Paul Raven

I guess the problem was letting FC wither on the vine. Once the ratings dropped they should have announced a final season with returns etc to hype the show and possibly do better numbers leading up to a big finale. Dallas could have moved back to 10pm and Fri night refreshed. But CBS programming was all over the place by that point.

The final season of Hunter was Wed @10. But it got moved to Fri @9 in the Spring,replacing Dark Shadows, to make way for Quantum Leap. So back to its original timeslot of Season 1 In 1990 it was moved to Mon @9 for a while replacing the movie,while Carol&Co/Down Home had a short run on Sat in its place. In 87 it was moved to Tues @9, swapping places with JJ Starbuck, before In The Heat of the Night took over successfully and Hunter went back to Sat. In 86 it was shifted to Tues @9 replacing Riptide and Remington Steele played Sat @10. So a few shortlived moves over the years .

House Calls 2 and 1/2 seasons @9.30 Mon Real People 6 seasons Wed @8 Alf Mon @8 4 seasons

Knots also played at 9pm in the 1981/82 season. TJ Hooker Sat @8 for all its run -3 and 1/2 seasons. Murder She wrote Sun @8 until it was moved in its final season.

Apart from, I think maybe 3 episodes initially Sat @10, Hart to Hart was one of a few series to only play in one timeslot throughout it's run. Can we think of any other shows in the 80's that lasted longer than one season but didn't shift slots. Or played the majority of it's run in one timeslot. Falcon Crest comes to mind. Fri @10 for 7 seasons apart from the last 4 or 6? Thurs @9. Dukes of Hazzard, Fri@9, then Fri @8. And of course Cosby, which didn't move from Thurs @8 for its entire run.

Tracey looks good but I'd like to see both her and Lauren dress more elegantly, less 'trashy'.

Would have been nice for Don to return for Doug's funeral. He worked with the Hayes for many years.

It was a low rated night that CBS knew was going to be an NBC win so they slotted a movie that could be promoted as a premiere and save a new Knots Landing episode for later on. CBS had other more pressing scheduling issues at that point.

@depboy appreciate you and others that are gathering factual information about the past, unlike some who rely on inaccurate sources and their own faulty recalls.

There has to be a way around the set situation. It makes the godawful stories even worse. Does anyone think the costuming has improved since the new designer started?

So I would assume the Hursleys were still writing SFT thru 1963 and these other writers were scripting under the Hursleys outlines? Had the Ferros written up till Sept? I guess there was no point in hiring long term writers if they knew they's be there full time by Jan. Geiger and Vollaerts had written for soaps before. Catherine Turney (December 26, 1906 – September 9, 1998) was an American writer and screenwriter. Born in Chicago, Illinois, she was active from the 1930s to the 1970s. She was one of the first women writers to become a contract worker at Warner Brothers,[1] where she worked from 1943 to 1948 on films such as The Man I Love, A Stolen Life, and My Reputation.

The Maples are listed as writers for Gilligans Island and a few other primetime shows. Guess they might have written some episodes before the Hursleys took over full time? Maybe after the Ferros?

They need to dump that bulky cheap looking sofa for something more elegant and slim lined. And a different side chair also. And showing the front door from the living room entrance just points out how the set has shrunk. They need a different set up so it appears the front door is further away and there is a grander foyer.

Thank you @slick jones for the news on danfling. I learnt a lot from his message board BITD. A pity it hasn't been saved.

Not going to judge from that teaser. Looks like the opening will feature the cast in the 'turn and gaze into camera' trope. Guess there's a belief that helps viewers get into the characters but I also like an opening w/o the actors a la Days. Not sure about Tamara with long locks. And the silver hair with matching suit?

SOD ran a 2 part article about soap vets and how they were being treated in the early 80's. The interview was held at Mary Stuart's apartment I recall. Mary was there along with Barbara Berger and Charita and some others, who I can't recall off hand. I'll try and track it down if you're interested.

Days ratings had been drifting downwards for a few years and NBC daytime as a whole was in bad shape. Harrower had failed to lift the ratings. ABC had forged ahead with more youthful stories and it was decided Days needed a revamp as it was top heavy with older and vet characters. Also Days had alot of popular couples Tom/Alice as the tentpoles and then Doug/Julie, Bill/Laura, Mickey/Maggie. The stories that tried to break them up had not been popular. Now Don/Marlena had been married and the search was on to find a story for them. So Days was definitely in a rut. But Laemmle's stories and the castings were not the answer.

Y&R Production wise they need to return to a more stylized look in terms of lighting, camera work etc Even with reduced budgets and time I still believe that can be achieved. Give Y&R that lush identity it once had. Classier sets and costuming. With so many vet characters/actors the default has been to replay the same couplings and stories over and over. Some tough decisions need to be made re the cast. A couple of cast cuts would help alleviate the problem eg if Chelsea and say Devon/Abby or Phyllis left that would be a lot of convoluted history that could be put aside. And leave room for new/returning characters to fill the void with fresh stories. Much stronger emphasis on delineating the character traits . As for other vets eg Victor/Jack they need to be moved into supporting roles and still have a strong presence but not always drive story. No cartoon villians and pointless business stories. Longer term couples and continuing stories.

The Kings Crossing credits are so unimaginative. A few poorly chosen clips (agree about the talking) and some background shots against dreary music. As generic as can be. Hardly gets the viewer involved.

Once NY is over the promo for BTG really needs to take hold. 6 weeks of all sorts of promos to really get the word out to the general public.

Mickey/Maggie seemed to reach a storyline dead end once they got their 'happy ending' after the Bill/Laura/Mickey story wrapped up. There seemed to be a negative response to Mickey the mental patent so he was cured and all the years of angst left behind. So they tried the Janice story that lead to Maggie becoming an alcoholic, and various other bits and pieces to keep them in story. Then Maggie had a brief flirtation with the football player that went nowhere followed by the surrogate story. After that the Mickey presumed dead, Don/Maggie affair, Maggie leaving town, returning and remarrying Mickey. It was all pretty haphazard and often not in character. Mickey seemed more like Tom's brother than his son and that was a factor, but really Days was going young and Mickey/Maggie were kept around to keep some links to the past. There was zero real investment in them.

NBC looking like ABC in the 60's. But the A Team was on the horizon giving NBC its first Top 10 show since Little House. But they would have to wait until 84 for Cosby to really turn things around. I'm sure CBS knew that their Sunday success with aging sitcoms wasn't going to last forever but they were in a bind as to how to set up for the future. Any movement of those shows didn't work -see Alice. And bringing in Gloria with Sally Struthers seemed to rely on the connection to AITF-hardly the new blood they needed. And when they tried things like Goodnight Beantown and The Four Seasons,apart from the weakness of the shows themselves, they didn't fit the 70's vibe of the lineup. So the decision to go with Murder She Wrote and end the sitcom programming was risky but paid off.

Seeing Susan, only a few years older than Deidre, but looking much older. Her posture and overall demeanor gives off an older vibe. I think all she's been through this year has taken it's toll. Recent flashbacks show her looking much sturdier.

I don't believe any GH actor is earning $10,000 an episode. As for those recurring 'name' players like MEK I wonder what their pay rate might be. You would think more than an unknown, but maybe not.

Glad I could provide some laughs. But that seems to be how Y&R wants us to see Phyllis and how fans of the actress/character perceive her. Mind you the same delusions exist for other characters - looking at you Victor Newman.