Jump to content

The Doctors Discussion Thread


Recommended Posts

  • Members

Jam is correct. It was Greta Powers who was bitten by the rabbit.

Penny and Althea had a turbulent relationship. At the time I started watching The Doctors in the late 1960's, Althea had already divorced Dave Davis and was with Nick Bellini. Penny worshipped Nick and was unhappy that he and Althea fought so often. One weekend, Nick and Althea planned to go away together on a trip and spend time alone working on their relationship. Althea's son Buddy had a headache and didn't feel well, which worried Althea, but Nick convinced her it was probably a sinus infection. After they left Madison, it transpired that Buddy had meningitis, and he died suddenly. Althea, wracked with grief and guilt, blamed Nick for Buddy's death and became cold and angry toward him. Penny, however, sided with Nick and felt her mother was being irrational. Nick and Althea slowly moved past Buddy's death, but Althea secretly distrusted Nick's decisions as her husband and as a doctor. She eventually decided to divorce him, which infuriated Penny. Penny wanted nothing to do with Althea and went to California to live with Dave. This was around the time that Liz Hubbard first left The Doctors.

Penny was off The Doctors from 1969 to 1973. In early 1973, Althea received word from Dave that Penny had been in a horse riding accident. Dave was worried because Penny experienced problems with her vision. Penny feared that she was going blind and ran away to San Francisco. Althea knew that Penny trusted Nick, so she and Nick tracked her down and brought her back to Madison. Nick thought that Penny had fractured her skull, but the tests showed that was not the case. At this point, Nick and Althea were divorced, and Althea was married to the evil psychiatrist John Morrison, who feared that Althea would leave him and reconcile with Nick. This is what Penny wanted. Penny hated Morrison and treated Althea with increasing hostility. In her anger, Penny became infatuated with young intern Mike Powers. She convinced Mike to drive her to a desolate spot by the lake to watch a lunar eclipse. Mike's marriage to Toni was in trouble, and he was drinking heavily and popping pills. There was a storm, which stranded Mike and Penny overnight. Mike passed out from too many drugs and a bottle of brandy. He awoke the next morning beside Penny, who told him that he made love to her and took her virginity. She told Althea what happened and delightfully suggested that she might even be pregnant. She was lying about both. As it turned out, Penny's vision problems and nasty behavior were the result of a brain tumor. Nick performed surgery on her, and she was cured.

Afterward, Althea learned the truth about her husband John Morrison. Morrison had caused the death of nurse Kathy Ryker a couple of years earlier. His confession had been captured on Penny's tape recorder. Althea ran out with the tape and Morrison in pursuit. Althea's car crashed. She was in a coma, and when she awoke, she could not remember what had happened. Penny worked with Nick to prove Morrison's guilt. Morrison was murdered. Penny and Nick were suspects, but it turned out that Morrison had been killed by a drug crazed patient. Penny had hoped that after Morrison's death, Althea and Nick would reconcile, but Althea insisted she did not love Nick. Angry, Penny decided to go back to Dave in California.

Penny returned to Madison in early 1975, determined to enroll in med school and be a better doctor than her mother. Despite Althea's attempts at reconciliation, Penny coldly insisted they had no relationship. Penny set her sights on Andy Anderson, and to prove her new aggressive nature, worked to break up his infatuation with Stacey Wells. Stacey did break up with Andy to pursue Ricco Bellini. Suddenly, Ricco looked very good to Penny, as well, and she went after him, too. In the meantime, Penny became a volunteer at Hope Memorial's pilot paramedic program, open to med students. Near Christmas, Penny was called to the apartment of a young girl named Joan Peterson who had taken a drug overdose. Penny sparred with Joan's neighbor Jerry Dancy, a young law student at the university. He found Penny stuck-up and took an instant dislike to her. Penny told him he could eat lead paint off the walls for Christmas dinner for all she cared. However, Penny was deeply moved by the parentless Joan's predicament, and at Christmas, she accepted Althea's holiday dinner invitation.

Penny and Jerry continued to bump into one another as Jerry clerked in Scott Conrad's law practice. Penny complained to Jerry that she had gotten behind in her med school studies and asked him to help her steal an important chemistry final from the university, which she could not pass and would jeopardize her med school status. Jerry was appalled and told her off. Then it transpired that Joan Peterson was actually Jerry Dancy's sister, not just a neighbor. The Dancys were very poor, and Jerry was struggling to get through law school. He lied about Joan's identity because she was a junkie and he wanted to keep her drug use a secret from his mother, a hardworking, proud woman who would be devastated. Penny realized how spoiled and selfish she had appeared to him. After Joan was placed on life support, brain dead, and then was the victim of an apparent mercy killing by Matt Powers, Penny and Jerry moved past their animosity to fall in love. They eventually married and moved to Japan, accompanied by Althea who had now completely reconciled with her daughter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 5k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Members

Yes it was Greta who had the rabbit bite.

Regarding Dr Wilson,one synopsis mentions Stacey coming to Wilson's office and instead encountering Dr McIntyre,so it seems that one replaced the other. McIntyre also seemed strictly a supporting character,which seems surprising in that Dino Nazzarino played the role and he had been a part of SFT for many years in a front burner capacity.

Penny was on in the late 60's before being sent to live with her dad,Dave. She returned played by Julia Duffy and I think she had a volatile relationship with her mom.At one point she was studying to be a doctor and was caught cheating.She always wanted Nick and Althea back together,

I'm sure saynotyoursoap will be able to supply more info.

He did!

Edited by Paul Raven
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Paul Raven, Dr. Wilson and Dr. McIntyre were on concurrently. Dr. McIntyre was an old friend of Ricco Bellini and had treated Eleanor Conrad exclusively. There could have been some crossover between patients, but initially, the two were appearing in episodes at the same time. I do not know if Depriest was trying them both out with the intention of possibly expanding the roles, or if they were always considered to be minor characters there for the storyline. Both characters first appeared around the same time in fact.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Thanks so much to saynotoursoap for uploading this episode! I enjoyed most of this - the actors have a nice chemistry throughout. The only stuff that doesn't quite work for me is the stuff with Nancy Stafford as the stoned out punk club queen, although that is at least good for a laugh. I wonder if I'm biased because I've mostly seen her in good girl roles.

Any thoughts on this Mike Powers?

video gone

Edited by DRW50
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Is that Stephen Burleigh (ex-Dr. Gary Walton, SEARCH FOR TOMORROW) playing Mike Powers?

He isn't bad. He certainly isn't unattractive, lol. (Then again, I'm biased when it comes to pre-1990's soap actors. I feel even the weakest ones are miles above what passes for "good" in this business today. Plus, I'm more likely to "swoon" over a Stephen Burleigh than I would over, say, a Roger Howarth? But that's just personal taste.) More importantly, he has a nice chemistry with Hillary Bailey Smith, who's playing Kit McCormick. (Their sparring sorta reminds me of ATWT's Tom and Margo, of all things, lol.) I mean, the dialogue or even situation (stuck together in an abandoned/isolated cabin in the middle of a snowdrift) isn't terribly original - perhaps, if the writers had worked a little harder at it, it might've been less cliched. But at least Burleigh and Smith are behaving like adults, and their characters' relationship comes across as a nice sort of counterpoint to Matt and Maggie's.

Edited by Khan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

You know, as many episodes of The Doctors as I sat through as a child... not hardly any of it stuck in my memory. I DO disctinctly remember the Erich Aldrich kidnapping SL, and it was scary as HELL. The only other thing that I remember was Althea being tied to a chair and the room being on fire. I don't remember when that was. For some reason, I remember Y&R really vividly, but not The Doctors, perhaps because I just watched it occasionally and passively and wasn't really INTERESTED in it. As and adult, i'd love to watch it.

Edited by alphanguy74
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Another rare find. Carl, extra Easter eggs for you !! There is so little around about TD (in fact all soaps) from the 60's.Interesting that he mentions that he was written out and returned as all cast lists have him on from 65-66.The character was a cattle baron involved with Ellen Burstyn's Dr Kate.

According to imdb he died age 75 in 97 Novelist, actor and artist. Adapted his 1975 novel "The Domino Principle" into the screenplay for Stanley Kramer's 1977 film of the same title, and wrote nine other screenplays as well. His oil paintings and watercolors have been exhibited in the United States and Europe.

Edited by Paul Raven
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Thanks for filling in the blanks. I didn't know that about his character - are there any photos of Ellen as Kate? How long was she around?

It seems like he came and went a lot. I wonder how long into 1966 he lasted.

Generally all I have found so far of the 60s Doctors is some articles with Jim Pritchett and one with Ann Williams, and then of course David O'Brien and Liz Hubbard at the end of the decade. I wish there was more.

This same issue talks about Bethel Leslie replacing Ann Williams, whom they call "beloved."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Tune in Tomorrow Anna Stuart article from 77 by Jon-Michael Reed

The Doctors is testing actresses to replace Anna Stuart in the role of Toni Powers.After half a dozen years on the show,apparently there's no love lost for Anna.She spared no words to express her dissatisfaction with how her character and storyline progressed.

"It's been a part-time job for me. I'm not on very much",she lamented to Afternoon TV magazine.And the decision to transform her ex-doctor husband into a policeman was'disgusting and appalling.In very bad taste"she added."If I'm going to lose my job because of some of the things I say,then that's my experience.I'll be unhappy to lose my job,but I'm ready to give it up,but I see no reason not to talk about these things.Officially,Anna did give up and "decided not to renew her contract" according to the studio.Perhaps she shouldn't have been so outspoken or at least stayed around a while longer to see what the writers develop because the scripting on The Doctors has inproved over the past few months.

Is Stuart complaining about DePriests writing? Strong words about Mike becoming a policeman-disgusting and appalling-maybe illogical or ridiculous?Was there some way it was handled onscreen to earn that criticism?

They decided not to recast and killed off Toni.

Reed is referring to Marland when he mentions the better scripts.

GH picked up Stuart but things didn't work out there either and she left the role of Gina.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



  • Recent Posts

    • How did I never notice how tall Colton was?

      Please register in order to view this content

    • They didn't need to have some slutty gay dude as their representation. Just a 'normal' guy getting involved with another guy or two (or three). Just like the straight characters. Thinking about it, they missed the boat by not having a few other single charcters at the beginning. Maybe Naomi or Ashley could be shown meeting Derek/Jacob and  we could follow their romance. Too many characters were coupled up at the start. As a tattoo hater I was surprised to see Tomas so inked. Don't find it attractive or sexy. I'm surprised an actor would do that as it's definitely a statement and may not be appropriate for some roles. Suppose they can cover if necessary. I didn't buy Kat being all girly and then paying off Darius to get into Eva's room. Way too cliche. She should have just come along when the housekeeping was leaving and breezed in saying it was her room. And her smug looks in the hotel room and 'Now I've got you!!' talks to herself at Orphey Gene's...no.  
    • Omg I was so annoyed. Like girl calm down. Coming on way too strong. Omg I forgot about this

      Please register in order to view this content

    • I thought it got stale before Jocks death lol. His death picked things back up for me.
    • 1976 Pt 5 Tony is summoned to the reading of the will in the Llanfair library,as he’s a principal in the will. He tells Joe there’s not a chance of coming to terms with Dorian, as he is sure she brought about Victor’s death by torturing him emotionally when he was her helpless prisoner after his stroke. Ironically, Chapin hand delivers to Viki a letter her father wrote before his stroke, praising Dorian and asking Viki to befriend and support his widow when he was no longer there. Viki feels a responsibility to her father’s wishes and vows to try with Dorian. Victor’s will leaves the expected amounts to members of his family and staff, with the lion’s share of his stock and property going to Dorian. Victor’s will explains that his son Tony expressed the desire that he not be “bought from the grave,” and, in keeping with his son’s wishes, the only bequest to him is the knowledge of his father’s love and respect. Tony is deeply moved. Dorian’s first attempt to use her new power is the recommendation of Peter as head of the Merideth Lord Wolek hospital wing, claiming that naming Larry would be virtual nepotism. Peter, who has devoted considerable time and effort to helping Jenny get over Tim’s death with gentle, affectionate support, is happy at this suggestion, but Jenny points out Dorian is merely using him to hurt Larry. Viki disregards Dorian’s ingenuous assurances that she’s not trying to wield her new power but is merely putting Peter up for consideration for a future opportunity, if not this one, and tells her she won’t be able to fulfill her father’s desire that they be friends unless Dorian stops interfering. Larry, fully understanding Dorian’s personal motives, warns her he’s going to fight for the appointment no matter what. Realizing that she has made a tactical error, Dorian announces that she won’t even attend the board meeting but will give her proxy to Jim. She admits to Matt McAllister, still her confidant, that this was humiliating, but it was a necessary protective tactic. Dorian manages to win her next round at Joe’s office when, after he praises her decision to yield on appointing Peter, she expresses concern for Viki “at a time like this.” Joe, of course, jumps on her words, and Dorian, pretending great distress at having mentioned something she shouldn’t have, is “forced” to explain that she knew about the congenital heart condition Megan had and that any child of Joe’s is likely to inherit it. She overheard the doctors discussing it at the time of the accident, she continues, and naturally assumed that Joe already knew.  Joe arranges a meeting at home with Viki and asks her how she could live a lie like this; how she could go through their lives as if everything were fine while every moment was a lie. He is further upset when, in trying to explain that it was out of her love for him that she kept the truth from him, she mentions that Jim and Larry also know but Cathy still hasn’t been told. Viki tells Joe that Dorian deliberately told him this way to hurt their marriage, and she is very upset when he starts toward the door, pleading that they have always talked things out in the past. Joe coolly points out that she didn’t do that when she learned about Megan and continues out the door.  A tearful Viki is shaken and when Joe later returns, having spent several hours in a bar drinking only soft drinks,she breaks down, crying that she was convinced he’d left her. Joe assures her they can get through this despite everything, because their relation is based on love and mutual respect. 
    • If you think about it, DALLAS and DYNASTY grew stale right about the same time, even if the ratings were slow to reflect that.  FC and KL, on the other hand, tried to stay fresh, but KL was way more successful at it, I think, than FC.  (That [!@#$%^&*] with The Thirteen does not hold up well, lol).
    • GH 1976 Pt 8 Heather takes advantage of the situation by asking Jeff to come and look at Tommy. She uses sympathy, compassion, and her own feminine wiles, together with his misery and his pills, to lure him into bed. Later, sober, he apologizes. Learning from Pearson that Monica has seen a divorce lawyer, Jeff confronts her, and she insists it’s a lie. Avoiding his attempts to kiss her, she musses her hair and tears her blouse, then rushes to Rick’s, claiming that she can’t stay with that maniac any longer. They wind up in Rick’s bed, and after making love he confesses he always loved her. Rick replies to her question of whether he wants to marry her by saying he has to talk to Jeff. Monica insists that Jeff not bear any pressure from their problems. As she leaves, Rick gives her a key to his apartment. Jeff, having spent the night drinking, misses his surgical assignment, and Steve, informing him that his personal life can’t interfere with his profession, puts him on suspension. Rick can’t persuade Steve to reverse his decision, but Mark, sensing what’s at the heart of Jeff’s problem, convinces Steve to lift Jeff’s suspension and transfer him to Mark’s service. Rick asks for his key back, telling Monica they can’t do anything as long as she’s under Jeff’s roof. So she has a duplicate made and moves into intern’s quarters, explaining that Jeff’s violence drove her out. She tells Jeff she needs privacy to work things out, and tells Rick Jeff wanted her out. Thinking that this is the preliminary to a divorce, Rick tells her she can come to his place. In New York, Leslie’s abortion is delayed by a mix-up in scheduling, and she calls Terri to commiserate. Rick overhears Terri’s conversation and forces the whole story from her. He flies to New York to stop Leslie, feeling responsible for pointing out how evil Cam was, and arrives to find that she has decided she can’t deny her child the right to live. Monica, meanwhile, expecting that Rick will be home, uses her key to let herself into his apartment and is shocked to find Mark there; knowing that Mark was uncomfortable at the hotel, Rick offered Mark use of the apartment in his absence. Monica is upset to learn that Rick is in New York with Leslie, and Mark doesn’t know why. Mark does advise Monica to play fair with Jeff, but she resents his interference. The next day, while covering for Leslie at the clinic, Monica discovers Leslie’s lab test report and jumps to the conclusion that the baby is Rick’s. When Rick and Leslie return, Monica wastes no time in accusing him. He is dismayed to see that she is still as suspicious and possessive as she was before he went to Africa, and points out that her making a duplicate  key proves she hasn’t changed. Terri encourages Leslie to see Rick in a romantic light and then suggests to Rick that Leslie is interested in him. Rick likes this idea and tells Mark he’s growing ‘unwilling to cope with Monica’s unreasonable demands. But Monica immediately recognizes the threat Leslie represents and decides to attack. She goes to Leslie and tells her flatly that she and Rick are having an affair and he’s her exclusive property. Leslie, who realizes she has been falling in love with Rick, is hurt, and Rick is mystified when he feels Leslie pulling away from him. Monica’s big moment comes when she brings Rick a housewarming gift and seduces him into letting her stay overnight. She is in the bedroom when Leslie stops by to apologize for refusing his dates, and makes a dramatic entrance into the living room draped in Rick’s bathrobe. Leslie turns and runs out. Rick later informs her he’s disappointed in her, because she prejudged Monica and him rather than giving him the benefit of the doubt. Heather tries to arrange another tryst with Jeff, but he replies that he still loves his wife. Heather decides there’s only one way to get Jeff to be pregnant with his child. She manages to overhear Monica putting Jeff down by telling him he no longer turns her on and should look for someone he does. Heather goes to Jeff and tells him that she heard Monica and that she is the one he’s looking for. She manages to get him into bed again, and sweetly assures him this is right. She then sets the stage for future meetings. Steve, meanwhile, offers to help Monica and Jeff work out their problems. Jeff is willing, but Monica turns the idea down. Instead, she presses Terri to convince Jeff to end the marriage. Terri now knows that Monica isn’t a good wife for Jeff and promises to try. But Jeff makes it clear to Monica that he still loves her and won’t let her go. She is bitter and upset, as she has already implied to Rick that she will soon be free. Audrey is upset to find that Florence Andrews has been inquiring about Tommy and herself. She goes to Florence’s home and finds she’s away now. Florence has gone down to Mexico to sign a sworn statement that she purchased a false death certificate for Tom, to protect his son after his wrongful conviction. Tom, learning from her that Steve and Audrey are to be married and Steve is planning to adopt Tommy, tells  Florence not to do anything, as there’s still no assurance that he’ll ever get out. But the judge does accept the statement, and, ironically, on the day that Steve  and Audrey are married, Tom is released from prison.
    • 1976 Pt 12 Final part Laurie agrees with Stuart that Peggy is rushing into marriage to prove that the rape didn’t ruin her life.  She points out that the only way Peg can be sure is to make love with Jack before the wedding. Stuart admits she’s right but points out that he can’t suggest that to Peggy. As the wedding approaches, Peg seems happy that Jack’s become close to the family. However, her happiness is shattered by a nightmare in which her loving bridegroom turns into a leering Ron Becker, forcing her to cancel the wedding. Jack reassures her he’ll wait as long as it takes, and Chris confides that she and Snapper didn’t consummate their marriage on their wedding night because of her own rape experience, but Peggy tells Chris she might never be ready.  Despite her desire to keep Karen as her own daughter, Chris helps a police artist create a sketch of Nancy so it can be printed in the newspaper as part of a search for her. When the attempt proves fruitless, however, Chris asks Greg to file application for permanent custody of the child. Greg points out that adoption is the only way to prevent Ron from returning and claiming the child, and that it will take quite a while. Meanwhile, a nurse in the psychiatric ward sees a resemblance  between the newspaper drawing and her autistic patient, Mrs. Jackson, but since “Fran” doesn’t respond to the name Nancy and no one else sees the similarity, she fears she’s mistaken. Jill is horrified to overhear Kay, when brihging baby Phillip a Christmas gift, telling the child she remembers the night he was conceived. Kay has to then admit to Jill she saw her with Phillip in the bunkhouse that night. Jill is aghast to realize that Kay new the truth all along and put her through such agony in spite of it, denying her baby his father’s name. Lance tells Laurie they’ll marry on Valentine’s Day. He laughs that it’s corny but agrees, secretly wishing it were sooner, as Vanessa has vowed to prevent it. Indeed, Vanessa makes an unprecedented venture out of the house to visit Brad, telling him to rebuff any advance Leslie might make to him, as she’s reaching out to him only from a sense of duty. But Laurie then makes a concerted effort to reach Vanessa. Without being sure why she’s trying so hard, she tries to assure the woman she’s not losing Lance and she, Laurie, will help her find a plastic surgeon somewhere who can help her. Grudgingly, Vanessa seems to be reconsidering her view of Laurie, and Laurie is delighted when Lance offers her a choice between two diamond necklaces, explaining that her preference will be Vanessa’s Christmas gift. Learning from Les about Brad’s blindness, Stuart tells Brad he could have turned Leslie away only out of great love. Knowing that Les is going to see Brad again, Laurie warns him not to bring the baby into their discussion, as Leslie will come back only she’s convinced he loves her, not for the babies sake. Leslie finds Brad disheveled and sloppy, and proceeds to straighten the apartment, stating that she can't respect him if he lets himself go. Realizing that neither Brad nor Les will make the first move, Laurie hurries things along by refusing to help Brad with his grooming, saying he should ask his wife. Then, having learned  that Brad offered Les the use of their piano, Laurie untunes the Brooks' piano forcing Leslie to accept his offer. By refusing to cater to his  blindness, Les manages to get Brad to stop wallowing in pity, and by the time Leslie’s Christmas braille message of her love and her need for him arrives, they are husband and wife again Lance takes Laurie on a business trip on New Year's Eve, and tells her, on board his plane, she won't be  won't be able to call him “Mr. All Talk and No action” after tonight. When Laurie protests that waited this long and will continue to wait until married, Lance delights her by instructing his pilot to land in Las Vegas, where they are married immediately.
    • Yeah, not sure why Jack and Jen didn’t rush to Marlena - or even Carrie - to offer their condolences. A few flashbacks would've been a nice touch too. Instead, we got a whole episode of them talking about Chad and Abby? Come on. On the bright side, I loved Anna’s scenes with Marlena and Carrie - sweet and heartfelt, felt like a real 80s throwback.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy