Loving/The City Discussion Thread

[FrenchBug82]

I had completely forgotten about that Curtis. I was so taken aback I didn't recognize him at first. He definitely looks like he could be the son of the then-Clay but I watched some of the scenes posted in the past few days... and he was not very good, bless him.
Anyone know the backstage story of how/why they went through two Curtises for 40-50 episodes in 1993 before luring Marcantel back?

[dc11786]

Timeline wise, Millee Taggert and Robert Guza took over from Addie Walsh in January 1993. Under Walsh, Dinahlee was floundering. She gone from calculated vixen running her own business into an insecure department store model. Taggert and Guza pulled Dinahlee back into Clay's orbit, but played up the toxic element of their relationship. When Taggert and Guza wrote the show, Clay was truly no good for Dinahlee. As part of that growing story, they reintroduced Curtis Alden to the canvas most likely with the hopes of positioning Curtis as the dramatic lead of the Alden family as Noelle Beck had elected not to renew her contract and was leaving the show. 

 

Patrick Johnson wasn't right for the part. Not that he was a bad actor, but he simply didn't seem like the Alden scion. I bought that Johnson's Curtis had been a soldier, but not the torment that he was suppose to embody. Not only was Curtis' tortured over his experience in Kuwait, but he was still mourning his late wife Lotty. I suspect they recasted for that reason. Michael Lord is definitely green, but I actually prefer him to Johnson. Eventually, he mellows out and seems to gel (at least for me). I do think Johnson was more charismatic, but Lord to seem to have more potential to carry dramatic material. 

 

There is a change in the course of the story for Curtis around July 1993. They start to downplay all the Kuwait stuff, which was a bit over the top and focused on grounding the story more in the corporate aspect (Tess took a job as Clay's secretary at AE building the potential for a Tess / Clay / Dinahlee / Curits situation). Ultimately, I think the show wanted Tess with Clay, but Guza and Taggert were let go in September 1993 when Agnes Nixon returned. Michael Lord departs Corinth in September aroudn the time of the transition. Taggert and Guza seemed to be setting up a situation where Dinahlee was going to become pregnant by Curtis just as he left town, but this seemed to be scrapped by Nixon as she did with several stories. 

 

When Chris Marcantel returns in November 1993, Nixon is writing and Jozie Emmerich has taken over as EP from Haidee Granger in October. Nixon seemed to blend her early characterization for Curtis but by adding some elements of Mike Donovan with the PTSD storyline. Marcantel's Curtis was no longer the romantic lead that Johnson and Lord were played as. Now, Curtis was a spoiler to the relationship between Dinahlee and Trucker with Nixon completely downplaying most of the connection between Dinahlee and Clay. Nixon basically keeps Curtis as a spoiler for the entire time she is there and doesn't go much beyond that limited viewpoint until her final weeks where she suggested a possible romance between Curtis and Stacey. Even that, I would imagine would have been undone by the inevitable return of Jack Forbes. 

 

When Addie Walsh and Laurie McCarthy takeover in August 1994, they quickly write Curtis into a corner by having him tamper with Buck's plane which resulted in the death of Janie Sinclaire and Dinahlee's miscarriage. Marcantel's contract wasn't renewed in late 1994 when it came up. Curtis ends up in an institution being tormented by Gilbert Hunter and then later is released to shoot Gwyn. By the time Curtis was written out, Jessica Collins had already left and Robert Tyler would follow in February 1995. Since Curtis was seen through such a limited lens, his character was expendable.  

 

So in that two year period, you have 3 Curtises, 2 executive producers, and 3 writing regimes among several other critical recasts in that general story orbit. 

[FrenchBug82]

I am speechless and beyond thrilled my question yielded such a fascinating answer. I bow at your feet.

My memory of 90s Curtis was entirely of his latter-day antagonist turn against Dinahlee/Tucker and I had completely blocked out the 1993 runs even though I remember other things from that time. And it is not like it was a good memory either.

Thank you so very much for the insight! 

[Vee]

These primers are always integral for following the endlessly refracting prism that is Loving, a show I enjoy as much for what it could be as well as what it often is only for brief periods, each different than the last. I can't thank you enough, dc.

 

So when did Marcantel come back in '95, if he ever left despite being off-contract? Because when the murders started he was on canvas already, out of the institution and the storyline suggested he had been pursuing Stacey still as part of a red herring for her murder.

[Count Henri]

I remember that Curtis, but unfortunately I don't know why they went through two Curtises for 40-50 episodes in 1993 before Marcantel came back

[Soapsuds]

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[Count Henri]

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[dc11786]

Marcantel was brought back in either late May or early June 1995. Gwyn and Clay went to visit Curtis at Dunellyn where Curtis tried to convince them to bring him home because he was better. Clay didn't believe him and left him there. Later, Gwyn had him signed out which brought him back to Corinth proper in mid-June 1995. This was setting the stage for the serial killer story. 

 

[Forever8]

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[Count Henri]

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[slick jones]

Since the blah news of veteran character murdering JFP is doing The Locher Room brought a lot of people nausea...    Good News!

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Christopher Marcantel has more Loving Reunions in the works!

 

I thoroughly enjoyed his Ladies of Loving Reunion.  So much lighter and free flowing (and so much more tea!)

 

No dates as yet, but he did mention how great KV looked in the preview pics for her upcoming Locher Room Reunion.

 

 

 

 

 

[Forever8]

I was hoping he would continue them!!! I would love to see him doing one with Randy Mantooth, Lisa Peluso, Nada Rowland, and any of the actors/actresses who portrayed the Rescotts too. 

[FrenchBug82]

Yes! It was one of my favourites of all the lockdown reunions. It was too short; I wanted it to go on and for each lady to have time to discuss specifics. 
I hope we can get Susan Keith at some point

Yes! Lisa! I can't believe we haven't heard from her.
I know she is born-again but I don't think she has turned against her past career, is she?

[Forever8]

I don't think she has. I remember during the Ladies Of Loving reunion she was in the chat stating she couldn't make that reunion so possibly she will be available for a another one soon. 

 

Susan Keith would be fun to hear from too. 

Edited June 15, 2021 by Forever8

[DRW50]

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This episode is listed as 1983. Dubbed, sadly, but still interesting to look through.

Edited June 17, 2021 by DRW50