The Doctors Discussion Thread

[robbwolff]

From soap synopses I read, Penny departed at the end of May 1977; Althea followed at the end of June. If I remember correctly, Julia Duffy returned to The Doctors around May 1975. Perhaps she only had a two-year contract and opted to leave when it was up.

[JarrodMFiresofLove]

The comments about Liz Hubbard and Hubbard squash were made in the article where writer Richard Backus was interviewed.

[Chris B]

I’ve made it to May 1971 and I’m growing tired of Dan who was instantly turned into a cartoon when The Pollocks too over. I do like the strength it’s brought out of Carolee, but he can be tiresome. 

 

Just when i thought it would be a strucgle to continue watching with that story getting so much screentime, MY HOMEGIRL KAREN HAS ARRIVED! Her wig looks like it’s been in a fight but she’s upset about her baby so I understand! I’m so happy to finally see Karen again!

[vetsoapfan]

Okay, here I go.

 

After procrastinating for YEARS, I am finally going to start watching the available reruns of TD. I can binge-watch now and not have to worry about running out of "new" episodes to devour any time soon.

 

I have been directed to one channel on youtube, whose uploaded material starts with the  December 4, 1967 broadcast. 

 

Before I begin, does anyone know if there are earlier eps available on-line that precede 12/4/67? I prefer to start from the earliest-available date.

 

Thanks.

[Chris B]

@vetsoapfan I’m pretty sure that’s the earliest you will find. I remember before The Doctors joined RetroTV, there were no episodes from the 60s I’d ever seen. 

[JarrodMFiresofLove]

 

I believe that's the starting point. They chose to begin with color episodes, where the six most popular characters had already been introduced (Matt, Maggie, Althea, Nick, Steve, Carolee).

[Soaplovers]

 U r in for a treat...you'll even see Margaret Depriest in a small recurring role

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[Khan]

 

When Douglas Marland, the writer who couldn't turn me away even during the worst of storylines (*cough*CarolynCrawford*cough*), can't hold my interest in TD, then I have to accept this show was never for me.

Edited October 20, 2018 by Khan

[Soaplovers]

 

He didn't fit the show...and he even admitted as much.  He dragged out the stories on the show when depriest meant to resolve quickly

[DRW50]

 

It's been said The Doctors was his worst head-writing stint (although I guess we haven't seen much of his Loving work so that one is still a question mark).

[Khan]

But I think it goes deeper than "he didn't fit the show" or "TD was his worst HW'ing stint."

 

Aside from Rita Lakin, no writer or writing team for TD has been able to hold my interest.

 

I guess I shouldn't say the problem lies with the show itself.  However, for me, the recurring issue is that none of these characters are well developed.  They appear to be nothing more than vessels to bring forth the plots.

[Soaplovers]

I do admit the Pollock's weren't as good as people made them out to be, but man they could write a climax (but they repeated themselves with the lead character going crazy trope).

 

I think Cendella was trying to develop the characters, but there was little to no plot going on during his stint.

 

I think Depriest had action going, and the day to day episodes were well written with mini cliff hangers at the end of each episode (and she touched on a lot of topics such as feminism, parent/child relationships, mental illness, right to die vs dying with dignity, and also there was the issue of physical/mental disabilities in regards to Paul Summer's child.).  Her stories didn't drag, and I thought that she developed the Dancy's quite well (oddly.. Marland is having trouble writing them).  She also broaden the canvas since I recall @Khan stating back in the Pollack era that the canvas was to sparse.

 

Marland always said he learned from his mistakes when writing this show (i.e. not killing stories he couldn't write comfortably, changing a show's identity, etc).

[JarrodMFiresofLove]

I posted this on another site earlier today:

 

We have had Mona take an active role in hospital business, which I think is good. It actually makes her conflicts with Steve more interesting, less about just disapproving of the women he chooses. Penny working as Matt's secretary has been okay, but DePriest ruined her by having her quit her medical studies. Past characters like Margo were sufficient in just being a doctor's wife, a career unto itself. In fact I think that's what Marland should have done with Nola. She should have been scheming to marry a successful doctor (maybe trying to steal Matt away from Maggie). For what it is, I don't mind the Nola-Jason pairing. And I know the show needs a lawyer for Matt's story, but I don't really buy Glenn Corbett as a lawyer. He's not coming across as shrewd or as worldly as Marland's writing is suggesting and he feels a little miscast in my opinion.

Reading ahead with the Soap Opera digest summaries, we do get the return of Eleanor's daughter, around the start of '77. I won't spoil the plot but I think Marland got rid of the previous Wendy because the actress was rather boring. He brings a recast Wendy back with renewed energy and purpose. It all fits into Eleanor's new storyline with Lew/Luke.

The character I find most uninteresting under Marland right now is Martha. I guess I miss her little scenes with Nick and with Tom. I loved it when she had those geraniums in the lab and would talk to them, baby them. That was some of the Pollocks' best character-driven comic relief. But Marland seems uninspired in his handling of Martha. She's become a glorified babysitter now that Toni's gone. Incidentally, I don't buy Toni just taking off without her son. The Toni we knew under the Pollocks struggled to get through a difficult pregnancy and have that baby. When she thought Mike was dead, little Michael Paul was her only link to him. That baby meant everything in the world to her. No way would she just go out of town for so long a period of time and not have her son with her.

I also think Hank's quite dull at the moment and can see why he is soon written off. Since Laurie ditched him, he hasn't had his own story. He's one character Marland could have refocused. I think a female black doctor is brought in right after Hank departs (Dr. Jessie Rawlings) but from what I've read she doesn't seem to have much storyline either. Another token minority character on a soap.

There's also a moral code in daytime television that says murderers must not go unpunished. So the minute they had Stacy pull the plug on Joan Dancy, her days were numbered. Paul's days are numbered too. And you can see Marland already setting up their exit by mentioning a place outside Madison where Paul is promising to take Stacy. I don't think their exits finally occur until the spring of '77, so it drags out for awhile. But Stacy's exit is unavoidable, since the morality of the mid to late 70s on a conservative soap opera says euthanasia is wrong and that Stacy's a murderer who will have to suffer and pay for her sins at the end. So will Paul.

There's an upcoming plot with Stephanie Aldrich needing surgery which Ann will perform. But Marland is merely using the medical drama as a plot device to make Steve more dependent on Ann while Carolee is still away. So it's not a purely driven medical story. Marland definitely is not a writer who excels at medical drama, and that makes him somewhat the wrong fit for this unique type of soap opera. It's a shame they didn't pair Cenedella with Marland. That would have been perfect. One head writer focusing on the hospital and all the doctors' and nurses' work-related dramas, with the other head writer focusing on the characters' domestic issues.

[vetsoapfan]

 

 

Thanks guys. Personally, I would have preferred to start from day one, if possible. Black and white material does not turn me off, but after watching the first several eps from early December, 1967, I do think it was a good place to begin. Those eps have been great so far. I remembered enjoying Rita Lakin's run as headwriter, and I was right. She's very good.

 

 

LOL, yep, she's already appeared!

[Chris B]

I’m hopeful if RetroTV makes it to the end they’ll go back and show us what older episodes they have. I believe it’s a near complete run so potentially only the first year is missing.