Gordon Russell HW

[EricMontreal22]

I'm a big fan (well from the little I've seen) of Gordon Russell's wirting on both Dark Shadows and of course his stingt for most of the 70s on OLTL, where Agnes Nixon personally groomed him to follow her. I read that before his early death in 1981, at 50, ABC was planning to move him to GH--any truth to that? (Already by 1980 the OLTL credit read "Story by Sam Hall--who also worked at DS--and Peggy O'Shea, written by Gordon Russell")

[Sylph]

Thank God someone asked! I asked LoyaltoAMC, but he probably didn't see my question in one of the previous ratings threads.

[EricMontreal22]

How did Russell pass away anyway? It would make sense that when GH needed a new HW they'd look at OLTL after his great stint in the late 70s. it's such a shame--he really was an amazing talent--both of domestic drama and Dark Shadows' gothic years (Sam Hall was pretty close up there too though I know nothing about his short stint on Another World)

[LoyaltoAMC]

Sorry, Sylph, never saw your question. What did you want to know about him? EricofMontreal was right...Agnes personally groomed him to HW the show. He was an amazing writer who wrote vivid characters and really knew how to intertwine characters. People talk about Carlivati in that light now, but if you were to compare Carlivati and Russell...well there really is no comparison. Russell was light years ahead. He and co-HW Sam Hall wrote all the Marco Dane stuff, leading up to Dane's murder, Viki's trial, and Karen Wolek's iconic scene where she breaks down on the witness stand. The show was doing really well in the ratings at this point. Soon after this, Hall went solo, just around the time the Buchanans were introduced. Boy, if the internet had been around at that point, fans would be screaming for Hall's head on a platter for shoving this new Texas family down their throats.

Clint Ritchie has often said that OLTL was on the verge of cancellation until the Bukes were introduced in 1980 and had ratings soaring. He it totally mistaken aboout that. The show was in danger of cancellation, I guess, around 76/77. The show was not an hour at that point, but 45 minutes, and was paired with an also 45-minute long GH, which was also on the brink of cancellation until Monty and Marland stepped in. It was Russell's writing (with Joe Stuart as EP) that got the ratings up in 78 or thereabouts. So by the time Clint and the rest of the Buchanans were introduced, the show's ratings were soaring. Later, with Russell out of the picture, I think the show really suffered without him there to keep Hall grounded (akin to what occured on AMC when Agnes didn't keep Megan on a short leash and let her run amok!). Will Hall, the Bukes dominated the show, and then the Ralstons were introduced, headed by Grayson Hall, Sam Hall's wife. There was some sci-fi stuff with Ivan Kipling turning into a mustache twirling villain who implanted a chip in Larry Wolek's brain! Then there was the Jackie Courtney story with Pat vs her evil twin Maggie. These stories really went against the show's grain, and rating eventually began to dip. That's my recollection of that time period.

[TC]

I've heard several people say the plan was for Pat to eventually take Viki's place on the canvas.

[LoyaltoAMC]

That doesn't shock me. Courtney was very popular at this point, and Viki, aside from the trial, was in the background much of the time. They had her in a happy marriage to Joe, which always = backburner status. It did look like they were trying to maneuver their high-cost, popular actress into the center of the show. At one point they tried to force a Clint/Pat pairing, with Maggie looming on the horizon to break them up, but Ritchie and Courtney really had no chemistry. After the twin Maggie story, Courtney was never given much to do.

[Sylph]

Thank you, Loyal! You've pretty much told me what I wanted to know. Of course, I could read the stories about Gordon (and every other great writer, for that matter) until exhaustion, but I know you probably don't have the time.

Your posts are few, but invaluable.

[Dale]

If that was the plan, then it went out the window the minute that Judith Light entered the building. I heard that the much loved Judith really irked Jacquie - who believed that she was the natural successor to the Viki throne. Everyone behind the scenes LOVED Judith Light, whereas Ms. Courtney was a cold and brittle woman who did not endear herself to the OLTL cast. That's not surprising considering she was having an affair with the EP at the time.

[TC]

Thanks for adding a few more pieces to the puzzle. It pretty much matches what I've heard, plus the contention that her affair led to certan promises.

[Cat]

All of you who posted so informatively in the Lovers & Friends thread and this one... please continue!

I cannot get enough of Daytime's history and even though I don't remember the 1970s soaps, something about that era really draws me to clips and synopses of that period. I knew nothing about L&F or who Gordon Russell even was until I read these threads, so your posts have been an education.

And I did not realize Jacqueline Courtney was so disliked on OLTL. What happened to George Reinholt? Didn't he step over to OLTL from AW with her?

[Sylph]

You're not the only one, Cat!

[Sylph]

Although, Cat... I'm surprised you haven't heard about L&F and Gordon Russell!! How can that be?!

[Dale]

You are welcome TC.

When Robin Strasser joined OLTL in 1979, Ms. Courtney assumed she had a natural ally in her. After all, she and Strasser had been friendly and colleagues at AW earlier in the decade. However, when Ms. Strasser joined Camp Judith, all bets were off. For the rest of Courtney's time at OLTL, she and Strasser maintained a cool distance.

[Cat]

Well, in brief... my parents were transferred to the UK when I was a baby and we didn't return to the States until i was @ 11. So I remember snippets of Australian and British soaps from the late 70s. We moved back in 87, when Gloria Monty's Supercouple/Adventure template was already well underway on most soaps. That's when I switched on the TV and discovered -- OMG! -- The Young and the Restless! Capitol (later B&! Days of our Lives! Santa Barbara! General Hospital! (we had no VCR a the time, so I was flicking between stations as fast as the dial would let me).

The glitz and glamour and romance were intoxicating. But I always sensed that I had missed something -- from before. Some intangible ingredient of suspense and tension and sweetness and -- oh, I don't know what.

[TC]

Briefly. He played Viki's brother Tony Lord, whom I believe went missing in Lebanon and is presumed dead.

As for George Reinhold himself, the latest rumours say he's living the life of an aging David Vickers.