Mitch

Do agree never like Bea...she should have been much more like Rachel's mom on AW, a tough old bird. Disagree on Tony Reardon, played by total hottie GB, but then I may just remember him mostly from Long's time, where he was a nice, smart, tough but loving (and very sexy) guy. Still feel that her Harley and Frank were ripoffs of Nola and Tony. Which brings up a good point, Long was probably one of the best soap writers when it came to the men on the show. The guys were real, and masculine and strong and vunerable and conflicted at the same time. They actually had friendships with other men which was real (the Phllip/Rick friendship is one of the most realistic examples of two guys who grew up together and love each I have really seen on any TV show, but there was the Ed/Ross, Billy/Hamp, etc.) They were not just props for the females to bounce off of. I think Marland was one of the worst writers for men in soaps, they were either, boring uptight good guys ( the recast Tom Hughes) cold manipulative busineess men, (invariably changed by the love of a woman, and turned into boring heroes, i.e Ross Marler) or gay fanstasy pin up j/o material, (Holden and the endless stable boys, guys in tight jeans, thing.) I have always said my dream team up would have been Marland and Long, he would have brought a love for history, complex storytelling, and stories that made sense while she would have brought the warmth, sex, humor and occaisonally OTT that he lacked.

Disagree with you about the Bauers under Marland, they were very much front and center. Mike had his own stories being Mr. Law and Order and chasing after Roger's trail and then butting heads with Alan, being involved with Elizabeth, Amanda, Morgan and whatever Amanda's boring mother was, etc. Bert was THE matriach of the town (Bea didnt come close) Ed became involved with Maureen and got a step son in Kelly, etc. The Reardons were first introduced as just Bea and Nola, and then Tony and later Maureen (who became involved with Ed..) They actually were brought at a much slower rate then the Snyders were on ATWT and they had a stronger connection to the Bauers then the Snyders ever did to the Hughes family. We never know if Marland planned on bringing H.B and Billy to the show, but Josh he definatley put on canvas. I think the uproar about the Lewis family was that they simply took over the whole damn show, and they were such, at first glance a rip off of Dallas, etc. (and I love me original recipe H.B. that "old coot"!!) and then we had Kyle and his hooker mom, etc. What I think was the real problem was not as much the intro of the Lewis but the whole change of tone of the show, Long's first couple of years was warm and old school GL even with the intro of the new characters. After the summer of 84 the show got darker and colder and nastier. Phillip's recast was not only wrong but written as a cold amoral ahole, with no more interactions with Rick and Mindy, the show focused exculisivley on Reva and her big ass 80s shoulder pads, the Lewis family (Van stood around like a dish mop and let Billy dominate) and the addition to Reva's sister Roxie, who yes, was a ex-whore. Then we had the record producer and Infinity crap (which may or may not have been Long.) The death of Charita which was preceded by the exit of both Mike, Hope and Hillary really made the show into a new unpleasent show. I have no doubt they would not have killed Hillary if they new Charita was that sick but she would have stil been gone (and she was a weird character anyway, played by that butch actress.) But I do agree that Long's version of the show and her writing was much warmer and in a way, a better fit then Marland's icy tone. That is why I dont know where things went wrong and have to agree with you that it must have been the network. Long's work up to the fall of 84 was my favorite era of GL, all the families were equally prominent and bounced off of each other, familes were strong as were realistic friendships. I do know that she planned on having Bert and H.B. together, which would have been great, but because of her illness paired him with Reva (my fave of Reva's couplings, Josh and Kyle who, give me that old coot!) and on her second tenure planned on bringing back Aunt Meta, but I think it was derailed with her Reva obsession and she gave her a mother...(The Sara actress would have made a great Aunt Meta.) etc.

Actually, GL was going great guns the year before and became a staple of the dorm TV over GH ( I think mirroring the ratings at the time.) It wasnt until someone insisted that GL change to be more competitive with GH, ironically to attract a younger audiene, that the show got turned off. I didn't like this Ed, he always seemed so weak, and while Ed was a man with his demon's he wasnt "weak, " and pathetic. He also came around at a bad time, Charita Bauer died, they wrote off Mike, killed Hillary, and to recast Ed at that time, when Dolan was still fairly new (and her Mo is NOT the Mo that would take over as the new Bert Bauer.) That goofy symbol is the ring symbols of Infinity that they used to give Billy the cue to kill.

The music video is just so stupid, and not in a campy way, just really, really bad. GL tanked during this storyline, what with the Infinity storyline, Elizabeth Taylor's son the record producer, this Suzette person, Lujack a singing sensation, the evil Infinity gang (have no ideal what they wanted and why we cared) and Kyle Sampson's flaming nostrils! I just remember the funniest thing during the "shoot out," at the Country Club is Bev's Alex grabbing Lujack and saying, "Let's get out of here we might be next!!!" which is the only sane comment that came out of that whole thing. But the "climax." of this crap was during Billy's trial and they pulled out the video to show it to everyone and Billy once again, became hypnotized (Billy went from being a funny quirky character with flaws and brains to the silly, guy we ended up with for most of his run) and pulled an imaginary gun (I think, or he might have grabbed a guards) to shoot Kyle. The Kyle actor went into totally flaming nostril's mode screaming "Love ME brother, Love ME!!" After that day GL went off the dorm television at 2 and it went back to GH.

I will agree with you about Wheeler she did keep people around (hell we saw more of Marj's Alex and MK's Van then we ever saw of Fulton's Lisa on ATWT, and she was on contract) including keeping MOL around and in the story (however lame) when he was off contract and Blake around the whole time. I like that they had Vanessa and Billy come in and out of the story, it made sense, they had settled down in life in their older years and wouldnt be front burning it. PS leaving as Ed was out of Wheeler's control, as it started under Conboy when PS was offered a pay cut on contract or to go to recurring he refused. I believe that she would have kept him in the story if he stayed (and she tried to get him back for whatshisface Roger's son.) There, I could even find a good thing to say about Wheeler!!!

Marland had said when he joined the show it was the Steve and Betsy show, which it was, and he wanted to make it an ensemble and focus on the Hughes as the main core family. By that time S and B were played out, (which would never have stopped a show now, look at GL with Chele and Danny) and he said he was happy to write for them, but not neccessarily together and not as a super couple. Runyeon had his ego stoked by Bunim all those years, who told him and he beleived it, that he was the star of the show (he was the one an actor could not hit on screen as he was "the star.") Runyeon began to complain to the soap mags that they werent writing for him (obviously trying to get his fans to complain) so it was a mutual agreement I think when he left (he thougth another soap would make him the star.) I don't know if Marland wanted to force him out or knew he was leaving but he made Steve more and more unsympathic with him actually yelling at Kim and Bob and Ellen and David (they did stop short of him yelling at Nancy who was in the same scene.) You KNOW when you yell at Bob and Kim you are on your way out!

Louie just disappeared as did that goofy nurse that he was always hanging around with. Its too bad..as GL did keep recurring people around (i.e Dr. Sedwick cared for more paternity cases then any OBGY in history) as it gave it a real feeling. Whatever happened to those goofy maids of Jenna's and then Alex?

1985 was a really bad year for the show, right up there with Conboy/Weston and Wheeler/Kriezman...and it really stood out as the show was great, a year or two before. It had it Number 1 and then the network wanted them to go "BIG" to compete with GH, even though GL knocked it out of the top spot, and focus on weird stories and the Lewis family and Reva. So we got the Lewis and Kyle Sampson and Infinity and the Bauers and the Reardons were backburnered. This Charlotte story was just sped up filler to give the remaining Bauers something to do and it shows, it was sloppy and silly.. and the killer was obvious and over the top.

Darcy had turned her life around after getting treatment for her addiction, and became a drug counselor. She was brought in to counsel that drugged chick that Rusty was seeing (who came between he and Mindy.) Kind of an interesting choice to do that.

Thought the episode was one of the best that Wheeler/Kreizman came up with. A great tribute (and speaking of Ehlers, isnt it funny they chose her to play the sharp, unpleasant, prickly Irna Phillips.) Some of it was the usual Kreizman/Wheeler defensive thing (see, GL has always been about incest....they had a "step," brother and "step," sister in love, see the Bauers unseated other families to be the core family way before we chose the Coopers to unseat them) but the rest was a pretty imaginative nice tribute....I especially loved Zimmer as Charita Bauer...she really caught the actress and the characters big warmth. And believe me, if had sat through "Harley as a superhero" (which believe it or not was not explained away as a dream, Alan's truth sermon, Lizzie ends up on a park restroom doing it with whatshisface, and the STUPID, "Springfield Cops," episode this one was a realistic gem!

Oh god...then we would have just had more snarling, snapping, sharpness, as every man fell in love with this unpleasant character. I wonder what happened with her. Obviously she always had these issues, as despite her protests, you just don't end your marriage cause one kiss from another actor! And they just grew over the years (i.e her and the new Mallet guy..) Too bad, she was so talented when she first came on, she just seems to be an unhappy, (which seemed to be accelerated with her weight loss) woman who needs constant approval from men.

That is weird that they wanted to keep her as Queen Bitch, when she moved away from that a long time ago. The Dobson's moved her into more a mentoring phase, (Lisa and Ariel) and then after Fulton came back again they really moved her into the quirky mother hen who wasnt above butting in and subterfuge to make things "right," for her kid step kids and other strays she picked up along the way. I remember Marland saying that he had younger new cast members have their first scenes with Fulton as she always was good with them and calmed them down and guided them through their scenes. I thought that was appropriate for that phase in her life, instead of backtracking and making her a all out bitch again. I actually liked her best preMarland when she had a family of her own to meddle with instead of being an add on to Bob and Kim's family. Never really like Runyeon since his debut...I think he was supposed to be ATWT's answer to Luke. But he always overacted the angst and the anger and never really showed a side which would make people like him. Yes, it is amazing to look at Deas and then look at what he did at GL. I know people LURVED him on SB, but I think that experience allowed him to go "over the top," way too much. Tom, who was a more subdued character, kind of brought him down. And then Phelps brought him on GL as the new "star," and encouraged his scenery chewing, etc. I do think he was sexy as Tom..thought he was an annoying troll as Buzz. And yes, love the guy who played Mike. Not the greatest actor, but he never tried to act like he was, and he was a totally different "hunk," for soaps, a really masculine good looking guy who didnt pout or preen and his Mike always seemed like one of those handsome guys who doesnt really know how good looking he is...(contrast that with a day I watched OLTL and those brothers all seemed to be preening for the cameras and that werid looking blond dude was basically pouting and acting like a 50s starlet when he wasnt yelling. )

Wow...look at the hair and the simpering pouts most of the actors are doing as they glare into the camera! Damn I hated Fletcher! He dressed like a pimp here or a dancer for Gladys Knight.

I don't know about Block in a speedo, its gotta be a suit and tie. I know what people think about his Craig and I agree....but individual scenes of him are sexy in that he comes off as smart and funny and sarcastic (all things that I like.) Never understood the Carly Lisa animosity..but I never really watched that show that much at time and never got into Carly and Jack and their tedious recycled stories. Lisa should have mentored Carly as she did all the other young uns run amuck. Funny comment on Runyeon...HATED his Steve and his acting. Always flaired nostrils and took himself oh so seriously. Funny, he got knocked down a peg after Marland made ATWT back into an ensemble show and left in a huff, after a short stint on what SB, never to be heard from again.

I could take her as someone who could go over the edge and loose herself, but it should have been played out in a more serious way, that scene played out like a bad scene during the Marlena is the Salem Stalker storyline, and that is not a compliment in acting or writing. I like Babs and Henry...(cept Henry was so gay, but that's okay, I think Babs had enough of the poke and grind and all the drama that entails) nice to see Babs happy. I really liked how she acted during the Bob and Kim anniversary and the Nancys' death episodes, (like how they remembered that Lisa and Babs had a nice odd friendship thoughout the years, as she goes to Fashions and leaves a message on Lisa's voicemail that she loves her and during the prayer how she holds Lisa and looks concered over her.) still a bit brittle and quick to take offense but basically a nice person who been through hell and back. But that scene right before jumping out a widow, was just so bad!! And I know everyone disagrees with me, but damn, Hunt Block is sexy as hell!

God that was bad. I never knew Babs was an over the top psycho. When did that happen, what did Bob, Kim, Lisa, have to say about it. I remember her being scarred and how she moved to Fairwinds and James got a hold of her...(good idea for a story, to turn Babs into the monster she hated..though terrible execution...) was this the follow up?

Zimmer is very, very good here, as Reva being a grown up. This is right before the birth of Shayne right.. and her postpartum and eventual death. I wish they had never resurrected her and tried to revert her back to "Wild Reva ways." At first I thought it was Bev who was chewing the scenery but then watching the clip and it was right after Phillip was committed...so it made sense. Damn, this was the GL I loved..two nemesis finding common ground, even if they will fight another day. Remember when people on soaps had conversations??

LOL..I never knew who the freak "Cabot," was but all I knew is that her Rossane was constantly talking about him! But that's how connected I was to ATWT after the Spa storyline, etc. Just checked in to see the old gang once in a while.

I hated when the PG shows cut down their openings. It figured the only long one we would get would be Wheeler's wretched "Love will always change the world," or whatever that craptastic song was. I actually loved the toliet flushing one, always thought it sounded so "regal," until someone here or elsewhere called it by that name, and now it cracks me up!

Didn't watch the whole thing, but I can see how the format could have worked if they had kept the original sets and filmed outside in the new format. Just from the stills of Olivia in the RevaBend/HollyBend/FarmHouse set compared to the toast in what I think is supposed to be the Spaulding Mansion. I did like that when people went to a park it was a real park, when they went to a cemetary it was real, etc. I just didn' t like that the whole show took place in a park, grave yard, alley, somebody's junked up back yard.

Jeff Hamlin was smoking HOT...who could anyone say he was not a hunk??? Though he was so nice the only drama would have been Emily screwing up again....unless they revealed Jeff was bisexual but that was probably just my fantasy. Hated Larry though.

Marj was a harpy around everyone! It was too bad as I love her scene with FauxAnnie in the Spaulding Attic, "You got quite a bark on you, don't ya honey...well I have faced worse then the likes of you, and always won!" as Annie gets in her face and Marj doesnt blink and just laughs her off. They always seemed to write MarjAlex between a huffing and puffing pain in the ass to being too weak. If they had stuck to street tough Alex like the attic scene, she would have rocked it. BevAlex is of couse my fave, but I LOVED Joan Alex...she had chemistry with everyone and had everything, she was a mean opponent but had a warmth about her, with scenes with Harley (hated, what Weston, Kreizman and Wheeler did to that relationship) Phillip, and even Alan. Embarrased to say this but when confronted with a problem I would love to be like JoanAlex, cool, calm, with a twinkle in my eye, a smart ass comment on my lips and a card up my sleeve! I don't think NSA was terrible as Chele, she was just too old and matronly for the part at that time. There were parts of the amnesia story I liked, confusion and anger but then it became a terrible rip off of the AW Rachel amnesia storyline (which was hilarious...when shown her closet Amnesia Rachel says, "WHO would wear those dowdy things..they can't be mine!!!" If they simply had Michelle forget like, five years of her life, going back to before Manny..could be good. She could have been horrified at the person she became. all because of "Twu LURRVE" as Danny tries to win her over again. And thank you, I could have gone forever without seeing Chele dancing in that t-shirt in that clip! LOL.

Damn the Bauer living room and the Spaulding dining room looked great! Did they always look that good or is Peapack making everything look better? Loved the show during the Rauch/Taggert preWestonConboy era. Loved JoanAlex (and her fake concern for Olivia...good to know RR was still a terrible actor and always looked like he had gas when he was being mean) and hmmmm Phillip and Olivia, hot! Actually liked Matt Bomer in the clip, cute and kind of sexy (never liked him at the time) and of course, loved tough Marina (shades of Nola..saying the wrong thing at the wrong time) funny she would soon become simpering annoying Bruno Marina. Was that MADD we see in the closing (and Harley 's ugly ass coat she wore for years!)

Thanks, I love the behind the scenes stuff! That was an interesting time as the show evolved from the Dobson's era to the Marland era, interesting bridge time.

Would love to hear from her what initiated the show to change direction from the Bunim/Dobson's years, to bringing back the Hughes family as the core family (the Dobson's obscured the Hughes in favor of the Stewarts.) I think at that time Frons was head of CBS daytime...did he have objections to having a middle aged couple (Bob and Kim) take center stage and also object to the return of Chris and Nancy?