Loving/The City Discussion Thread

[Melroser]

Thanks for the responses. I'm enjoying what I've watched.

Perry Stephens could be a Grant Show twin to me. It's eerie. lol. I do like Jack and Stacey. I think I'd be a fan if there were more episodes to follow them through. 

The few bits of Roya Megnot were fantastic! I see why people loved her Ava. She was such fun. I have always been a fan of Lisa Peluso, so I enjoy her Ava as well.

It's been great to see early work of others like Susan Walters and Rena Sofer whom I enjoy. 

[EricMontreal22]

Loving in general is pretty good to see the early work of future soap stars.

I completely agree with you about Perry Stephens (who died tragically really young of liver failure) and Grant Show.

I think what was most frustrating about Loving is there were numerous times where they seemed to be totally on the right track and then there'd be a shake up behind the scenes...

[Melroser]

AW was my show growing up and their constant backstage changes drove me crazy! There was never a long-term vision and stories often were changed halfway in when different people took over. 

[Contessa Donatella]

That's just the P&G way of doing things. Another AW fan, to the bitter end. As a matter of fact, I think THE CITY was one of the ABC shows that I tried out when AW was cancelled. Also I really love Morgan Fairchild.

Edited February 13 by Contessa Donatella

[Franko]

The City ended two years before Another World did (unless you mean that AW no longer aired in your market).

Speaking of airings, I wonder if there was any serious consideration to having Loving air between All My Children and One Life to Live starting in 1984. I think it could have helped Loving, but maybe ABC didn't want another head-to-head with AMC and The Young and the Restless*. And perhaps ABC thought there was too big a risk of viewers skipping Loving and changing to As the World Turns or the second half of Days of Our Lives.

*And Search for Tomorrow, but AMC-Y&R would have been the big battle.

Still, though, I keep wondering about whether it was mulled, and if the decision was strictly in-house (By ABC only? Did Agnes get a say?) or if there was (wait for it) focus group testing.

Edited February 13 by Franko

[Contessa Donatella]

No, I was just thinking about it wrong. I watched THE CITY but clearly it wasn't one of the soaps I got into after June 1999. I realized this but it was after I had hit send. What it was, maybe, PC. I had already added GH as of 1993. You see for a long time I was strictly an NBC baby. But, as an AW fan, the writing was on the wall. We knew. How could we not? So, I began soap adventuring in advance of cancellation.

You know, I guess about the time the ABC half hour show aired for an hour in the OLTL timeslot. They had a huge jump in ratings.

[Franko]

I see. I had a similar experience in 1999, where I thought it would be fun to follow Passions from the start. I've also mentioned how Loving (and later The City and Port Charles) was the one ABC soap that my grandma never got into.

Yes, I remember that being discussed.

[Forever8]

An episode of Loving has been recently uploaded from October 5, 1989. And in the beginning a piece of pop culture history news segment too. 

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[EricMontreal22]

Wow!!  And thanks for making us aware of that

[DRW50]

@Forever8 Thanks so much. I deeply appreciate the time you take finding these episodes. We have a ton of some periods (mainly starting around 1991) but this one was not around that I can remember. It sure is something I could use with everything going on now.

Smart to give Kate a roommate to remind us that she wasn't one of the Corinth elite...especially contrasted with Ava and Clay on a private plane. That shot of them on the floor was well done. As Clay talks about his background I'm reminded again of how much James Horan brought to Clay, but above all else, what a strong yet quiet presence he had.

Nice to hear Ava talk about her father, briefly.

I had forgotten until watching this that the real Clay genuinely would not know anything about Ava's background.

I briefly thought that was Paul in the wheelchair until I remembered that isn't the right timeline. I guess the show got a lot of use out of that thing. Jeff is so mustache-twirling to the point of hilarity, with the foot-wiggling and the dramatic collapse. 

Who is the man and woman talking about Jeff? The guy looks familiar to me. 

The scenes with the doctors talking to Kate about her surgery have such a touch of reality to them thanks to Nada Rowand and some tender writing.

And does anyone know who is playing the nurse? She looks familiar too. And the lady doctor too. @slick jones

@dc11786 @Kane @Vee @Franko @Contessa Donatella @Melroser @Paul Raven @Khan @chrisml @Joseph @Sapounopera

Edited March 7 by DRW50

[Franko]

Thanks for the tag, @DRW50. Interesting to see Gerry Bamman as Kate's doctor two years before playing evil Rev. Ford.

[Khan]

And about a year before, well, this:

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[Franko]

Shoot, man, thanks to that damn movie, people were calling me "Uncle Frank" long before any kids were actually born.

I feel like I should recognize the actress playing Kate's roommate.

Edited March 7 by Franko

[Khan]

I'm sure she was in a few "Law & Order"'s back in the day, lol.

I'd love to know the name of the actor who played the other doctor speaking to Kate.  I know I saw him in a bunch of commercials BITD ('80's and '90's), but I never learned his name.

[DRW50]

I could swear I recognized everyone in those scenes, but especially the lady doctor and nurse.