Bill Bauer

I always thought it strange how Bill Bell decimated the families he created (the Brooks and Fosters). It was, sadly, common for new writers to do that to families past head writers had created, but I don’t know if any other writer besides Bell who did it to his own families. Why he got rid of the Brooks and Fosters and created the Abbots to refocus on them, I’ll never know.

I agree about Lipton’s run. Thankfully, it was very short. I actually liked Irna’s writing in the first year, however. Even though the stories were a retread of stories she had already done on GL and ATWT.

I totally agree with you except I would say 1964-1975 were the best years. Just curious: Why did you exclude the first two years?

What was David’s deal? Did he have amnesia or a split personality. It’s strange that the writers gave David and Ellen a big juicy story at the same time that Chris and Nancy left town due to neglect from the writers. I wonder if these writers just preferred the Stewarts over the Hughes.

That doesn’t even make sense. The character WAS slutty. Melanie Smith was just doing her job. KMH played her slutty too. Just histrionic and slutty. MS played her more chill and slutty. I personally never took to KMH in the role even though she played the part for many, many more years than MS. MS was just more relatable and sympathetic. Emily had daddy issues which made her promiscuous. There was a depth to the character when MS played her and I think she personified the character better than any actress in the part. KMH made the character too superficial and loony.

I may be wrong. I watched the interview once and don’t want to watch it again to make sure but I think she said they wanted to replace her, not that they did. I know they made her start wearing her hair up to try and make her look older.

Do any of you fellow old-timers remember if it was the same guy who raped Chris Brooks that raped Peggy Brooks? And didn’t the rapist have an overweight wife that they made an issue of? I swear I remember that but I’m going by childhood memories and they are VERY vague. I remember Peggy taking showers compulsively after she got raped. Not sure why that sticks out. Again, childhood memories.

Can someone who watched ATWT back when Jennifer was on tell me how she died? I mean, I know she died in a car accident but what were the circumstances? Was it just a random car accident? Did it happen off-screen?

Did she now? Nancy being salty?

Now that I think about, you’re right. Bob did always did have a haughtiness about him. I always thought he was too tough on Christopher as an adult. Then there is the time when Kim was having a hard time forgiving Bob for cheating on her with Susan and Bob had the gall to say, “Could you imagine my mother being so unforgiving to my father?” Then Kim rightly replied, “Chris never would have cheated on Nancy!”

Wow. I realize Rick was always a weasel but Bob seemed like a real dick in that scene between the two.

Maybe Shenanigans?

Thank you for the dates! I can look for it more easily now. I guess I did see it at some time or another because I clearly remember Penny saying that line but thought I hadn’t seen the birthday party. I thought it was the Christmas episode I have. Thanks for the info!

Unfortunately, that was way too long ago and I was far too young to remember all the details. If I remember correctly, they were fighting and Leslie started playing the piano and ignoring Lorie. Then Lorie slammed the keyboard cover down on her fingers. I remember her crying out in pain. I’m not too sure about the fight. That’s very vague. It might have been more spontaneous like a fit of jealousy. I remember Lorie was very jealous of Leslie because she was getting so much acclaim as a pianist and had a big concert coming up so that’s why she did that. I just remember clearly the actual incident. It was very shocking as a child so that’s the only reason I remember it. I also remember Katherine driving Philip off the cliff and both the rape of Chris and later the rape of Peggy. Again, because these were all shocking. I can’t believe I was allowed to watch such adult stuff but my babysitter watched it so I had to as well. I remember Jill cutting into someone’s throat who was choking on some food as well. Can’t remember who it was.

She said that during the Christmas show in 2000. I have that on tape somewhere. They were in a restaurant. I guess they had already done away with Bob and Kim’s house by then. It was the same episode where Lyla made her appearance. Seemed to be the last nod to the past. That may have been Penny’s last appearance unless Nancy’s birthday party came after that. I’m not sure when Nancy’s 80th was. I missed that when it was on originally and it strangely never appears on YouTube or in soap trading circles. I’m thinking that episode was late 90s? Ellen’s last appearance was Thanksgiving 1998 so, if she came to Nancy’s birthday party, I’m guessing it was mid-90s.

I’m sure that was when Lorie slammed the keyboard case down on Leslie’s fingers while she was playing the piano. I can’t believe I remember that but I saw it when I was a kid so the scene had a big impact on me. I haven’t seen that scene in over 40 years.

That was Vicky Dawson, not Jacqueline Schultz but I agree with you. Tom and Dee had a past relationship as well. I think they dated briefly but I could be wrong about that. It was before I started watching.

I am. It’s extremely annoying.

1984 seems like a weird year for ATWT. It seems completely set apart from what ATWT used to be and what ATWT would soon become. Almost like it’s own, different show. I’m not sure if I like it, but I find it interesting. This version of Frannie seems kind of dopey and I actually prefer this version of Lily. I always found Martha Byrne’s Lily whiny and highly irritating. Brian Bloom always creeped me out a little. He’s 14 here but looks and acts 45.

Probably because she only had one storyline and that was fighting over Ross Boling with Meta and feeling inferior to Meta. Once Trudy married Clyde, that was all in the past and Trudy found contentment (no more drama). Plus she moved off to New York. She sort of rode off into the sunset. Not that she couldn’t come back to Springfield, perhaps as a divorced woman, but there was probably not much need for that once the focus was on the next generation and new heroine (Kathy).

I don’t think I’ve seen a soap matriarch/patriarch death handled as well as Alice’s funeral on Days. I’m not sure which Hortons they could have brought back that they didn’t. It seemed like they brought everybody back except Tommy. I guess since he wasn’t even mentioned we are to assume he died. They even brought back Maree Cheatham who hadn’t been on the show as a regular since the early 70s and went to the bother of casting a new Bill Horton since the main actor who played him had died. I was very pleased at how many characters they brought back. Nancy and Bert’s funerals were pathetic in comparison. I thought they handled Chris Hughes’ funeral well but that was under Marland so that’s expected. Nancy’s children (besides Bob) not only didn’t come but weren’t even mentioned and it was all about Katie. I almost wish they hadn’t even addressed her death. It was almost insulting. Bert’s funeral was almost as bad with no returning family members but, as someone said, the writers seemed very eager at that time to forget the past. I’ve met and talked with Kim Zimmer and she is a very fun and friendly person. Someone you’d want to have as a friend. Not pretentious in the slightest. Very honest and straight-forward. Wears her heart on her sleeve and will tell you anything. Great gal.

Although I thought Mary Ellen Stuart looked a lot more like she could be Gillian Spencer’s daughter than Julianne Moore could. I much preferred Julianne Moore in the role though. Looks aside, she seemed more like a Hughes. The existence of Daniel Hughes was much more significant when you realize that the first major storyline on ATWT back when it premiered was Edith Hughes affair with Jim Lowell. It was the big scandal. Then, 50 years later, the two families were finally combined in Edith’s great-great nephew and Jim’s great-great grandson. I think he was pretty much related to everyone on the show in one way or another.