The Doctors

[robbwolff]

If you skip those months, you're missing some amazing plot points and riveting performances.

[SoapDope]

In today's upload episodes the little girl playing the abuse victim looks like the previous actress that played Greta. 

[NothinButAttitude]

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[Khan]

Allen Potter, IMO, was one of the best producers in daytime.  However, he had a nasty habit of touting his shows' successes, as evidenced by the clip above.  Years later, when he EP'ed GL and the show won an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, he added a shot of an Emmy award (rotating, no less) behind the closing credits.  He also had the opening announcer's spiel updated to say, "And now, the AWARD-WINNING 'Guiding Light'."

[~bl~]

I agree with you about him as a producer and feel it is part of why I became a fan of the reruns of "The Doctors" so quickly. It reminds me of "Guiding Light" in some weird ways, but I digress. (Wish you would watch it Khan, from his producing time frame, so we could get into a discussion on the topic, if that makes any sense. Anyway Potter having worked with Irna Phillips back on the radio show Woman in White is that the title says a lot about things. For example what year did the Bauer Power thing start, and was it a dig at TD and the Powers family?)

 

It was the first time a soap won any sort of award of this nature so I get it. I do wish we knew exactly what he submitted, as there is nothing on the list of episodes in the Paley Center from the season they got this Emmy. With "The Doctors" the only showed the honor once, and there is maybe one surviving cast/BTS people photo that still exists. It wasn't like what they did at GL, which I thought was a bit crazy. 

[robbwolff]

 

I recall reading The Wonderful World of TV Soap Operas, which was published in 1974. A section of the book about Guiding Light referred to "Bauer Power". So the term apparently predated Allen Potter's stint as executive producer.

[Paul Raven]

Don't have the time to watch daily,but did watch the Meg Mundy/Mona episode this week. Good writing here with Mona and Carolee being contrasted and neither going with the cliche villian/victim roles.

 

I think this was Meg Mundy's first soap,although she was doing NY TV as far back as early 50's. Apparently, at one time she co owned a boutique with Lori March.

[~bl~]

Thanks robbwolff BTW do we know what Potter was doing from the time he was gone from TD and before he was executive producer at GL? 

 

I could find sympathy with Mona even if she thinks Steve is way too perfect. Carolee's behavior from the outside looking in, would be questionable. Would you really trust a woman who left your child for someone else especially if you aren't comprehending that he wasn't always faithful to her.

 

 

[watson71]

The Doctors was the only non- P & G soap that Potter produced.  He was a producer on ATWT and its spin-off Our Private World. He was the original producer of AW and later returned in early 1983 to the end of 1984.  In between, was his successful stint at GL from 1976-82 where the show won two Emmys.  

 

He retired from soaps at the end of 1984 at the age of 65.  It would have been curious to see what he would have done with AW had he stayed there longer.   He did manage to put the show back together and make it watchable after the end of Paul Rauch's run as EP with Corinne Jacker as headwriter.  

[Paul Raven]

Between The Doctora and Guiding Light, Allen Potter was EP of How To Survive a Marriage.Not sure if he was there for the entire run of that show?

[watson71]

Here is Allen Potter's obituary that appeared in Variety:

 

 

SEPTEMBER 18, 1995 | 12:00AM PT

Allen M. Potter, an Emmy-winning TV daytime serial producer, died in Stuart, Fla., June 5 of cancer. He was 75.

 

As a young man, the Plainfield, N.J., native studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse under Martha Graham and Sanford Meisner, but soon found his niche as a director and eventually as a producer.

 

During his 35-year career, Potter produced such TV shows as “Another World,” “As the World Turns,” “How to Survive a Marriage, “Brighter Day,” “The Aldridge Family” and “We the People.”

 

He received three Emmy Awards as an executive producer, one for “The Doctors” and two for “The Guiding Light.”

 

Potter also served in the Army during WWII and was decorated with a bronze star.

 

He is survived by his wife, two sons, a daughter and sister.

[SoapDope]

I just saw the episode where Billy lets it slip to Mona that Steve was accused and locked up for the death of his father and she has a heart attack. I can't wait to see the follow up episode.

 

Cathy is so gross walking around with that dead fetus inside of her. Dr. DeSales is an interesting character. I wonder if he becomes a major player beyond the Cathy story ?

[NothinButAttitude]

Wait... so Vito was one of Barbara's (Toni's mom) conquests?! 

 

And Barbara was restless, huh? When Vito scolded her about Toni, he revealed that she was loose and got around. 

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 I am betting people around this time clutched their pearls over this. 

 

How long does Vito last on the show? Does anyone know? 

 

How much longer is it till the climax of Cathy? 

 

Long do I miss the days of soaps hinting that character was about to pop up and spoil things when other characters mentioned them. It is apparent that Ann Larimer is about to pop up. Does anyone know when she exactly arrives? What I don't get though is why Mona so anti-Carolee? If anything, Carolee has bent over backwards to try and win her over. 

[Paul Raven]

Geraldine Court debuts Feb 73. That was not long after she was dropped from ATWT in favor of Gillian Spencer as Jennifer Ryan.

[Soaplovers]

Both Ann Larimer and Althea's daughter Penny (played by julia duffy) are set to show up in feb 1973 or so.