The Doctors

[MichaelGL]

Thank you so much for these scans Carl.

Intriguing how much of the synopsis involves Mona and Nola's corporate wars at The Chronicle. The show was obviously getting into the trend of business intrigue, as were other soaps at this time. I think of all the trends the show tried to go with, I think this one was the most that made sense and the show should have kept, rather going the sci-fi route.

Never knew Mike and Katy were "married" or that they had such a relationship described in the scan.

I know Maggie eventually loses the baby, but it would have been a great choice IMO, if the writers had Maggie's baby survive.

[DRW50]

I agree - although it's hard to imagine Nola as a businesswoman I'd like to see Mona in that area.

Who was Theo again?

I find that bit about MJ fantasizing as a temptress to be strange. Was this after Kathy Glass left?

I wish they'd had Maggie carry to term. It would be something new for an estranged, older soap couple to have a child. In some ways this would have caused even more conflict for them.

[MichaelGL]

I liked reading about Mona vowing to put her energy in business as well. You have a point about Nola. IMO if they were going to get her involved in business, they should have done it realistically, not happen over night. Wasn't she like a singer earlier in her run? I know she did have a part in running The Medicine at one point.

M.J.'s fantasy was indeed strange. Not sure if it was after KG left the room.

Later on other over the hill couples like Matt and Maggie would have children; AMC's Joe & Ruth and ATWT's Bob and Kim.

[Paul Raven]

Theo was Katy's brother.He was played by Tuck Milligan and became involved with Greta.

The Mike/Katy/ Theo story was a low point for the show.

By this time Amy Ingersoll was playing MJ. I don't know why they bothered with a recast,as Ingersoll could have been a new character,especially with MJ falling for Matt.

[Paul Raven]

Summary of SOD synopsis Jan 79

Doreen puts her plan into motion.Mel calls Carolee and lures her to an address,claiming to be the father of a patient and telling her that his daughter is about to give birth.

It's the night of Kim's party. Billy left LeeAnn with his parents so he and Greta can enjoy the evening. Billy gets jealous when Greta dances with an admirer.

Carolee is driving in the raging storm,while Doreen is at the Medicine Man establishing her alibi.

A strange man pulls a gun on a terrified Carolee and they drive to a secluded cabin. She's told he is being paid to do this.He tells Carolee all about herself. She is wondering who could be behind this.

Kim makes a move on Billy and Luke.

Steve is worried about Carolee being out in the storm but cannot recall the patient's name. He decides to head to the hospital to get more info.

Doreen as 'Dorothy' meets up with Mel and is delighted all is going to plan.She will confront Carolee and let her know that Carolee is keeping Steve from her.

Steve calls in the police as everyone tries to make sense of Carolee's disappearance.

Doreen visits Steve to offer support.

Matt has called in a specialist for Mike who is bitter and doesn't think it will help.The doctor questions Mike about the accident and Mike realizes that Sara moving him may have caused his paralysis.

Bettina,wife of Mike's roommate Hank,talks to Sara and encourages her not to give up as their love will get them through.Sara knows that at this point Mike hates her.

Carolee's car has been located with no sign of her. Steve is now very afraid.

Doreen visits Carolee, who tries to make her see what she is doing is wrong.Doreen lashes out and Carolee realizes how deluded she really is.She tries to work out a way of escape,even offering Mel double what Doreen is paying him.

Missy is having nightmares of her drunken father making sexual advances to her.

Doreen demands Carolee write Steve a letter, saying she's run off with a lover.Carolee does so and writes that Billy is her first born (an untruth).

Doreen gleefully mails the letter, unaware of the clue contained within.

Sweeny advises Missy to be honest with Luke and Missy plans to have that talk.

Mel wants to be rid of Carolee but Doreen tells him to wait.Mel refuses until Doreen doubles his fee.

Mel wants money now so Doreen contacts her father Evan Fleming to ask for the money.Doreen is sure he will hand it over,as he 'bought' Jason for her.now that she is dying,he should be willing to give her anything.

Missy tells Luke she has been seeing a parole officer.She is five years into a nine year parole.Missy says she understands if this is too much for Luke.Luke responds that his past is nothing to be proud of and he thanks Missy for trusting him enough to tell him. But there is more Missy has to confess...

[Paul Raven]

[DRW50]

Thanks for the recap - good to read more about some of the story with Doreen and Carolee.

I was reading an interview done with Petronia Paley in the early 90's, and she said that she was very intimidated while at The Doctors, because she had to get used to all the camera equipment and such. She also said they brought her in to have an interracial love story with the son of one of the main doctors. They dropped the story because of the backlash against Valerie and David on DAYS.

[Paul Raven]

I guess that would have been Mike Powers. What writers would that have been?

re Doreen and her obsession with Carolee.Do you think it would have been more interesting had Ann Larimer returned and pretended to be all friendly with Steve and Carolee,whilst planning this?

Doreen seemed to lose interest in Jason and switch to Steve.

How did Mona feel about Doreen?

[DRW50]

Would this have been Doug Marland? Or DePriest? I guess this was after Mike was widowed?

I do wonder if they considered Ann. In 1978, I think it was 1978, Geraldine Court was one of the actors who said she would never want to go back to the show because of writing which offended her.

It's certainly a very interesting story which has someone believing they are terminally ill and then when they learn they aren't they're still unhinged and plot this ghoulish plan to get what they want.

[Paul Raven]

I think Anna Stuart left in 76 and they planned to recast.She was written out with Toni visiting her sick mother. Then she was killed off -probably a different writer who wasn't interested in continuing Mike/Toni (Marland?)

That's why I thought killing off Sara was a mistake-having Mike widowed twice within a few years was a silly move.

Also,having Carolee kidnapped and raped a few years after being stashed in the sanitarium was also a bit much.Was the previous ordeal ever referred to? I wonder how Jada Rowland felt about Carolee being such a victim?

And then not long after Maggie is kidnapped during the tornado.Those sort of storylines really damaged the show.

Mind you,these days,the likes of Ms Arena Bell think nothing of wreaking this sort of havoc on a weekly basis.

[Paul Raven]

[DRW50]

That's neat. When in 1978 is that from? (or early 1979)

[MichaelGL]

I'm assuming it would have been either one of the following writing teams depending on when Paley first arrived on the show.

Edited June 15, 2011 by MichaelGL

[saynotoursoap]

Douglas Marland created Jessie. At the time Jessie first appeared, Mike was still married to Toni. Jessie started on the soap sometime in the spring because she was the doctor who treated Paul's overdose. Toni died in the plane crash during the summer, probably during July sweeps. Marland may have intended a triangle between Jessie/Mike/Sara because Sara and Mike had instant chemistry. That Mike was John Shearin.

Also, the character of Doreen was introduced under Marland. Doreen kidnapped Carolee while she still believed herself to be terminally ill. She did it because even if she got caught, she thought she would never live long enough to be prosecuted for the crime. Doreen knew that she would never get Jason back. She was needy and afraid of dying alone, so she transferred those feelings for Jason to the brother who was not only a healer, but also compassionate and strong. Doreen saw Carolee as weak and victimized, someone who could be easily eliminated. The O. Henry twist in the story came at the end, after Doreen and Mel had been shot. Doreen had a rare form of mononucleosis and was not dying at all. It was an interesting storyline.

[saynotoursoap]

Yes, it was Doug Marland who killed off Toni, though I do not believe her body was ever found. I remember at the time thinking that Toni might resurface one day, just as Mike had previously.

I agree that soap operas had storylines that were just as crazy and sensational in the 1970's as the ones we see today, but I feel that the early storylines were better executed, and therein lies the difference. Stories in the 1970's did refer to past events and were based in real, emotional drama. Unlike contemporary soaps where characters can be blown up onscreen and survive with a tiny bandaid on their forehead (ATWT, anyone?)on 70's soaps, if a character died onscreen, they remained dead. And viewers never knew who might be killed off. Popular characters and actors were frequently disposed of never to return. I will never forget the kidnapping of Wade Collins on Search for Tomorrow. We were certain Wade would be rescued from that little shack in the park, only to be gobsmacked when Fay Chandler shot him dead.

Carolee's kidnapping was harrowing. Doreen tormented her psychologically, and the attractive Mel, who could be sweet one minute and sadistic the next, abused her physically. It was not the sort of campy, wink at the audience because we tell this same story every six weeks approach used by soaps today. And, Doreen did refer to Carolee's previous kidnapping. Doreen taunted Carolee that she and Steve had already become lovers, and Steve did not care that Carolee was missing. Carolee insisted she was lying, and Doreen reminded her of how easily Steve had been led astray by Ann.

The story had dramatic value in other areas, too. When Carolee went missing, the Powers and Aldrich families were estranged because Billy Aldrich had impregnated young Greta Powers and did not want the responsibility. Matt and Maggie were so angry that they severed their relationship with Carolee and Steve. Carolee's disappearance was used to reunite the two families as Matt struggled to find a way to help bring Carolee back, and Maggie offered Steve sympathy and support. Even after Carolee was rescued, her kidnapping continued to resonate with Carolee being afraid of her own shadow, and finally deciding that in order to not be victimized again, she had to become a stronger, more independent woman.

Sara's dying was a mistake, though Elizabeth Levin did write a very beautiful and touching storyline. My biggest beef was that the story was far too short, lasting only a few weeks. I believe that Sara was written out because the actress playing her did not renew her contract, and the writers did not want to recast a third time. The Doctors seemed to have a difficult time keeping Dancys.

Edited June 15, 2011 by saynotoursoap