The Doctors

[DRW50]

Sorry if this was already mentioned, but in a November 82 Digest they said the show would be bringing in a new family. Do we know who that would have been?

[Paul Raven]

i guess they were referring to James and Marilyn Langley,Mona's secret son. I think I read somewhere that the Langley's would have children.

It was a good idea to connect them to Steve and Carolee as immediately veteran characters are given something to do. Jason had been killled off along with Mona and Billy, but with the addition of the Langleys and the SORAS of Erich and Stephie the Aldriches were viable again.i would have loved to see where the writers took all these characters.

I have asked before about James. How was his existence revealed? How long had Mona known about him and vice versa? What was known about his character?

[DRW50]

That would have been good, although I still don't understand why they killed Mona off. I don't have a lot of the later 1982 synopses but hopefully those I have might have a few answers.

This was all mentioned at the same time as they said that NBC was throwing a party at a nice hotel for the ratings success of their NY-based soaps - SFT, AW, Doctors, and Texas. I wonder if the reporter was trying to be funny, since they all had weak ratings and two would be gone by the end of the year.

[Paul Raven]

I agree that killing off Mona was a mistake,but the decision was made.

Looking back, I remembered that Maggie had a sister back in the 60's.I hate when characters are forgotten.Even if she wasn't brought back,she could be mentioned eg Maggie going to visit her etc

Same with Carolee's mother and MJ's siblings.

[DRW50]

June 8, 1982 Digest recap.

Edited February 4, 2011 by CarlD2

[DRW50]

June 22 recap.

[DRW50]

July 6, 1982. Paul Raven summarized the recap after this (July 20 or 23) on page 12.

[MichaelGL]

In one of your recaps from 1981, Nola and Jason were seemingly finding their way to back to each other after Jessica’s custody dispute and were falling in love again. I would have continued that story with them eventually remarrying. However, with Mona up to her old schemes again, I would have split them up, and for much of the early/mid 80s have them work their way back together through some tough obstacles, much like DAYS had done with tortured couple Julie and Doug in the 70s. Sprinkle in Nola’s rivalry with Mona, it would have been a very engrossing tale.

For example, along the way I would have had Nola and Mona involved in a triangle with a man, a rich business mogul, in which the business mogul falls for Nola while he’s married to Mona. Such a story would have Mona reeling as she tries to hold together her marriage. Eventually when Nola and the man do end up together, Jason and Nola start to have feelings for one another again; and you have Jason going up against his former father in-law. In a pivotal moment, I would have had a now pregnant Nola (uncertain as to who the father of her baby is), go up against Mona in a heated argument. Nola ends up losing the baby, which is later revealed to be either Jason’s or Nola’s husband. Nola’s hatred of Mona is fueled even further, and she fights tooth and nail to get back at her for the miscarriage. Nola’s marriage to Jason’s former stepfather slowly disintegrates after the miscarriage and the pair eventually go their separate ways, thus reuniting Jason and Nola. However even with Nola and Jason reunited you still have Nola who’s very bitter about Mona causing her miscarriage, which would beg the question, to what lengths would Nola go to get back at her rival, would she sacrifice her relationship with Jason? That’s where Billy would likely come in, where in much of the recaps you’ve posted from early 82, you have Billy and Nola working together to take down Mona.

I agree. I think much of those characters, most notably Carolee's mother, Emma could have been brought onto the show in later years.

[DRW50]

That sounds very good - who was playing Jason by the end, was there any issue with his work that made them write him out?

I hope the recaps aren't running into any familiar territory yet. I think I have about 3-4 more, perhaps a few more than that, but unfortunately not all of them.

[Paul Raven]

Glenn Corbett was the only actor to play Jason. He has 2 stints on the show. I don't know if the actor wanted to leave but a recast should have happened.

Iagree with Michael that Mona /Jason/Nola had a lot more story to tell. I like his idea of Mona and Nola fighting over a man. Perhaps Mona's ex Winston Croft could have returned and Nola make a play for him just to annoy Mona (and because he was rich). Then Nola might actually develop feelings for the old guy because he treats her so well. Maybe she marries him on the spur of the moment, devastating Mona. Mona retaliates by hiring a young guy to seduce Nola.

Perhaps Barney and Mona could become an (odd)couple. Mona could try and change him -buying him fancy stuff and Barney could take her bowling etc.

Jason reconnects with an old girlfriend now a doctor. She has a teen daughter. Years ago,Mona paid off her family to leave town and abort her child by Jason,but she didn't go through with it.Now father /daughter/mother have to sort it all out,

All this stuff could going on that would change the dynamics b/w Mona/Jason/Nola.

[DRW50]

These are great ideas. They could have cast Wesley Addy as the man Mona and Nola both had ties to.

[MichaelGL]

Great minds think alike Paul. In my post above I too would have had Mona hire a guy to seduce Nola, playing on Nola's fears of the past, like her one night stand with Colin Wakefield all those years ago.

[DRW50]

From the August 3, 1982 Digest (I think).

[DRW50]

I apologize for an earlier error. The March 30 recap was actually one from August 1982. I got the scans all mixed up. I have posted the right recap and will now repost the other in the place it should be (I hope).

[DRW50]