The Doctors Discussion Thread

[Franko]

I'm curious/hopeful that they'll make it to the end. What's the situation re: popular music and The Doctors? I know rights issues were what kept post-1981 episodes of Ryan's Hope from airing on SoapNet.

[victoria foxton]

Does anyone find it strange that the grand jury testimony happened offscreen?  

[JarrodMFiresofLove]

 

Yes, I was disappointed in that as well. Not only does Marland shy away from medical stuff, when it gets down to it, he shies away from in-depth legal stuff. Of course we know Matt won't go to trial, so in a way, they are taking the easy way out. Having the policing, lawyering and doctoring take place off screen so we can show things like Matt drinking or Maggie pulling her hair out about Matt's drinking.

 

Another thing I didn't care for was how everyone was commenting on Matt's overnight drinking problem. Even Nola was jumping on him about it. She works in a nightclub where a lot of people drink. It's not like she hasn't seen intoxicated behavior before. We also had Mike piling on. Marland has avoided the grand jury scenes in favor of these repetitive scenes of Matt drinking.

 

Personally I would like to have seen Virginia's testimony, Nola's testimony and Jerry's testimony. Plus I think we needed to see Stacy being interrogated by the jurors. And Paul. Not to mention Matt going before them a bit tipsy. Marland really made the wrong decision. He skipped a lot of riveting on-camera drama that should have been depicted.

Edited October 20, 2018 by JarrodMFiresofLove

[vetsoapfan]

 

That would be great, although I am mindful of the fact that we have been lucky to get ANY of these vintage eps. Seeing material from 1967 through to the mid-1970s is a miracle, considering many of never knew TD episodes had been saved at all.

 

I know I am dreaming in Technicolor, but if only Retro TV would consider buying and broadcasting another vintage soap after TD finishes its run. The station can continue broadcasting another round of TD repeats, but I'd be thrilled if they would add a second vintage serial with extant episodes like early GH (whose 1960s material is rumored to exist), or DAYS or Y&R episodes from the beginning (which we know for a fact still exist) to their line-up. Even Ryan's Hope or Dark Shadows would be nice, although they have already been broadcast in fairly recent years. P&G could sell Retro TV ATWT, AW, TGL, SFT and/or TEON from the late 1970s too!

[Soaplovers]

 

Considering the political climate... I'd settle for seeing Capital rerun.. all 5 years including that infuriating cliffhanger lol

[vetsoapfan]

 

Hmm, I had forgotten all about Capitol. It was never one of my favorite soaps, but I imagine its episode library could still exist. It would not be my first choice of classic soaps to see again  (that would be Y&R starting in 1973 or AW from 1964 to 1975), but I'd give it another shot!

Edited October 20, 2018 by vetsoapfan

[JarrodMFiresofLove]

 

Capitol is the show I'd choose too...simply because of its era, its cast, its glossy production values, and the fact five years' worth of episodes wouldn't take forever to get through. I've sent an email to Retro requesting this. Maybe others will send emails too.

 

Capitol's entire library does exist. The show has been successfully rerun many times in Europe. To this day it's still popular in Italy. There are Italian websites devoted to it, and episodes on YouTube that were dubbed into Italian. It did so well because its glossy production values probably made it seem like a daytime version of "Dynasty."

[vetsoapfan]

 

The fact that Ryan's Hope had been aired overseas allowed SoapNet to gather almost all of its episodes together and start broadcasting them here in the States several years ago. ABC had not saved them all. Thank heavens for foreign distribution. 

[Franko]

Bonus points if they tried to re-create the lineup from that era and shortly after. SFT at 12:30, ATWT in the 1 p.m. hour (to represent the classic 1:30 slot), AW at 2 p.m., TGL at 3 p.m. and EON at 4 p.m. (or 12 if they'd prefer a solid block). Run Texas at 11 a.m. when it comes time to air and one could have a P&G overload.

 

(Or, as The Doctors' sponsor might say, "you're soaking in it.")

[vetsoapfan]

 

We would all be in bliss!

[~bl~]

The Doctors didn't show court material, not when Steve "killed" Dan, or Penny "killed" John Morrison. So them not showing it in this case, is not surprising. Marland won one of his writing Daytime Emmys for Guiding Light trial material (saw the video clip of his speech online from the awards and the package had courtroom during the Jennifer Richards  trial story). Perhaps they didn't want to pay for a courtroom set. 

 

When it comes to the writing of the characters, I see this as an evolutionary process. The Pollocks were very plot-oriented, which in the long run hurt things. Other television shows what I've seen of this era have very underwritten characters in drama - the comedy shows that I've seen reruns from the MTM family and such are much stronger. So I can sort of accept this failing, it isn't like today when the characters are ill-defined, when I know soaps did better. 

 

The dream line-up I think most of us wouldn't get any sleep if that happened, as it would be too many hours in the day to keep up with these shows.

[Chris B]

I don’t know why I thought I wouldn’t like Nancy Barrett as Cathy, but she’s doing just fine. I kept pictures immature Carolyn, obviously forgetting how many different roles she played on Dark Shadows and she’s nothing like Carolyn here. It’s still a shame this role was recast twice. The original actress was really good! I hope the third one is as well. 

[vetsoapfan]

Well, I have now watched the first month's worth of available episodes, from December 1967 to January 1968, and I am thrilled to say that I am thoroughly enjoying this series.

 

Rita Lakin and Rick Edelstein are handling the scripts and storylines beautifully. The drama is predicated on multi-dimensional characters and their interpersonal relationships which is absorbing on its own. No clones, time travellers, devil possessions or underground cities are necessary. Realistic human drama, family conflict, romance and heart are what the best soaps are made of, so bravo!

 

The principle cast is talented, attractive, charismatic and the actors play well off each other. There are no bland "hair models" here. These pros can act. You cannot fake chemistry and the show lucked out in that regard. Nick/Althea, Matt/Maggie, Matt/Nick, Steve/Carolee, Althea/Maggie, John Rice and everybody, Karen Werner and everybody...all ooze chemistry. I feel that the minor supporting players like Ruth and Bill Winters (who have been featured only nominally so far) are less effective, but the show does not seem to be terribly invested in them. It looks like TPTB are focusing on the actors and characters who really shine. The only actress and character whom I find doesn't fit well at all is Betty Walker as Polly Merriweather, the elderly patient whom John Rice is treating. John supposedly adores her, but I see no true chemistry between them; their scenes seem forced, as if the writers and actors are trying desperately to show a connection that just is not there. The actress overplays her role, and her dreadful wig is distracting. I hope this storyline ends soon. Other than that, everything happening on-screen is quite absorbing. Liz Wilson is the kind of ingenue that all soaps want to have, but so many young female leads end up being nothing more than bland baby girls who engender scant interest at best. Liz is adorable and has spunk. The direction is also quite good. The main characters actually interact with and acknowledge the existence of the extras playing the hospital personnel, making the environment feel more realistic. (On most soaps today, the few extras we see walk around like silent zombies in the background, totally ignored by the principle cast.) There is often amusing "business" happening on-screen, which warrants the viewers' attention.

 

In one of the latest episodes I watched, Nick and Matt had a heated argument about Nick's letting his bad temper get out of control--again--and Matt did a totally hilarious impersonation of Bellini ranting like a moron. It was great! I also like the Maggie and Althea friendship. Maggie calls Althea out on her nonsense, but there is no denying their close bond.

 

If I have one complaint, and it's minor: all the green used as a principle color in the sets is too much. Green walls, green doors, green furniture, green coffee cups, in the hospital and in characters' home. Yikes! I also find it weird that none of the doors in the hospital have frames around them. 

 

Minor quibbles aside, however, this show is rocking.

 

I know everything changes in later years (the Pollacks focus more on plot than characterization and relationships, and eventually the writing falls into the toilet and stays there), but for now, in 1967-8, The Doctors is a fine, vintage soap.

 

Watching this show makes me realize how nostalgic I am for all my long-gone, past favorites.

Edited October 23, 2018 by vetsoapfan

[robbwolff]

From what I've read, the color green was used so prominently because the show had been initially filmed in black and white, and green appeared well on B&W TVs. The green hospital set continues until mid-1976 when the hospital set was overhauled.

[vetsoapfan]

 

If the idea of switching to color was to look more modern and appealing to the viewing audience, Colgate-Palmolive and NBC should have coughed up the dough to redo the paint, or at least minimize it to a degree. They could have kept green as the principle color of the hospital, but broken it up here and there with other, neutral colors on key walls. Of course the tiny budget would not have allowed them to completely overhaul everything, but painting a few sets a different color could have been done on the cheap.

 

Still, this is a minor complaint. I am still thoroughly enjoying the series.