The Doctors

[EONGLOLTL]

 

Thanks YRBB!!  

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[amybrickwallace]

They've announced the panels for ATWT, OLTL and GH but not TD. Does anyone know who will be on?

[jam6242]

Not even a hint so far. 

[DemetriKane]

thanks a lot!

[applcin]

BTW, when I created my login for the new site, the "secret word" voucher (for the extra free month) given in the e-mail didn't work for me so I contacted Jennifer--they added a 1 (number one) to the end of it.

 

I came across this obit today for an actress named Carolyn Byrd. I'm not familiar with her but it says she recurred on The Doctors in the 1980s as "Dr. Terri Fisher" and was on Somerset as "Margie Hopkins."

https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/2021/04/09/actress-and-performer-carolyn-byrd-canton-native-died-march-22/7154835002/

Edited April 9, 2021 by applcin

[Forever8]

'The Doctors' Panel Participants Announced for 'Soap Con Live' Event | Michael Fairman TV

 

 

[victoria foxton]

 

[DanMan869]

 

[Soaplovers]

If Marie could fix her wifi issues after the 1st interview, so can Frank.

 

I did love how Marie realized who Nancy was on Matlock, and all the talk of older 70s and 80s family shows 

[amybrickwallace]

It was a great group, and I hope Alan continues to do more interviews with TD people. Actually, I really want him to do an interview with Jim (Mike #8) and Michael Storm (OLTL).

[Paul Raven]

Is there any word on when Retro will resume showing The Doctors.It would be great to see the whole run.

This article talks about the changes being made - all for nothing in the end.

Would anything have helped the show at this point?

Tune in Tomorrow by Jon Michael reed Oct 1980

NEW YORK - With swift, sudden backstage overhaul, NBC's "The Doctors" hopes to remedy its low ratings ailments. Since August, when the half-hour  serial moved to a new time period In most parts of the country, "The Doctors" hasn't improved its bottom of-the-barrel ratings. Several affiliate NBC stations cancelled the show, but now they are being wooed, wined and dined by NBC to resume the program.

NBC has it in its power to use all manner of persuasion since the network now owns the program, "The Doctors" was owned by Colgate-Palmolive beginning with its debut in 1963. It was C P who hired producer Doris Quinlan, a respected serial veteran, last year to "pump up" the show. It was C P who last year hired Ralph and Eugenie Ellis, also veterans in the serial world, as headwriters. It was C P, together with Ms. Quinlan, who wanted to oust the Ellises in favor of Harding Lemay, who was headwriter of "Another World" for eight years. It was C P who sold "The Doctors" to NBC several weeks ago.

 Last week it was NBC who decided to "part ways with Doris Quinlan because of irreconcilable differences about the future direction of the program." It was NBC who hired Jim Baffico, a former professional football player and executive who had worked for Procter & Gamble's production of "Another World," as the new executive producer of "TD," It was NBC who also hired Joe Rothenberger, yet another former P&G producer who has worked for "As the World Turns" among others, as the line producer for "TD." And it is NBC who has decided to retain the Ellises as headwriters, while Lemay joins his former dialogue writer, Doug Marland, who currently head-writes "Guiding Light." There are several high-powered daytime executives at NBC who are former employees of P & G. If the new production line-up on "The Doctors" is also studded with former P &G employees, it may be entirely without coincidence. Rothenberger worked with the Ellises for "ATWT" and it is hoped that a "tighter family unit" behind the scenes at "TD" will result in a better on-screen product.

Already, the program has shown recognizable signs of consolidating it's previously random story threads. It appears that the program is foregoing last year's kidnapping and hostage mayhem plots in favor of a return to domestic romanticism and inter-familial squabbles. Whether the new regime will work wonders remains to be seen. And whether major cast changes are in store 'is a major concern to castmembers, although the Ellises have reportedly assured everyone that no drastic cast eliminations are imminent.

 That surely brought a sigh of relief to the dozen cast members who joined the show in the past year. Among them is Caroline Byrd, who has been compelling as Terri Foster, a black doctor involved in reforming a prostitute. Although she briefly played a nurse on the defunct soap, "Somerset," Caroline considers "The Doctors" to be her first "substantial" daytime role. Terri is a positive, strong, intelligent woman who is capable of inspiring her younger black sisters to get the best education possible and to use it. She's not a negative role model like so many black characters on TV," adds Caroline, Before "TD" Caroline made her career high mark in the Broadway musical, "Bubbling Brown Sugar." Critics raved about her singing abilities in that show. Born in Canton, Ohio, Caroline trained to be an opera singer. After majoring in elementary education at Ohio State University, she performed in several musical revues before she concentrated in gospel singing, which led to her being chosen for "Sugar." In addition to dozens of commercials and "TD," Caroline continues her gospel singing on the road and at Canaan Baptist Church in Harlem where she's a soloist and also a reading tutor volunteer who works with youth groups. She has been honored with the 1977 Lorraine Hansberry Arts Award, and is a frequent speaker in schools, churches and prisons. She's an asset to "The Doctors" and it may be interesting to see how her character develops on the soap. Tune in tomorrow to see how Terri and "TD" fare under the show's new production team.

Edited July 22, 2021 by Paul Raven

[amybrickwallace]

I haven't heard anything, but they need to both digitize and close-caption the episodes first. Hopefully, they will start airing 1980 in the not-too-distant future.

[MichaelGL]

A Doris Quinlan and Harding Lemay team may have saved TD, so many missteps mentioned in that article made by the higher ups which pretty much doomed the show until cancellation in 1982. 

[amybrickwallace]

As we continue to wait for Retro to air the episodes from 1980 on, here is a photo of Franc Luz as Dr. John Bennett. He was the only male performer on the show besides Jim Pritchett to get an Emmy nomination for Best Actor.

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[Soaplovers]

Dr. John and Carolee looked like they were heading for an emotional affair in those final episodes of 1979..with Ashley being introduced.

I'm hoping 1980 will one day air because Ashley's story sounded interesting and the actress did get an Emmy nom.

Lastly, saw the Greta recast (Gracie Harrison I think ) in a few 1981 episodes.  Good actress, wrong part.  She would have faired better as a Penny recast..imho.