Jump to content

ALL: Are you a Nixon or a Bell??


Recommended Posts

  • Members

OK, SteveFrame is here, so I have to use the opportunity to steer this into another direction: this topic actually omits Harding Lemay in its title. True, Harding only wrote successfully for AW for eight years, but I think those eight years really defined a totally different approach to soaps. It wasn't Bell-esque, Nixon-esque, it certainly wasn't Phillips-esque!

So, Steve, since people are asking you various questions (and this might be more appropriate for the AW thread)... What did you think about the apartment bugging storyline on AW?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 109
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • Members

Which one are you specifically referring to?

Harding loved to use that in different stories from time to time.

I remember once I think Liz even used it to get the goods on Rachel & Steve. I think it was Liz. I remember whoever it was hid the tape recorder behind a picture.

Also I think Iris bugged the apartment of Robert I believe.

Are you referring to either of those?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Didn't he repeat that rape story from 1973's Y&R on B&B?

Cat--that's exactly what I meant--for the most part he seemed to deal more with the romantic fantasy element... Interesting of course that Pat Falken Smith trained under him and went on to write the controversial Luke/Laura scenes.

The only reason I didn't put Lemay here is because he doesn't have the direct legacy and influence you can still see (even in the sorry state our shows are in) on soaps to this day that Nixon and Bell do. Out of either, I actually think Lemay was a more sophisticated, more theatrical Nixon (this is solely from reading his stories for AW and Friends and Lovers, and from seeing all of 5 of his AW eps--from 1973 to one of his only 90 minue ones in 79)--he liked using broadly theatrical characters similar to Agnes and his humour in many ways was similar but more sophisticated, again.

It's really too bad that he seemed to only really fit for soaps of that era--or that Friends and Lovers never took off and became a successful soap (when it premiered hte soap press all seemed to think it was NBC's attempt at a sexy, young, Young and Restless type story--till they realized Lemay's approach). I knwo the soap press was more iffy in general to Lemay though in his last 3 or so years (partly for reasons not his fault--liek the massively quick turnaroudn of cast members AW was known to have--with only Rachel/Iris/Mac of the focused character sof that time being constants).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Yes he did repeat it pretty much with Caroline who was very much like Chris from the early days of Y&R.

Bell often had his heroines raped:

Laura (Days)

Susan (Days)

Chris (Y&R)

Leslie (attempted rape - Y&R)

Crickett (Y&R)

Caroline (B&B)

Those are the ones he is directly responsible for.

He often had it happen to the young virginal heroine. And if I remember correctly for Laura, Chris, Crickett and maybe even Caroline it might have been their first time too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I loved that whole story. It introduced us to Clarice too and she was one of my favorite characters on Another World.

Nicolas Coster & Beverlee McKinsey had such great chemistry together too. I loved to watch them argue. Too bad they never got to work together on another soap because they were fantastic together.

Iris was such a wonderful villianess. At one minute you could be screaming at the screen and the next minute she would have you feeling for her. Lemay's writing and McKinsey's acting merged together to make one of the most interesting characters ever in daytime or TV for that matter. How Irene Dailey beat her in 1979 for Best Actress is still a mystery to me? She should have won other times too, but that year esp. was hers IMO.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I forgot about Peggy being raped. I knew there were 2 rapes on Y&R between 1973 and 1980 and the attmepted rape of Leslie. but I forgot who the 2nd actual rape was.

And yes Julie was raped by Larry Atwood. Ann Marcus did write that.

Almost every leading female character on Days has been raped or attempted rape. I am sure I will forget someone but here goes:

Laura Spencer Horton

Susan Martin Peters

Julie Williams

Marlena Evans

Kayla Brady

Jan Spears

Stephanie Johnson

Carrie Brady

Sami Brady

Jennifer Horton

It is almost like a rite of passage to be the leading female on Days.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Alot of the 1987-1992 B&B characters and storylines were practically identical to 1970s Y&R. Examples being:

Eric/Stuart and Phillip

Stephanie/Jennifer and Katherine

Ridge/Snapper

Thorne/Greg

Kristen/Peggy

Caroline/Chris Brooks

Bill Spencer/Stuart

Beth Logan/Liz Foster

Stephen/Bill Foster

Storm/Snapper and Greg

Brooke/Jill

Ridge and Caroline's relationship and breakup because Bill learned of Ridge's cheating/Snapper and Chris's relationship and breakup because Stuart learned of Snapper's cheating

Caroline's rape/Chris's rape

Caroline turning to Thorne after the rape/Chris turning to Greg after the rape

Stephen abandoning his family/Bill Foster abandoning his family

Eric and Beth/Stuart and Liz

Eric and Brooke/Phillip and Jill, and Stuart and Jill

Chris, Peggy, Caroline, Cricket were all virgins when they were raped.

I'm a Bell. Y&R was my first soap and it is currently my only soap.

Thinking about similarities between Y&R and B&B reminded me of something else. Being school-aged in the 1980s, everyone except for me was all into Days but I watched CBS. I remember someone telling me back when B&B was pretty new that it had identical storylines to Days at the same time. After watching some YouTube clips, I can see some similarities. The heroine (Caroline/Kayla) was tricked into marrying one brother (Thorne/Jack) but loved the other (Ridge/Steve). The husband finds out his wife loves his brother and a horrible crime ensues (Thorne shoots Ridge/Jack rapes Kayla). Eventually the heroine is reunited with the man she loves but then tragedy strikes (Caroline dies/Steve dies). Meanwhile, the ex-husband finds love unexpectedly (Macy/Jennifer) much to the surprise of those around them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I wonder if he felt that 15 years later, no one would notice? of course Agnes did this too (Rachel/Erica/Ava, etc) but... Maybe not quite as blatantly.

funny i always thougth ABC daytime was still the most popular with students in the 80s--growing up more in the 90s I do remember that by JER's era at DAYS every person my age I met who watched soaps, watched Days except me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I was surprised to learn how popular ABC was with teens/college students in the 1980s, as I knew mainly moms who watched General Hospital and All My Children. Days was the most popular show among my classmates from elementary school all the way through college, especially during 1983-1990, the supercouple era, and 1993-1999, the James Reilly sci-fi era.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



  • Recent Posts

    • Does Jack ever dress in drag during that early '00s period where he was trying to get Jennifer back...or does he just fake being gay around then?
    • Here you go, by special request! https://www.instagram.com/p/DJlXDnWJImW/ DAYS 9-26-90 Matt Ashford as Jack Deveraux in drag
    • Concluding 1976... Raymond Schafer arrives in Springfield and begins an extensive probe into Malcolm’s death, puzzling Ed, who wonders why most of Schafer’s question sessions keep turning back to Rita’s involvement with Malcolm. Ed assures the man that Rita’s only connection with Malcolm was as his nurse; he is unaware that Schafer knows a great deal more about Rita than he does. Just to protect Rita, Ed has Mike check on Schafer’s credentials, and learns that he’s a  well-respected criminal attorney. The waitress at the restaurant where Malcolm suffered his stroke tells Schafer that the woman who was with him reacted very professionally to the sudden emergency, as if she were a nurse. Realizing that her little sister has fallen hard for Tim, Rita warns him that she’s very vulnerable and innocent, but Tim tells Rita her advice isn’t necessary. But Tim then receives a plum job offer to be chief neurological resident at a prestigious Philadelphia hospital and can’t pass up the opportunity. Evie is crushed by the news and spends the next several days at home crying. Joe Werner, fully recovered, has accepted a post as a medical aide in a destitute village in India and leaves alone, with Sarah to follow him later. Justin asks Sarah to consider a partnership with him in private practice, but she explains that she thrives on the hospital atmosphere. When a call comes from India that Joe has had another massive attack, Sarah leaves on the next available flight and arrives only moments before he dies. The painful news is relayed back to Cedars at once. Sara returns from India a heartbroken woman, but the day-to-day involvement of raising T.J. and of her career seem to be her salvation. Justin shows a surprisingly compassionate and understanding side to Sara, but, ironically, Justin’s ex-wife, Jackie, arrives in Springfield with her diabetic father, who is suffering from a heart attack. In the process of consulting with Justin on her father’s condition, Jackie comes face to face with Sara for the first time since their college days. Evie’s heartbreak at Tim’s departure turns to fury and hatred when she inadvertently discovers a letter which Tim wrote to Rita just after he left. In it he concedes that Rita was right about Evie’s vulnerability where he was concerned but reminds Rita that he badly hurt her in the same way she feared Evie would suffer. Evie is now sure that Rita somehow forced Tim to leave town and is livid at the idea that Tim was Rita’s lover. She insists she’s cutting off her relationship with Rita and will pay her back for any help she’s received in the past. Ben and Hope’s wedding plans are off, as Ben, while still insisting he’s innocent, won’t explain why the robbery evidence points to him. Hope feels his unwillingness to tell her the truth makes marriage to him impossible, but confides to Ann that she is miserable without him. Ben has echoed these sentiments to Mike but won’t confide in him, either as Hope’s father or as an attorney.   Holly is trying very hard to build a life without Ed, but since she sees him virtually every day at work,she’s unable to put him out of her mind. She accepts a date with a member of the hospital administration staff but is unable to avoid making comparisons between Ed and this young man and winds up alone, sadly holding Ed’s picture and recalling how much she loves him. Believing that the hospital board’s conclusions on Grainger’s death have settled the question once and for all, Rita has regained her self-confidence, and her romance with Ed is growing daily. They admit their love for each other, and Ed confides that he intentionally  held back with Rita for fear of making another mistake. Rita then tells Ed she has never married because for her marriage must be forever. Rita’s mother realizes that Rita is truly in love when she confides in her that she doesn’t understand why she’s been so lucky in having him love her and how she wants to be the very best person she can be for him. Ed proposes marriage to Rita and gives her time to think about it before answering. Rita painfully realizes that her past could, if it rose again against her, make a life with Ed a lost dream. But Raymond Shaefer has been quietly but efficiently carrying on his investigation and has learned that Grainger argued with Rita at her apartment. He presents the evidence he’s compiled to District Attorney Eric Van Gelder, who decides the case warrants further investigation. Rita goes to Ed’s office to tell him she loves him but can’t marry him, that she doesn’t deserve him and “can’t do it to him.” As she turns from a confused Ed to leave, she finds the district attorney and a police officer outside Ed’s door, waiting to arrest her. Ed, insisting that a serious mistake has been made, calls Mike to help her as Rita, shocked and humiliated, is taken under arrest through the hallways of the hospital in which she works. Mike manages Rita’s release on bail only after she has had to submit to the degrading booking procedure. Mike sees her alone at her apartment, explaining he can help her only if she tells him the whole truth. Rita equivocates until Mike mentions Texas, indicating to Rita that he knows at least some of the story. Van Gelder has, in fact, let Mike see the bulk of evidence in the case against Rita, to convince him her arrest wasn’t a capricious whim. Rita explains to Mike that Malcolm believed she intentionally vilified him to his father, to do him out of his rightful inheritance, and then wanted his father dead to collect her money. Mike expresses his appreciation of Rita’s honesty, promising to help her. But Rita’s tormented dreams confirm that she hasn’t yet told all the truth, and after Peggy visits, expressing firm support, Rita tells Roger she has to reveal his part in the story. Roger painfully tells Rita about his being Christina’s father to show her that if Ed knew, it would end Rita’s chances with him forever. Rita, who was ready to tell Ed the whole story, now realizes how risky that would be. Adding to Rita’s pain is her forced leave of absence from the hospital until she’s cleared and the embarrassment of seeing her name in the headlines.
    • Please register in order to view this content

         
    • Yes, but the stories are all pretty awful Seeing Victor rehashing his hatred of the Abbotts  when he married one of them and has a daughter that is half Abbott as well as walking around with Traci's daughter's heart keeping him alive makes him look worse than he already is. And I remember he and Jack chatting amicably in the past few years. Victor interfering in Kyle/Claire is just repeat of Billy/Victoria. Sharon, Nick,Phyllis etc are around but again the stories are lacking.
    • I think Kevin's 1996 Emmy was fair enough. He barely appeared for his second. I don't think anyone else on the list is that deserving but I might have gone with Moore as he did try with the whole Keesha AIDS story. @alwaysAMC Thanks to slick jones' cast list I was able to see that Nikki Rene played Tina. Not much on her, as you mentioned. Tap and a few Broadway listings (it doesn't help that a younger actress with a similar name is in a lot of roles). Nikki Rene: Credits, Bio, News & More | Broadway World https://onceonthisisland.fandom.com/wiki/Nikki_Rene Nikki Rene - IMDb
    • Thank you. That does ring a bell. I remember Theresa and Julian's drunk, giggly fake wedding (with Julian asking "Whassup?" to the minister). Was Bruce tricking the pair as a prank, or did somebody put him up to it? I especially liked Katherine recalling how dashing young Alistair was when he'd pick up Rachel for dates, and how she wished she could be her sister, then feeling guilty once Rachel had her boating accident ...
    • And Kevin Mambo beat Shemar Moore for those two Emmys. I chalk up the wins to the voters not wanting Jonathan Jackson to eventually end up with a five peat (he won 1995, 1998, 1999). These were the 1996 and 1997 Younger Actor races. 1996: Nathan Fillion, Jonathan Jackson, Kevin Mambo (winner), Shemar Moore, Joshua Morrow 1997: Steve Burton, Jonathan Jackson, Kevin Mambo (winner), Shemar Moore, Joshua Morrow
    • https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/denise-alexander-obituary?pid=209074143
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy