The Doctors Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

Thanks for reading. When I have Digests from around this time I usually think of the recaps for this show. I think I may have one from around that time if I can find it again.

I wonder if Viveca Strand was ever supposed to be a long-term character? What was she about anyway? Do you think the show missed a chance with her?

[edgeofnight]

I remember watching The Doctors when Ann Williams was on the show. I remember her sending me a beautiful 5 x 7 B/W photo of her with her horse. Years later, I was otunate enough to be her guest at the SFT studio (April 30, 1974) to be exact. Little did I know that we had a mutual friend, Margaret, who grew up with my father, and is, God Bless her, still going strong at 94, going on 95 next month. I bumped into Margaret at Ann's wake. She knew Ann through her housekeeper. What a small world.

I always thought that NBC did not do enough to promote the show. They had such a dynamite cast.

[DRW50]

She did love her horses - she is photographed with them in more than one interview.

I do wonder if they could have saved the show with more focus and if they'd stepped in earlier on. It seems like they freefalled in a few years.

It's funny you mentioned Ann, because I have an interview with her from her time on The Doctors. When I find it I will post it. I really wish some of that was out there; her performances on Search and EON are fascinating, especially EON.

[Paul Raven]

Vivica of course was played by Nancy Pinkerton and was brought onto the show by Doris Quinlan,who had worked with her on OLTL. i am sure she was intended to be long term ,but there was nothing long term about TD in those days.

Can't remember how Vivica was written off.

[DRW50]

I think Nancy and Doris were fired from OLTL around the same time - I guess that happened at The Doctors too?

Was she a businesswoman or a doctor or? I wonder if they should have had her as being another Dorian, and causing problems for Maggie (Althea was off at this time wasn't she). Or a daughter to Mona, in some sort of conflict.

[BuckyB12]

Wasn't Viveca the hospital administrator?

The eternal question for producers when hiring an actor who's made a splash in another role on another show is whether the new character should be suggestive (at the very least) of the old character, or a completely different type. I thought Nancy Pinkerton's Viveca was supposed to remind the audience of Dorian Lord, but I admit I wasn't watching much during that period.

[DRW50]

Hospital administrator; thanks.

It does seem like an attempt to recreate Dorian, but she was so good as Dorian, from what I've heard, that it's a shame this didn't work better on The Doctors.

[jam6242]

We Love Soaps is reporting that James Pritchett has passed away at age 88. I haven't been able to find any more details. Has anyone else read anything?

[DRW50]

That's a shame. I have seen little of his work but he must have had some talent to be the lead for so many years and so many changes. One of the old magazines has a photo where around 1979 Burt Reynolds was hosting SNL and asked to meet James. He said James was his mother's favorite actor. James joked that he was growing his mustache out again to look like Burt Reynolds.

[LoyaltoAMC]

Wow, the deaths of these old soap vets is pretty symbolic of the impending death of the genre itself. Sad to think that all the soaps will probably be gone within the next five years, and that in 15-20 years from now, the last of the remaining soaps and their actors will be nothing more than a distant memory. Very sad to think that years from now the genre in its current form will be little more than a footnote in entertainment history.

Edited March 23, 2011 by LoyaltoAMC

[DRW50]

I see what you mean, but soap vets have been passing away for so many years that I don't associate them with the genre as much as I would have at one time. It's down to the individual person. For instance, with the Doctors, the guy who played Steve Aldrich died 20 years ago, yet Liz Hubbard is still alive and healthy, etc. I'm just sorry that these actors never really got all the recognition they deserved - Helen Wagner lived out the last 53 years of her life on ATWT, yet James Pritchett's last major role was in 1982, meaning a lot of people will not even remember him.

[All My Shadows]

I just found out about James Pritchett's death

[MichaelGL]

R.I.P. James Pritchett My condolences to his family.

[FrenchFan]

R.I.P. Matt & Maggie Powers are together again in heaven.

[Paul Raven]

James Storm (Mike Powers) comments on TD in 1989 SOD interview-

"That's one of the worst jobs I ever had in my life",Storm gripes. "Nobody recognises me from The Doctors. They were a lousy, dreadful organization. They were cheap. They wanted to drive it into the ground and get it out of NBC. There were a few people I was close to (including Ben Thomas, who played Jack Garner,and is godfather to Jim's younger son.). I loved working in New York. I just wish they had kept that show alive".