SFK

Yeah, I think that was the problem, the schedule didn't allow her days/weeks at a time to promote her book, but, why wasn't this worked out before hand? I believe her s/l was only to be a three-six (?) month arc to begin with, and once Rauch got Dusay back, Alex lingered until GL's demise. I remember Michael Logan being upset with Rauch for propping Joan as "perhaps the best Alexandra yet," an insult to fans' memories of the inimitable Beverlee McKinsey (not to mention Marj, but Beverlee was Logan's main point of contention). Does anyone remember Marj's first scene back? It was pretty great, pure Marj. The announcer said something to the effect of, "Returning to the role of Alexandra Spaulding is Marj Dusay", and Marj kinda-sorta broke the fourth wall and looked up as if she was listening to the announcer and made one of her little "huh" sounds that (to me) said, "Well well, would you believe... hired, fired, brought back, left on my own accord, and now my ass is back again" all in one monosyllable.

I had friends and relatives who watched AW and I of course knew who Felicia was, but I never really got into it. And as a matter of fact, I remember thinking that it was cheap-looking and lit with fluorescents whenever I flipped past it in the early '90s. I remember watching during the Justine period, I *sorta* got into it then, but honestly, I think I really picked the show up once I knew it was being cancelled. I have to agree that the cast and characters were this show's strong suit, I got a real OLTL (the show I did watch at 2pm) vibe from the show, I thought the characters would work very well on OLTL, and I'd later realize the various cast connections between shows (even before Rae Cummings and assorted FOJ hit Llanview). I really am more of a retroactive AW fan, through tape trade, YouTube, message boards et cetera, I really got into the show's '70s and early '80s history, and I don't have to tell you how the show boasted some of the finest writing and acting of the genre during its Golden Age.

No, I seem to remember SOD/SOW exit interviews where it was clear that she was stepping away from the business for a while to spend more time with her family after Loving folded. I think she may have even moved to New England or back to her native Baltimore. The old, "I would definitely do another soap if the right role came along yadda yadda" type thing. I don't know that she's even attempted any sort of comeback. But it would be *nice* if someone like Frank Valentini thought of her and invited her in to do a little something-something, you know? In Kim Stanley's case, something like the Loving movie would have been perfect as she was too unreliable for a full-on soap schedule given her alcoholism. We talked about this at WoST on the subject of Carole Shelley temping for Beverlee McKinsey when she broke her collar bone, but I would have loved to see Sandy Dennis tackle Iris. It would be interesting to see Sandy all glammed up, bringing her own bag of blonde neuroses to the role (and Beverlee also played Honey in Virginia Woolf). She is brilliant in The Four Seasons, and in Another Woman: http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/index.jsp?cid=253693

It's too bad that she was only around for the movie before being carted off to the loony bin. Can you imagine a Geraldine Page, or a Kim Stanley, a Sandy Dennis on a soap? ErikaSlezakEmmy who?? Carl, I remember Neal, I had totally forgotten that part about being Gwyn's dad though! That reminds me of Myrtle and Rae for some reason. I remember him romancing Kate, kinda like Bernie Barrow's character with the Alzheimer's had earlier. I just got tickled picturing all of Larry Haines' little grunts, stammers, and other actorly behaviours he'd always work into a line reading. Is the actress who played Kate still living? Christine Tudor could (and should) be playing all of those roles the usual suspects like Louise Sorel and Anna Stuart get plugged into. I think she's perfect for OLTL, the type to be mixing it up with Dorian and Viki during that too-short mayoral race.

WoST ran the Loving movie a few years back. Getting to see the late great Geraldine Page do a soap where she wore hats and smoked Nat Shermans was by far the best thing about it (imho).

The show would have gotten pretty diva heavy (like Another World, Rachel, Felicia, Donna, Iris) with Ava there too, they seemed more interested in making Tess Sydney's foil, and as someone else said, freeing Alex up for Jocelyn.

Raidue, those Eye-talians and their 30 min. U.S. soap operas. The word "fired" never crossed my mind either, though I sensed it was more of a mutual decision, like Lisa wanted to take a break as well. Two years later, she was playing Lila on AW (which looked even more fun for her than Ava). I like Lisa, but in my heart I'll always think of that exotic beauty, the late Roya Megnot as Ava, she was like Erica and Tina rolled into one. Gone fart oo young. I guess whoever edited this clip wasn't that much of a fan as he/she seems to have edited her scenes out.

Yeah, that's pretty much what I've seen. I'd love to see that Rue stuff too, and apparently some of it still exists in color kinescope form as seen in a short clip on her Intimate Portrait.

Carl, have you seen any of Strasser's Rachel? There's some of it out there, I'll try to get what I have up on YouTube ONE of these days.

Yes CSF, they made them for Capitol too. I was at an amusement park back in the mid-'80s, and in one of the gift shops they had a kiosk full of these novels from various soaps.

LOL, I'm leaving that alone. But looking back, it really was an interesting time when we had Gilly there, and Vivian on contract with Charles recurring, Marcus I just never really liked, he annoyed me, and Dahlia was cool I suppose. My clearest memory of her was when she sung "Someone to Watch Over Me". I guess I took their presence for, er... Granted. Save for Y&R when Dru was still living, that was the last time I remember such a large African-American presence on a soap, not just a family but their outside relations as well. I was VERY excited about the black Spauldings, which turned out to be the black Spaulding, singular. What a let down. I wanted to see more Spauldings, regardless of color, because I enjoy watching interfamily fighting among the rich.

I love that Ernie Anderson is doing the v.o., this obviously aired in primetime. I used to love to hear him say "Dynasty" and "The Colbys", his voice just takes me back.

Okay, I just had to come back and say that I am in stitches over those clips. Those musical numbers are a trip, it's like that one time Natalie sang to baby Tommy on OLTL x 4 in ONE episode, like watching a Broadway musical. Especially the older black lady's number, with the other characters it could kinda pass off as just singing, but she basically breaks out in a sung monologue standing up in the kitchen no less while that boy with the parted blow-dried '80s hair just stares up at her for what feels like five minutes. Good times, good times...

L!O!L! That Michele is a warbler, I heard her sing live once. Regardless of one's beliefs, I'm just impressed by the fact that Pat Robertson and whoever threw together a soap down in VA that looked just as good as (in some cases, better than) what was going on up in NY or over in CA. I feel like anybody could do it if they really tried, we were talking about this months ago, the idea of soaps relocating to less expensive cities, but now I'm totally threadjacking. At any rate, this is interesting material, I'm glad somebody out there pressed "Record"!

An article from Texas Monthly (page 138): http://books.google.com/books?id=yioEAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Yeah, the Marland credit thing is weird, I assume it was an ABC/P&G issue. Agnes Nixon is huge enough of a name in the business, perhaps P&G didn't want "their" Marland of the brilliant ATWT era luring any viewers over to ABC at 12:30 with his name? Who knows, but I'm willing to bet that money was exchanged some way some how to get his name off those credits. Yes indeed, Egypt was very Opal, just as Ava and Kate were Erica and Mona etc. Poor Loving, SUCH potential, I'm reminded of stories of Lemay's For Richer, For Poorer, or even The Colbys... I wish Nixon could have been even more hands on. I agree that it was strange to start a soap with a movie pilot starring two big names that wouldn't go on to appear in the show. Had Geraldine Page been a regular on Loving, I'd be busy hunting down eps this very second. She was a brilliant actress, she would have done so much for soaps and soap acting.

Oh my Lord! I am SO sorry to hear that! Such memories of watching her as a little kid in the '80s. Bless her family, may she rest in peace... always hoped to see her again on the screen.

"Pod" isn't the right term. I suppose Joanne Dorian's Viki or Margie Impert's Rachel were "pods", lookalikes hired in hopes of cloning the original's magic, the whole thing's a bust when TIIC realize they're dealing with unique human beings. I only meant to draw the Elaine/Elizabeth comparison in terms of good, capable, perfectly acceptable actresses playing the show's "diva" character and being replaced by their own predecessors. Maybe it's the memories of a then young mind, but Gwyn #2 always seemed taller, maybe it was the long hair. Tudor was indeed svelte, but Savage seemed longer-limbed to me. Who knows, maybe it's just my imagination. But there was something very feline, slinky about her, whereas CT was sexual, but on the brittle side, like Ann... I won't go so far as to say we're talking Mary Fickett/Lee Meriwether here, but it can take a little getting used to when a character changes not just physically, but their whole vibe as a human seems to change what you believe motivates them, screws with what you believe they would or would not do. We need some eps on YouTube! I have the desire to compare all these yeas later.

It happened on OLTL, but Bo went to NY to team up with Alex. It was kinda funny b/c when Bo got to NY, the OLTL camera guys did all of these herky jerky establishing shots over cheesy "funky" music to let us know that we were in "The City".

A few years ago, I had the idea for a fan fiction about the messed up emo kids growing up under the shadow of the serial murders in Corinth ("Children of the Corrinth"-silly working title ) It would be a nice touch if Corinth got a mention every now and then, or if a new character/family was from there.

Yes! Jeremy, Ceara, Angie, Frankie, Pat, Jesse lookalike Jacob all came to Loving in contract roles (except for Pat). There was an AMC crossover with Dinah Lee and Hannah, Myrtle came to Loving too. Joey Buchanan on OLTL once mentioned Corinth, but I don't believe there were any Loving/OLTL crossovers until Loving became The City and Alex worked with Bo. Another The City/AMC crossover was when Jackson Montgomery would visit, he had a flirtation/history with Sydney.

I found a site online once, I guess it was geared towards foreign TV markets, but they were advertising Capitol. They gave a brief synopsis, the number of episodes, et cetera. It's too bad that it's not available for purchase to the average Joe. I've only seen very little of Tammy Wynette on the show, I can't really judge. But she seemed like a charming, sassy Southern lady. I know she sang on the show with Wally.

That is so funny, I mentioned "the other Gwyn" in my orignal post before my computer screwed up and I had to retype it. She was taller and thinner, had long red hair. She was good from what I remember, she was a sexier Gwyn. She had a seductive, mellifluous voice. Kind of reminds me of how Anita Morris replaced Bette Midler in the Down and Out in Beverly Hills sitcom. Or for a soap example, I guess she was the Elaine Princi to Tudor's Robin Strasser? Capable and perfectly watchable/passable, just not "the real deal." This was long before I was familiar with the term, but she was sort of "pod Gwyn" to me.

Christine Tudor was great, she definitely should have played someone's mother on one of the other ABC soaps by now.

I don't have any of that material, but I do have some episodes on tape at my other home. I promise one of these days I'll get them on YouTube! A man called Claudio has many great eps (in Italian) on tape, I'm sure you've seen them on YouTube. He also runs the Capitol Megasite.