That 1991 opening was dramatic with all the symbols of a romantic and passionate love.   

That intro makes one think they're going to watch a show with emotion and passion.. but it was still a muted soap opera without much of an identity.  Perhaps the show should have amped up the passion, emotion, and thrown in some camp.

Part of the reason why I think the Loving Murders was so good was because the show finally leaned into an identity that worked (a mysterious mystery in the vein of Edge of Night) with the final reveal to be full of emotion, guilt, and intensity.

Both those redone opening by OLTL & Loving would get Emmys nominations for outstanding title design

But both LOST to this title design by Guiding Light (below)

 

Ending on a shot of Perry Stephens' ass isn't the worst way to advertise your soap.

ABC Network "Loving" Soap Opera Ad "Something's Happening" Commercial

Looks like Jean LeClerc (ex-Jeremy Hunter/Gilbert) is going to be on The Locher Room on Thursday, January 8 at 7:30 p.m. ET

I always wondered what ever happened to him.

A few new Loving clips - it's been a while.

Loving - (August 6,1991?) (Clip)

Loving - (1987?)(Clip)

That's 1986.

This may be the first I've ever seen of O'Hara Parker. She is very perky for a woman in prison...

Geez Jeff Trachta is so intense even just in one scene. Hard to believe he'd go on to play nice guy Thorne for years.

As @dc11786 and @Kane and others have mentioned, this period of Loving can often seem like the "lost years." Nothing that matters in the long run.

Edited January 4Jan 4 by DRW50

1 hour ago, DRW50 said:

This may be the first I've ever seen of O'Hara Parker. She is very perky for a woman in prison...

You weren't lying; it's like Ann is coming to visit her at summer camp. Not often that prison takes the edges off a person. Thanks for the tag!

Parker O'Hara appears in the Bad Seed clips. She first appeared in late June, 1986, after Susan Walters contract was up. I'm pretty sure the Dolly story is wrapped up by mid-July so this should narrow it. This would be very early in O'Hara's run. I don't have much use for 1986, but I'm surprised by how many short scenes are in that clip. Carl was the father of Dolly's baby and her former pimp, if I remember correctly.

I believe the legacy of Hunter Belden (Jeff Trachta) is that his family is the namesake for Belden Pond which was around until at least 1994.

I don't think we have ever gotten a full episode of August, 1991. I believe this might be the same account that had some of the other snippets from that month that we've seen (the early Dinahlee / Jack seduction, the camping trip, Lauren Gilbert as Reverend Ford). August is when Millee Taggart departs and Mary Ryan Munisteri takes over. Fran Sears arrives in July.

I think the Carly / Paul / Ava stuff is strong, as always, and the tension about Paul's paralysis and Carly's son makes the material much more engaging for me than the 1986 material. It's a shame that Addie Walsh dumps the characters, but I know the show needed space to explore the college kids.

10 hours ago, Kane said:

You weren't lying; it's like Ann is coming to visit her at summer camp. Not often that prison takes the edges off a person. Thanks for the tag!

If that was very early, I can cut a little slack, but no wonder she didn't last long. She also doesn't have the right vibe for the Forbes family - that rich, jagged, beautiful suffering.

10 hours ago, dc11786 said:

Parker O'Hara appears in the Bad Seed clips. She first appeared in late June, 1986, after Susan Walters contract was up. I'm pretty sure the Dolly story is wrapped up by mid-July so this should narrow it. This would be very early in O'Hara's run. I don't have much use for 1986, but I'm surprised by how many short scenes are in that clip. Carl was the father of Dolly's baby and her former pimp, if I remember correctly.

I believe the legacy of Hunter Belden (Jeff Trachta) is that his family is the namesake for Belden Pond which was around until at least 1994.

I don't think we have ever gotten a full episode of August, 1991. I believe this might be the same account that had some of the other snippets from that month that we've seen (the early Dinahlee / Jack seduction, the camping trip, Lauren Gilbert as Reverend Ford). August is when Millee Taggart departs and Mary Ryan Munisteri takes over. Fran Sears arrives in July.

I think the Carly / Paul / Ava stuff is strong, as always, and the tension about Paul's paralysis and Carly's son makes the material much more engaging for me than the 1986 material. It's a shame that Addie Walsh dumps the characters, but I know the show needed space to explore the college kids.

Oh right. I have a vague memory of those Lorna clips.

I am hoping that channel will put up some of their Loving clips which are gone now - if not I may put some up that I saved.

The Dolly story, like Edy before and Lotty and April afterward, all just seem to be women in peril and very dated for the time. Reading about the scenes of Dolly getting to see her daughter from afar is very Stella Dallas. I wonder how they play out onscreen.

Carly is such a heavy character and it adds a great deal of heaviness to Ava, but Colleen Quinn was a good actress. I guess in the long run it was worth the tradeoff for Casey/Steffi/Cooper.

Edited January 4Jan 4 by DRW50

John Cunningham, who played Garth Slater, has died. As it happens, Loving isn't mentioned in the obit.

https://deadline.com/2026/01/john-cunningham-dead-1236677389/

2 hours ago, Franko said:

John Cunningham, who played Garth Slater, has died. As it happens, Loving isn't mentioned in the obit.

https://deadline.com/2026/01/john-cunningham-dead-1236677389/

Odd that they do mention his other soap roles.

I've seen little of the original Lily story, but I do remember how disturbing (intentionally so) his presence with Lily is. He got that across even in a still.

4 hours ago, Franko said:

John Cunningham, who played Garth Slater, has died. As it happens, Loving isn't mentioned in the obit.

https://deadline.com/2026/01/john-cunningham-dead-1236677389/

Bryan Cranston left a nice comment and mentioned that they worked together on Loving.

The Deadline article mentions 'early soap roles' leaving the impression that he moved on from soaps, whereas in fact he continued to work in soaps for decades alongside theater and film.

Cranston is one of those folks who absolutely never fails to mention his soap work and chime in wherever possible. He even did that reunion Zoom. He didn't have to show up in the Deadline comments section of all places. What a mensch.

I also did not know that per Cranston, the actors' nickname for the show in those years re: all the high turnover and firings was "Leaving." One for the ages.

Edited January 9Jan 9 by Vee

Are we certain that was really Bryan Cranston and not someone using his name?

John Cunningham was one of many NYC-based actors who'd pop up every now and then on "Law & Order," and it always was such a treat to watch him, since I never got to see his work on SFT.

1 hour ago, Khan said:

Are we certain that was really Bryan Cranston and not someone using his name?

He's done it several times before on news sites re: Loving actors with a ton of personal details. He turned up for the Loving Zoom reunion during the pandemic. He's always talked a lot about the show in interviews. Fairly certain it's all him.

Edited January 10Jan 10 by Vee