On 1/15/2026 at 4:42 AM, Khan said:

But, as I've said many times, the Lechowicks couldn't cast for [!@#$%^&*].

I think that was an overall Lorimar issue outside their main casts. Or rather, they casted a lot of bland actors / actresses that were forgettable - Dallas and Falcon Crest also had this issue compared to Dynasty, which did seem to get casting right, or at least memorable, even if the writing wasn't the best. I think a lot of that had to do with Aaron Spelling being willing to take bigger swings while the Lorimar soaps preferred to play it "safe".

I didn't realize Donna Mills did another of these videos. It's still good for what it is intended to be, although all I can think is how ugly a lot of hair and fashion from the time was.

I’m knee-deep in Season 11 right now, just shaking my head at The Village Idiot. I remember watching this season and not liking this storyline very much, but watching it now, I dislike it even more. Both Sam Behrens and Penny Peyser feel miscast. SB more for the forced romance with Val. If he and JvA had had electric chemistry, we might have been able to buy the forced romance and hate that the “perfect guy” for Val turned out to have an a-hole personality and be a r@pist. Penny Peyser? Well, I guess they wanted an actress with a sweet personality who could play vulnerability. I know it might have been hard to run this over the course of the season, but I think it might have been better to lengthen the “romance” of Val and Danny over the course of the season, establish him and Amanda more fully, and then have the season finale include the r@pe. Maybe PP could have been in a final shot where her eyes look “dead” so you wonder, what did wonderful Danny DO to her?! Heck, even if they had Val and Danny marry the episode before—or even the finale—what power it could have been to send Danny over to do his dastardly deed after he’d sealed the relationship with Val! They’d have the viewers once again echoing Jill thinking, “poor Val—she didn’t know!” Instead, we all know what a jerk Danny is the whole time and Val is left being christened TVI.

Meanwhile, the other stories so far this season, well, suck. All I can think is “this show NEEDED Abby—and Donna Mills!” Plus, I’m hating that they’ve done next to nothing with Olivia and Harold. I knew this, of course, but in rewatching it I get frustrated! They could have shown more of the ups and downs of their first year of marriage and maybe even had them each going to Karen and Mack for counsel. They had a legacy character with the potential for an interesting storyline (not to mention maybe she could’ve gotten hired at Sumner Group—what if she was bringing in a decent income and Harold struggles working at KL Motors?).

Paige had started eating the season at the beginning, but thankfully they backed off on that a bit for the time being.

And don’t get me started at their having sidelined the Williams family to various degrees!

Edited Friday at 05:23 PM2 days by DanMan869

7 hours ago, DanMan869 said:

Penny Peyser? Well, I guess they wanted an actress with a sweet personality who could play vulnerability that they could hire on the cheap.

Corrected that for you 😊

For all we know, maybe someone at CBS liked Penny Peyser. Remember she was in the main cast of Crazy Like a Fox and the miniseries The Blue and the Gray.

On 1/28/2026 at 10:37 PM, te. said:

I think that was an overall Lorimar issue outside their main casts. Or rather, they casted a lot of bland actors / actresses that were forgettable - Dallas and Falcon Crest also had this issue compared to Dynasty, which did seem to get casting right, or at least memorable, even if the writing wasn't the best. I think a lot of that had to do with Aaron Spelling being willing to take bigger swings while the Lorimar soaps preferred to play it "safe".

On the one hand, I think you've made a pretty solid argument. But, on the other hand, I'm not sure Peter Dunne or even Joe Wallenstein would've hired someone like Penny Peyser to play Amanda, or Melinda Culea to play Paula, or (God help us) Wendy Fulton to play Jean. Casting choices made under their regimes were far agreeable to me than many who were cast during the Lechowicks' budget mode era.

Teri Austin was probably one of the last of the decent castings the show did for new characters, and that was due to David Jacobs more-so then the other producers at the time... and it was a one scene character that was expanded because of her presence.

Nicolette had raw talent and charisma when she was cast (she was cast at the end of season 7, right before the Lathams took over), but it took awhile before she settled into the role and the writers pulled back on over-exposing her. Her on screen mother Anne played Michelle Phillips worked better as a part time character coming and going.

Melinda Culea was an interesting choice on the show and I think she would have worked in the earlier season format KL had vs the more high gloss late 80s/early 90s version of Knots Landing.

I watched Penny Peyser on Crazy like a Fox and the civil war mini series, and she was a good actress... but not every decent actress is a fit for a soap opera.

Wendy Fulton had a unique look/vibe (she was an interesting presence in Bare Essence -the mini series and short lived tv show), but the character she was hired to play I don't think even Meryl Streep could have made work.

I think the thing about Knots Landing was that you need actors and actresses that could be relatable/middle class and also could be glam. A night out at Lotus Point was something middle class and upper middle class families did in the 80s.. but also could live their day to day lives doing things people watching at home did.

12 hours ago, Soaplovers said:

I think the thing about Knots Landing was that you need actors and actresses that could be relatable/middle class and also could be glam. A night out at Lotus Point was something middle class and upper middle class families did in the 80s.. but also could live their day to day lives doing things people watching at home did.

I see what you mean: a cross between the kind of actors you'd see on a MTM-produced show and the ones you'd see on, well, on one of Aaron Spelling's shows.

On 1/30/2026 at 12:22 PM, DanMan869 said:

I’m knee-deep in Season 11 right now, just shaking my head at The Village Idiot. I remember watching this season and not liking this storyline very much, but watching it now, I dislike it even more. Both Sam Behrens and Penny Peyser feel miscast. SB more for the forced romance with Val. If he and JvA had had electric chemistry, we might have been able to buy the forced romance and hate that the “perfect guy” for Val turned out to have an a-hole personality and be a r@pist. Penny Peyser? Well, I guess they wanted an actress with a sweet personality who could play vulnerability. I know it might have been hard to run this over the course of the season, but I think it might have been better to lengthen the “romance” of Val and Danny over the course of the season, establish him and Amanda more fully, and then have the season finale include the r@pe. Maybe PP could have been in a final shot where her eyes look “dead” so you wonder, what did wonderful Danny DO to her?! Heck, even if they had Val and Danny marry the episode before—or even the finale—what power it could have been to send Danny over to do his dastardly deed after he’d sealed the relationship with Val! They’d have the viewers once again echoing Jill thinking, “poor Val—she didn’t know!” Instead, we all know what a jerk Danny is the whole time and Val is left being christened TVI.

Meanwhile, the other stories so far this season, well, suck. All I can think is “this show NEEDED Abby—and Donna Mills!” Plus, I’m hating that they’ve done next to nothing with Olivia and Harold. I knew this, of course, but in rewatching it I get frustrated! They could have shown more of the ups and downs of their first year of marriage and maybe even had them each going to Karen and Mack for counsel. They had a legacy character with the potential for an interesting storyline (not to mention maybe she could’ve gotten hired at Sumner Group—what if she was bringing in a decent income and Harold struggles working at KL Motors?).

Paige had started eating the season at the beginning, but thankfully they backed off on that a bit for the time being.

And don’t get me started at their having sidelined the Williams family to various degrees!

So am I 😂😂

And while Danny repulses me, and Val has me rolling my eyes a lot, I don't hate it. It just feels so different than the previous seasons. It feels darker and grittier. The storylines themselves, and the character's actions as well.

I wonder if this was a CBS mandate, because this season coincided with Falcon Crest's final season, which was darker, and different from the rest of their seasons too.

3 hours ago, AbcNbc247 said:

It feels darker and grittier. The storylines themselves, and the character's actions as well.

I wonder if this was a CBS mandate, because this season coincided with Falcon Crest's final season, which was darker, and different from the rest of their seasons too.

Dallas didn't take a dark turn in 1989/90. Remember too that CBS was a mess in primetime that season.

On 1/30/2026 at 12:22 PM, DanMan869 said:

I’m knee-deep in Season 11 right now, just shaking my head at The Village Idiot. I remember watching this season and not liking this storyline very much, but watching it now, I dislike it even more. Both Sam Behrens as and Penny Peyser feel miscast. SB more for the forced romance with Val. If he and JvA had had electric chemistry, we might have been able to buy the forced romance and hate that the “perfect guy” for Val turned out to have an a-hole personality and be a r@pist. Penny Peyser? Well, I guess they wanted an actress with a sweet personality who could play vulnerability. I know it might have been hard to run this over the course of the season, but I think it might have been better to lengthen the “romance” of Val and Danny over the course of the season, establish him and Amanda more fully, and then have the season finale include the r@pe. Maybe PP could have been in a final shot where her eyes look “dead” so you wonder, what did wonderful Danny DO to her?! Heck, even if they had Val and Danny marry the episode before—or even the finale—what power it could have been to send Danny over to do his dastardly deed after he’d sealed the relationship with Val! They’d have the viewers once again echoing Jill thinking, “poor Val—she didn’t know!” Instead, we all know what a jerk Danny is the whole time and Val is left being christened TVI.

Meanwhile, the other stories so far this season, well, suck. All I can think is “this show NEEDED Abby—and Donna Mills!” Plus, I’m hating that they’ve done next to nothing with Olivia and Harold. I knew this, of course, but in rewatching it I get frustrated! They could have shown more of the ups and downs of their first year of marriage and maybe even had them each going to Karen and Mack for counsel. They had a legacy character with the potential for an interesting storyline (not to mention maybe she could’ve gotten hired at Sumner Group—what if she was bringing in a decent income and Harold struggles working at KL Motors?).

Paige had started eating the season at the beginning, but thankfully they backed off on that a bit for the time being.

And don’t get me started at their having sidelined the Williams family to various degrees!

You made some excellent points there lol.

I had always remember finding Season 11, but after finally rewatching a couple times there is an enormous hole left of where Abby left. Not to mention the season started off with a very unsatisfactory conclusion to the Ted Belcher story. What a whimper.

The first half of the season is definitely a mess. I enjoyed the Eric/Linda/Michael triangle but the very weak Gary/Val/Danny/Amanda plot coupled with the Okmin Industries nonsense doesn’t make for a good viewing experience.

The second half of Season 11, I’d say after Mary Frances’ death I do feel the show improved as it storylines started to move quicker. What happened to Pat and Lynne Moody was criminal still IMO.

For the record I personally enjoyed Melinda Culea as Paula. Paula’s exit scenes were a highlight of the season and still one of my favorite Knots moments, partly out of nostalgia because I remember watching that unfold live as a kid.

2 hours ago, AbcNbc247 said:

And while Danny repulses me, and Val has me rolling my eyes a lot, I don't hate it. It just feels so different than the previous seasons. It feels darker and grittier. The storylines themselves, and the character's actions as well.

I wonder if this was a CBS mandate, because this season coincided with Falcon Crest's final season, which was darker, and different from the rest of their seasons too.

Interesting parallel of Danny/Val to Falcon Crest’s Charley/Emma. Although FC by that point was under control from the people who had previously written and produced The Equalizer and Miami Vice. I think Knots’ turn was probably motivated by a mix of competition with LA Law and also just lousy writing by Latham & Co.

8 minutes ago, kalbir said:

Dallas didn't take a dark turn in 1989/90. Remember too that CBS was a mess in primetime that season.

The only parallel I could think of for Dallas was Tommy McKay, although most of his story was the previous season. His scenes with threatening Rose to leave, the bomb story, and his death were all pretty dark and grim.

15 minutes ago, soapfan770 said:

The only parallel I could think of for Dallas was Tommy McKay, although most of his story was the previous season. His scenes with threatening Rose to leave, the bomb story, and his death were all pretty dark and grim.

Thanks for the info. I haven't seen the 1989/90 episodes of Dallas in a long time. That season was a waste of time anyway, but that's neither here nor there for this thread.

Edited 17 hours ago17 hr by kalbir

I think a major problem with the Gary/Val/Danny/Amanda storyline - aside from the obvious - is that it's hitting us too soon after Jill's reign of terror finally ends. Like, we just got rid of one psycho who tried keeping Gary and Val apart; now, we gotta deal with another!?

If reuniting Gary and Val after Jill wasn't an option, then, at the very least, we needed to see the two in something that was a bit less crazy and more lighthearted, for lack of a better word, if only to give us a breather.

48 minutes ago, Khan said:

I think a major problem with the Gary/Val/Danny/Amanda storyline - aside from the obvious - is that it's hitting us too soon after Jill's reign of terror finally ends. Like, we just got rid of one psycho who tried keeping Gary and Val apart; now, we gotta deal with another!?

If reuniting Gary and Val after Jill wasn't an option, then, at the very least, we needed to see the two in something that was a bit less crazy and more lighthearted, for lack of a better word, if only to give us a breather.

Precisely. That's something today's Y&R needs to learn as one psycho after another terrorizes the town.

It's overkill and ultimately boring.

8 hours ago, Paul Raven said:

Precisely. That's something today's Y&R needs to learn as one psycho after another terrorizes the town.

It's overkill and ultimately boring.

I keep hoping that all those psychos who keep invading GC are all part of Brooks Prentiss' master plan to destabilize the town, so he can then swoop in and buy it for a song. (Okay, I don't really hope that, lol).