Loving/The City Discussion Thread

[Forever8]

Watching the November 4, 1992 episode and this marks Dennis Parlato's first day as Clay Alden. As the VO states Dennis Parlato is filling in for Larkin Malloy's absence at 1:27. 

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[Kane]

Does anyone know when Agnes Nixon's 1993-94 run started? I had been under the impression that she wrote from September to September, but I recently did a rewatch of September-October '93 and there's a real "throw everything against the wall and see what sticks" quality to September and the stories that are being set up during that month are largely abandoned by the end of October:

Tess' scam with Trucker's dad comes to a clumsy end with her basically outing herself to Trucker and him rejecting her. He gets involved with Angie and Frankie, who is characterized at this point with a lot of very sharp edges.

The show gives up on Curtis, having him flee town after setting fire to Pins, and after he's gone the show spends a couple of episodes seemingly chem testing Jessica Collins and Randolph Mantooth for a potential Dinah Lee/Alex/Ava/Jeremy quad, with Ava immediately becoming jealous of the idea of Dinah Lee and Alex spending any time together.

Clay declares that he's no longer in love with Dinah Lee and he, Gwyneth, Buck, and Stacey are established as a quad, with Gwyneth's pregnancy as a spoiler and Tess as a fifth wheel when Clay gets involved with her because he thinks he's missed his chance with Gwyn.

By the end of October/beginning of November Gwyneth, who a few weeks earlier literally begged Buck to never leave her, lets him go and then promptly loses the baby, severing all that ties them together while Buck gets together with Stacey.

Trucker stops hanging out with Angie and Frankie and the show starts moving him and Dinah Lee together. Charles is introduced to eventually become Angie's love interest.

Jeremy breaks up with Ava and he and Tess start hanging out, while Ava unwittingly becomes part of Alex's cover story as the Dante storyline starts to take shape, which also ends up bringing Clay and Gwyneth closer together.

The only storylines that really remain consistent during these couple of months are the Steffi/Casey/Ally/Cooper quad, and Shana and Leo's baby story. So I'm assuming now that Nixon actually started mid-October, given sudden redirections in the storytelling, but I'm wondering if anyone knows for sure.

[Vee]

Pretty sure it was September, but who knows how quickly it kicked in.

I was under the impression Angie and the Hubbards being brought in was Agnes, but regardless of whether it was or wasn't - she was still a producer I believe, and had a creative control stake in the show - Guza and Taggert(?) were apparently still writing at the time (and they tested Angie with Trucker, which I still think is amazing).

Edited October 6, 2021 by Vee

[amybrickwallace]

It seems that Curtis Alden was to LOVING what Mike Powers, Tom Hughes, Patti Tate and Mike Horton were to their respective soaps in terms of recasts. I only saw two: Chris Marcantel and Chip Albers. The former had a poor little rich boy vibe mixed with an unconventional look while the latter just seemed too young - more like the fun-loving kid brother (and wasn't Curtis supposed to be older than Trisha?). The casting just seemed so wildly uneven, so I guess it's no surprise what ultimately happened to Curtis and why he never made it to THE CITY!!

[danfling]

I loved Burke Moses in the role of Curtis.    I also liked the two actors you mentioned above.

[amybrickwallace]

Chris Marcantel joked last year that he should put together an all-Curtis Zoom chat during "The Men of Loving" chat. I hope it can happen!!

[amybrickwallace]

The "teen set" in 1983:

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[DRW50]

Perry Stephens and Chris Marcantel were gorgeous. 

You'd never think, looking at these photos, that Lily would be gone within a year and Stacey would become the central heroine. You'd almost think she was the closeted lesbian sidekick. Lauren Marie Taylor must have felt satisfied when  Lily returned to be a spoiler for her story only a few years later. 

I never can remember that vamping woman in the first photo...Rita Mae?

[amybrickwallace]

Yes, Rita Mae played by Pamela Blair.

[j swift]

Perhaps you've uncovered an Agnes Nixon writing trick.  From the start, the audience thinks that we'll be following the blonde ingenue (Tara Martin, Alice Frame, Meredith Lord), but the real star emerges as the sassy brunette (Rachel Cory, Erica Kane, Dorian Lord)

[amybrickwallace]

I think you're onto something.

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[Vee]

Ava was more the Erica/Rachel analog, and came later. But Stacy clearly was more popular with the audience than what they'd set out to do.

Speaking of Ava, Corinth goddess Lisa Peluso is apparently doing Locher's show next Friday.

[amybrickwallace]

It will be nice to see her.

[FrenchBug82]

OMG I am so excited! Awesome news!

[amybrickwallace]

Lauren Marie Taylor did have kind of an unconventional look for a young soap ingenue, but she also looked literally like the girl next door (especially in the 1980s). She looked relatable.