The Doctors

[danfling]

Mr. Cenedella probably liked Pamela Toll a lot.   When he created Somerset for Procter and Gamble/NBC, he cast her as Pammy Davis (a vixon).  She was superb in that roll.    (I also heard from someone who had seen her audition for Mary Ryan on Ryan's Hope that it was extremely good also; however, she asked for a higher salary than Ryan's Hope could afford.   That is so sad.)

She and Gary Sandy (Randy Buchanan) made a terrific pair on Somerset, but her Pammy character was in love with Tony Cooper.

 

[TimWil]

Back in the early 1980s I went several years in a row to a Christmas dinner hosted by a friend at her beautiful apartment at the Apthorp on NY's Upper West Side. I remember James Greene (Jason #2) would be there with his girlfriend...Christine Baranski. He was an extremely nice man. I think he died in the late 80's and she soon afterward began a relationship with Matthew Cowles (Billy Clyde, AMC) which led to marriage. 

[NothinButAttitude]

Has Carolee Campbell left the role of Carolee yet?

[jam6242]

No, I think she leaves (left) in early March.

[~bl~]

As someone who even with the garbage material, still would put Steve and Carolee as one of my top 10 favorite couples in soaps ever, I have a lot of opinions on the acting issue. With David O'Brien's acting, I wonder how much of it has to do with the material in the last few years of the reruns. Carolee Campbell admitted in an interview that she wasn't fond of the last three years worth of story. Being professional is saying your lines, and not causing problems - playing a scene neutral (or even a bit wry) if one believes it is slightly out of character is more preferable to me than playing it for all its worth, when you and the audience know that it isn't right. An actor's job it to interpret the material, and considering how little time actors would have spent in daytime with the directors, if someone had longevity, they probably could do whatever they wanted within reason. It probably wasn't easy long-term for the actors, so it would influence how Carolee and Steve as characters would interact.

 

With the comment about Pam Toll, I loved her on TD, and can completely see her as Mary Ryan. In some ways, I think the Ryan's Hope character of Jack was inspired by Nick Bellini, and Mary reminded me of Liz except with the large Irish family.

[Soaplovers]

well today's batch of episodes saw the introduction of Depriest as headwriter so after 6 months, Cenedella is officially gone.  Reading about the Steve/Ann story back in the day, it seemed to indicate Ann was totally at fault and Steve was innocent... but seeing these episodes, it looks as if Steve was pursuing her while she was trying to be sensible. 

[rlj]

Who originated the role of Carolee?

[robbwolff]

 

Carolee Campbell

[Soaplovers]

@vetsoapfan wow, I am suffering from whiplash.  All the stories turned on a dime quickly once Cenedella left and Depriest took over (only 3 episodes have aired of her brief tenure)... and the character of Ann kind of did a 180.  Miss career woman Ann who confessed in one of Cenedella's last episodes that she was taking stock of her life.. that her career was good.. but something was missing... by Depriest's 1st episode was saying she'd always been in love with Steve.. that her other relationships were meaningless because it was Steve she wanted and her life had no meaning.. but now she is going to get happiness.  I'm like 'say what'.

[Khan]

So, does this mean Ann is no longer impotent?

 

(I can't believe I just asked whether a female character on a soap opera is able to have sex again.)

[vetsoapfan]

 

I always dreaded seeing DePriest's name in the closing credits of any show. UGH. She was a dreadful writer.

[Khan]

For me, it depends on the show.  I can watch online an episode of her AMC, or her DAYS, or even her OLTL, during that brief period when she and Craig Carlson were HW'ing the show.  But if it's AW or SUNSET BEACH?  Forget it!

[Soaplovers]

I agree.. her stint on AMC was pretty good.. she had some good ideas that when Agnes Nixon resumed head-writing she ran with.

 

Cenedella's 6 month stint on The Doctors had both highs and lows for me.

 

Highs:

 

More character driven scenes (Lots of good scenes between friends.. great Althea/Maggie scenes especially)

 

Penny wasn't so one note (the Pollocks made Penny so one note).. she and Althea scenes were always tentative under him.. they loved each other, but each were afraid to say what they truly felt.  Plus, I liked that Cenedella gave Penny a friend in MJ.

 

Alan was likable.. and he was paired with MJ under Cenedella.. and you could see he cared about her, but it was played that if Toni came to him to say she wanted to reunite, he would have.  Plus, it was eerie how much MJ and Toni looked alike (transference anyone).

 

Billy/Gretel was a cute little teen romance that didn't eat up airtime (Everyone thought Marland started it.. but Cenedella started it).

 

Jerry Dancy... finally a guy that is evenly matched with Penny... guess Cenedella started the Dancy family with Depriest and Marland both building on it.

 

Lows:

 

Not enough action.  After the Steve/Carolee/Karen custody was resolved... there was nothing to put in it's place.

 

Killing off Dr. Tom... Ironic that Cenedella wrote Tom as someone other than a clone of Nick... only to kill him off.  It just happened too quickly before we got a chance to know the real Dr. Tom

 

Neutral:

 

The Conrads... Eleanor is interesting... but she seems more troubled then outright crazy.  Too much telling and not showing in this case.  Why Althea would keep dating Scott baffles me (actually no it doesn't).  From reading summaries a long time ago, it seems like Depriest shifts things... and looks to show Eleanor as being the one to root for.. and Scott/Wendy not as much.

 

 

Once Depriests brief tenure ends.. I'll analyze my thoughts on it.

[Khan]

I cannot WAIT to see the start of Douglas Marland's work on this show.  Something I never would have thought possible before now.  (I realize he isn't everyone's cup of tea, though, lol.)

 

Now, if I could just get my hands on his complete run at GH....

 

I wonder whether they let Cenedella go BECAUSE they were used to TD being such an action-driven show under the Pollocks.  (Never mind the fact that the Pollocks themselves had clearly burned out by the end and the ratings were already falling.)

[Soaplovers]

 

I can't recall for sure.. but I think Marland said The Doctors was his learning curve and that whatever mistakes he made writing the soap, he learned from on his future projects (though I don't think he truly did with the onslaught of Snyders hogging airtime right away).  So I'll be interested to see if his trademarks were shown on this show or not.  I know he created Sara, Barney, and Luke Dancy... but I think Depriest brought on Virginia and Nola.

 

The problem I noticed with Cenedella was also pacing.  A whole week focused only on the Erich kidnapping case and nothing else?  He didn't have anything else on the backburner waiting to take over once that story was resolved.... he should have spent that time building the Tom being ill story... and showing Toni struggling with balancing motherhood and work as a single mom.   Though I did love MJ/Alan as a couple.