danfling

I enjoyed A World Apart, although I cannot say that I watched it in the beginning. My market had no ABC affiliate, so the only ABC soap operas that were aired here were General Hospital (on the mainly CBS affiliate) and Dark Shadows (on the mainly NBC affiliate.) I am not sure if I would have liked the beginning (with Elizabeth Lawrence and Anna Minot), but a commercial with Kathleen Maguilre for the show aired during the Dark Shadows finale. I decided to watch the show (The commercial proposed to stop watching what was one usually watched - Search for Tomorrow - and to give a new show a try.), and I immediately liked Ms. Maguire and James Noble (who I knew that I knew, but could not remember him as Donald Hughes on As the World Turns). I also watched loved Dark Shadows during its entime run. I cannot remember if I saw the very first episode or not, but I know that I saw the second one. Love Is a Many Splendored Thing is another show that I watched throughout the run. It picked up after Irna Phillips resigned as its writer and Jane and Ira Avery became the writers. With the quadrangle of Laura, Mark, Iris, and Spence, this show was clearly the hippest thing on television. Plus other wonderful characters such as Jean Hurley Manning, Helen Elliott Donnelly, Nikki Cabot, Angel and Pete Chernak, Betsy Chrernak and Joe Taylor - this show was absolutely the best thing on CBS.

Two recasts on As the World Turns were Patricia Bruder as Ellen Lowell Cole. Wendy Drew had created the role, but I think that Ms. Bruder was so very, very good in that role. I cannot remember the other actresses who had played Claire. I remember the different actresses (including the late Nancy Wickwire), but I think that Barbara Berjer did such a good job in the role! It was the first time that I had seen her since I don't think that my NBC station had carried From These Roots. I especially remember a scene in which a drunken Claire told her husband Michael to leave and to go marry Lisa.

I'd like to talk about all of the different actors who played Donald Hughes on As the World Turns. I am a big fan of James Noble (Donald #3), but I think that Peter Brandon (Donald #4) was the best actor in the role. Mr. Brandon even resembled Santos Ortega, who played Pa Hughes. Martin West (Donald #5) was a good replacement, and I am sorry that he was not on the show longer. And, I loved Conard Fowkes when he was paired with Alberta Grant (Liz) on The Edge of Night (Mr. Fowkes played Steve Prentiss.), but I did not like him as Donald.

I think that Lyle B Hill was a very competent producer. He has worked on As the World Turns and then on Somerset. That is obviously the reason that so many performers who had appeared on As the World Turns (Michael Lipton, Ed Kremmer, Gloria Hoye, Pamela King, Abby Lewis etc.) appeared later on Somerset. The show was interesting when it was being written by Robert Cenedella, Henry Slesar, and even Roy Winson. But, somewhere during its run, I lost interest in the characters/ I think this began when Julian (Joel Crothers) stopped being a concert pianist and was suddenly hired as the editor of the town's newspaper. Mary Waronok and Ray Fulmer were good in their roles. So too were the show's older cast members (Abby Lewis, Clarice Blackburn, Molly Picon), but the crime element was not quite up to the standards as Mr. Slesar had written. And, I adored Bibi Beesch after having seen her on The Edge of Night and especially on Love Is a Many Splendored Thing. But I really cannot remember what actor played her romantic lead on this show. Audrey Landers, who had appeared on The Secret Storm after winning some type of contest, was also good as the daughter of Ms. Beesch. She was used with two leading men, Greg Mercer (the superb Gary Swanson) and James O'Sullivan (who later became a wonderful actor in his roles but had not yet reached his best). I remember that the mystery concerning Dr. Kane and Heather was very mysterious, and the fans talked about this storyline a lot. The newer writers and the later storylines did not hold my attention. I believe that killing off Dick and Mitch was a mistake. I know that pairing Georgann Johnson and Jameson Parker was a mistake. It may have made sense to someone at the time, but it hurt the show's matriarch who had already been weakened when she became a widow.

I do remember both Victor Browne and then Sam Ball playing the role of Drew. I stand corrected about which actor was calling someone and seemed to I(at first) in cahoots with the person. I very well remember the return of Drew as played by Victor Browne. Drew was seen in an airport by Cassie (by then played by the wonderful Laura B. Kauffman). I guess that Cassue (who had married Kevin after he had broken up from Rachel and a few other female characters) was to match was to match Rachel and her almost-became step-son while she and she was paired with Kevin.

I am not sure that this was at the same time, but Mary Murray Gordon was returned as Becky Lee #2. The storyline was obviously cut short. The way that they were writing Becky Lee was not at all consistent with the way she had appeared on the show earlier. As I recall, Drew was calling someone when he first returned and saying that everything was going as planned. I assumed later that he had been calling his mother.

Did Robert Short write any episodes for the primetime "Our Private World"? Or, were all the episodes written by Irna Phillips? I read online that William J. Bell co-created the show. Did he sometimes write for it also?

There was a woman who had lived in Collinsport who looked identical to Victoria. Victoria and Maggie found a portrait that Sam had painted of her. There may have been some connection to this woman (Betty Branscom) and the Collins butler who would take the monthly checks each month to Bangor to be mailed. I am thinking that Betty MAY have been the woman that Roger ran over when he, Laura, and Burke were all intoxicated. (Sam saw this accident,) Either she was that woman, or the two women had similar names. Could Roger have been wanting to kill this woman and then blame Burke for the murder? How was the butler connected (if he was) to the birth of Victoria?

Concerning Amy (and this is speculation), the storylines were probably switched from Amy's character to the character of Sidney. Then, Sidney was written off, or Deborah Solomon Steinberg left the show and acting (for a career in law). The character of Ellen may have been created and given Amy's storylines. I know that Ellen had a daughter and that Amy could either have no children or did not have any. Devon could have been her step-daughter or her adopted daughter. In Pine Valley, being told that a woman could not conceive meant very little, as both Donna and Brooke were told that they could have no children yet later did. Was Dr. Clater the man responsible for the instances of wrong information?

I agree that the replacement of Bree Williamson as Jessica was good. I do not agree that Kassie Depaiva was a good replacement as Blair. (both on One Life to Live)

Earlier than the 1970s, Love Is a Many Splendored Thing planned to make Andy Hurley gay. I think that may have been the reason that actor Don Scardino returned to daytime television after a number of years on The Guiding Light as Johnny. (with a brief amount of time spent as Hank on As the World Turns). The network (which owned the show) decided to drop that storyline, and Mr. Scardino was replaced by Rusty Thacker. Both Mr. Scardino and Mr. Thacker were good in the role, but the character was given an incest story which probably was not as satisfying for viewers.

I would say that the single most important event is the divorce of Rachel and Dr. Russ Matthews and her later pursuit of Steve Frame.

The first daytime serial written by Bridget and Jerome Dobson was General Hospital. They wrote that show from 1973 to 1975. They were the replacement for Frank and Doris Hursley, and they, in turn, were replaced by Richard and Suanne Holland.

Prior to creating General Hospital, Frank and Doris Hurley wrote Search for Tomorrow for a number of years. I know that the characters of Patti Tate and Janet Bergman were already on that show prior to their arrival. I wonder if they were the writers who decided that Marge should have a second child? Frank and Doris Hursey even continued to write for Search for Tomorrow after the premiere of General Hospital. Theordore Ferro and Mathilde Ferro were that show's original head writers (for less than one year). I know nothing of bitterness between mother and daughter, but I do know that Doris Hursley was the daughter of a Congressman and that German was only spoken in their household. Also, Audrey certainly had a child after she married Steve. Jessie and Phil Brewer also had a daughter who died.

In the above clip, what actor was playing Donald Hughes? Was it Richard Holland? Also, today was May 1 (the birthday of Penny). I am sure that she was sent some flowers from Dr. Bob Hughes

I found this trivia about writer/producer Linda Fidler Wendell: Mother of Jonathan Cole Wendell, who played baby Phillip Scott Elliott on parents' soap opera Love Is a Many Splendored Thing. Met husband John A. Wendell on Love Is a Many Splendored Thing where she produced and he was set decorator.

Who were writing and producing this show in 1976? I assume that Joyce and William Carrington were the writers. Was Mary-Ellis Bunin the producer?

The first Mr. Sanders on One Life to Live (I cannot remember the first name of the characters) was Michael Billington. He was only on one episode before the late Peter Brown replaced him. (His picture was on the opening, though, in more than that single episode.)

j swift, I am referring to ANY recasts.

One of the best recasts on One Life to Live was Tom Berrenger as Tim Siegel.

I don't think that the show's writers and producers adhered to the show's Bible as much as did other shows.

One Life to Live had some very good recasts, and that show did better with its recasts than did All My Children. The role of Dr. Dorian Cramer was played by four really good actresses! (My favorite one was Claire Mallis.) Erica Slezak (Victoria Lord) , Michael Storm (Dr. Larry Woleck), and Judith Light Karen Woleck) were all recasts. (and were extremely good!) All of the actresses who Cassie (except one) were very good. Although I loved Andrea Evans in the role of Tina, I preferred Karen Witter in the role. (That has never changed my admiration of Ms. Evans.) I did NOT care for Krista Tesreau (and I waited six months until I decided on my opinion of her.) I did not see the replacement (Esther Rolle) for Lillian Hayman as Sadie. I cannot comment on that recast (nor David Pendleton as Lt. Ed Hall). Even the show's temporary substitutes were excellent. They showed a temporary Nora, Asa, Sadie (Cynthia Belgrave), and these substitutes did excellent jobs. I never cared for Blair #2. How did others feel about her?

He wrote a work called "Soap Opery" with Doris Frankel. Ms. Frankel was a writer for (first) The Doctors and (later) All My Children.

Comment on various recast from over the years. Were they good recasts, bad recasts, or in between recasts? I think that one of the worst recasts was on Ryan's Hope. Actress Robyn Millan replaced Ilene Kristen as Delia Reed Ryan. I am sure that someone will tell me that the presence of Ms. Millan was only to be temporary. At the time, I did not hear that and thought that it was a permanent recast. Oddly enough, Ms. Kristen had been told by the producers/creators/writers of the show to study tapes of Ms. Millan on Where the Heart Is. They wanted an emulation of her.

Don Hastings did not use his real name when he was writing for The Guiding Light. (He was C. C. Matthews.)