Contessa Donatella

Oh, yes, indeed! Totally agree.

The thing to remember about Conboy is that he had a huge ego. A young man, pretty and arrogant. And, if I recall correctly, it was the show owner, Screen Gems at that time, that insisted on a 60 minute show. Bell was very unhappy about that but could not prevent it.

Jill Lorie Hurst & Tom Pelphrey after the L&O:SVU that she & her writing partner Penelope wrote & Tom acted in. He played a thug! Amazing actor. Barbara Bloom, Exec. Carolyn Culliton

Thanks.

One of the 2018 AW Fan Bench videos "The Lovely Ada #1" with tea towel included. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPwXEGbNGYk

Corrine Jacker was the write who wrote out Bev's character (Pat). She needed her salary to populate Bay City with Black characters like Quinn Harding. —Anonymous Park Slope, Brooklyn, Sept. 11, 2001 Anyone know if Connie's girlfriends were in the business? —Anonymous Victoria, recent

from datalounge ... After a really long and drawn out day on AW she supposedly put her arm around Linda Dano and as they walked off the set she said, "That was a kick in the c**t". —Anonymous reply 24 01/28/2013

Oh, Lordy, yes, getting rid of the Island Nation was long overdue! San Cristobal with an A or San Cristobel with an E (AW or GL). High time! Is Laurence Lau, who used to play Greg on "All My Children," gay? Met him once at a play here in NYC and he certainly was nice. —Anonymous He was with a girlfriend at an AW fan 'do & they were very friendly.

Well, apparently I did not need to ask permission to post from datalounge. Apparently people are already posting from there. I used to be on datalounge daily back in the late 90s & early 2000s.

I hear ya. I could've gone that way with Frank D recurring & I think he would have accepted it, to boot. I could've gotten rid of both Bradley Cole and David, also. But, me, I would have always kept Justin Deas on permanent. He is too valuable, if you ask me. But, we're almost at 100% there!

Well, now, that is interesting. Of the people I listed, who would you have put on recurring instead? I'm just curious what you think of any I listed. I think anyone can make a mistake & I think putting Jerry on recurring was a mistake. Earlier, for example I also think it was a mistake that they put Maureen on recurring (or offered her a paycut, whichever it was.) Maureen is one of GL's finest.

Martha with Leah Laiman Pamela K. Long Pete Lemay Zas, who once wrote for AW but otherwise was a five-star actor/villain

Kay Alden & daughter Ann Marcus RIP Bridget & Jerome Dobson Claire Labine, RIP Donna Swajeski Lynn Liccardo Lorraine Broderick Karen Harris Paley Center Panel for GL, Wheeler, Hurst, etc. Mulcahey Millee Taggart Michael Malone

Personally I cannot understand why they put Jerry on recurring. If it had been me, I would have put Bradley Cole on recurring, or David Andrew Macdonald on recurring, or even Frank DiCopoulous on recurring. The only thing I can guess is that they wanted Bradley Cole for romance for Reva, and if that was it, then, it's just one-more-time when Reva's trough was fed at the expense of other cast members! Enough already. They had to have known that Jerry had two young adults in college!

from AFTERNOON DELIGHT by Carolyn Hinsey ... I was surprised to find in James Thurber's 1948 writing on soap operas in "The New Yorker" that P&G used *smoking* to show villainy in its soaps. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nancy Curlee Demorest prior GL HW

From an Otalia Wiki ... As Olivia and Natalia's relationship grew deeper, the storyline garnered critical praise from the soap press for being a well-crafted and "superbly performed" storyline that is addressing lesbian relationships and internalized homophobia.[15] Additionally, viewers invested in the Olivia and Natalia storyline and the couple became popular.[16] In October 2008, controversy in the media arose over the future development of Olivia and Natalia's relationship. Rumors surfaced that the two would develop into a lesbian relationship.[17] Later that month, a CBS publicist stated that "this is not going to be a gay story line", but would be a "deep, rich, emotional relationship that will be very unusual for soaps."[18] In her BuzzWorthy Radio interview conducted on February 27, 2009, Chappell provided insight into the "gay" controversy when she stated, "our intention from the very beginning was not to throw labels out there. It narrows the scope of what we could do. We just wanted to tell a love story."[7] Since October 2008, the controversy has subsided because Olivia and Natalia's story has progressed enough toward romance that members of the media have considered them to be a budding lesbian couple.and SheWired.com,[19][20] Nelson Branco of the Internet website TV Guide Canada refers to their relationship as "romantic love".[6]

Has anyone seen a quote by Jerry verDorn where he questions just who was in charge when they put him on recurring status? I know I've see it. It may have been in an interview with Hinsey.

Stephanie Sloane interviews Goutman & Bloom ... Soap Opera Digest September 30, 2008/WORLD VIEW Stephanie Sloane interviews CBS Daytime Vice President Barbara Bloom and Executive Producer Christopher Goutman /ATWT DIGEST: What has you so excited about ATWT? BARBARA BLOOM: Chris has been working on some wonderful story with Jean [Passanante, head writer]. Not only is it cross-generational, but it focuses on each core group of families. The logo is, "In a heartbeat, your whole world can change." The first story was the Hugheses and the Stewarts.The second we saw [was September 3], which is the Snyders. The third one is the Ryans. There is some overlap, but there are these three wonderful stories that will each be accompanied by a location. DIGEST: You have done a great job integrating the veterans into current story. CHRISTOPHER GOUTMAN: We have never tried to ignore it. It's just coming up with appropriate stories where they have more to do than just being window dressing, which we don't want and they don't want. I think, as always, it's been the hallmark of AS THE WORLD TURNS that the vets are still here. BLOOM: And they're so important as touchstone characters. This show has always had the vets, more so than any other show. They don't just drop out as much. It depends on the direction of the story. GOUTMAN: And their vacations [laughs]. Because Helen Wagner's {Nancy} 90th birthday is coming up, so we are coming up with a special show to celebrate her. It's essentially a prequel, what happened before anything ever happened on the air. So, our characters are playing characters of yore. For instance, Carly playing Lisa, and you'll let your imagination go from there. DIGEST: Speaking of Carly, let's talk about Holden and Carly. That story really has everybody talking. GOUTMAN: I can see where people would have problems with it, but that's okay. It's not a long-term relationship, nor was it meant to be. It's just sort of where they are now. BLOOM: But in the heat of the moment, you totally understand it. What I like about it is that Carly really got lambasted for it. She has to suffer the repercussions for all the choices she made before. And, by the way, what about Lily and Dusty? Where does she get off? You really start to get involved in the debate. It's not black and white, and that's what makes you feel like you're talking about your friends. GOUTMAN: Carly getting involved with Holden has gigantic repercussions for Jack. For Jack, it has been Carly going off on some whimsical tangent. Now it's so close to home, it's a real watershed for him. And what that means for him and Carly will be larger than what it was before. So, as they all go forward, Jack will change the most in what he chooses to do with his life. Holden and Lily will always be bonded by their history and their children. But whether they will stay together is up to them. DIGEST: Were you concerned at all with this story coming right as Noelle Beck was recast as Lily? GOUTMAN: I didn't want to hold it off, because it would have held off three other actors on the show. Nothing is a perfect world. I just thought it was important to continue with the story. BLOOM: I actually think it's better, because the window into the story was Carly and Holden. I don't think it's better that it wasn't Martha [Byrne, ex-Lily]; I think it's better in that it helped the recast.If the story is in the character, then you tell the story with the character, The story isn't in the actress. GOUTMAN: I think Noelle is doing a great job. I think she is a terrific person, too. I am looking forward to her embracing Lily more and more every day. DIGEST: By playing Lily as the victim, it makes Noelle more sympathetic. GOUTMAN: Well, that was not unintentional. We were well aware of that. Any sympathy that the character Lily can get, we'll take. DIGEST: Okay, let's talk about the return of Dusty, which happens next week. So you killed him off... GOUTMAN: What the hell happened [laughs]? DIGEST: Did you know that you might bring him back? GOUTMAN: Absolutely. And we talked about it when it happened. BLOOM: It was Grayson's [McCouch, Dusty] choice to leave the show; it was not our choice to lose him. Actors have windows in their lives that they need to explore and we both are very respectful of that. So, I said to Chris and Jean, "He has to be really most sincerely dead until he is not." Then they called me up a couple of months ago and they said, "Well guess what? He is not." Grayson was ready to come back and Jean and Chris came up with a really great way to bring him back that made complete sense. And we'll have a different set of consequences on the canvas when he returns. GOUTMAN: It's going to be great. I also think that the Lucy and Johnny thing has been out there, dangling, which has always intrigued me--and Jean--tremendously. I always knew that by the end of the year, we had to explore that. The timing felt right to me. And we will. BLOOM: Dusty's appearance is not the end of the story. It's the beginning. GOUTMAN: So that we are clear to everyone, it's not a trick, it's not a gimmick, it will change everyone's lives. DIGEST: What about James? He's back... GOUTMAN: And he has a master plan, which I can't reveal. BLOOM: Otherwise, James will kill him. DIGEST: Why get rid of Jon Prescott[Mike]? GOUTMAN: Jon is an incredibly talented actor and he did an incredible job. It was extremely difficult for me. Dusty coming in sort of trumped the character a bit. Mike is a character that is not related to anyone on the show. If you are not related, it's a little difficult. But Jon will only do great things. DIGEST: On to the writers' strike. Was it challenging for you? GOUTMAN: That doesn't even begin to describe it. BLOOM: It was horrible for him. GOUTMAN: It was incredibly difficult, incredibly painful and I know for all the writers who were out on strike that it was difficult for them as well. But to keep a show running for three months without writers was hard. BLOOM: And he did an amazing job. GOUTMAN: But, I learned a lot. And, that's what you always try to do, take away the positives. Would I ever want it to happen again? Absolutely not. DIGEST; What about the Emmys? Were you disappointed with the show's lack of of Best Show/Writing Nominations? BLOOM: Yes! GOUTMAN: I am always disappointed. As much as one tells themselves that awards aren't important, and you should take pleasure in the work itself, I think we should all be recognized for the work that we do. But with that said, it doesn't change my day to day life. I gave it about 10 minutes of thought and went on with it. BLOOM: How do you get that many nominations for your cast and not get a writing and producing nomination? But the reality is that this is the nature of the awards. Everybody can't be recognized. It's a deeply flawed system that for the most part has worked very well for all of CBS shows' favor but the truth is it's a deeply flawed system. DIGEST; Would you like to be on SOAPnet? GOUTMAN: Absolutely. Absolutely. I have talked about it for years.but that it not within my domain. Listen, I would love to do a Sunday marathon of GUIDING LIGHT and AS THE WORLD TURNS. Brian? DIGEST: Last question. Where do you both see the future of daytime? BLOOM:: Anyone that can tell you the future of daytime is making it up.The future of network television is in flux. I think that there will always be room for serial storytelling but the reality is that the business model is changing and the delivery model has to change with it. GOUTMAN: I agree with Barbara. This is me speaking personally but I do think 5 shows a week is an antiquated model . All over the world serial storytelling is three days a week at mos tand repeats on the odd days and weekends. I don't think there is an appetite in this society right now to watch this show five days a week, they don;'t have the time or the energy. So, I think that is going to change first and foremost. Whether they show existing on a broadcast network or on cable, who knows? (My commentary: I have to agree that there were always many ways that SOAPnet could've been better used. Mostly it was a waste of time. When they covered RH they did well. When they covered AW they did well. But, that was not most of the time.)

Sara Bibel's Farewell to Springfield ... http://www.fancast.com/blogs/deep-soap/deep-soap-farewell-springfield/ Well, I Called That One Wrong So, after my exhaustive denial of the Guiding Light cancellation hype (and calling my sources on the show who assured me that things were touch and go but they hadn’t heard anything), the show was cancelled today. So, TVWeek one million, fans of Guiding Light, zero. Maybe I was just in denial. Having spent time with the hardworking, optimistic cast and crew just a couple weeks ago, it seems surreal. The longest running soap in daytime is dead, just as started to regain new life creatively. It was, in the end, surely a business decision. I have always suspected that GL was secretly Barbara Bloom’s favorite CBS soap. I heard her excitement when she spoke of the show back in my days at Y&R. If Y&R was the class president, GL was the interesting underachiever who was struggling to turn her life around. Though it wasn’t always reflected on screen, in terms of promotion or budget, she kept the show on the air way longer than its ratings justified. She allowed Ellen Wheeler to experiment with a new production model so the show could stay on the air. Though fans, including me, grasped at straws, the show’s numbers in key demos were significantly lower than the other soaps. The recent improvements, and passionate Otalia fans, haven’t been reflected in the ratings. Unfortunately, it would probably have taken another year of improvement for viewers to notice. Affiliates didn’t help by airing the show in the morning in numerous markets. But most viewers gave up on the show during its first round of budget cuts when the cast was decimated and all the scenes took place in a Beacon Hotel room. They never came back. My history with GL goes back to the 90s when a college roommate introduced me to what I had always thought of as an old people’s soap. (Ah, that was part of the problem.) It was a great time for the show. The famous blackout week got me hooked. The writing was sophisticated. The acting was superb. It was, also, in retrospect, the beginning of the end. Soon after, Maureen Bauer, a character whose significance I didn’t yet understand, was killed. Most fans would pinpoint that moment as where the show went wrong. Cut out Springfield’s heart and its body will die. The show was still good for several years before it went through its disastrous attempt to mimic James Reilly’s DOOL with Clone Reva and time travel. I had high hopes for Dave Krezman’s reign as headwriter. Fans forget, but he started out strong with the potentially interesting revelation that Roger had a long lost son Sebastian and the introduction of Jonathan. U was thrilled that a young writer was given the chance to headwrite. I hoped it would revitalize the genre. Then the budget cuts happened. Perhaps a more experienced writer would have been able to handle them better. Numerous mistakes were made (cutting Ross and keeping Jeffrey?). The cuts don’t excuse the sloppy storytelling. But there were still reasons to keep watching. In fact, I’ll say that Jammy and Otalia were the only truly classic soap love stories of the past five years. The new production model was jarring. The show looked more like a freshman student film for the first six months of 2008. I found it impossible to sit through the jerky camera work and numerous scenes of people wandering through fields to the soundtrack of generic pop music. The audience was quite justified in giving up. If only they had known that it was finally safe to come back to Springfield. When I think of GL, I will remember the good times. The brilliant Patrick Mulcahey episodes that inspired me to pursue a career in daytime. The who-shot-Roger-Thorpe storyline that kept me guessing, and delivered a payoff. The unbridled joy of Frank and Eleni’s wedding. The tears I shed at the deaths of Maureen and Tammy. Beth Ehlers ability to sparkle opposite numerous leading men. Kim Zimmer’s one of a kind Reva Shayne baptizing herself the slut of Springfield. The sexiness of Rick Hearst’s Alan-Michael Spaulding, Paul Anthony Stewart’s Danny Santos and Tom Pelphrey’s Jonathan Randall. I will always treasure my more personal memories of interviewing Kim Zimmer twice, watching the show tape, and witnessing Ellen Wheeler’s passion for her job. The week began with the further collapse of the automobile industry. Now another American institution is dead. No other show has gone from radio to television to the internet, from fifteen minute black and white episodes to handheld digicams. The show transcended eras and trends. It was never the cool soap. It was the soap you watched with your family, arguing about what Reva was wearing and whether Roger Thorpe was worthy of sympathy. Even reading the show’s official press release, I’m still grasping at straws, hoping CBS decided to play a cruel April Fool’s Day prank. But the cold hard truth is, come September the light will turn out for good. And, a little piece of all its fans hearts will die with it.

Yes, Vee, my mileage does vary. My fandom & appreciation of Ellen Wheeler is not something that just covers her at AW/ATWT, AMC, B&B as actresses. It includes her as a Director & an EP, as well. As a lesbian who adored "Otalia" I don't hold it against EW that she is a Mormon. I think they set out to tell the story of two women of a certain age who fell in love with each other & not per se a gay tale. The show had to deal with Jess's pregnancy somehow & I did not find anything about their handling of it offensive. However, I understand completely that people have different views on this issue and I totally respect that. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From an interview with Jane Elliot ... WLS: What, in your mind, is your finest moment? Jane Elliot: No question about it. "Guiding Light." The story [head writer] Doug Marland created for me was just so good and so rare. Thanks to Doug, I learned who I was as an actor. He stretched me. He pulled me. And I rose to the occasion. He made me look good and I made him look good. ... But, to play Carrie Todd, I had to go very, very deep. And it wasn’t just because of her madness. She was a fully fleshed out, fully realized character living a really rich life. It was a very complete role. And I loved playing opposite Jerry verDorn [Ross], the most generous actor I’ve ever worked with. It was a once in a lifetime thing and I knew it at the time. No 20/20 hindsight necessary." ______________________________________________________________ From a Crystal Chappell Exit Interview ... USTH: The Otalia story on Guiding Light was very popular, but they didn’t show much physical affection between the two. What were you told behind the scenes regarding what would and what would not be shown? Also, where along the production line did this decision come from? Ellen Wheeler? P&G? CBS? CC: I was told there would be a physical relationship and I asked and was told yes. This was in January 08, and I don’t know where the decision came from.

Not that long ago an "Another World" fan got in touch with me to see if I could help her out. She was looking for a specific "Carl & Rachel" Youtube Clip. She knew that she'd seen it. She knew that Rachel had on all white & Carl had on a light blue shirt with collar. She knew that it was either 1998 or 1999. She knew that the twins had been born but were staying with members of the family, not with Rachel. Rachel was out trying to "find herself". She knew that it was all dialogue, no music. I found all that out by interrogating Tammy & then I wrote it all up efficiently & sent it to 3 people who did lots of clips in the past & posted it on Facebook everywhere "Another World" fans gather & there are a lot of places! Within just a few days people had found the YT clip & I sent it to her. She was very excited & most grateful & wanted to thank me. So, yesterday I got a card from her - a $100 Visa Gift Debit Card! How great is that?!!! It is one of Chase4ever's uploads. The entire list of my "Another World" videos can be found here--listed in chronological order: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4VcbQ8kMdHI2rQKUB4owOFg_9whbHqbT The only ones I have for the year of 1999 starts with 1990430FriAW which can be found by scrolling way down the list to that video.-Chase4ever

I'm a huge fan of Ellen Wheeler's & her regime at GL. You're not. That's just one of those things where people don't agree. It's true that Ellen was a talented actress but she was also a talented Director & Exec Producer. Frankly, it looks like we disagree about everything here. That's life. Jonathan's early life including horrendous stepfather was one big retcon. I was just speaking of Jonathan from the time he showed up in town - not when he was a little boy on the distant island. Love back, D.

Another World wasn't just about evil twins or getting possessed by the devil. It was about friendships, sometimes between men and women (and they never sleep together! I know! It's a real thing that happens!). It was about parents and children, and the various ups and downs in those relationships. Stories had ripple effects, and sometimes...there were whole four minutes scenes where people talked to each other! When I discovered it in the 80s, there was a warmth and a humor and a comfort to Bay City I latched on to immediately. So imagine my surprise when the show I FINALLY got my foot in the door as a Writers Intern was none other than Another World. It was everything in me to keep my excitement to a minimum. After all, I didn't want to tip off that I was a fan. I was a professional, damnit. But there I was...working with Dano and Schnetzer and Wyndham and Eplin. And yet...much to my surprise, that wasn't the coolest part. Nobody talks about the people behind the scenes. The coordinators and the producers and the PAs and the ADs. No one talks about how when you work in those trenches, you're pretty much bonded for life. Kelsey was a blast of sanity in an insane world. She was the person you could look to and say, "this is lunacy, right?" And she would say in a soft voice, "uh, yeah." She was my link to Normal. She's living a much quieter life now. But even as I was watching her with her husband and kids and (huge!!) dog, I kept seeing that Emmy on her mantle. And kept thinking: "We did that. HELLS, YEAH!" - Tommy Casiello

Thank you. I was going to go look it up. When was Jackie? I know it was also close in time. I just don't recall *how* close without going to hit the books again.

Anything Nancy Curlee ever did in Springfield!), I have to admit that one soap rose above all the others for me. - Tommy Casiello