Loving/The City Discussion Thread

[1974mdp]

I agree 100%. She may have insisted to the one year contract, but it certainly didn't help The City when it lost its star.

On another note, I believe Kate was supposed to have had eight children. How many of them did we actually meet? Who were Allie's parents?

Edited July 16, 2023 by 1974mdp

[Franko]

Ally's parents are Kate's son John and his ex-wife Bonnie. The Rescott children also include Ava, Carly and Sherrie, and Louise, who I don't immediately recall at the moment. That leaves three others who somehow never made it to the show over an 11-year period.

 

[Contessa Donatella]

Oh, I am quite sure it was her idea to do one year. Make or break for the deal. Frankly I did enjoy TracyQ but it still would've been better to have her for 2 years than have a changeover. 

[1974mdp]

Thanks! The only other child besides Ava that I remembered was Carly. I guess by giving Kate eight children the writers were leaving plenty of options for the future!

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It's so interesting that on three different shows written by Agnes Nixon we got the long-suffering mother with the raven-haired social climbing daughter. I guess she figured if it worked once...

I read Nixon's autobiography, and I was surprised that she never mentioned Loving one time while there was a ton about AMC and OLTL, of course. It would have been interesting to get her take on some of the struggles the show had especially airing against Y&R.

[John]

Any truth to the rumor that after Paul Rauch dropped the characters of Sadie and Carla from OLTL that Agnes wanted to bring to LOVING but the actors said no???

[dc11786]

The serial killer storyline was successful, but it was a story of deconstruction. It cleared a slate, but didn't naturally build up anything. Keeping it in Corinth wouldn't have changed that. I would have preferred the show staying in Corinth, but ABC wanted a large scale revamp including a name change and location. From a business standpoint, this made sense. There was a major revamp in 1991-1992 to bring Alden University into the forefront and then 1993-1994 Nixon made the show more in her general nature. Another version of Corinth wasn't going to stand out so I can understand why. 

The bigger issue is the foundations of "The City" weren't strong. Lemay mentioned the family/generational element, but I would go even a step farther. Almost everyone was starting at the bottom. A majority of the characters were in brand new (romantic) relationships and new careers. Nick intrigues me because he is a reviving his career. Sydney has been in her position of power for a bit. Mostly everyone else is just stepping into a brand new world. I don't think that's the best way to establish the show. 

It would never have happened, but I would have liked to have seen Morgan Fairchild as Ann Alden Forbes. 

The issue with "Loving" in 1995 was even if it had continued sans serial killer there several key performers leaving (Michael Weatherly, Paul Anthony Stewart, Amelia Heinle, Dennis Parlato). This would have left huge gaps in the canvas anyway. 

I think Louise was never seen onscreen. I believe Kate was out of town once visiting Louise, but I may be wrong. 

Sherrie Rescott Watley only appeared once in the 1990s when Ava was in a coma in April, 1994, for a handful of episodes with Carly. Her longer run was 1985-1986 when Ava lost Jack's baby and used Sherrie's latest child Johnny and passed him off as Jack's son. Sherrie eventually fought for custody for her child and one. I think she popped up a couple more times. She gave birth at Ava and Clay (Alex Masters) wedding in November, 1987. 

Ava was slightly different though than Rachel and Erica even if she was casted in a similar mold. Ava was part Erica Kane, part Nola Reardon. Kate Rescott was originally a cleaner at the Catholic church which Jim Vochek presided over. Ava worked at the office for Forbes Construction. Though, Ava had the shady, criminal uncle like Rachel did. 

I don't know if it's true, but an additional rumor is that Ava was suppose to be biracial, but had been raised without that knowledge the product of an affair between Kate and an African American man. I could see how Nixon might want Carla, who denied her heritage, to be on the canvas when Ava learned that her identity was different than she had embraced her whole life. 

 

[Contessa Donatella]

The long-suffering mother with the troublesome daughter I have called it but I think I'm going to edit maybe & use raven-haired & social climbing! Found out she did it a 4th time on paper. She wrote what was described as the characters she eventually wrote on AW, Rachel & Ada, on the soap THE BRIGHTER DAY but it never aired because the show was canceled. 

[Franko]

An excellent point. Let's put it this way: it would be like if everybody moved into Melrose Place on the first episode.

[Contessa Donatella]

Well, I believe they wanted to be edgy & different & try out new ideas, which they did, but it also meant they were in trouble from the get-go. And, just all being in this building in SoHo was not enough of a "tie that binds". I really liked it. A shame. 

[Paul Raven]

I recall Ava (as played by Patty Lotz) being introduced as a construction worker?

How long was Patty in the role? Was she recast b/c the character was revamped?

[dc11786]

At one time, I thought she was a construction worker. Later, in some of the 1984 material that has popped up, I think I saw she was on the construction site in the hard hat, but I don't think she was a construction worker. I think she worked in the on-site office, or that was the impression I got, but I could very well be wrong on that. 

Patty was in the role until October, 1984. 

[John]

Was it Patty's or Joe Stuart's choice that Patty Leave?

[1974mdp]

I didn't really start watching the show until the Allie/Cooper/Casey/Steffi years which I thought were, overall, entertaining and the actors had great chemistry with each other. Steffi's mom, Debra, was a great find!

Curious to know what some others thought was "the best" era of the show.

[Sapounopera]

I'd say the first few months. It was not perfect, but there was a vision and the show was aesthatically pleasing. Down to earth, old-school soap.
(I haven't watched anything from the 90s on a regular basis)

[Faulkner]

This old thread has some good discussions about the trajectory of the show: