The Doctors

[JarrodMFiresofLove]

 

Oh okay, not too many then. I live on the west coast, so I usually check to see what UCLA has in its archives. With them, it's based on what is donated. It might be anything from old videotaped episodes to scripts and production notes. When Bill Bell died, the Bell family donated boxes and boxes of scripts from The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful. I think the estate gets a tax write-off when they donate materials like that for research and educational purposes.

[amybrickwallace]

From what I understand, the Paley Centers in both LA and NYC have the episodes (he saw them in NYC).

[robbwolff]

I thought so, too, but then remembered that David O'Brien was on TD before Lydia Bruce came on board. She appears before him in the credits. And Carolee Campbell was on the show before either Bruce or O'Brien, yet she appears last. I do recall that when O'Brien and Campbell were added to the top tier credits that Campbell initially appeared before O'Brien.  

[amybrickwallace]

In 1967, when Retro TV began showing the reruns, the star billing was Pritchett/Hubbard/Bethel Leslie (who was playing Maggie then). Not long after BL left in spring 1968, Gerald Gordon was given star billing. When Liz Hubbard left for the first time in fall 1969, it was just JP and GG with star billing until Lydia Bruce was added in spring 1970 after being listed with the supporting players for two years. After a year away, Liz returned and was put back in the second star slot. 

 

As for O'Brien/Campbell being given star billing, I think he got it first. He was the last of five, and then CC was added shortly thereafter to make it six. I'm not positive. You are right that O'Brien was on before Bruce (he came on in December 1967, she in May 1968) but that Campbell was there before both of them (she began sometime in 1967, but I don't know which month).

 

When Glenn Corbett was on, he also received star billing. I think that was after Liz Hubbard had left for the second time and after Jada Rowland replaced Carolee Campbell. The order was Pritchett/Bruce/O'Brien/Rowland/Corbett. 

[Soaplovers]

Watching the latest episodes, I have to say I think I kind of like Cenedella's writing better then the Pollocks (their final months were disjointed and very plot driven).  He and his script writers have given Penny, Karen, and MJ more depth... as well as making Stacy less crazy and Ann is acting more like her old self (being wisely used as supporting).  Plus, he's made Alan likable for the first time ever with his interactions with MJ... now if that doesn't spell talent, I don't know what does

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  I also was interested in the kidnapping story spanning five episodes as the sole focus.. but it did allow beats of the story to play out that might have been missed if this had been shared with other plotlines.  Still, there are no other stories to take over now that the kidnapping aspect has been concluded (and quickly, too).

 

With that said, I'll be interested to see Depriest's tenure start because I've heard she changed post GH in terms of how she wrote characters.  I actually liked her 10 month stint on AMC, even thought her first stint at AW wasn't so bad..  so I'm looking forward to seeing her take on The Doctors.

[Khan]

 

Actually, IMO, the Pollocks' work was/is always disjointed and plot-driven -- not just on TD, but on DYNASTY as well.  It's just that, by the end, they were all out of exciting ideas that could help you overlook their deficiencies.

[amybrickwallace]

 

It's just that it may not always be as obvious in a 22-episode season as opposed to 200+ episodes a year with no reruns. They wrote some memorable characters with talented performers playing them...but could never write those characters with any real depth. That was the Pollocks' major problem as writers.

[MonaCroft]

From my vantage point watching the reruns starting in 1974, the Pollocks bludgeoned plot points till they were bleeding.   The whole Mike in Asia was dragged out mercilessly.   I am guessing that, early on, the powers that be realized that Michael Landrum was a huge casting mistake and they simply lengthened the story there while they were waiting for a better acting option to throw into the heavy duty business with Toni and Alan.  They were also probably hamstrung with using him until his 13 week contractual cycle was up.   

[amybrickwallace]

As good an actor as Armand Assante is, he was just as miscast as Michael Landrum. They should never have let Peter Burnell go. He was the definitive Mike.

[MonaCroft]

I came in around Summer 1974 so I am sadly about four or five Mikes behind.

[robbwolff]

Actually, I believe Campbell and O'Brien were given star billing concurrently...in the same episode. I remember how happy I was that they had received special billing. In that episode, Carolee appeared after Lydia and then David was last. That was reversed in the next episode with Carolee appearing last. I was surprised by the change since she had been on the show longer longer than David.

 

And I forgot all about that special credit for Bethel. I'm so glad we got the chance to see Bethel as Maggie as she was incredible. I loved that episode with her and Althea dancing in the clinic right before Bethel left.

[amybrickwallace]

 

Does anyone have an airdate for those episodes?

[NothinButAttitude]

Wow. These past episodes with Erich being kidnapped have been good. More realistic than any soap kidnapping story I've seen. My jaw dropped when I heard Alice (the female kidnapper) tell her partner, George, to put a bullet in little Erich. I am just wondering how the audience would react to something like this. 

 

Just boggles my mind how soaps in the 70s are WAY more progressive than soaps the past 20 years. 

[amybrickwallace]

You really have to give it up for Keith Blanchard, who was one of the best juvenile actors I've ever seen on a soap. He's now a journalist.

[MonaCroft]

 

It's refreshing to see a soap give a kid of that age such meaty material.   These days, somebody like Keith would be relegated to "hi" and "bye" until he is SORASed into a horny teenager overnight.