danfling

Maybe the late Jacquelijne Courtney did not care for Ellen Holly. I remember that Ms. Holly, shortly after Carla's wedding to Dr. Jack Scott, saying that they had either been #1 or #2 in the ratings for that week. She said that Ms. Courtney told her, "I guess that you think you're the reason for these ratings." I cannot look into Ms. Courtney's brain, but I think that her dislike of Ms. Holly may have been real. I know that many people who saw her when she moved to Mississippi said that she had a nasty attitude and hated being recognized.

When Jill Faren Phelps "came to ABC." it was a return to ABC. She had begun as a music supervisor on an ABC serial in California, General Hospital. I did not think that Grace Phillips was a good recast either. I wish that the term "gone south" would not be used. It is offensive to Southerners.

Can a picture of Jeff Harris (The Edge of Night) be located and posted?

I am not certain about the female character that Ross was discharging, but I suspect that it may have been Joanna Yeager. Joanna was actually Stuart's wife. She worked as a domestic for Adam and the family, but she also helped to keep Stuart's existance a secret (along with Josh). The role was played by the late Meg Myles (The Doctors, Where the Heart Is, The Edge of Night). She was also a singer.

(copied) Michael Malone, A Beloved Writer And Friend, RIP “I want to write about my adored, extraordinary friend Michael Malone who died last night,” Passanante wrote on Facebook. “Right now, though, I’m just trying to adjust to the impossible idea of a world without him. ‘And when he shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars…'” According to Dignity Memorial, Malone passed away on Friday, August 19 at his home in Clinton, Connecticut. He will be buried in the cemetery of St. Matthews Episcopal Church in Hillsborough, North Carolina. A Loving Family A date of birth was not listed in Malone’s death notice however, it is said that he was born in 1942, which meant he was either 79 or 80 years old. He is survived by his wife, Maureen Quilligan, his sister Sheila Waller, his brother David Malone, his five nieces and one nephew, Lisa, Kelly, Tom, Shannon, Shayna, and Addie; his daughter Maggie, son-in-law Matt, and his 6-year-old granddaughter Maisie. The scribe was new to daytime when he was hired by OLTL executive producer Linda Gottlieb to craft tales for the citizens of Llanview. Malone wrote for One Life to Live from 1991-96. “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I write this,” Smith shares. “How do you honor a man that gave you so much? He gave me Nora, he gave Nora a beau called Bo. He wrote an Emmy Award-winning story for me to play with other Emmy Award-winning actors. He wrote me emotions to play that were so complex, I could only let them consume me. He wrote women with brains and hearts, with courage and fear and all of it wrapped up in bravado. He wrote me a character that I had to aspire to become. He wrote and we came to life. Thank you Michael Malone. You are the best of Times’ Witness!” (Times Witness was one of the many books written by Malone.) OLTL fans recall Smith’s emotional, passionate tour-de-force as Nora Buchanan, an attorney who came to the chilling realization that the clients she was defending in a rape trial were, in fact, guilty. The scene, which can be viewed here, helped Smith take home the gold in 1994. During his stay in Llanview, Malone also created the off-beat character Luna Moody (Susan Batten) and delved into the long-running feud between Victoria Lord (Erika Slezak) and Dorian Lord (Robin Strasser). Actor Thom Christopher, who won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role as OLTL’s Carlo Hesser in 1992, wrote on Facebook that Malone was a “grand man of words and creative ideas. His words are written on the winds of memory for a number of actors.” After leaving OLTL, he moved over to Another World, which he wrote starting in 1997. In 2003, Malone returned to One Life to Live and incorporated his novel writing into the show. He wrote the book The Killing Club, which tied into the show’s storylines. The book was published in 2005 with the authors listed as Marcie Walsh (Kathy Brier) and Michael Malone. During its first week of publication, the novel rose to #16 on The New York Times Best Seller list for Hardback fiction. It later hit the No. 11 spot on the list. Malone also won a Writers Guild Award in the Daytime Serials category for his work on One Life to Live in 1993. In addition to making his mark on the daytime world, Malone was a teacher and instructed a class of 300 students at Duke University in a course titled American Dreams American Movies. He also penned several novels. Malone was in the process of writing a fourth book in his Cuddy and Justin series when he fell ill with cancer. A lover of cooking, musicals, jazz, dancing, and justice for all unfairly incarcerated, Malone spoke out against the death penalty and raised awareness about AIDS, Lupus (which Marty Saybrooke battled), and LGBTQ rights. Malone’s family has asked that donations be made in his memory to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a charity to which he gave for over 40 years. Soap Hub sends deep sympathy to Malone’s family and loved ones at this difficult time.

An obituary of Michael Malone was posted in the soap opera writer' discussion area.

(copied) Michael Malone, A Beloved Writer And Friend, RIP “I want to write about my adored, extraordinary friend Michael Malone who died last night,” Passanante wrote on Facebook. “Right now, though, I’m just trying to adjust to the impossible idea of a world without him. ‘And when he shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars…'” According to Dignity Memorial, Malone passed away on Friday, August 19 at his home in Clinton, Connecticut. He will be buried in the cemetery of St. Matthews Episcopal Church in Hillsborough, North Carolina. A Loving Family A date of birth was not listed in Malone’s death notice however, it is said that he was born in 1942, which meant he was either 79 or 80 years old. He is survived by his wife, Maureen Quilligan, his sister Sheila Waller, his brother David Malone, his five nieces and one nephew, Lisa, Kelly, Tom, Shannon, Shayna, and Addie; his daughter Maggie, son-in-law Matt, and his 6-year-old granddaughter Maisie. The scribe was new to daytime when he was hired by OLTL executive producer Linda Gottlieb to craft tales for the citizens of Llanview. Malone wrote for One Life to Live from 1991-96. “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I write this,” Smith shares. “How do you honor a man that gave you so much? He gave me Nora, he gave Nora a beau called Bo. He wrote an Emmy Award-winning story for me to play with other Emmy Award-winning actors. He wrote me emotions to play that were so complex, I could only let them consume me. He wrote women with brains and hearts, with courage and fear and all of it wrapped up in bravado. He wrote me a character that I had to aspire to become. He wrote and we came to life. Thank you Michael Malone. You are the best of Times’ Witness!” (Times Witness was one of the many books written by Malone.) OLTL fans recall Smith’s emotional, passionate tour-de-force as Nora Buchanan, an attorney who came to the chilling realization that the clients she was defending in a rape trial were, in fact, guilty. The scene, which can be viewed here, helped Smith take home the gold in 1994. During his stay in Llanview, Malone also created the off-beat character Luna Moody (Susan Batten) and delved into the long-running feud between Victoria Lord (Erika Slezak) and Dorian Lord (Robin Strasser). Actor Thom Christopher, who won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role as OLTL’s Carlo Hesser in 1992, wrote on Facebook that Malone was a “grand man of words and creative ideas. His words are written on the winds of memory for a number of actors.” After leaving OLTL, he moved over to Another World, which he wrote starting in 1997. In 2003, Malone returned to One Life to Live and incorporated his novel writing into the show. He wrote the book The Killing Club, which tied into the show’s storylines. The book was published in 2005 with the authors listed as Marcie Walsh (Kathy Brier) and Michael Malone. During its first week of publication, the novel rose to #16 on The New York Times Best Seller list for Hardback fiction. It later hit the No. 11 spot on the list. Malone also won a Writers Guild Award in the Daytime Serials category for his work on One Life to Live in 1993. In addition to making his mark on the daytime world, Malone was a teacher and instructed a class of 300 students at Duke University in a course titled American Dreams American Movies. He also penned several novels. Malone was in the process of writing a fourth book in his Cuddy and Justin series when he fell ill with cancer. A lover of cooking, musicals, jazz, dancing, and justice for all unfairly incarcerated, Malone spoke out against the death penalty and raised awareness about AIDS, Lupus (which Marty Saybrooke battled), and LGBTQ rights. Malone’s family has asked that donations be made in his memory to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a charity to which he gave for over 40 years. Soap Hub sends deep sympathy to Malone’s family and loved ones at this difficult time.

I want to inquire about two different actresses. The first one is the juvenile actress who played the daughter of the late John Gabrielle on Loving. She must have been a model because during the time that she was on Loving, there was a magazine at the local library which had her on the cover. I think that she was also on a commercial that I frequently saw. The second inquiry is about actress Lee Beery. She played a role on Dark Shadows during the final year. This character was the sister of Kate Jackson's character in the 1840 storyline. I have never seen Ms. Beery in any other television or film role. I do know that her husband is Broadway and record arranger and conductor Jonathan Tunick. (I first became familiar with Mr. Tunick when he arranged Send in the Clowns for singer Judy Collins.) He would arrange for the Stephen Sondheim musicals.

All My Children was having a terrible time after Jenny's death in 1984! Jacqueline Babbin left as the show's executive producer. She was the show's best one. Jorn Winther had been wonderful also, and he returned. However, the show was going through some hard and unsuccessful times. The characters of Giles and Matt were introduced almost at the same time. I think that Giles had been intended as a love interest for Brooke and that Matt had been intended to be paired with Erica. Matt's storyline was later switched to a paring with Nina, and Giles was quickly dropped. I had never thought about a Giles recast, but the show had been having an awful time with some of the recasts: Nina Courtlandt Warner, Liza Colby, and Wally McFadden. Not to mention the almost-a-recast Sheila Thomas. (I expected, though, that, at some point, it would be revealed that Sheila and Greg had conceived a child who would come to Pine Valley and be big trouble for Enid and Greg.) The show wrote off Devon and Betsy (who had fallen in love with Wally). Jason Kinkaid was suddenly shown as a love interest for Opal, but that did not last long and the actor who played Jason was mis-cast as Tom on As the World Turns. Another departure was Peter Bergman as Dr. Cliff Warner, but he eventually returned. Nina was, by that time, involved or married to Matt Connelly. Mitch Beck, Donna's estranged brother, came to town, and a new Latino storyline was attempted. The character of Pillar was re-cast. I think that the actor who played Mitch was not a big success, so Mitch was written out and the actor moved into a new role on Loving. Cliff and Pilar gravitated toward each other. I liked Teri Eoff, and she was lovely on Search for Tomorrow, but she did not look or seem South American in any way to me. The character of Melanie (a cousin to Pamela and niece of Brandon) was introduced. She had scenes with Mark, but it was her cousin Pamela who was falling for Mark. It appeared that Melanie and Chuck were to get married, but suddenly Melanie was written off and Carrie (a roommate of Melanie) and Chuck were paired and eventually were married. I am not sure when it was, but at some point Donna and Tom moved into a property on the estate owned by Phoebe. They did not remain together for a very long time. There was also a male character named Rick who worked as a gardner. I cannot remember which stories he affected. Devon and Bonnie McFadden were written back onto the show. Devin's initial storyline was a big one on All My Children that fizzled. She thought that she was falling in love with Dr. Lynn Carson (played by Donna Pescow, whose boyfriend was playing Jason). Following that fiasco, Devon and Chuck began dating. Devon was one of my favorite characters, so I hoped that she and Chuck were to be paired in marriage. However, I heard that actor played Chuck was concerned and mentioned it to Trisha Pursley, who played Devon. She was encouraged that Devon was dating Chuck, but he told her that it seemed that the show was about to pair them and to write them off the show. Pamela Kingsley met a young actor named Brian Cummings. (He and Pamela met Oprah Winfrey in her cameo on the show), and they left town. Bonnie McFadden was somewhat involved in the Chandler storyline and the introduction of the audience to Stuart. Then, she and Devon left town to pursue a career as a child actress for Bonnie in Hollywood. The show did have one good thing to happen, although this was probably before 1984 when Linda (played by future Oscar nominee Melissa Leo) was appearing on the show. She was on about the time that Cynthia's son Andrew and Nina #2 were in the cast. Tad and Hillary were married during this time. She took a job in the Town Hall, and Matt McCoy played an employee there who was bound to fall in love with her. This storyline was dropped very suddenly. The show then was faced with the departure of Lawrence Lau as Greg Nelson. It unsuccessfully tried to recast twice before Greg was written off the show. Had I been writing or producing the show, I would have shown one of Greg's two older sisters who had been mentioned. She and her husband would have moved to Pine Valley, and he would have been searching for a job. She and Dr. Cliff Warner would have fallen in love (after Liza left town). Future unsuccessful storylines for All My Children were the intended pairing of Dr. Jeff Martin and Dr. Angie Martin. Stephen Schenkel (who had worked on Ryan's Hope, but not as executive producer) became the new executive producer following Mr. Winther.

Philip MacHale's role as Tony was a welcomed relief to me. The character changed somewhat, and I preferred the new version of Tony Lord.

I will attempt to locate an obituary for Steve Wasserman and, upon finding it, will post. Jessica Klein, who spent six seasons on Beverly Hills, 90210 as an invaluable writer, producer and story editor, has died. She was 66. Klein died July 13 of pancreatic cancer at her home in Beverly Hills, her daughter, Shira Rose, announced. Klein joined the Darren Star-created Fox primetime soap for its second season (1991-92) and received a writing/story by credit on 46 episodes, a story editor credit on 14 episodes and a producing credit on 156 episodes through the seventh season (1996-97). She worked on the show with her writing partner and then-husband, Steve Wasserman, who died in July 1998 when he fell overboard during a sailing trip from Marina del Rey to Santa Catalina Island. He was 45. Klein and Wasserman also wrote for the CBS soap opera As the World Turns and for the primetime dramas Northern Exposure at CBS, Mancuso, F.B.I. at NBC and Gabriel’s Fire at ABC. In 2013, she joined the ABC soap One Life to Live as a writer and producer. Klein was born in Manhattan on March 14, 1956. Her father, Saul, co-founded Barton’s Candy and was a Holocaust survivor who emigrated from Vienna in 1939; her mother, Ruth, was a senior administrator at Weill Medical College of Cornell and an avid collector of antique spectacles. After graduating magna cum laude from Harvard Radcliffe in 1977 with a degree in psychology and social relations, she began her TV career at the Children’s Television Workshop as an assistant on Sesame Street. She moved to Los Angeles in the late 1970s and met and married Wasserman. The two-time Daytime Emmy nominee also wrote and/or produced shows including Capitol, Scout’s Safari and Just Deal; on the last two, she teamed with Tommy Lynch, her creative partner after Wasserman’s death. She taught screenwriting at Drexel University after she married Isaac Levenbrown, a painter and audiovisual expert who designed custom screening rooms, in 2000. After his death in 2014, she reunited with Lynch as head of creative on the TV shows Make It Pop and The Other Kingdom. She returned to the L.A. area in 2018. In addition to her daughter, survivors include her stepchildren, Josh, Brittany and Jonathan; grandchildren Shayna, Mendel, Zisi, Asher, Lily and Elliott; and brother David.

Actress Robyn Griggs passed away earlier today.

Actress Robyn Griggs passed away earlier today.

Walter Greaza also appeared on The Phil Silvers Show. Many performers on that show were not credited, but he was. Other performers from The Edge of Night who appeared on The Phil Silvers Show were Ann Flood, Constance Ford, Billie Allen (a regular on the show), John Gibson (a regular on the show), Alice Yourman, Ralph Dunn, Humphry Davis, Fredrick O'Neal, Mark Rydell, (Professor) Irwin Corey, Dorothy Stinette, Joe Silver, Matt Crowley, Will Hussung, and Vincent Gardenia,

Actress Olga Bellin is credited, I learned this afternoon, as playing Ann Fuller on Another World. Could someone identify this character?

Thank you for sharing the Toni Darnay story! I am sure that you already have this, but Alan Feinstein used the stage name Alan Yorke earlier when he was on Love of Life. He also played a day role on the second episode of Dark Shadows in 1966. He was involved in a fight on the show, and Joel Crothers and/or Mitchell Ryan was also featured in that fight.

Above are two pictures of the cast of Valiant Lady. One shows Nancy Coleman (as Helen) and, also in the picture, is Lydia Reed as Kim. I had, until now, not realized that Lydia Reed (who played Hassie McCoy on the situation comedy The Read McCoys) had been a child actress or had appeared in any soap opera. The Valiant Lady listings on the IMDb reveal that Ms. Reed played Kim #1. Then, in the second picture found above (marked as the two year anniversary of Valiant Lady), Flora Campbell is playing Helen. I know that this is an assumption, but there is a little girl in the picture, and I assume that she is playing the role of Kim. Can anyone identify who played Kim #2 (if that is indeed Kim, as I suspect)?

Here is some information about the studio in which The Doctors was produced throughout its run: NBC News confirms plans to split Studio 3B into two spaces: NBC will be splitting 30 Rockefeller Center’s Studio 3B, the former home of “NBC Nightly News,” “Dateline NBC, “Rock Center” and other programs, into two smaller spaces for WNBC and WNJU, a spokesperson confirms to NewscastStudio. News of the potential split was first hinted at after public building records were discovered on the TV news fan site TVNewsTalk. NewscastStudio reporting has confirmed that the documents are authentic and NBC has confirmed that they do accurately represent plans to split the space. In January 2022, NBC announced plans to move its owned Telemundo affiliate, WNJU, into 30 Rock so that it could share resources with WNBC, which it also owns. At the time, plans indicated a new second-floor workspace for the two entities would be built, but no plans for studio space were included. Now, an NBC spokesperson has confirmed that the space currently known as Studio 3B will be split into two, as indicated by the plans, with one dedicated to NBC News 4 New York and the other to Telemundo 42. Plans on public record with New York City show the space is divided into two essentially equal sizes, designated on the plans as Studio 3B-1 and Studio 3B-2. However, it’s not clear which one will be assigned to which affiliate or if those will be the final designators. The plans also include two ghosted-out scenic design ground plans, but there is a note on the drawings that says these are meant for illustrative purposes only. It also appears that NBC will be adding a small enclosed workspace to each space, perhaps for robotics or teleprompter, and those rooms will be interconnected. Studio 3B is a historic part of 30 Rock. It is reportedly one of the only studios to have never had its size or footprint significantly changed since the building was constructed in 1933, originally for radio production. It’s also been the home to the “Huntley-Brinkley Report” and daytime serial series “The Doctors” (not to be confused with the present-day syndicated daytime talker). In the early 1990s, it became home to a sprawling studio set for “Nightly” that included a projection screen (which was state-of-the-art at the time), small in-studio workspace and an anchor desk at the center. It would also become home to “Dateline NBC” for a period of time. The set was modified numerous times, including removing the smaller projection screen in favor of rear projection cubes in the mid-1990s and several changes to the primary background, eventually settling on newsroom duratrans. The set was also used, over the years, for various other NBC News productions, including “Sunrise.” Many elements, such as header signage, could be changed out as needed depending on the production. In 2000, “Nightly” moved out of 3A, relocating to its own dedicated set in Studio 3C. The set in 3B was removed and replaced with a sprawling, wraparound set for “Dateline” that included multiple venues, a balcony and stairway. This set was repurposed during election coverage, most memorably during the 2000 election. In 2011, “Nightly” would move back to Studio 3B, again sharing with another program — this time it was the newly-created magazine show “Rock Center.” That set featured two areas that could be used separately or together, roughly following how 3B would be sub-divided in the proposed plans. The west side of the space was primarily used for “Nightly” while the east side was for “Rock Center,” though portions of the opposite side of the space would show up on both programs. Eventually, the set was heavily modified to remove the built-in seating and coffee table, and once “Rock Center” was canceled, would eventually move “Nightly” over to that side of the space in 2014, presumably to take advantage of the rear projection screens. It remained that way until moving back to 3C in 2017. Since then, the studio has largely been used for pre-taped segments and interviews. WNBC has also hopped around Rockefeller Center. For years, it was based in Studio 6B, featuring a large blended rear projection background that used specially-engineered mirrors to eliminate the need for standard throw distance behind the set. That space is now home to “The Tonight Show.” The local news would then move to the 7th floor next to a new newsroom for the station, as part of NBC’s plans to create a local 24-hour news channel in major markets that would share resources with its existing news team. After that plan was walked back on, WNBC would eventually wind up in Studio 3C in between the times “Nightly” occupied it. It then moved to Studio 3K, where it is based today. NBC has confirmed that WNBC will now move into one-half of the space formerly known as simply 3B sometime in the relatively near future, though the exact timing was not announced. This would mean that Studio 3K will become available, perhaps for use by NBC’s increasing needs for production for its digital platforms. It’s also possible it could become home to a new syndicated show produced by the network. WNJU is licensed to New Jersey and will maintain the physical presence there required by its license. Although not in name, the station is still considered part of the New York metro market and covers the city and New Jersey as well as other nearby communities. AUGU The current WNBC set in Studio 3K. The ‘NBC Nightly News’ side of Studio 3B around 2011. The WNBC set and newsroom in 2008. ST 9, 2022 NBC News confirms plans to split Studio 3B into two spaces NBC News confirms plans to split Studio 3B into two spaces UGUST 9, 2022 NBC News confirms plans to split Studio 3B into two spaces

Whatever lies ahead for Robyn, God is there already.

It is odd that Pat Falken Smith was replaced on Where the Heart Is by Paul Avilla Mayer (and later Mr. Mayer and Claire Labine). Then, Mr. Mayer and Ms. Labine were replaced on Ryan's Hope by Pat Falken Smith. It does, though, seem somewhat logical that ABC would hire her to write Ryan's Hope. ABC had wanted Ryan's Hope to be similiar to its serial General Hospital, and Pat Falken Smith had written General Hospital when it had shot to the top of the ratings. I know that many, though, think that Pat Falken Smith was credited for the success of General Hospital, but that Douglas Marland (a terribly overrated writer, in my opinion) had actually been responsible for much of the show's success.

I would like to ask about some of the writers of Where the Heart Is. I know that the show's co-creators, the late Lou Schofield and the still-living Margaret DePriest, were writers on The Edge of Night. Ms. DePriest was an actress who became one of the show's writers. (She also appeared on The Doctors as an actress. I think that she also was a writer on that show.) My understanding is that Mr. Schofield and Ms. DePriest had an affair. Mr. Schofield had replaced James Lipton as the head writer for The Edge of Night (although some have told me that Mr. Lipton was not actually the head writer of the show. This was after he had been replaced as head writer of Another World.) Henry Slesar was hired as a substitute writer for The Edge of Night and wrote the show while Mr. Scofield was out with an illness. Mr. Scofield returned to The Edge of Night, and Mr. Slesar continued writing the show, eventually become that show's head writer. CBS decided to expand the amount of soap opera drama on the network. Both The Guiding Light and Search for Tomorrow were expanded to thirty-minute shows, and Love Is a Many Splendored Thing, a new program created by Irna Phillips, had been added to the schedule. Then, the network decided to add a new program. I know that several ideas were submitted. Roy Winsor wanted a spin-off of The Secret Storm called The Widening Circle. Henry Slesar submitted (at one time - I am not sure if this was the point that his prospective show was submitted) about spies. Actor Fred J. Scollay submitted a show, also. CBS elected to air Where the Heart Is with Lou Schofield and Margaret DePriest as head writers. After a year, CBS replaced them with Pat Falken Smith. Paul Avilla Mayer began working on the show, and later Claire Labine joined him. I am thinking that Mr. Mayer replaced Pat Falken Smith in 1972 as the show's head writer, and Claire Labine was soon promoted as his co-head writer. Mr. Mayer and Ms. Labine were the head writers up until the time of the show's cancellation in 1973. Does anyone know who any of the other writers who worked with these head writers were? I can imagine that perhaps Nancy Ford worked on the show. Did she? Who were some of the other writers?

Todd was sentenced to a prison sentence. It was an act of God which caused the trainwreck.

As a Southern man, I resent the phrase "went south" as a description of something bad.

Poor Alice Haining (Liza #2). We were in high school together, and I saw her in quite a few stage performances. She was the perfect ingenue! However, the casting directors of the New York soap operas nearly always cast her as a bad, mean character. She had roles on Search for Tomorrow, Loving, One Life to Live, and All My Children in which she played unsympathetic characters. She, again, was the perfect ingenue, and she could have played Hillary Wilson so well! I understand that she was influenced to be an actress by the late Christopher Wines (Dr. Jeff Martin #1 on All My Children).

Was Ellie Grant Hubbard the mother of both Eugene (Tom Wright) and Jesse (Darnell Williams) or just of Jesse?