They left soap writing after SB ended. They had so many problems with NBC, I think they were just disillusioned with the whole thing.
But, again, if we're talking about a hypothetical world--let's say it was offered to them: I wonder if they would have wanted to come back. If almost every character I had created had been booted from the show I had won an Emmy for, I'd be pretty ticked off.
Sometimes soap writers returning works, sometimes it doesn't. Henry Slesar couldn't save EON when he returned, same with Claire Labine on RH, but Douglas Marland returned to ATWT twice and did well both times.
If I had my dearest wish, the Dobsons would never have been switched to ATWT. They would have stayed on GL, presumably until they left to do Santa Barbara in 1984. Marland would have been kept on at ATWT.
Marland did not care about the stories they left behind (which is understandable; writers are going to want to focus on their own ideas and characters) but SO MUCH had been set up that was NEVER really paid off, with the exception of the Roger Thorpe storyline. I'd want to see how they would have resolved the Phillip paternity story, Alan and Hope's relationship (which, IMO, would have gone in a vastly different direction), Amanda's mother, who I suspect would not have been a noodle-spined character like Jennifer, Mike & Elizabeth's relationship, where Holly's character would have fit in after Roger was gone, and so on.
Sure, we would not have had the Reardons. But you don't miss what you never had. I think the show would have been in a stronger position to face the many shake-ups to soaps during the following years if they had stayed.
By
DeeVee ·
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.