Mitch

7 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

I don't even know how much  Eileen is interested in more detailed interviews - this feels more like her just wanting to relive some fun old times, which is alright with me. There had been years of fan worry about her - a decade. I hope this might lead to more for Eileen and if it takes a place she felt comfortable with I can go along with it.

 

Yea...I think Eileen can just have a camera pointed at her and she is off to the races with her stories.  Nice to see her again and of course Don too...I just wish they could bring LB in for a quick guest appearance as they were bickering away for 30 years.

46 minutes ago, Soapsuds said:

 

Did they do that in the middle of the scene???

And here is Marland...trying to write funny and sexy and it just doesn't work.

On 8/19/2021 at 1:28 PM, titan1978 said:

1982 is such a strange year for GH.  Really shows that flying by the seat of your pants was not enough to keep the audience engaged and the show as good.  And I know people hate The Ice Princess for brining science fiction and adventure to GH (and other shows), but at least it was fun.  Robert and Tiffany are fun.  The island was fun.  Luke and Laura were fun.  The Cassadines were fun.  David Grey and that sword were no fun at all.  And IMO, Tony Geary is at his worst there, and it took Emma Samms to finally ground him again.  His style desperately needs a costar that is grounded.

I agree...the Ice Princess was fun...while the storyline was absurd...the dialogue, acting, direction and production was great....Tiffany and Robert were like a bickering couple in an old movie,..there were stakes for the entire town, and it was bright and fun. Too bad the other soaps didn't see that it wasnt the sci-fi that worked, it was the individual parts that made it attractive.

1 hour ago, koos said:

A pair of characters, possibly Jack and someone else, were walking through an alley and a line of skeleton children shuffled and danced past them. It was totally random.

Ah...I didn't remember that..but it did add to the other wordly eerie feeling it all started as...but then it all became a joke and as the bodies piled up there were no stakes. If they had kept it as a couple of characters "died" and maybe other people were attacked and survived...and the feeling around town would be.."Who do I trust" it could be anyone..and people start to turn on each other...to paraphrase a really bad movie..."That the real curse of the Dimera's paranoia and fear!"

18 hours ago, Vee said:

I don't remember the skeleton children! That would've been cool tbh.

It was the day to day writing and execution that was so often amateur level. And the fact that Reilly clearly thought Marlena could just do anything (it was obvious it was her before they revealed it) and it would be fine and make no difference. I still remember people weeping that Reilly's supposed genius-level original plan for the story was denied.

I think the skeleton's dancing was on Bo's phone after his mom or Maggie "died" ..wasn't it death never takes a holiday, or something. The start to the SS was eerie and good, but the pile on and pile on of deaths made it...a joke..and nothing else was happening and no one was mourning and no one was the least bit afraid that a killer was targeting too families. Death had become so cheap on soaps (and Days) that we knew there would be no long term anything.   Add to that it as you and others said, made no sense (Victor dies by other means then the SS, yet he is on the Island...) Marlena was the WORST serial killer on record..she left tons of DNA and was on the site of a great majority of the killings, the camp level was up to 250...(not only was the SS going around town, but Doug and Julie just happen to have a tiger..they bring to town for...reasons...and it gets loose and everyone goes about their business with both a killer and a tiger on the loose...) The only thing good about it was that it made me feel "Oh ATWT and GL arent so bad.."

I would still love to know what Reilly really intended..(besides his own seeming dislike for Days) did Marlena have a brain tumor or something, a split personality...obviously Alice was thrown in after he had to change things and keep everyone alive...they could write a book about this!!!

35 minutes ago, Soapsuds said:

1986-1987 was ATWT best season. That's why they won the Emmy that year for best soap. Marland's writing really took off that year. The ratings were very strong too.

This was the peak of the Marland years...we hadn't yet gone full depressing and didn't spend all our time on the farm and there was still some camp and fun to be had. Love the Nancy/Lisa scene...a rarity to find some actual warmth amidst the Marland frost.  The direction was great also..despite the upper class pearls and dresses for dinner, it seemed real as people were having every day background conversations..(love Andy talking in the background as they exit...) Though Oakdale's politeness is in full force...how the hell does Kim know if Mama Snyder is a good catch for John or that Earl Mitchell is a good man..and Bob is downright mean in his joke but Lisa has to blame it on her menopause that she took offense? I would say this year is the perfect soap.

On 10/31/2021 at 8:50 AM, Liberty City said:

They somewhat did it for Marj Dusay's return as Alexandra Spaulding in 2002, following Joan Collins' exit.

"Marj Dusay is recreating the role of Alexandra Spaulding."

In other words, turn down the volume..the screeching is about to start!!! Weird turn of phrase since she didn't create Alex to begin with. However, it was prophetic as from then on in the writers made Alex a drug dealing shrew and then a meek little house mouse..she was never again really Alex (not Marj's fault.)

On 10/27/2021 at 5:16 PM, Darn said:

I never cared for Elizabeth Keifer as Blake largely because she looked more than Maureen Garrett's mother than the other way around. It just felt so weird to see her call this woman mom. She also played the character so matronly and neurotic, which didn't make sense since her parents were both so...cool. How'd they make this lame duck?

See, I thought Keifer played Blake more as a conflicted woman who was essentially raised as a Bauer, ripped out of that enviorment and had the "ghost" of her bio day haunting her..so she was basically a warm woman who made really bad decisions, and yes, neurotic (but Holly was Queen Neurotic, hidden behind a sleek sarcastic facade.) I know everyone else seems to love SS but I thought her Blake, while fun, was campy and OTT, plus with all the 80s hair she seemd to TOWER over little AM.

Which reminds me..one of the worst recast ever...Michael Dietz as Alan Michael Spaulding...he would have been poorly cast as the busboy at Company much less taking over for Hearst!

1 hour ago, zanereed said:

I suppose they made Ross essentially Mike for those years. I always thought that if they continued to do that, the show should have organically bonded both Ed and Ross as having brothers (Mike and Justin, respectively) that they both were once close with who were now off doing their own things. Well, I'm not sure Ross and Justin were ever super-close, I guess.

I do think they moved Ross into the Mike Bauer role...(I can even remember scenes with Alex..though Mike was on the canvas, which seemed to be written for Mike...like Alex pulling Ross in for a kiss when they were searching for Lujack.) and I am okay with that, but I was okay with them moving Ross into the Ed patriarch role (especially over PS.) I think JVD actually had good easy chemistry with Simon (and everyone on canvas)and that had to be hard to light a fire under that cold fish.

1 hour ago, wonderwoman1951 said:

can’t remember exactly where, but since we’re discussion actors’ looks, someone commented that when MADD took over at PGP, she began replacing actors with models on ‘world turns. that actually began when john valente took over as ep in 1995, i suspect with some ‘encouragement’ from cbs

True, but I just remember they double down with MADD and Springfield, which looked like a "real" town with people of all ages as extras....suddenly was full of models for extras and day players.

2 hours ago, DramatistDreamer said:

When I saw scenes a few years ago on YouTube of Susan's "open marriage" with Dan Stewart in the 70s, that told me that ATWT was not as conservative as many had made it out to be. It could be pretty risqué at times, but it was often so subtly done, it could be easy for viewers to overlook this.

No one would do an open marriage post 1979..at least none that I have seen. I like subtle..I have never been a fan of Agnes Nixon's "social relevance" stories..which Marland did a lot of also. They all seemed heavy handed "very special episode" to me.

8 hours ago, Nicholas Blair said:

In addition to Bruce Baxter's vasectomy, this era also had Lisa's hysterical pregnancy. Lisa thought she was pregnant by Don Hughes (Peter Brandon), and when her friend Elizabeth (Jane House) found Lisa collapsed and bleeding, she said, "Lisa, did you have an illegal abortion?" (There may previously have been some discussion about whether Lisa was going to have a legal abortion; I don't recall.) However, this was only a hysterical pregnancy, and the blood was the result of the periods which had been suppressed, and this was mentioned in the dialogue.

All in all, this was a good era of ATWT. Peter Galman was perhaps the most charming and likable of all the actors who played Tom Hughes, and I certainly liked Gregg Marx and Justin Deas as well. Galman was stuck with the pure and priggish Carol Demming (Rita McLaughlin), and a measure of his skill was that he showed us how Tom could appreciate Carol's better qualities while accepting and moderating the less attractive qualities. When C. David Colson took over, Tom and Carol quickly became the most boring couple in all soapdom, as the writers realized, for they soon let Tom be seduced by Natalie (Judith Chapman), who managed to make Colson almost interesting, no small accomplishment. Meanwhile Carol became fascinated by diamond-in-the-rough Jay Stallings (Dennis Cooney), and for the first time I began enjoying McLaughlin's scenes.

It seems that ATWT wasn't as "conservative" as it was made out to be.

Pictures of Colson make him look pretty sexy..it didn't show up on screen? Carol was an interesting character to pair him with in terms of..she was dull as dishwater.  I can't imagine that the writers didnt see the value of Tom being like his dad and falling for a Lisa type, (which he eventually did) and Lisa being put in the position of concerned mother. Was she extremely bitchy to Natalie as the synopsis don't show that.  I know that later Lisa adopted all the wayward youth of Oakdale, especially the vixens but I don't see her being cool with her son hooking up with one. As others said they aged Tom too soon and should have had shown him as a rebellious teen, college student.

Interesting that the Dobsons killed off Jay and immediately hooked Carol up with bad boy Steve (and that whole marriage soon to be never mentioned once Betsy enters the picture.)

2 hours ago, FrenchFan said:

2 hours ago, soapfan770 said:

ATWT: I’m glad to finally see when Chuck Shea’s occurred as I’ve always been puzzled what year it happened. I think it was a mistake to kill off the character 

Totally ! It was mostly a plot to put Lisa closer to Bob but Chuckie seems to have been forgotten so quickly...

Wow...and really made Lisa seem her bitchiest...her son dies and she is mooning for Bob?? And from the synopsis it seems as if everyone just went along with life. "Oh Chuckie is dead...well how is Joyce??" I know Marland wanted to bring him back instead of making up Scott Eldridge, but Fulton said, "Nancy Hughes buried him and whomever Nancy Hiughes buries stays dead!" I think it would have been cool if Shea was still alive and faked his kids death to punish Lisa and then they both came back years later.

On 10/19/2021 at 2:17 PM, vetsoapfan said:

thought Iris was a more complicated, explosive character, but Alex was more humane. If I have to choose one, I'd go with BM as Iris.

I think that was what the writers lost near the end of Bev's tenure and all during Marj..Alex felt the ends justified the means but she had a heart, she wasn't just a rich bitch. I think only Long got that.

1 hour ago, zanereed said:

now you have me thinking of a Mike/Alex/Van triangle. That could have been more wicked and fun than the original Mike/Alex/Lillian triangle that Long was writing !

Hm..interesting thought..however, I think Alex the Queen of Manipulation and Subterfuge would have issues with Mr. Law and Order Mike enough without a third wheel...(though if it got Van away from being mealy mouth Mrs. Billy Lewis.  Though I wonder if Long was heading towards Lillian winning the day and being Mrs. Mike Bauer which is interesting when you think of what lay in the future for Lillian and the Bauers.

Deleted..more a GL post then ATWT.

3 hours ago, vetsoapfan said:

When Frank first showed up in Springfield, I thought he was a hunk and a half, and looked sexy as heck in that tight blue T-shirt he used to wear. Woof. But, honestly, while FD was not a great actor, the character did come across as a kind of dumb-but friendly lug, which was not so bad. I preferred Frank over Buzz and Lucy, and usually over Harley.

Agreed..they did a total disservice to Frankie D by making him not only a cop, but chief of police. He just did not have the strong personality of a leader to convince us as one and well, he was dumber then a box of rocks...(he should have been a cop in one of the Halloween movies he is so dumb...) He worked as a nice guy always ready to help out..i would have had him at Lewis construction as I would have also burned that damn diner down.  I did like Frank and Harley's relationship. NuEleni was dull as dirt so I have no idea who I would pair him with..Bridget? I always kind of liked the thought of as people would call them.."Frick" and have the new core couple be two nice middle gay guys.

25 minutes ago, zanereed said:

This was another reason I wish they would have brought back Mike Bauer during 1986 or 1987, after Alan returned. It wouldn't have even mattered to me if it was a recast or if they could get Stewart back. I would have tried pairing Mr. Law and Order with Van. I thought there was some odd chemistry between Mike and Van in the episodes I've seen from 1981, but I admit they were when Anna Stuart was filling in for Maeve Kinkead. I would have put Mike in Van's orbit, putting a potential rivalry with Ross, Alex, Billy...you name it. Plus, have Van eventually marry Mike, and have Van come to a Bauer BBQ (did she attend one in the 1980's at all...?!!?).

She probably did when she was Mousey Mrs. Billy Lewis..which is why I could never stand them together....though I loved Billy, she was way too push overy with him.

1 hour ago, DramatistDreamer said:

You occasionally had your slice of beefcake (how else can we explain Frank Cooper on GL), which I never really found all that alluring, tbh but I understand the impulse to throw that into the mix. And if one or two or five other competing soaps were doing this, others felt compelled to follow suit in some way. At least ATWT didn't go full B&B, . They recognized the need for all types.

Yea, but even then, and I am not Frankie D's biggest fan (he has a soap guardian angel looking after him to stay employed all these years) but even when he was looking his best...the guy came off as this big, friendly and you gotta admit, kind of dumb guy you would see anywhere.  But then all my friends, who watched crap like "Days" would say, "You watch those shows with all the ugly people" uh..I wish I was that ugly!

7 minutes ago, amybrickwallace said:

Yourself or people you knew - that was a big part of the charm of P&G soaps.

I think that and generally the story lines were more relatable...(the before clones, etc.) The P & G soaps at that time was a heightened reality of people who seemed "real" but were of course, better looking then the average person, with storylines that were dramatic but you could still see Bob and Kim discussing it over breakfast.

A particular example of this was when MADD took over and they started casting generic looking models...(of particular note on GL the Spaulding Board, which always had consisted of actors who were older men and maybe one or two older women, somehow trnsitioned into 30 somethings who would look more at home at a gym then a board room.) That handsome guy who played David Stenbeck was recast with that porny looking actor, etc. I remember they recast Cassie's ex husband on GL with that guy from Sunset Beach and a spokesperson was saying "Women are going to be tuning in to just drool over (whatever his name is) which really told it all, they thought their viewers were a bunch of drooling idiots!

13 hours ago, Soapsuds said:

 

Hmmm, sexy young Ross..oh how I would love to be on the other end of one of his stern lectures..though he needs to be wearing his glasses too!

I always thought Ross and Van would have been good end game for patriarch and matriarch of SF.  I never thought he and Blake would last (though the Bloss people would go nuts..) and she and Matt were ehhh, and there was no way I could see Van putting up with Billy's crap when she was older.

This was the Sheri Anderson mess years...I never got why Alex was running a gallery with Maureen and dating H.B.???? But it was all leading up to the Christine Valerre stuff which made no sense.

On 10/11/2021 at 5:15 PM, ironlion said:

So MarDevil is back. I don't normally watch modern days mostly because I'm now getting into the history of the show but this stupidity might get me watching out of curiosity.

I haven't watched a soap since GL and ATWT went off the air, and its actually pretty entertaining..just to see the old pros go at..see really bad soap action...Mardevil hitting Julie with a hospital tray had me yelling at the TV like the old days and just the pure and utter soap campiness of it all (I never really watched Days so unlike a clone invading Springfield, this is fun.)  The rest of the show really sucks.

On 10/9/2021 at 5:59 PM, Soaplovers said:

I know Denise Pence (Katie GL) claimed she was offered a chance to go to ATWT when the Dobson's moved there, but she turned the opportunity down to stay at GL

Who would she have played..Margo?  If only Deas had truly been an FOJ and followed her right off of GL!

On 10/11/2021 at 7:05 PM, Faulkner said:

 

Indeed. Disgraceful. I only wish social media existed back then so that MADD could have been properly roasted.

Not only roasted, but can you imagine if that happened now and the lawsuit which would ensue..especially with her being so bold and proud about firing a man who was ill?

2 hours ago, Spoon said:

ITA, they had super-couple chemistry. The 3rd AM not so much, but he was serviceable I guess. 

 

Also, I enjoyed Nola's presence during the Mid-90s. So much, I could tolerate her chasing Buzz since I never really liked Jenna.

Oh how I hated AM and Lucy, but that is a popular opinion I am sure..however..I love having Nola back and didn't think her more...dourly (i.e. Ivaesque) personality was bad at first, it just went on too long. I didn't like that Long turned her into a caricature and then really a nobody, and it makes sense that an older Nola who found out her life was not going to be a movie with Prince Charming (never was a big Quola fan but then I hated super couples see AM and Lucy, so stifling for a character and story perspective...) and ended up back at the Boardinghouse and square one. However, Nola should have shaken that off and found out, its not bad at all and maybe where she should have been all along, and then she becomes the Lisa of GL connected to all the characters and moving exposition along as gossip and nosing into everyone's business. I also thought Buzz was almost tolerable with her..Brown was NOT letting him step on her lines and yes, I liked Jenna but only when she was out of the Buzz propping world...)again, my "Supercouple" hate..) I could see Nola and Buzz hooking up when he found a woman who would not take his crap...but of course, Nola of all people was stalking the little troll man who would not get off my screen....

16 hours ago, Vee said:

It just seems like one crazy thing on top of another until they add a lady with a baby - "no, no!!" The only thing the scene was missing was a local animal act being inadvertently brought in next, like some bears or an elephant.

Oh now, I have to go back and watch that scene and imagine a clown coming in and spraying Alex with a seltzer bottle..."Grrr...Rog....UGGGH" dancing girls kicking across the floor along with dancing poodles and a girl with flaming batons.

The only thing truly missing was Deas...spitting, flapping those arms around, and chewing the table out from under fauxBilly.

8 hours ago, Forever8 said:

 

I expected Alex and Roger to finish off with a sword duel i.e. Peter Pan and Captain Hook. 

Okay, I know I am most likely the only GL viewer who found Det. Levy kind of sexy..in a real person kind of way. He just disappeared after they made Moron Frank a cop right?

17 hours ago, Vee said:

The part where they're like 'no no, don't bring in the baby!' makes it even more hilarious.

That is hilarious..who in their right mind would be a baby into a room that they hear people shrieking and chairs falling over (though remember how conveniently Peter was forgotten by Van so they could get Bridget out of town." I do have to say it Roger's comments to Alex are pretty hilarious...."I wouldn't touch you if you were the last woman on earth  and any honest man in this would would have to agree with me" You can see JFP's coming through there, as Alex is tranformed from a powerful woman wronged to a shrieking jealous vindictive "old" bag.  Is there something missing in the scene as it  seems to to 0 to 60 in no time...with Alex screwing her face up and popping those eyes and EVERYONE screaming like its a hillbilly hoedown as Alan would say of the Lewises.  MG is the ONLY one to have a more realistic reaction of calming Billy down and then telling Roger to get out..though I can't tell if her smirk is Holly's usual defensive wryness or if MG thought it was all cheap and hilarious.

Still, I miss big events like that where everyone got together in each other's stories...(how often would you see Holly and Billy interacting in later years...forget about that dumb dating thing.)