The Doctors Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

Sometimes Laryssa Lauret reminds me of Penny McLean of Silver Connection (especially the moments where McLean blatantly looks terrified), and I amuse myself with a Doctors AU where Karen is a horribly neurotic international pop star.

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[saynotoursoap]

Monika, the current theme we are heaing on Retro TV will be replaced in 1971. It seems that it occurred during the late summer, but I might be wrong. At that point, the music production changes from Robert Cobert to Score Productions. Bob Israel of Score composed the theme. It lasts until March 1977. For that year's anniversary episode, the series premiered an opening title sequence and re-orchestrated Israel's theme to what is commonly referred to as "pop flavored," though the end theme is actually slower than the original theme. In August 1980, Israel's theme was dropped altogether.

The 1971-77 orchestration is my favorite of all The Doctors' themes. It is really a lovely piece music. If you have viewed the soap opera segment of Tom Snyder's Tomorrow talk show on my channel, all of the background music is the original orchestration of Israel's theme. A YouTube poster merged an audio copy of the theme (from a 1973 episode) with his own "custom credits" below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv1BTFEsoDA

Edited May 6, 2015 by saynotoursoap

[amybrickwallace]

Thank you, saynotoursoap. I have heard the "pop-flavored" arrangement but agree that the orchestrated version is gorgeous (though the slow, piano-driven rendition used under the credits in the late 70s is very pretty, too).

A few more questions:

When does Lydia Bruce get moved up to co-star status in the credits? As of right now (March 1969), she is still listed with the supporting players.

When did the show stop using the live-action footage for the credits and go with screen caps instead? It had to be sometime after March 1979.

Regarding Joe Stuart, was he the EP of OLTL when Ellen Holly was paired with an actor that she (and everyone else in the cast) despised? She begged and pleaded him NOT to hire this guy, he did it anyway, and she cried?

[Paul Raven]

Joe Stuart was OLTL exec producer from 77-83 which was the time frame that Arthur Burghardt was playing Jack Scott.

Edited May 6, 2015 by Paul Raven

[saynotoursoap]

Stuart's treatment of Ellen Holly was despicable and did not serve the series well. I could not tolerate Burghardt even without knowledge of his offscreen personality. He appeared very cold, arrogant, and unlikeable onscreen, too. I had not really considered this before, Monika, but I am wondering now how the story would have played had Conrad Roberts been hired as Dr. Jack Scott? I think that he and Ellen Holly would have worked well together, onscreen if not off.

The final executive producer, Gerard Straub, dropped the live-action beauty shots and replaced them with stills in the summer of 1982.

[LoyaltoAMC]

Watching these earlier shows for the first time, I have mixed feelings about Bethel Leslie vs. Lydia Bruce. Lydia and Jim Pritchett had tons more romantic chemistry that Bethel and Jim, but I find Bethel a much more charismatic, fun performer than Lydia and I liked her take on Maggie better than Lydia's.

[amybrickwallace]

Thank you, Paul Raven and saynotoursoap. I checked out Ellen Holly's book from the library several years ago and I remembered that story, and wondered if the two EPs were one and the same. Thanks again for confirming. How long did he last at the helm of TD?

Thanks also for the information about when they went to stills - and it only lasted a few short months due to the cancellation.

When was the cancellation made public?

How far into Lydia's run as Maggie was she given co-star status? Almost a year from her debut (she first appeared in May 1968 and we're now in March 1969) and Maggie is still listed with the supporting cast.

[applcin]

Before I got my Roku, I would watch some things directly on the dailymotion website and the small commercial video on the right side would start playing simultaneously. Now I watch on my tv through the channel dailymotion has on Roku and it's fine, plus no ads.

[amybrickwallace]

Applcin, where are you now in the reruns?

[Soaplovers]

I've watched a handful of episodes where Maggie was portrayed by Bethel Leslie and Lydia B. They look kind of similiar, so the recast wasn't jarring lookswise.

However, the main difference between them is how they come across playing the character. I think Lydia's Maggie seems more maternal and warmer, but seems to lack the sarcastic edge that Bethel L provided for the character. In recent episodes, whenever there are sarcastic lines written for Maggie.. Lydia doesn't seem to deliver them as well as Bethel did. At the same time, Lydia's Maggie seems warmer and more affectionate with her husband vs. Bethel's Maggie.. where she and her husband had more of witty banter between the two of them.. but not as much warmth/affectionate.

Also, I just can't imagine Carolee circa 1968/1969 having what happened to her in 1975 happen..if that makes sense.

Edited May 6, 2015 by Soaplovers

[amybrickwallace]

I couldn't agree more about your assessment of BL/LB and their respective takes on the role of Maggie. If I had to describe LB's portrayal in one word it would be WARM.

Peter Burnell's Mike is like a live-action Peanuts character. He has the melancholy of Charlie Brown with the warmth of Linus (and the hair of Schroeder). This is not an insult at all - I think Charles Schultz put more heart and soul into the dialogues (and monologues) of his animated characters than the majority of soap writers in the history of the genre had/have.

[DRW50]

I'd say it's more vulnerability than warmth, necessarily, as I do think Bethel was warm (like when we saw her trying to help a deluded Liz about Nick), but I agree.

I do think Lydia really adds a lot to the friendship group of Nick/Althea/Matt/Maggie. I always believed in Bethel's Maggie as a friend to Althea, but removing a bit of the 30's type ice-cracked wit makes me believe it more.

I do miss the banter Bethel's Maggie had with Nick.

I don't think Bethel's Maggie would have been believable as suffering or struggling in the Karen/Matt mess though. She would have just booted him out no muss no fuss.

[amybrickwallace]

Agreed. I loved the March 5th episode, using just five principals - Matt/Mike in Act I, Althea/Nick/Penny in Act II and the three doctors tying the ends together. The episode begins with Matt on the phone with a board member about the possibility of a nuclear scanner for the lab and ends with Nick's gleeful reaction in the lab to the prospective new "toy". Both kids leave unhappy - leaving their (bio) parents unhappy. The parents agree with each other; Nick agrees with the kids. Then Nick acts like a big kid himself, raving on about the scanner to - no one (as both Althea and Matt left when his back was turned) until the tall, boyish orderly with dark hair comes into the lab with supplies. Then, over the credits, Nick - desperate for ANYONE to gush to about the scanner - corners him. Even without audible dialogue, the scene is hilarious. Nick looks like both a gleeful kid on Christmas and a mad scientist.

This episode is a prime example of the structure of the story that I love so much. ALL scripted shows, daytime AND primetime, should be built together so beautifully. It weaves characters in and out just like a play.

[slick jones]

That scene was f'n hilarious!!!!!!!!

[amybrickwallace]

Someone should take that scene of Nick and add thunder effects/lightning bolts effects - like in those mad scientist movies. LOL!!!