watson71

41 years ago today- August 11, 1978- the character of Amanda Cory was born. This episode of AW included the revelation that Iris was Mac's adopted daughter. Future writers- including Harding Lemay in 1988- would switch this by explaining that Iris, now played by Carmen Duncan, was Mac's daughter by Sylvie Kosloff, a knock-off clothes designer. Iris returned to Bay City in 1988 right after Sylvie had died off-screen. Mac: "It doesn't matter, as long as I got home for the birth of my first baby. [IRIS STARES AT HIM, BLANKLY, BUT MAC DOESN'T NOTICE] All these years I've dreamed of having a child and now here she is."Iris: "[WHISPERING] What are you saying?"Mac: "Oh, Iris, I'm sorry... I'm just rambling on... [HE TURNS AWAY]" Iris: "Oh, no, you're not. [SHE TURNS HIM AROUND] I want to know what you're telling me."Mac: "Darling, I don't know what I'm saying."Iris: "You said that this is your first child."Mac: "Did I say that?"Iris: "Daddy, tell me what you meant!"Mac: "I promised your mother-- [HE STOPS]"Iris: "Go on, please."Mac: "Oh, Iris, I'm so exhausted from that flight from Paris and then from New York, I wasn't thinking. Your mother couldn't have children... I mean my wife couldn't have children, so we adopted you. [IRIS SHAKES HER HEAD IN MUTE DENIAL. MAC GOES TO HER] You were three weeks old, so it was like having our own baby."Iris: "I'm not your child."Mac: "But then, your mother died."Iris: "[SHOUTING] I'm not your child?"Mac: "Iris, listen to me."Iris: "No, no... never again. [SHE TURNS AND GOES OUT QUICKLY]"

Kathleen Layman was a good actress, and she was believable as a sister to Julie Osburn's (Kathleen) sister on the show. Layman was certainly a stronger actress than Sally Spencer as MJ. The writers always toyed with the idea of pairing her with Larry but never did. It also would have been interesting to see how Layman would have done with the return of her mother, Mary McKinnon, in 1986. On a sad note, I had no idea that Layman had passed away in 2014 until I searched her name on Google: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/houstonchronicle/obituary.aspx?pid=173152925

Soderberg and Purser introduced or recast many important AW characters on AW in 1983-84: They introduced the following characters: - Jeanne Ewing (mother of Larry, Blaine, and Caitlin and Alma Rudder's killer) - Felicia Gallant - Carl Hutchins - Perry Hutchins - Donna Love - Nicole Love, - Abel/Leo Marsh - Lily Mason - Mark Singleton - David, Jennifer, and Kevin Thatcher - Vivien Gorrow returned from Texas to Bay City to work for the Corys, and Brian Bancroft's son Ted returned to Bay City. - Jamie Frame was recast with Stephen Yates from GL - Sally Frame was recast with the popular Mary Page Keller - Julia Shearer was recast with future star Faith Ford - They killed off David Canary's Steve Frame in a car crash and removed Nancy McGowan and Thomasina Harding from the canvas for several months so that they could be SORASed in the Spring of 1984 by Culliton and Tomlin.

34 years ago today, August 3, 1983, the double wedding of Mac and Rachel and Sandy and Blaine began on Another World

I thought the show became watchable and enjoyable again in the Summer of 1983, the transition period from Paul Rauch's AW to Allen Potter's AW. This was the fallout of Alma Rudder's murder where Jeanne Ewing was revealed as the killer. On her deathbed, Jeanne confessed that Larry and Blaine had a brother that they knew nothing about. This was also the time of the double wedding of Mac/Rachel and Sandy/Blaine. AW was pretty solid from the fall of 83 til the end of 1984 when Allen Potter retired. Potter did manage to raise AWs ratings, however he never brought AW back to the top of the ratings. I suspect had the ratings rose to the point where AW was a top 5 show, Potter might have stuck around longer into 1985.

With all the talk of the various Alices, how many think that if TPTB had waited until 1984 when Jacqueline Courtney returned, if the Steve Frame/Edward Black story would have been more successful with Courtney's Alice? Do you think it would have been OK with a Steve recast or would only work with George Reinholt playing Steve? In hindsight, AW could have used the character of Steve to help steady the show with a male character with history after Douglass Watson's sudden death in 1989.

Here are some scenes on the Cafe Paradise set...

Ada's new restaurant was called Cafe Paradise and was featured on AW from 1989 to 1993. This restaurant was phased out around the time that Constance Ford's Ada died. Ada hired her old high school boyfriend from World War II, Sidney Sugarman, to work at her restaurant as a chef. Sidney was played by Larry Haines who had previously played Stu Bergman on Search for Tomorrow for 35 years. Sidney was featured on the show until the Summer of 1989.

In 1983, when exactly did Paul Rauch leave and Allen Potter return as executive producer? Was Jonna Lee a hire by Rauch or Potter?

20 years ago this week, Another World aired the 25th Anniversay episode of Victoria Wyndham in the role of Rachel Cory Hutchins- an outstanding tribute to the actress- and one last nod to the show's history before things begin to fall apart in 1998 with the dismissal of Charles Keating (Carl)...

Great to see that VWs art career is thriving- but I sure would like to see her do some guest spots on TV shows... 😍 Hope she knows that her AW work is still greatly appreciated on this message board.

This quote surprises me a little bit because I feel that Swajeski wrote one of Donna's better stories when Michael left her and she had an affair with Jake and the "Who Shot Jake?" storyline and all the fallout with Vicky and Marley. So, Swajeski did feature her prominently.

Another great Another World holiday episode from 1988- Happy Fourth of July 💥🇺🇸💥

Yes they did have chemistry. Even though the videos above are a black and white copy of a color episode, it looks like AW had some high production standards compared to other 1968 soaps from YouTube. This was before my time, I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on AW from this time period.

49 years ago today on July 2, 1968- the character of Steve Frame first appeared on Another World at Lenore and Walter's wedding reception...

It's the End of the 'World' As They Know It on NBC Television. Fans and cast members are fuming over the cancellation of a soap that featured mature actors. June 21, 1999|WILLIAM KECK | SPECIAL TO THE LA TIMES Back stabbing. Harsh words. Broken promises. Misplaced loyalty. The essential components of a successful soap opera? Absolutely. But the same words also characterize the resentment much of "Another World's" cast, crew and fans harbor toward NBC, which broadcasts the final episode of the 35-year-old serial this Friday to clear airtime for a new daytime drama. Much of the confusion and anger surrounds NBC's decision to cancel the Procter & Gamble-produced "Another World," while renewing "Sunset Beach," a struggling 2 1/2-year-old NBC-owned soap. This despite the fact that "Sunset Beach" attracts nearly 1 million fewer viewers daily than "Another World," and is the lowest-rated soap of the 11 currently on the air. Although "Another World" consistently attracts more female viewers aged 18-49 (the most sought-after daytime demographic for advertisers) than "Sunset Beach," NBC felt the Aaron Spelling-produced soap opera would have greater long-term youth appeal. Still, NBC's "aging" serial generated much buzz in recent years with the steamy sexual coupling of mature lovers Rachel and Carl. Today, their portrayers, Victoria Wyndham, a 28-year vet, and Charles Keating, a familiar face since 1983, are relieved to be free of NBC and hope never to return to daytime again. "In this medium, if they're going to insist on only writing for children who don't know how to act yet, and they don't want to write for those who are beyond 45, then fine. Goodbye!" fumes Wyndham, who attempted to quit the soap a number of times following Keating's dismissal in early 1998. "Word came down from the brass at NBC that they wanted our show to be more like 'Days of Our Lives,' " adds Keating, "They wanted a teeny-bopper emphasis." Mary Alice Dwyer-Dobbin, executive in charge of production of P&G Productions, a company that in 1959 had 13 different daytime serials on the air, confirms NBC's insistence on taking the "Another World" cast younger. "NBC decided they wanted to target the 12- to 18-year-old audience," says the executive. "I'm not sure that I agree with that as a strategy. Because 'Another World' was not a show that had operated in that realm over the years. It was a struggle to try to deliver to NBC what they wanted. But we truly had pruned the cast, and youthened the cast as they had asked us to do." "We wanted to bring in the next generation," says Susan Lee, senior vice president of daytime programming at NBC. "The show was skewing old and if you don't continue to build your young audience you will have no audience. When you are 25, you don't relate to a 50-year-old's love story. There's a lot of stuff that went down in our research that I wouldn't tell the people on 'Another World' because it would be too painful for them." As a result of NBC's decision, Keating became the last in a long line of senior "Another World" performers released from the serial during its waning years. He did accept an invitation from the show's producers and P&G to return for the final week of episodes. "I was delighted that the bastards hired me back," quips Keating. "But I didn't return to please either Mr. P&G or NBC, but rather it was appropriate to be there. Even if it is not going to be terribly satisfying storywise, the fans need to see this wrapped up." Keating says his wife has flatly refused to purchase any P&G products since his release last year. "My dear Mary told me, 'There are three or four products of theirs I really love--but I'm not buying them.' " For a while there was hope the show might land at another network. Dwyer-Dobbin confirms that ABC had initiated talks to license the show, but a deal could not be reached. As "Another World's" fate seemed sealed, many devastated viewers began waging their own war. On April 23, more than 150 fans protested the show's cancellation outside "The Today Show's" window on the world, though according to protesters, NBC cameramen struggled to keep the disgruntled fans out of camera range. As part of a "Joy to the World" campaign, fans mailed in bottles of Joy dishwashing liquid, a P&G product, to the company, encouraging it to find a new home for the defunct show. Other embittered viewers have pledged to boycott NBC's replacement soap, "Passions." However Kathy Morley, 38, of Port Chester, N.Y., is among a group of more radical fans who have chosen to take their loyalty one step further. Morley vows: "NBC will be effectively wiped out of my life, just as they have wiped out the existence of 'Another World.' " "Another World" fan club president Mindi Schulman said that reaction is typical. "I've received hundreds of letters--after three or four hundred I stopped counting--from viewers who told me they would definitely not watch the new show and were dropping (NBC's) 'Days of Our Lives' and 'Sunset Beach' as well," says the 37-year-old Long Island resident. "I personally want no part of NBC. I was loyal to NBC, but on April 12 when 'Another World' got the cancellation I never watched anything on NBC again."

The viewers who made the P&G soaps popular in the 60s and 70s are now of retirement age, so there would be a built in interest to see the P&G soaps again on one of the TV channels. AOL streamed AW, Texas, SFT, and EON. I would imagine that the saved episodes start with the late 70s, no later than 1980. AW started with the last 90 minute episode and the first 60 minute episode- in August 1980- when Texas debuted. Most of Texas episodes were in tact on AOL. EON episodes were from late 70s/1980. SFT episodes were from 1984. Hulu streamed episodes of AW, GL, and ATWT from the 90s for a brief time. USA Network reran EON from the 80s and SFT from its NBC run. TBS reran Texas cut into half hour episodes, along with the short lived P&G cable soap The Catlins. Whether all this material still exists is the question, and how organized it was kept?!?

I'm shocked that P&G has not made a deal to air their soaps on a retro channel like Antenna TV, MeTV, or Retro TV. One of these channels could air a P&G block of soaps and air P&G commercials during the shows. I would hope that P&G would archive their shows, but it makes you wonder... The Doctors has been airing for a few years on Retro TV and most of the episodes have been well preserved for a show that hasn't been broadcast in 35 years.

NBC knew all along that they were going to cancel both Another World and Sunset Beach. They just neglected to tell the public this, and this pitted fans of both shows against one another. NBC waited til the last possible minute to cancel AW in April 1999. This was done on purpose so that the show would have to wrap up quickly, and so the show could not be shopped to another network- remember the rumors of ABC wanting AW either as a replacement for Port Charles or as a possible series for the just launched Soapnet. On the day it cancelled AW, NBC gave Sunset Beach a cryptic 6 month renewal knowing all along it would cancel the series as well. AW had to be cancelled first. AW had higher overall ratings than SB and a "core" audience that would watch no matter what time slot NBC placed the series. NBC knew that if they kept AW on the air, AWs ratings would be higher than those of Passions for July-December 1999. It would be harder to cancel the higher rated AW than Passions in December 1999. By keeping SB on the air for six more months, Passions ratings were slightly higher and benefited from airing in AWs time slot after Days. They could cancel SB based on the fact that it was NBCs lowest rated series in December. NBC did Days no favor with this type of "game playing." Today, it is essentially the only series on NBC daytime, besides 4 hours of the Today Show. Days was never able to garner high ratings, like it did in the 90s, after AW was cancelled. At the height of its popularity, NBC Daytime programmed series from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM - 6 and a half hours of programming. Today, CBS still airs 4 and a half hours of programming- a mix of soaps, games shows, and talk shows. NBC could also be airing the same amount of daytime programming had it not alienated its audience throughout the years. NBC always had a history of canceling daytime shows, then giving the hour back to local affiliates for syndicated programming.

Still hard to believe that 18 years ago on June 25, 1999- AW aired its final episode...

In hindsight, it was a bad idea. P & G probably thought that since AW and ATWT both aired in the same time slot, it would be a good idea to bring some AW characters to ATWT so that AW viewers would tune into ATWT. The influx of AW characters did not move ATWT's ratings that much. I think many AW viewers were done with daytime after AW was canceled. No one showed garnered their long time viewership. And one by one each of the New York soaps floundered and then were canceled. Jake and Vicky should have stayed happy and alive in Bay City. I agree completely. Jensen was good, but Anne was fantastic. In 1998, if Jensen did not want to play the twins anymore, I would have given Ellen Wheeler the chance to play both Vicky and Marley again. That whole hospital fire and Marley's disfigured face that required plastic surgery was ridiculous to accommodate Vicky and Marley not being identical twins anymore. Did anyone at the show realize that Ellen Wheeler was about a foot taller than Jensen Buchanan- haha!?! I guess that fire made Marley magically grow....

My only problem with Ladykiller was that the writers made Dean into this rock star, but he sings for about 30 seconds of the song lol 😂

I do think that Sawjeski borrowed from Lemay's story bible that contained several years worth of story. Some things she did were great: the annual Snowflake Ball; the murder of Jason Frame and the sensational murder trial where Iris was revealed as The Chief, Sharlene's past as a prostitute, and Felicia's backstory and that Derek Dane murdered her father in self-defense, the 25th Anniversary episodes; the death of Mac Cory; Cecile's 1989 Halloween return; the introduction of Lucas; the introduction of Paulina; the introduction of Ryan; the Who Shot Jake? story; the return of Kathleen and Carl Hutchins to Bay City; the Valentine to Singles episodes; the Kathleen/ Cass/ Frankie storyline; the reveal that Carl's girl Friday- Lorna- was Felicia's daughter; the battle for CEO of Cory Publishing after Mac died; beginning Felicia's alcoholism storyline The not so great: the ruining of Nicole Love; having the original Alice and Steve appear in the 25th Anniversary episodes, yet not having them appear in any scenes together; the Red Swan (I'll cut her some slack with this because I'm sure they had to rewrite months of story since Mac passed away); Ken Jordan; Dean and Jenna's Ladykiller video; Sharlene's multiple personalities and Dr. Taylor Benson; writing out Mitch with little fanfare; making Josie and Olivia sisters then having Russ quickly leave town right after the revelation; giving Rachel little to nothing to do in the early 90s; the mysterious Asian girl who showed up on John's doorstep and disappeared quickly ; Paulina's ward Hannah Moore

Absolutely, you are correct. The actors didn't need words to convey what they were thinking. Their actions spoke volumes with Mac and Iris playing with Alli in the background, while Rachel is looking out the terrace doors at the end of the episode. At this point, Rachel is doubting Iris' intentions in her return to Bay City. It will take months for Rachel to be proven correct when Iris is exposed as the chief of Bennett Publishing that tried to take over Cory Publishing. The confrontation between Mac and Iris is one of Douglass Watson's last episodes on the show.

The entire Thanksgiving 1988 episode was outstanding from start to finish. Ironically, this episode aired right after Harding Lemay quit as headwriter, and right before Donna Swajeski started as headwriter. I wonder if the writers were working off of one of Lemay's outlines. The episode ends with a montage to Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World." You would never see an episode like this on daytime today. When AW was on fire- there was nothing better on daytime- which made it all the worse in its last few years because of poor decisions made by TPTB.