DOOL-Frances Reid/Alice Horton

[tylerbo20]

If they do this right, given the chance im sure the Hortons that will return will be Laura Horton (JLB) Jack and Jen played by Matt and Missy, Mike played by Roark and probably Melissa played by Lisa as those would be the recent hortons. and they could easily be on for a few shows then leave. Unless they bring some hortons back to set up new hortons in salem...Bill and Laura, Mike and Melissa would be great added to the show since 3 of them are doctors and they are really into doctors lately lol...

[Paul Raven]

The Hortons have been criminally underused for years,for no good reason.

There have been plenty of opportunities to tie them into the storylines.

Two characters that were never properly utilised were Steve Olsen and Sandy Horton.

In the 80's they should have been featured as Mickey,Bill,Marie etc stepped off the frontburner.

Really,in the early days,could not have Sandy been the Marlena character-the new young psychiatrist on staff?

As for Steve,some tie in with the DiMera's would not have been out of the question as he was a shady type who spent a lot of time in Europe.

Had these and others been nurtured,their children would now be the new Hortons in Salem.

Also,Bill and Tommy should have been killed off at some stage when the actors passed away.

[SteveFrame]

I totally agree with what you said Paul.

I am not sure about Sandy replacing Marlena. She was such a big character by that time but she should have been used and I said the same thing about Steven Olson on my website just a few days ago.

Sandy could have easily been the Kimberly Brady character though. They were so similar and Sandy could have easily had a secret hooker past since she was away from Salem for so long.

When Pat Falken Smith returned to Days in 1982 she really changed the show forever but even she still kept the Horton's part of things and even intended for Julie to be more of a part of Stefano's life than what ended up. By 1983 when Margaret DePriest and Sherri Anderson took over for her the downfall started for the Hortons. And Sherri Anderson really set it on the trend that it became that they would become second fiddle in Salem.

[Paul Raven]

I believe Pat Falken Smith would have retained the Hortons had she stayed longer.

You are right about Julie.She was going to fake a separation from Doug to play up to Stefano and try and learn his secrets.

Mike Horton was to be involved with a DiMera sister,Vanessa.

Edward Mallory stated in SOD that he was approached to return by Pat and that when she left,the deal fell through.

Melissa Anderson was slated to hook up with Marcus Brady,Roman's teen brother.

[Mitch]

Okay, I know Marland has been enshrined into sainthood, so this wont be popular...but the Alzheimer's storyline was a mistake from the start. First of all, why have one half of the only "senior," couple left on soaps get lost to this disease. Yea, it happens in real life but it smacked of a "Look, we are being socially relevant," After School Special. It would have been too painful to see Mac get weaker and weaker and the storyline possibilities would have been limited and probably would have been a little preachy (we must have heard Margo say "HIV Positive," a million times in the rape storyline..) Unlike cancer and other diseases, there is no coming back or cures for Alzheimers and I for one, didnt want to see a scene where Kim and Bob discuss diapers for him (and I didnt even like the character or the actor.) The producer was right for killing the storyline right after Marland died.

As for Alice, hey, they still have her on contract, so she gets paid which I think is great. I dont think they need to have all the kids back for a funeral...much like Bert Bauer Alice was the "mother," of the whole community, so having the current cast with some returns would be fine. Also, I think it is painful for the cast and producers to deal with this issue of a beloved cast member who is ailing. GL didnt deal with Charita Bauers death for an entire year. Part of it was just bad planning, but part of it was the cast had a difficult time with it.

[SteveFrame]

Sorry but all of that becomes a matter of opinion. For the most part at least for the boards I have seen and the fans I have talked too they were very angry that the story was stopped.

It was a story that most of us wanted to see play out.

As far as Alice again it goes to who you talk to. The sad thing is that with Bert Bauer the majority of the cast at that point had interacted with Bert but the sad fact is that Days has a large part of the cast at this point who have not interacted with Alice at all. I for one cannot buy at all a scene where this new Mickey cries over Alice - they never even were in a scene together.

And dealing with the health issues makes a big deal too. One of the things that helped with Bert was dealing with the loss of her leg which was dealt with on screen. It was written into the show and gave Charita some of her last really powerful work.

As far as stories like this I doubt in this day and age in America they would be accepted. Foreigners treat their elderly with more respect both in real life and on screen. Even on their soaps they still get stories and are still seen.

Here they are deemed almost useless. Just like Hogan Sheffer talking about Stefano and Victor on Days in very disparaging terms. And that is the way he felt about elderly or older men too. And he wrote that way. But what is sad is that it is the way that most viewers feel too. It is almost like let's have them there but don't let them be seen much and don't let us hear about their issues at all.

It is just another way that soaps these days are out of touch with reality. In the world of soaps all of the US is age 18 to 49 and white. And sadly that is the way that most viewers want it.

[Mitch]

Totally agree, but most of what is posted on the boards is a matter of opinion. However, I think most of the anger is that the old "why start a storyline and drop it.." more then "Oh, yea, I really want to see Mac going through dementia!" Marland could have very well delt with the problems with age, from a loss of hearing, mobility, sight, feeling isolated from the community...all of those could be delt with using Marland's magic Oakdale wand, where everyone is accpeting and understanding and patient and of all things polite.

A big agree that soaps are out of synch with reality, but all of the television industry is..what show actually shows an older person who is active and involved in the community. The only show I can think of is McKlusky on DH..who is an old bat who has the upper hand on everyone. I really miss my "old," people on GL...even as a kid I loved Bert Bauer...and H.B. and Henry and Bea...and then Aunt Meta. SF seems so shallow and boring now that Josh and Reva of all people are the "old," people in town!

[SteveFrame]

The ones that I know of and talked too were upset about the dropping of the Alzheimer's story itself. I have had a grandmother to die of Alzheimer's and many in the Alzheimer's community were very upset about the story being dropped.

That was a true family story that could have given all the family a strong story without even having to show Mac having to use diapers or whatever.

Look at the great movie that got very respectable ratings that starred Robert Young and Frances Reid I think in the 80's or 90's. Frances Reid had Alzheimer's in the movie and Robert Young played her husband who shot her to put her out of her misery.

That was a great movie and dealt with the problems of Alzheimer's very well. And there was another movie with Joanne Woodward having the disease. It got very respectable ratings too.

Both movies dealt with the issue without dealing with diapers.

People want stories that don't always involve a 3rd party - well Alzheimer's is a story as well as just age itself that can be a strong family story with lots of drama and heartache for all members of the family - because every age is affected by it.

[Mitch]

I have had a grandmother who had Alzheimer's also...and I dont care to see that on my show...just a personal opinion.

And LOL..that movie staring Reid and Young sounded very uplifting...as much as I found Mac annoying, I didnt want to see Nancy Hughes film him full of bullets!

Some problems just cant be delt with realistically on a soap. To deal with them realistically, (cancer, alzheimers) would be too depressing, and by "tidying," them up, as Marland was want to do, (heaven forbid things aren't clean, shiney polite and waspy in Marland's Oakdale) you aren't keeping the integrity of the problem, so it is best to avoid it all together.