On 6/27/2026 at 8:20 PM, EricMontreal22 said:

Yep yep, in this case I don't disagree at all. And I think that was part of the problem? A desire to return to basics while also I think trying to instantly appeal to the current ABC Daytime audience, or something? This review of Loving though when it started is interesting--the foundation DID seem solid. And then.... (This also is a short article where Marland mentions how Nixon was a consultant on GH when he wrote--something that was talked about briefly--when she sold AMC and OLTL to ABC she became their overall daytime creative consultant, but I've never heard details about. Interestingly it does make public the issue with Dan Wakefield, and says Marland and Nixon will co-HW. Also I'd love to have seen Nixon supporting Marland in meetings with Gloria Monty)

I don't have the date of the first news article, but the latter SOD review is from May 1984.

Thanks for sharing these articles. I loved reading Dan Wakefield's All Her Children. I wonder what he would have been like as a head writer of a soap.

More stuff I can share--I already mentioned this...

43 minutes ago, Jonathan said:

Thanks for sharing these articles. I loved reading Dan Wakefield's All Her Children. I wonder what he would have been like as a head writer of a soap.

I've seen some of James at 15 which I think shows he would be good at the younger characters is a fun show? I know I always say it, but All Her Children is such a great book.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyVx5q3AwrI

5 hours ago, vote4llama said:

"I just should've shot him!" Gwyn about Clay in part #30. -45 mins

Do you all notice unintentional foreshadowing of the Murders when you watch old episodes? Or rather coincidences or ironic moments?

(Clay brought Trisha to where Gwyn is waitressing. She thinks it's to humilate her, but he actually wants Trisha to make peace with her.)

"I hope it teaches you to be very, very careful unless you'd like to be the next body to be found, Shana."

Stacey to Shana!! Stacey, what about being the first body?

Part 162. 26 mins

Trisha grills Gwyn, accusing her of murder. It reminds me a bit of the attic scene during Trisha's brief but exciting return in '95, where it seems Gwyn isn't as sure of her daughter's innocence as she'd like everyone to believe...As for Trisha accusing Gwyn of murder...who can blame her..she was just a bit ahead of her time.

Part 69 from the start.

"I think we could be terrific. I think we could be like the new Andrew's Sisters."

"At least one of them is dead, and you cross me again, and you will be too, Norma."

Gwyn to Norma after the latter crashes her singing gig. That's a credible threat, Norma. You should run or at least stay away from her cabaret act.

Part 163. 17 mins.

@DRW50 You're welcome as always. The dubs are a bit jarring at first but I got used to it quickly. Other soaps in other languages: Capitol, the full series in Italian, OLTL, about 70 eps from 1980 in German, and Guiding Light with I think all of the 80s starting sometime in 1982, also in Italian.

Hopefully soon AI is able to translate the voices cheaply. A while ago, I tried a program which gave me a 5 minute sample. And it was sooo good. I easily would've thought it was an original American recording. But they are so expensive last time I checked.

If my memory serves me right from the Loving reunion video, Jennifer Ashe seemed over the abrupt ending to Lily, not too keen on the experience. It seems most of the women actually had issues with Joe Stuart, especially Susan Walters. I think she felt he belittled her and when she found out others were being paid more, despite being an original actress on Loving, she was outta there. Christine Tudor seemed to be the only one who really liked him!

Thanks. After the incredibly icky news of Gene Wilder's voice being AI-ed for some Netflix reality shlock I am even more sure this would be a better use of the technology.

Soap characters usually talk like that but still I never knew of all those Gwyn threats. It's a wonder she never killed anyone before.

Thanks for the comments about Jennifer and Susan. I thought Susan would have left anyway for her career but knowing the salary imbalance, no wonder. If they'd tried maybe they could have kept her. Clearly Stuart or whoever else thought she could be easily replaced but they never really did - the show could have used another female as so many kept cycling in and out and never gaining a following.

@dc11786 I'm so appreciative of you going through these blocs of episodes and giving your insights. This makes it much more interesting to me. Loving was such a unique show in that on paper much of the show was formulaic, especially in the '80s, but there is always some flavor - a performance, a story twist, a monologue, a relationship.

One of the big exceptions would be the whole Dolly and Hunter story, which in the brief glimpses now available is as disgusting as the recaps suggested and feels out of step with the rest of the 1986 canvas (even with Steve/Trisha, Lorna, and Ava/Jack/Stacey all feeling like their own worlds, at least there is more of a similar tone and characters who are intertwined to some point). It's bewildering that a story with such delicate subject matter amounts to scene after scene of Hunter sleazing at Dolly and forcing her into bed.

Jeff Trachta at times in the story looks so spindly I almost didn't recognize him from his B&B run. This whole mess is another reminder of how much of an unknown Loving seems to be in the industry, that Trachta was cast as a gooey romantic hero on B&B only a few years later.

Until the recaps and your posts I hadn't even known there was a Lucho. I wonder if they may have planned to bring him in earlier but had to instead create Ric due to Todd McDurmond quitting so early.

I know there was not anything earth-shattering about Rio and Rocky, even if I liked them, but I still think it was a mistake to entirely write out Rio and Abril with Abril having Clay's baby. I would have at least kept Abril popping in and out of story when necessary, and that would be a weak spot for Clay, especially after Trisha's "death."