Generations Discussion Thread

[dc11786]

In those early rough days, Mina Kolb's Aunt Mary was a highlight for me of the original version of "Generations" when it was trying to do drawing room drama fretting over things like Adam Marshall living with two white women, Jessica's scandalous past, and attempting to humiliate Ruth Marshall  when she joined the Women's Art Council by bringing up Vivian's work as the Whitmores maid. I know Kolb's background was comedy so I can see why they shifted in that direction, but it is a shame. When the initial change is made, Marla Adams' Helen Mullens fills that role before they soften her with the domestic abuse angle, the dead daughter Karen, and the connection to the Reubens family. 

I grew up on the NBC daytime lineup so I can see why "Generations" made the changes it did and it was creatively more engaging as a result. I am not sure anyone could have matched JER after 1997, not even JER. 

[Contessa Donatella]

A lifetime ago some people who indicated info about the inner workings of NBC daytime said that Sally Sussman Morina had a white knight protecting her at NBC. Has anyone ever heard this? And, who do you think it was?

[Forever8]

The July 9, 1990, episode has been uploaded. I believe it's been uploaded before as it seems familiar to me. 

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[DRW50]

That's one I put up a month ago, although it's an episode from a long-gone channel I can't remember and I just reuploaded it, so they probably did the same.

[Soaplovers]

From reading the back pages, it sounds as though Sally S structured the show exactly like a Bell soap with two families linked together by past, present, and future events.

Like what happened to B&B, one of the families took off (Marshalls) while the other family basically was scaled back with only one member taking off (Sam).

Seeing Marla Adams as Helen made me think maybe she should have been Rebecca instead at the start of the show.  She had a commanding presence and she could have played out the corporate and more romantic aspects of Rebecca's character.  And she knew how to play mother and daughter angst.

And I do agree that Ruth and Doreen were an important element to what made the soap work.  And my late mom was pissed at the final episode where it was left open if Mr Marshall was alive or dead.

And I do agree that recasting Chantal and Mr Marshall was due to getting bigger names, and I have a feeling it was also due to story dictated decisions.  The Chantal real father story needed a proven powerhouse and with Mr Marshall looking in Doreen's direction..you needed someone a bit more sexy (the daddy version of sexy) to make that work.

[Vee]

I agree. She fit like a glove.

What happened to Daniel Reubens between when he got involved with Doreen (in summer of '90, I think) and the end of the show?

[dc11786]

Sussman definitely centers the connection between the Marshalls and Whitmores from the start. The original plan had a love triangle between married women Laura McCallum and Ruth Marshall over a childhood friend with Ruth being the unlikely leg of the triangle on the sidelines wanting someone she couldn't have. Also, it seems clear in the bible that Sam and Adam would have been end game at some point. The show appears to be developed as an hour long show because there are so many characters and stories presented in the bible. Once you start cutting away, the Whitmores just weren't functional anymore. J.D.'s storyline was too controversial for daytime in 1989 (his love interest was a trans woman). Laura's story was tied to a character who no longer existed (a plastic surgeon who's name I never remember). Rebecca's story wasn't set to explode until Peter Whitmore returned. The pivots (a possibe Trevor / Jessica / JD triangle and Ruth joining the arts council) didn't really work as well as longterm though I loved the Art Council story. 

I know that the Dobsons said NBC wouldn't let them bring on too many older characters so I suspect the show was going to struggle to get both Peter and Rebecca onscreen on contract. I am not sure Marla Adams would have changed the character's trajectory, but she was a good choice. While I can't see Sussman sidelining Adams, Rebecca's absence left Sam anchorless which allowed her to be flighty and reckless in a way that would have been harder to justify with her mother on the canvas. 

Debbi Morgan comes in to play the Eric / Chantal murder trial. Morgan arrives teh last week of March and Eric arrives the last week of May. Initially, Chantal is being drawn into the investigation into the mob which starts in February as sort of background noise for the cop shop and to give Sam and Kyle angst. By March, I think they have revealed that Jordan and mob boss Mitchell Taylor are half-brothers. It's unclear when it was decided that the Taylor organization was going to be the reason that Peter left town, but Peter doesn't arrive onscreen until early October. 

I think you may be right about Reynolds. Reynolds arrives in August, Rick Fitts departs as Martin Jackson in September, and Harper arrives as Peter in October. I think they were definitely looking to shift Henry from businessman to viable romantic lead. I think Taurean Blacque and Jonelle Allen would have been fine together, but I think Reynolds would have fought Harper harder for Pringle. 

Daniel and Doreen have angst until September when they finally sleep together. Martin uses Doreen and Daniel's sexual tryst at the beach to blackmail Doreen into doing his biding and stay with him. Once Martin skips town after the embezzlement is discovered, Daniel and Doreen are free to be in October, which is the same month as the infamous Maya / Doreen catfight. 

I don't always find myself drawn into the final months (and sometimes I am) but I think Daniel peters out around November. By December, Doreen's nephew Tyrell Dawson starts to live with her and starts to flirt with Maya so the story for Doreen is already evolving.