The Doctors

[Chris B]

I'm so nervous, but excited for this lol. It's been so long without a writing switch and I just can't imagine how you can go through three HWs in a year. 

[Vee]

I'm pretty sure Loving might've had them beat. Or possibly early '80s OLTL.

Edited January 8, 2023 by Vee

[MichaelGL]

I have no doubt that if the show had a steady and consistent writing team in 1975 they would've expanded to an hour that or the following year. The new opening, Nick's brief return and the one hour long episode, it seemed they were gearing up for the idea becoming a reality, but show just couldn't seal the deal. 

[Chris B]

It really makes me question the people in charge. To fire people so soon tells me they didn't do their job when it comes to approving the story the new HWs projected. I mean, I get you can make a mistake here and there, but the amount of HWs The Doctors has from 1975 until it ends is just insane.

I wonder what the deal is with Nick. It's such a shame he left because he was such an important character. In 1975 he appears maybe once or twice a month so far. I can't tell if he's off contract or maybe he had another job at the time, but it is odd to see him going from one of the stars to barely appearing.

[Jdee43]

I recently watched the 1976 film Marathon Man. It co-starred Marthe Keller. Could you imagine someone like Keller playing Karen Werner on The Doctors? That would have been amazing.

I think the producers always erred by not getting an actress for Karen who actually had chemistry with David O'Brien. That would have made their pairing much more watchable and believable.

I think Laryssa Laurent had chemistry with Matt, but not with Steve. Steve had chemistry with almost everyone, everyone except Karen. It's strange that out of all the ladies, it's Karen they pair him with.

[Matt Powers]

The transition from Cendella to DePriest is jarring. She wraps up Mike/Toni/Alan in like 2 episodes, a story which Cendella had going on front burner for months. 

[Soaplovers]

Cendella had a strong focus on the hospital...but it was kind of boring other than the Carolee/Karen/Steve story.

I had heard the actor playing Alan quit...hence the hasty resolution.

I liked Depriests reign better because stuff actually happened (some of which was actually based in character)

[Sapounopera]

I was shocked to realize that I like DePriest's show better than Marland's. 

[victoria foxton]

Me too.

[MichaelGL]

^Same. I liked the villainous three Scott, Ann, and Paul wreaking havoc in Madison. I think if DePriest had stayed, their stories would've wrapped up differently, with some of the stories possibly intersecting. 

[victoria foxton]

I haven't seen those runs in years. But i remember DePriest's run being exciting and fun. While with Marland all the momentum screeched to a halt.

[jam6242]

I have a feeling Marland learned his "rules" from the mistakes he made at The Doctors, because he violated quite a few of them.

[RavenWhitney]

I watched the Depriest reruns and felt the same way; she was their best HW from that point until cancellation. Her material was far better than Marland's. She shouldn't have been replaced.  It was the terrible producer at the time.

[Chris B]

I'm in the final month of The Pollocks and finally Mike has been reunited with his family. Penny is also back after a short hiatus. It's interesting that they've seemingly SORASed her a couple years, but kept the same actress. It somehow works though, likely because Duffy was already over 18 when she got hired. They've given her a more mature look and personality. Armand Assante is great as Mike. He actually makes more sense as a replacement for Peter Burrell, more than the previous guy. He can be a hot head, but very gentle as well and has strong chemistry with everyone.

I also was feeling impatient about seeing the changes and watched a couple episodes from 78 and 79. Sadly, I see why Hank was phased out after seeing those episodes. The hospital was hardly featured in the episodes I saw and there was much more focus on the Powers, Aldrich and another family whose name I'm not sure of. It was Nola's family. With Hank being Black I can see how they wouldn't want to introduce a family for him at that time which is a shame.

I noticed a lot of recasts in the few episodes I saw. A new Carolee, Jim Storm as Mike (just awful and horribly miscast from what I saw) and a new Billy who wasn't very memorable. The episodes were different, but not terrible. It'll be interesting to see the again in context. I also think they did a good job recasting Carolee compared to other recasts. She was different, but similar enough and put her own spin on the role.

[Chris B]

I'm in the second month of Robert Cenedella's run and so far so good. I noticed a bit of crossover with him and the Pollock's credited together so it looks like it was a smooth transition. I do think the show is slower and already seems different, but I like the changes.

The Pollocks were very plot driven so most of the show was centered around whatever A plot they were running. With Cenedella, I notice it feels more character driven and each episode we get all sorts of different characters interacting together. Althea and Steve, MJ & Penny with Carolee and Steve, Penny and Maggie, Greta and Mike having actual substantial scenes, Hank and Mike. It's good to go into the episodes and be surprised by who is featured together. I always find that mixes up the canvas in that way is the best way to stretch a story on a soap without it feeling slow. 

I do like that the canvas has more characters in general. The newbies like Stacy, MJ and Rico all have solid connections to the foundation of the show. I like that they're using more sets and beginning to create a balance of work and home life scenes. So far I'm seeing smart changes that were needed and it still feels like The Doctors.