The Doctors

[slick jones]

Thanks! I'm just updating my lists. You are a great source of info! Much appreciated!

[DRW50]

Thanks for all the extra info.

I would have loved to have seen Holly Hunter on a soap. So much young talent in NYC at this time - just shows again what the industry has lost with the death of NY soaps.

Considering that NBC was pretty much done with the show by this point it's amazing that they were still interfering to such a heavy degree. No wonder the cast felt demoralized.

It sounds like the NBC of this era never would have allowed a Rita Lakin type writer. It's sad.

Edited April 9, 2015 by DRW50

[DRW50]

Can someone tell me what the story with Mike and Valerie was about? Who was in the role at that time?

[amybrickwallace]

I really find the lack of spoilers refreshing, especially regarding yesterday's second episode. I was floored. Can't wait to see what happens.

[saynotoursoap]

Yes, and I believe that I have shown remarkable restraint in not spoiling what I knew was coming. Reading post after post about Ed and Anna for the last four months, and not commenting on the outcome, has been difficult. I decided a long time ago to not spoil anything that is not common knowledge from soap history books, and I am happy I made that decision. Spoilers really ruin contemporary soaps in my opinion.

[danfling]

I guess that NBC thought that these directives might save The Doctors.

[amybrickwallace]

saynotoursoap, I couldn't agree with you more about how spoilers have helped ruin the genre. There's really something to be said about the element of surprise. Watching yesterday, my heart broke watching Nick silently say a prayer before breaking down in tears. All the acting has been fantastic, with Gerald Gordon, Zaida Coles and Carolee Campbell leading the way.

[DRW50]

I asked this but it was bumped to another page. Can someone tell me about the Mike and Valerie story?

[amybrickwallace]

For those of you who remember Greta transforming from young girl to teenage mom, here is an article (and a photo!) from 2013 about Jennifer Houlton (now Jennifer Houlton-Vinyl):

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/17/nyregion/once-an-18000-home-on-a-seedy-street-now-a-5-million-gem.html?_r=0

[Paul Raven]

Interesting article.The message is - go back in time and buy NY real estate!!

Yes,I too would like more info on Mike and an earlier marriage.

Can I also ask if Steve has mentioned his family in regards to his marriage and also what (if any) mention Nick made of family as he was preparing for marriage.

As we move into 69 and the final year of Lakin/Edelstein I wonder what is in store for Nick and Althea.Storyline summaries at that time mention marriage but nothing of what followed.

Same with Matt and Maggie - will they purely be support for Mike and other hospital staff?

Karen will give birth at some stage.Will we see the beginnings of Steve/Carolee?

Anna stays around.I think the character of Simon Harris will appear in June In several reference books Conrad Roberts is listed in this role but others have Mel Winkler which is obviously correct.

I have gone thru jam 6242's postings of newspaper summaries to give a clearer picture of the timeline 64-66 pertaining to current characters.

July 64

Matt Powers and Maggie Fielding arrive.

August

Maggie clashes with her husband Alec over him having surgery.Gossip that Matt and Maggie are an item.Matt operates on Alec and saves his life,thus keeping Maggie tied to her husband.

Sepember

Rex Thompson appears as Mike.

Feb 64

Maggie is widowed and now pregnant.

March 64

Maggie's sister Nora arrives and romances Matt using Mike as an ally.

April 64

Maggie goes to Wyoming and meets Brock Hayden.Her father appears.She decides to fight for Matt.

May 64

Matt and Nora are engaged.Maggie and Matt work together on a project and try to be professional.

June 64

Maggie loses her baby??She goes to see Brock and he comes back with her.

August 64

Althea arrives.

September 64

Matt/Nora wedding doesn't happen?

Oct 64

Kurt Van Allen romances Maggie.

Nov 64

Valerie Shaw romances Matt.

Nora and Steve Lloyd get closer.

Dec 64

Kurt is ill

Jan 65

Dave Davis (Althea's ex)comes for a visit.

March 65

Maggie and Kurt are wed

Penny is ill.

Valerie is jealous of Maggie

May 65

Maggie and her father leave for Wyoming

Gloria Davis (Dave's wife??) arrives in town.

July 65

Kurt is in prison.

August 65

Kurt is hospitalized with a terminal illness.

September 65

Kurt's actions bring police to the hospital.

Althea is attracted to Matt

October 65

Maggie now (Bethel Leslie) returns.

Dec 65

Nora is still around.

Feb/March 66

Maggie goes to London searching for Kurt.She has had her baby and there is a custody battle (Theodora Van Allen??)

[slick jones]

I had never heard of Valerie, and assume it may have been that Valerie Shaw. Other than that, no clue.

[jam6242]

This is Leila Martin (in 1971) who played Valerie Shaw. She mentions The Doctors and it doesn't seem she was the same Valerie who married Mike. The timeframe doesn't seem right.

Incidentally, I believe Robert La Tourneaux was the actor who played Mike immediately preceding Peter Burnell.

"She . . . spent seven months in 'The Doctors,' . . . 'I was a very bad lady, a real witch; they sent me off for a skiing weekend and I was never heard from again. I got terrible mail from religious fanatics saying women like me were destroying the world.'"

Edited April 12, 2015 by jam6242

[DRW50]

Thanks. It's odd as I wasn't sure if The Doctors had that type of audience who would object that way.

I think some of you have mentioned that guy once played Mike but I'd forgotten. I always remember him from Boys in the Band. I wonder how he was in the role.

[LoyaltoAMC]

I recall Mart Crowley saying (not sure if it's in the Making of the BITB documentary or another interview I saw with him) that he and maybe Dominic Dunne, while searching for an actor to play the cowboy hustler in the original production, saw Robert LaTourneaux on the Fire Island docks as their ferry docked, Crowley was taken with his beauty and thought he'd be perfect looks-wise. When Crowley suggested him, Dunne or whomever he was with, said something to the effect, rather disdainfully, "oh him...he's on a soap opera." Not sure what the big deal would've been, since so many daytime actors went back went back and forth between soaps and theater. Larry Luckenbill did soaps (I believe The Secret Storm) before making it big with "Boys".

[Soaplovers]

I did happen to watch some of the January 1969 episodes, I do agree with previous posters that Liz seems isolated in some bizarre kidnapping plot. In the episode I watched, she has concluded she has to pretend to accept what her captor is saying instead of fighting him outright. How much longer does this last?

The one thing I wish modern day soaps would go back to is the voice over technique. What I mean is as the character is looking into the camera, we hear a voice over of their thoughts as opposed to having the character talk out loud.