chef!

Richard Holland was the new Don and stayed for 6 years. I take it you are aware that Irna did want to axe Helen and wrote out Nancy after 13 weeks. When wiser minds prevailed,Helen was doing a play and played hard to get,which made the mercurial Irna all the more determined to get her back.

According to LaGuardia, Irna Phillips had Hal Studer fired because he was too short!

Thank you carl for all these treasures! Billie Lou Watt's husband is Hal Studer,who was in several soaps himself(the first Donald Hughes).

Thanks for that, i am getting my dates confused. I wonder why they killed off Penny?She could have been recast and been a major player, or kept offscreen until needed. Althea had already lost her son Buddy. i wonder if this was mentioned at the time of Penny's death.

Thankyou again Carlfor all of this stuff you are sharing with us in the various posts. To answer my earlier question about actor Anthony Cannon and his character of Tom Barrett,he was involved with Althea. He might have been a victim of writer changes as Althea was next matched up with Scott Conrad. When Gerald Gordon returned in 77,did he usher Althea out of the show?

Interesting that SOD would print such a scathing critique of the show-in those days there was very little editorial comment. When they did do that sort of thing, it was usually to praise a particular performance or story. Here's aSOD synopsis from July 78 Charges will not be filed against Bentley -- and it's all due to Lee. Lee backs up Bentley's story with the police. Lee tells Sgt. Damico that Bentley had no idea that the cars he was driving to the garage at night were stolen. He told Bentley they came from a used car dealer. Though the prospects are greatly frightening him, Lee is still following through with Tessa's wishes and cooperating with the police. He learns from Sgt. Damico that the guys at the top of the stolen car ring are into more than stolen cars... and the Justice Department, as well as the police, are out to nail them. Sgt. Damico says that in return for turning state's evidence Lee will be spared from prosecution. He will also, under the Justice Department's Relocation Program, be given a new place to live and a new identity. When it comes time to testify, the Justice Department will bring him back to Pt. Claire. Lee's life will be fully protected. Giving up everything and everyone in his past is a high price -- but not that high a price -- to pay for his life, but can he expect Tessa to do the same? Does he really have the right to ask? Tessa proves he has every right when she tells him once again how much she loves him and how her place is now with him. Where he now goes, she goes. It will deeply hurt her far more to live without him. These are by far the most beautiful words Lee has ever heard. She is the first person who has had such total faith and belief in him. Lee tells Tessa he's never going to let her down. He's going to make the most of this second chance which has now been given him. Moving Right Along Megan is glowing. Jason is wearing a self-satisfied smile. Why? It's very simple. Jason proposed and Megan accepted. She is now wearing his ring, and in a very short while will be his wife. It is Jason's dream come true. He's finally going to be a fully accepted member of high society. He may not love Megan, but he'll definitely love the accoutrements that will go along with being her husband. He knows he will no longer have anymore trouble achieving even greater power at Cushing and Sons. His success is guaranteed. While Jason goes about his business, his ex-lover goes about hers. While she waits for Jason's signal -- which she's beginning to believe will never come -- Laurie is making sure her marriage to Desmond will be a comfortable one. She's going to make sure she has every material thing she ever wanted. It will not be at all hard for Laurie to achieve these desires. Desmond will do anything for her. She easily manipulates him into buying a glorious new home. It's a mansion-like dwelling situated on a grand plot of land. She may not have great love, but she hopes and prays this grand and wealthy life will make up for it. Laurie is steaming. She's now out for Jason's blood. He has taken her love and heart and pulverized them. She begged him to call off his upcoming marriage to Megan... but he wouldn't listen. Wealth and power are still of the primary importance to him. She can't make him see that without love these things along won't bring him happiness. Well, she's through pleading with him. As she warned Jason, she's going to make his life as miserable as he made hers. She no longer has any reason to hold back the blade. True to her word, Laurie secures the name of the private investigator who trailed her and Jason (Viola slipped and gave her the name) and she heads immediately for Chester Higgins's office. She tells him she wants to purchase all the file material he has on her and Jason. Chester responds he no longer has anything on their case. He ran everything through the shredder shortly after the assignment was completed. Laurie then takes her copies of the incriminating photos of her and Jason from her purse, and tells Chester she wants him to deliver these photos to Megan Cushing. Chester declines the assignment. Laurie doesn't let that stop her. She says she'll deliver the photos herself. ...No Time to Waste Jason hasn't taken Laurie's warning lightly -- and feeling thusly, has made some very quick plans of his own. Pleading the urgency of a great and undying love, Jason tells Megan he doesn't want to wait to the fall to get married... he wants to elope... now. At first reluctant, Megan finally gives in and agrees to an elopement. Jason is breathing easier. He feels that once he marries Megan, there'll be no way Laurie could wreck the relationship. Tessa goes to her folks to say good-bye. She tells them about the Justice Department's program and how this means she and Lee will never be able to come home again. It will put the lives of all their friends and family in jeopardy if they do. The knowledge that this is a final good-bye, forces Lester to forsake his pride and make up with his daughter. They have a tearful, but loving, parting. Connie's neurologist, Dr. Roy White, has given Connie and Bill some hopeful news. He says he knows of an experimental drug which might help Connie with her memory block -- and once this block is removed her fainting spells should disappear. Roy is glad to hear Bill and Connie agree to his request. Dr. Roy White has grown to look upon Connie as much more than his patient. He wants to do anything he can to help her. Lee and Tessa return home one night to find the place ransacked and a straw dummy with a knife in its back, hanging from the ceiling. Lee knows what that means. His conversations with the police are no longer a secret. The mob now knows he has turned stoolie. Lee runs to Sgt. Damico with the news and this detective says that means they can no longer put off Lee and Tessa's departure from Pt. Claire. They're to leave town tomorrow. Lee and Tessa get ready to do just that... but these plans are put aside by a phone call Tessa receives from her mother. Josie tells her, Lester has taken a bottle of whiskey and disappeared to parts unknown. He just couldn't take the thought of losing Tessa for good, and he is doing what he has always done during times of stress... he is seeking solace in booze. First telling her mother, she's not going to leave town until her daddy is found, Tessa then tells Lee to go on to Seattle without her. Lee refuses. He says he's not going to desert her during this critical time in her life. Poor Lee. It looks like he has just made a very unwise decision. His love for Tessa may end up costing him his life. Little does he know, Guy Sparks, Big Tony's flunky, has just hired a hit man to do Lee in. If Guy has his way, Lee is going to be burning in hell very, very soon. Too Late! Laurie arrives at the Cushing home... but it's too late. She's there when Megan telephones her mother to tell her that she and Jason have eloped. They couldn't wait until the fall. They have just gotten married at the City Hall in Rockford. Laurie is crushed. She can no longer delude herself into believing that Jason will someday be hers. His promises were nothing but lies. How is she going to find the strength to go on living knowing that she'll never be able to hold Jason in her arms again? The drug has started to work, Connie has begun to remember -- but she didn't think the price she'd be paying for the return of her memory would be so high. She had no idea that any part of those missing eight years would contain so much agony. What her mind's eye has just seen has caused a searing, brutalizing pain to rip through her body. She has just remembered the night Bill broke their engagement. The night he told her he had fallen in love with Megan Cushing. It was one of the most agonizing nights in her life, and now she is reliving this horrible moment. It causes her to scream aloud. Her piercing wails send Dr. Roy White rushing back into his office. She collapses in tears in his arms. She is very thankful for his comforting embrace. With Roger's resignation now official (he told Edith it's time her went back to managing his own firm), Edith now has a tough decision to make. Who is she going to select as the new president of Cushing and Sons: her son Austin or her new son-in-law Jason? It's not going to be an easy choice, both of these men are qualified, in different ways, for the position. She's indeed a tormented woman. Edith speaks of her dilemma to Roger and he suggests she put both men to the test. She should tell each of them they're up for the job. They'll have two months to show her their stuff. She'll make her decision at that time. Armed for Battle It is definitely going to be a raging, blazing war at Cushing and Sons. Austin is not going to hand Jason the job on a silver platter. He's still one person who doesn't buy his reformed act. He still feels very strongly that Jason is only out for Jason. He'll destroy the firm if he's appointed president... and he, Austin, has to do all he can to prevent that from happening... and he, Austin, has to do all he can to prevent that from happening... and he means to do just that! He couldn't live with himself, if he didn't fight Jason for the job.

Jan 1962 Secret Storm actor resigns after 8 years. Constant viewers of CBS long running daytime serial ' Secret Storm' are in for a mild shock next Monday. The face and figure of a principal character will be different - although the name will be the same and the plot will go on and on and on. After eight years of playing problem dogged Peter Ames, department store owner and widower with three children,actor Peter Hobbs has decided to quit after next Friday's episode. he is giving such short notice-his departure is not entirely amicable-that there's no time to wrap up the current storyline, and, as is the usual practice, send the character to India or some other remote place to cool off before bringing on the new actor to play the old role. "I' sorry to lose Hobbs", said Roy Winsor, producer of the show,"but his leaving isn't a real problem. There's just one answer-recast the part. In a daytime serial, it's the character,not the actor,that counts". Hobbs says he is leaving-"after all, eight years is enough"- largely because he has some television ideas of his own he wants to pursue. *Hobbs did return to daytime with roles on Bright Promise and Days.He also was in scores of primetime shows.Born in 1918, he is still living.

Jerry was written out,never to return.

You may already know this ,but Elizabeth Levin was the wife of Michael Levin (jack on RH) and David Cherill acted under the name C David Colson.He played Tom Hughes during the 70's.

Continuing LaGuardia's book The 70's 1970 After a bitter misundersatanding with Steve, the pregnant Carolee married psychotic Dr Dan Allison (Richard Higgs). Jealous, and deserate to keep Steve and Carolee apart, Dan- who knew he was dying of heart disease-took his own life and made his suicide look as though Steve had murdered him. steve was tried and found guilty, but just before sentence was to be passed, Carolee and Dan;s son Billy (Bobby Hennessy) found Dan's old diary, which proved Steve innocent. English actor Patrick Horgan played John Morrison, the unscrupulous psychiatrist who married Althea right after her divorce from Nick. To keep his new wife and Nick apart, he manipulated neurotic nurse Kathy Ryker (Holly Peters, Carol Pfanderr,Nancy Barrett) through psychiatry into faking a pregnancy so that Nick would marry her. Eventually his schemes fell apart: Kathy killed herself in an attempt to kidnap Steve and Carolee's new baby, and John Morrison was murdered. 1972 Steve and Carolee were married on March 9th. There was happiness but also hidden anguish as Maggie was tormented by the idea that she was losing her mind (in reality she had a brain tumor). Mike Powers and Toni Ferra (Anna Stuart) the new lab technician had fallen in love. Toni's long lost mother Barbara Ferra (Nancy Franklin) suddenly showed up at Hope Memorial, Some of her past was seamy, but she redeemed herself by preventing Dr Vito McCray (Paul Henry Itkin) fro breaking up her daughter's engagement to Mike. Toni and Mike were wed and Barbara left town. Celebrating their 9th anniversary were Sally Gracie (Martha),David O'Brien (Steve), Katherine Squire (Emma,Carolee's mother),Lydia Bruce(Maggie) Allen Potter(producer), Jim Pritchett (Matt), Liz Hubbard (Althea), Paul Henry Itkin (Vito), Palmer Deane (Hank),Bobby Hennessy (Billy), and Jennifer Houlton (Greta). Steve and Carolee were happy with new daughter Stephanie, until Steve's interfering mother Mona (Meg Mundy) came from Boston and tried to cause trouble for them. Possessive and willful,she tried to convince Steve that Carolee wasn't good enough for him, but failed. The Doctors had several storylines involving black characters. Hank Iverson (Palmer Deane) had a romance with nurse Lauri James (Marie Thomas) Lauri had been a singer,but because of fear,gave it up to become a nurse. Althea's daughter Penny, who had been out of the story at boarding school,became an important character now played by Julia Duffy. Penny desperately tried to get Nick and Althea back together. In 1974 she was accused of murdering John Morrison, but was proven innocent. Geraldine Court came on as Ann Larimer, who was going to marry Nick until she contracted a rare (and fictitious) tropical disease, Obonda Fever, which left her unable to have sexual relations. Both Geraldine Court and Gerald Gordon left in 1974 but returned in 1976. 1974 Gil Gerard and Mary Denham played Dr Alan Stewart and his wife Margo. After Margo died and Mike Powers, who was hooked on drugs,ran off to a desert island and was reported killed, Alan and Toni Ferra Powers (now pregnant) fell in love and were married.But then Mike (now Armand Assante) turned up alive and Toni was torn between the two. Toni called her baby Paul. Alan left town. 1975 Leslie Ray was emotionally disturbed art student Stacy Wells, who had won the affections of singer Andy Anderson (Lloyd Bremseth) Penny was attracted to Andy and resented the relationship.Andy was written out by the end of the year. Lauren White played nurse MJ Match, Penny's roommate, best friend and confidante, After a brief relationship with Dr Alan Stewart, MJ became interested in Dr Kevin McIntyre but he was less serious about the relationship than she. When Matt went through male menopause and showed signs of irritability, Maggie became worried. Matt eventually accepted the course of nature and their troubles subsided.

In the article posted above,LaGuardia talks about popular leading men like Gil Gerard and Anthony Cannon leaving.All i have been able to find on Anthony cannon is that he played Dr Tom Barrett. Can anyone supply details of the character and his storylines?

Gil Gerard was on from 74-76 Re Mike- after Peter Burnell-68/74,each Mike only lasted a few years.Michael Landrum-74/75,Armand Assante-75/77,John Shearin-77-79,James Storm-79/81, Ashby Adams-81/82 and finally Stephen Burleigh in 82.

Thanx Carl.Loving these old articles. Dino Narizzano had been very popular on SFT as Len Whiting.I wonder if TD poached him to bolster their ratings? Whatever the case Dino/Kevin didn't make much of an impression and he ended up back on Search. The previous article talking about the shows problems rang true in that the show had heavily relied on Steve/Carolee,Althea/Nick and Matt/Maggie.Mike/Toni had been popular but I think Armand Assante was not suited to the Mike Powers character and popular Gil Gerard left.Once these couples were together there was nothing as strong to fill the void so the writers were faced with splitting them up to create story,which viewers probably resented. TPTB have to be really clever about having the next couples ready to take over and keep viewers interested.

Val Dufour was gay and is Morgan Fairchild a lesbian? I ask this in light of the fact that she has never had a publicized serious relationship and is single and over 50. Those 'dating' stories don't mean much.

i think that Lauren White left at the end of her contract. Carla Dragoni was cast as MJ but when Kathy Glass left OLTL (was she fired?) TD snapped her up and Dragoni was dumped.

That article was a real treat. Was any explanation given as to what happened to Janet's child by Bud? It's interesting that Janet and Patti were originally roughly the same age but when Milee Taggart took over in 71,Janet now had two teen children while Patti was still in her 20's.Did the writers rewrite that Janet and Patti were friends?

From LaGuardia's book Jan 4th 1954 When TBD premiered, the Dennis family and some of their friends had moved to the town of New Hope after their homes had been washed away by a horrendous flood. Liz,the oldest Dennis had had a breakdown and been institutionalized before the show went to TV. Brooke Byron was the first actress to play Althea Dennis Bigby on TV. Althea had many worries. When the story began on TV,her husband Bruce had died in Korea, leaving her to care for infant daughter,Spring.Having gotten a job touring in a play,Althea was crushed on the first night by a falling sandbag.She had now returned to her family and was prone to frequent fits of hysteria. Her brother, Grayling, discovered she had stopped her psychiatric treatment and persuaded her to became a patient of her brother in law Dr Randy Hamilton (Larry ward). She later left for New York to become a glamorous career girl. 1956 Blair Davies replaced Bill Smith as Rev Richard Dennis. Mona Bruns was his widowed sister,Emily Potter, and Jayne Heller mow played Althea. "Aunt" Emily otter soon became the show's mother figure. The love story between Rev Max Canfield(Herb Nelson) and Lydia Harrick(Muriel Williams) was extremely popular with viewers. The couple wed after overcoming numerous obstacles. 1957 Lori March played Lenore,Lydia's spoiled rich sister. The warm and loving life that Max,Lydia and the Dennis family led helped Lenore change into a more sympathetic person. Lori stayed with the show a year and a half. 1958 Gloria Hoye played Sandra Talbot, a new arrival in new Hope. At first, Sandra was mysterious, but later it was revealed that she had once been involved with Robert Ralston (Mark Daniels) a shady character who had become Grayling's business partner. Grayling and Sandra married. He had a drinking problem, but later overcame it. Some years later, Sandra had a nervous breakdown over her inability to conceive and became insanely convinced she was pregnant. Meanwhile, Grayling had a brief affair with her nurse. 1960 Mary K Wells played Sandra during the later troubled years of her marriage to Grayling.Grayling was now played by James Noble. 1961 Nancy Malone now played the youngest daughter Babby Dennis, who had a tender love story with tough gambler Peter Nino (Joe Sirola) 1962 Richard and Emily's luckless, misfit brother Walter (Paul Langton) came to visit them and stayed on longer than they would have liked.Walter was dreamer and Emily would reprimand him. June Dayton was the last actress to play Patsy, whose psychiatrist husband,Dr Randy Hamilton, was now dead.Patsy turned to alcohol and Poppa Dennis tried to console her. Blair Davies and Mona Bruns, although not original cast members, were the show's mainstays, remaining until it left the air. Emily,who wore a lace collar on almost every show, and Richard usually spent a great deal of time in the kitchen talking over the family's problems. scenes such as these will always be remembered by fans. Mona Bruns gives an excellent account of her years in the show in her autobiography By Emily Possessed.

Thank you Bojangles for this. During the wedding eps,they also played the story of Maggie thinking she was losing her mind(it was actually a brain tumour) Mike Powers(Peter Burnell) and Toni Ferra (Anna Stuart) were also at the wedding.

I'm sure there are many more episodes retained by producers,directors,actors etc. For example Ann Williams children had Search episodes never seen before from 76.

Robin Eisenman was the first Jennifer. She later played Nurse Stacey on GH and subbed as Nikki on Y&R. I can't imagine George Gaynes as Sam.Was this intentional to make Sam less appealing and strengthen Jo/Tony? I agree with Carl about Sayno's posts. It is great to read his perspective on the soaps of that time. Please keep posting,it is much appreciated. Carl,unfortunately i cannot tell you which issue the synopsis is from as I have the synopsis only,not the complete issues.