beebs

That would do it! I wouldn't wish O'Shea not to head to OLTL the next year, as her work there was exactly what rejuvenated that show in 85-87, but clearly her work on Capitol was resonating with viewers in a way that those who followed didn't. I expect the frequent turnover in the writers' room did that show NO favours.

Quite a bit, most weeks a full point of more above where they'd been the summer before. Interesting to think what would've happened if they sustained that growth. I'm struggling to find a list of their headwriters anywhere. Is it listed in the Capitol thread anywhere, does anyone know? Just curious to know who was helming the show during this period.

SFT getting a slight boost from the 8/4 Live show, but it seems like the show was getting a nice summer boost as it was. RH was getting hit from both sides that summer, between Y&R's resurgence and SFT starting to build its audience back (which, of course, they couldn't sustain), no doubt helped by NBC's recovery in the ratings after an awful few years.

I've been doing season averages + summer weeks, starting from the official start of season dates, largely to see if there's any differences from the "official" numbers, and it's been an interesting journey: 1978-79 1. Y&R 9.0 2. AMC 8.9 3. GH 8.8 4. OLTL 8.1 5. GL 8.0 6. ATWT 7.9 6. SFT 7.9 8. AW 7.0 9. RH 6.8 10. DAYS 6.7 11. DOC 6.1 12. EON 5.6 13. LOL 4.8 1979-80 1. GH 10.1 2. AMC 9.3 3. OLTL 8.9 4. Y&R 8.5 5. GL 8.0 6. ATWT 7.7 7. SFT 7.0 8. RH 6.8 9. AW 6.4 10. DAYS 6.2 11. DOC 5.5 12. EON 5.1 13. TX 4.6 14. LOL 3.5 1980-81 1. GH 11.4 2. AMC 9.1 2. OLTL 9.1 4. GL 7.8 5. Y&R 7.6 6. ATWT 7.5 7. RH 6.8 8. SFT 6.2 9. DAYS 5.6 10. EON 5.0 11. AW 5.0 12. TX 4.4 13. DOC 3.7 1981-82 1. GH 10.6 2. AMC 9.3 3. OLTL 8.8 4. GL 7.6 5. Y&R 7.4 6. ATWT 7.1 7. SFT (CBS) 6.8 8. RH 6.7 9. DAYS 5.7 10. CAP 5.4 11. EON 4.7 12. AW 4.5 13. TX 3.2 14. SFT (NBC) 3.0 15. DOC 2.8 * - if SFT's NBC and CBS runs are combined, season averages to 4.9 It's interesting to me that DAYS didn't drop THAT drastically, in numerical terms, between 1978 and 1981, but the competition so deteriorated around them, that their small gains in 1982 cause them to place regularly at #7 by mid-83. oh interesting. Surely not too drastically though. I'd imagine it wouldn't severely impact yearly averages.

Some notes: EON's steep slide in the ratings over the past few months, it isn't entirely surprising that Slesar was fired in May '83. Considering they'd gone from being competitive with AW and DAYS to nearly being beaten by SFT in a matter of a few months, ABC and P&G had to have been concerned. Despite Slesar's brilliant writing, I'm sure someone in the executive suites had to know something had to change, fast. We are now about four months into the Labines returning to RH, and....yikes. Something wasn't clicking with viewers, and station clearances have dropped. I know it hasn't been unusual to see AW neck and neck with RH in the past, but they're in a danger zone now, especially up against a resurgent Y&R. it'll be interesting to see how much more damage occurs once PFS takes over as headwriter in the fall/RH moves to noon.

At GL: Rita railed at Roger’s lies in court. After summations were delivered, Roger was confident he would be acquitted, but Rita resolved to tell the truth about her rape. Lucille rubbed it in to Amanda that she overheard Diane returning Ben’s wallet after they had spent a night together. Ross showed an interest in Jackie. Lainie was told that there’s no guarantee she’ll ever walk again. Alan assigned Hope to decorate a villa he wants to give to Jackie. Katie called from the “fat farm” and learned Hillary and Floyd are on the outs. Ben wanted to quit his job, but Dianne assured him there would be no pressure on her part. At GH: Alan decided to reconcile with Monica just as she and Rick finally spend a night together after she saved Rick from further depression. Laura was hospitalized after a car crash. She had found Bobbie with Scotty, but was unaware that Bobbie had slipped him a mickey. Lesley flew into Rick’s arms over Laura’s condition, but he and Monica remembered their vow to get together soon. Bryan realized that Claudia had encouraged Laura to play cool while she and Scotty were split. Luke laid into Bobbie about Scotty and warned that she shouldn’t toy with Roy, who is really stuck on her. Gary was miffed that Gina wouldn’t go to New York on a book publicity trip because of her research. and at DAYS: Amanda was thrown for a curve when Greg arrived. He returned to Chicago after a night of marital “performance failure” and suspected that another guy is in the picture. Laura’s madness, which has Julie contemplating suicide, spread to Jennifer, whom Laura filled with nightmarish tales. Marie and Jordan met. Julie insisted she won’t give her blessing to a reconciliation between Trish and David. Mike borrowed money from practically everyone. Chris felt guilty about Greg and tried to cool it with Amanda. Marlena fretted when Donna came up with another expensive gift, this time for Samantha, who won a drama award. Don advised Phyllis that Neil can’t interfere in her stock-selling plans.

Should probably note that April 11 marks the beginning of the WGA strike, so the numbers might start trending downwards thanks to that through July.

AFAIK the flood was Tomlin, but I can double check episodes from the period to be sure.

Something just occurred to me recently during all this Marlena, Kayla, and Kate "dying" nonsense on DAYS that, really BFTD has absolutely run amok in the past few years, particuarly at DAYS, where literally no death sticks thanks to Rolf's zombie shot. So, I went on here to find a thread about it, but was surprised to not see anything specific (at least in recent years, so apologies if I'm rehashing something I've forgotten about!) I put to you: what were some of the best, and worst back from the dead stories on soaps for you? Additionally, if anyone has any records of what some of the earliest known stories of a previously-established character coming back from the dead, I'd love to know more. I assume this was more common on radio, where recasts could be more easily camouflaged from the audience sans visual. It just struck me that, particularly in the 60s and 70s, soaps seemed loath to have characters return from the dead, even when that death happened off-screen. It's largely from the 80s onward, what with stars seeking their fortune in prime time, and coming back to daytime if that attempt goes belly up.

What I've seen so far from the '86 episodes that have gone up on YouTube, she's fascinating character that I feel was wasted, especially since she starts off as such a loving, protective mother and wife. She really could have been a great long-term antagonist to Viki, Clint, and Tina, but instead they had her go full-on unhinged, and, ultimately, die. Thanks again for sharing @DRW50. I guess Tina had already alienated Cord by this point. It's a wonder they ever ended up together.

From what I'm watching in the 1986 episodes, Viki isn't involed in the TV station at all, it's just Dorian, but I couldn't tell you about ownership, just that Dorian's show is there.

Don't know if anyone's been watching the 1986 episodes that have been posted to YT recently, but my new job gives me quite a bit of time to watch. Enjoyed the Vienna story (though was baffled as to why everyone just stood around and let Dirk run out of the train station to the train without at least some degree of a fight). Was a good exit story for David and Jenny. Cord's introduction has been interesting, and I like the conflict they've given Al and Maria so far, though knowing Maria ends up going wildly off the rails down the road is disappointing, as she really could have proven to be a good long-term character, imo. Love Dorian trying to nab herself a sexy PI by pretending Paul Kendall's threatening her again, only to have someone actually start threatening her shortly after her plan blows up in her face. The day to day writing seems very sharp compared to the cringey dialogue I've seen in episodes just a few years later, though I think the edits are missing some scenes because it feels like some beats are skipped here and there. It seems a very transitional time for OLTL, as we watch the old guard from the 70s and 80s leave, and the mainstays of the 80s and 90s emerge. Would love to hear what y'all think, though I know much has probably been said already (watching "live" is always a different experience).

I confess, I only came up with the Josh/Hope idea because I saw Robert Parucha present an award with Kristian Alfonso on YouTube and went "these two would be HOT together". 😂 So, maybe your idea would be better. But yes, judging by what I read in those SOD recaps, Jessica was unendingly frustrating, so who knows what good she'd be back on the canvas. Though, that era of DAYS also had brilliant scriptwriters, so they really could've fleshed the character out in a way that could have made her really pop. Who knows?

@MichaelGL @slick jones @victoria foxton @Joseph @carolineg thanks for the warm welcomes back! Really hoping things stay chill around here, cos I'd love to stick around! I was thinking about the Josh/Marlena connection, and that would be really cool as well, maybe have Jessica collude with Kristen to get Josh and Marlena apart, only for Jessica to not realize how far Kristen is willing to go, and end up in over her head. Either way, there was definitely a place for Jessica on the canvas up until a few years ago. Much as Tomlin's run had issues, it kept me entertained, and formed so much of the basis for what came after. I just don't want any more big returns under Ron's watch, because he inevitably ruins every character, and their history. He's so destructive in a way even Dena never was.

Yeah, well, we'll see how long THAT lasts.🙄 Rick being out for revenge against Gabi would be a good story, him gaslighting her as Nick's "ghost" or something. I just really would have liked to see the "Roger v. Ed" dynamic play out with Nick and Will, cos it was too good, and they wasted it.

The time to bring her back was in 2013 when Nick was unravelling. I really wish they'd spun Nick's shooting into a longer term whodunnit, and NOT killed him off in the process (ultimately have Gabi still be the shooter, but set Will, Sonny, Sami, and others as viable suspects). Having Jessica back around this time to help with Nick's recovery and have her and Hope mix it up during the investigation would have helped re-establish her. Have her at odds with Will and Sonny, with Jessica particularly hostile toward Will as he's not only the b*stard of a b*stard, but also gay? It would help explain Nick's homophobia a little better than prison rape, imo. Plus, I'd have a recast Josh Fallon come on, still married to Jessica, but with them on the outs thanks to her prissy, uptight, neurotic nature that's manifested itself in smothering Nick, partly why Nick left for Salem - to get away from his mother. I'd have someone like Robert Parucha come on as Josh, and have him eventually start an affair with Hope after Jessica's antics push Joshua far enough away (let's face it, it was never really gonna work with Aiden). Buuuut that time is long past.

That I'm not sure about, tbh. I think we have a bit more leeway as it is, as Nielsen calculates ratings differently up here vs. the US, so it attaches people meters to people instead of in the home, thus viewings outside the home have been included for about a decade now, unsure what changes have happened since then, so the ratings may be less egregious here vs. the US, thus higher ad rates. But don't quote me on that. I'll have a look. Yeah that was my takeaway as well. If NBC was truly dedicated to making this succeed, they would have burned thru the NBC episodes and given the show time to prepare a splashy premiere for Peacock to hype people up for the big debut, similar to the fanfare that Beyond Salem has been given. Instead we get "LOL guess what in a few weeks you're off TV and sometime next year you get extra cussing and an extra five minutes!" I think it's the unceremonious way they're doing it that gives me pause about the show's future, and I can safely say most detractors feel the same. Corday's oblivious interview really does nothing to address those concerns.

Canadian TV is a fair bit less puritanical than the US. The CBC has long maintained a far more liberal attitude towards language and nudity compared to any American channel, and as far as I know, that extends to the other networks to varying degrees as well.

Absolutely beautiful tribute, thank you @slick jones for sharing.

That really weird period between Rauch leaving and Gottlieb starting where everything's just...off. Nice to see Robyn Griggs in action in this episode (RIP, taken from us way too young), she's one of the few bright spots in an otherwise trainwreck of an episode. They really thought an asthma story for the teens was gonna bring in the viewers? And the dialogue and direction are generally cringeworthy. Whoever was playing Kevin during this period is just...embarrassing. Erika Slezak had to do a whole lot of heavy lifting in this episode, she made some awkward scenes cohesive. At one point I see Cassie try to recall a joke Joey told, and there is a moment when she asks Megan if she remembers, there's this...weird weight to Megan insisting she didn't remember that sort of...implies she was hiding something, but...I get the sense that it was just a really bad directorial choice and that it didn't mean anything. Can anyone confirm this?

Far as I was aware, she left DAYS in 1971 to headwrite WTHI, and came back to DAYS in 1972. Granted, there were people writing two shows at once at that time, but I'd expect since DAYS and WTHI were on competing networks and not owned by the same company, it wouldn't be a situation like Henry Slesar writing both Somerset and EON simultaneously.

There are clips lurking about from this episode, actually. Particularly the scene between Mary and Chris discussing his reluctance to talk about his time in Vietnam. This was among Ann Marcus' last, as you can see her steamrolling ahead with her story she wanted to tell about Chris having a partner and child in Vietnam (presumably to come interrupt his wedding to Mary). Corday and/or NBC flatly refused to allow Marcus to tell the story, and fired her shortly after this. Ultimately, she brought the story with her to Love of Life shortly afterward.

DAYS also began a DID story for Trish Clayton in 1977 under Pat Falken Smith. It started when she killed her stepfather after he tried to sexually assault her. Ann Marcus kiboshed the story a few weeks into her tenure. Obviously DAYS would re-use this device multiple times thereafter (Kim and Abby), though I would have loved to see what PFS had in store. I suspect Ann Marcus felt it was too soon after Serena Farraday to do that story, plus with AW doing one with Sharlene, it was probably too much at once. GL also cut a DID story short under Marland. Carrie Marler (Jane Elliot), but then Allen M. Potter fired Jane Elliot, and Marland quit in protest. Curious to know why she was sacked.

This sounds like a must-read, thanks @slick jonesfor the tag!

Did anyone explain what happened to him when Robert came back a few years later? Seems silly to bring Robert back and not age up Dougie (and hopefully rename him) to the teen set at the same time. But, then again, the last thing DAYS seemed to want in the mid-80s was new Hortons, so...