On 8/18/2025 at 11:57 PM, dc11786 said:

@YTG Wow. This length of time you committed to this project is remarkable. I mean digitizing the episodes itself must have been super time consuming itself, but the pacing of acquiring the episodes is wild. 

Lori's assault is pretty powerful. I was actually speaking with a friend about the sequence on Saturday and the hints of racism that are embedded into the story of Monk and Fernandiz being accused of the attack due to their other crime. Jason Vinley's early work there is very remarkable considering the time period. The sequence of the chase between Blue and Lori is quite remarkable. A lot of the filmwork in that story is fairly strong. Blue watching Lori and Marianne play tennis through his dark shades is something out of a thriller. Hummel does a nice job capturing suspense in some of the episodes I've seen.

Other beautifully shot suspense scenes include Dennis Frazer outside the Davidson home with Terry frightened on the other side (early 1982) and Gene Redlon racing to and through the airport to prevent Carla from running off with their son, Jimmy (spring 1982). These all seemed much stronger than the opening car accident and even the raid of the drug cargo ship in the fall of 1981. 

I am glad you found your way to this board. I did try to join that group weeks (months?) ago and got no response to my request. It is fine. I am not losing any sleep over it. You have provided some very interesting details. I believe Travis (who did the interviews) posted on this board briefly years ago. Earlier, he posted on danfling's soap opera board as he (at the time) shared an interest in the more obscure cable soaps like myself; I remember speaking with him about the number of episodes of "A New Day in Eden." The work the two of you have done is remarkable. 

My favorite of the interviews I have read is with Jason Vinley. Such insight into the process of the show, especially its creation from Vinley's perspective is delightful. I have read it at least a half dozen times at this point.  

Thanks for sharing where you started watching. I am curious have you been able to determine with what episodes were first shown in your country through archived newspapers listings. Sometimes they help and sometimes they don't. I am curious if the show was sold in its entirely internationally before the repackaging in 1984. 

Scott and Nora's deaths stand out. Scott's death may be the episode I have watched the most over the years because it's just so stark seeing Mary Jean Feton sobbing while covered in what is suppose to be Scott's blood on her cheek and uniform. I can't see any show ever getting that messy (literally) with a death. 

CBN still having the tapes is intriguing. This is something that I think is getting lost; material from the 1980s is getting old and deteriorating. I'll be curious to see if anything pops up of the early episodes. To be honest, the early episodes from Roy Winsor and Bob Aaron were a bit of a chore to get through and I admire some of Winsor's writing elsewhere. 

I have seen articles about the show being cancelled stating they would immediately pick up with reruns, which is quite interesting. Its a shame they couldnt find ways to financially make it work but its an interesting alternative though I will be curious to see how I feel about 1983-1984. 

What have been some of your favorite characters and/or stories?

I wrote a very lengthy reply but unfortunately just before I was about to submit it I pressed the wrong button and actually closed the page so everything went down the drain with it...

In short, I started watching the show in May 1983 when I was 13 y/o. I vividly remember the promos during the weeks leading up to the premiere. They would show a face of one of the characters and then that face would gradually turn to the side and the announcer would say something like this: "Miriam Mason. The woman with everything. The good looks and the rich daddy. Soon Miriam will find things are about to change for the worse...watch the story of Miriam Mason on Another Life. The new drama that's bigger than life and every bit of it is real!". They had similar promos with Lori and Gil that I can recall. So that was exciting and cryptic for me back then because in this part of the world I never thought one would get to watch an American soap and I already knew by then what a soap was because the sitcom SOAP concluded 2 years earlier. So when AL started, it kicked off with episode 70 without Tom Urich's prologue which was only added in October 1984 after the show was cancelled. It first aired at 20:00 pm but a few months later it also had a repeat at 14:00. The station airing it was a VHF over-the-air station which was owned by CBN whose broadcast originated from a neighboring country. There was no cable TV back then and the signals were not always great, so my AL viewing experience wasn't optimal. There was interference from time to time and it was only years later that I got to watch the show in proper quality. I guess back then I didn't fully understand aspects of political corruption and how organized crime groups use legal businesses to hide illegal activity. I liked that tension within the show, but not when it completely overshadowed other Storylines. One of the worst mistakes the show made was during its final year when it came up with this incredulous storyline that lasted nearly 6 months and required a substantial revenue expenditure. I believe it backfired so bad that the decision to pull off the plug was reached very soon afterwards.

As a 13 y/o, you don't read the early signs which is why I didn't realize that when Nancy screamed at Nora: "I Wish You Were Dead!!", she already knew something we didn't know: That was shocking in itself, but even after seeing Scott, Terry and Nora going over old albums and reminiscing about the good old times, it still didn't occur to me that this was a 'going away' tribute. The scene with Terry leaning towards Scott's body soaking his blood on her cheek weeping in agony is so gut wrenching that it 'scars' you forever, same as does Lori's attempted rape episode, Miriam's kidnapping, psychological torment and subsequent escape, Helen Carpenter's surprise return, Hollister Mall grand opening with Charles' heart attack and Nancy's fake paralysis exposed (or not?), Kate Philipps' fate , Russ Weaver and Blue Nobles' showdown...and there are plenty more but I don't want to ruin it for you. 

The irony is that I would describe myself as mostly secular.  I did watch The 700 Club from time to time in my teens and some other Christian ministries out of curiosity, but I don't subscribe to all of what born again Christians or evangelicals believe which is why I find some of the stories on Another Life not consistent with my own belief system, but since I genuinely have a soft spot for the show I can overlook these things with a grain of salt. It was important enough for me to embark on a project of uploading it on Youtube since it was about being at the right place and at the right time.

Edited August 26Aug 26 by YTG
Spelling

I recently found out that Suzanne Granfield, the actress who played Helen Carpenter, passed away exactly two months ago on June 22nd of this year at 94. It turns out she was also a poet and a playwright. I even found her resume from the Sixties. 

Here is a news report about her passing away:

https://share.google/images/UFCGF7Ajfc1HMRq1s

Another actress who had a remarkable longevity is Dorothy Stinnette who played Kate Philipps and passed Away in October 2023 at 95. I only learned of this recently. There is a touching obituary on Legacy.com and it's ironic that she's more known for her Hardnose Mrs. Hatcher commercial than her many TV and theatre credits.

Here are 2 interviews from the past year that Matt Williams (Ben Martin) gave on The 700 Club where he spoke about Another Life. He hardly ever mentions the show as a launching pad for his career. He considers The Cosby Show as his first acting/writing credit.

https://cbn.com/video/shows/700-club-september-26-2024

https://cbn.com/video/stories/comedy-writers-take-life-love-and-all-spiritual-stuff

linktr.ee/mattallenwilliams

Other notable Another Life alumni is Chris Roland (Russ Weaver). His life journey is very unconventional and adventurous. He's a multifaceted Renaissance man of sorts. His website has plenty of stories on his TV and movie career in front and behind the scenes as a producer, director, entrepreneur and philanthropist and later as a spiritual 'guru' and a therapist...

http://www.chrisroland.com

and finally there's Darrel Campbell (Peter) whose script writing career took him to Hollywood alongside Matt Williams. Both worked on 'Home Improvement' for its entire run.

http://Darrelcampbell.com

I didn't get to read everything on those sites and perhaps you already knew about them, but in case you didn't, I hope this adds other perspectives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 22Aug 22 by YTG

Debbie McLeod appeared in this Toyota Christmas commercial shot in Seattle in September 2023 playing the 'grandma' towards the end. She just turned 67 this month but I wouldn't cast her as a grandma yet...

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19pQrK6PMb/

The actor who played 'Denis Frazer', the man who harassed Terry on the phone before knocking on her doorstep and later confessed being the driver who crashed into Scott and Nora's car invoked some memorable scenes from Terry culminating in her bursting into tears crying her heart out in that big dark empty Davidson household. She would later meet him face to face as he accepts Jesus as Lord and Saviour. He makes another visit in a Christmas 1982 episode as a reformed man who turned his life around.

The actor who played him is Nat Benchley and he has quite an interesting 'pedigree'. However, both his IMDB and Wikipedia listings fail to mention this role. Nor does his own biography. He had a major role on the acclaimed HBO police drama series 'The Wire' (2002-2008). He's 79.

http://www.natbenchley.com

https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0070359/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nat_Benchley

Just recently found this podcast with Alan Sader (Harold Webster) from about a year ago where he very briefly mentions Another Life around 04:40. It was his first TV role although he did local commercials and theatre work prior to that. Of course he later made many appearances on TV shows and movies and is best known for his Christian Children Fund TV spots. An interesting listen in any case. He's 85.

http://TVJerry.com https://share.google/SDuq2G5A2YpPTgktm

(Look for 'Alan Sader talks about his past and future' on the Podcasts tab on page 3 if the link fails to open.)

I came across this rather 'scary' head shot of MaryJean Feton from just a few short years ago when she played an old woman on AMC's long running horror series 'The Walking Dead'. Talk about dedication to your craft...

https://share.google/MTbxoENF5uZHplyI5

If you didn't get to see her demo reel which shows only part of the roles she played between 2001 to 2020, here's a link:

https://share.google/ZKTkM2g4YdEuqGjkl

(Press the media tab for videos)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 22Aug 22 by YTG

@YTG Thanks so much for these extra details. 

@slick jones Not sure if you'd this for your soap cast threads.

l've just learned completely by chance that unfortunately the actress who played Liz Cummings, Carolyn Lenz (whose married name became Collings in 1983) passed away earlier this year on May 18th at 77. 

https://www.facebook.com/share/1ApuNESTmE/

She was married to Cliff Collings whom she met on the set of the show. He played 'Dom Cavalaris' whose daughter Donna found shelter at the Cummings' household for a while when one day Dom barged in and viciously attacked the family while violently grabbing Donna with force in a very powerful and violent scene.

There is an obituary on legacy.com if you google her full name.

@YTG Thanks for letting us know. Carolyn had a strong screen presence, helping her stand out in what I'm sure must have felt like a thankless role at times. Liz and Jeff Cummings were a key part of those early days of the show, and I always wonder what might have been with them.

I remember Michelle Seidman (Jill) reflecting on the AL Facebook group over a decade ago about how she and Carolyn felt at some point that their scripts became repetitive , that it felt like they were echoing the same talking points. Michelle Seidman left the show quite abruptly, but the scriptwriters had to mention her character as if she were still around for a while to explain why her relationship with Peter came to an end. Anyway, after that ship had sailed, The Cummings were pretty much left with nothing to sink their teeth in and I recall both were practically absent for about 30-35 episodes until their send off episode at the Davidsons which was very emotional and truly felt like an end of an era.

I never really understood why Carolyn came back a few months later...perhaps it was to give Terry some emotional support after Lori's hospitalization, but it didn't amount to anything other than a friendly gesture on and off set because I know she and MaryJean Feton remained close friends almost till the day she passed away. 

I appreciated Carolyn's input when she struggled with Jeff's adultery and domestic abuse. Some very compelling scenes from both actors there. The problem is that once two characters are reformed, there's little left to work with. So Jeff got caught with drugs at the book store and subsequently put  in jail...at least that incident introduced us the first incarnation of Dave Philipps, who was never meant to be a permanent character and was only brought back a year later because Read Morgan who played Jason Prescott failed to fit into the leading man role as was originally planned.

Michelle Seidman left for NYC while filming in Virginia Beach and there seemed to have been some disagreement about her filming schedule (she would commute to Virginia once a week to film her scenes) so she was eventually let go.

Edited August 25Aug 25 by YTG

Tom McGowan who played the late Carolyn Collings' (Lenz) husband has been into real estate for the past few decades, mainly in restoration. He's 77.

https://share.google/kqhC6eH3iKnQ8TwGu

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-mcgowan-77899923?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app

 

Edited September 5Sep 5 by YTG

2 hours ago, YTG said:

Tom McGowan who played the late Carolyn Collings' (Lenz) husband has been into real estate for the past few decades, mainly in restoration. He's 77.

https://share.google/kqhC6eH3iKnQ8TwGu

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-mcgowan-77899923?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app

 

Great find.

Did he ever talk about his time on the show?

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0332942/

I remember his son wrote a few times on the private AL Facebook group which wasn't really active for the past decade or so, but can't add anything relating to his time on the soap. However, he brought up this idea about setting up a reunion to mark 30 years to AL, but eventually it never took off the ground. The mini-biography he wrote for his Imdb page is pretty extensive, but it doesn't mention the exact years he played short term supporting roles on a few network soaps back in the late Seventies and after his contract with CBN ended.

Pay very close attention to this B-Movie from 1989 where he was credited as 'Robert Elarton' in his only leading role to date...this will shock you in so many ways I don't even want to add another word about it. Just read the plot, the reviews, take a look at some of the screen shots and ask yourself what was that all about?

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0102965/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Edited September 6Sep 6 by YTG

Thanks! Interesting find. His co-star was Jean Carol, who joined Guiding Light as Nadine Cooper the same year this film was released.

 

That's right, between 1988-2006.

And it just so happens that the entire movie is on Youtube!...but with French voiceover and that is because it was released in France in 1991 under the name Aux Portes De L'enfer. In the States it was released with an alternative title: 'The Ungodly'. I saw at least one seller on Ebay who has the official VHS released cassette in good condition (so he claims), but I can count on the French I took at uni...

https://youtu.be/WvT195Z6RQ8?si=rbErEbmZpMSkPESu

...and just in case you're looking for a very elaborate synopsis with screen shots going over all the themes and inside jokes in the film, you can Google Translate the following page and have a good read:

 https://share.google/61p3gWosN0MecnIqB

 

Edited September 6Sep 6 by YTG

Are you familiar with a movie called 'Visions of Sugarplums'?  I wouldn't have bothered mentioning it if it wasn't for the fact that both MaryJean Feton and Edye Byrde had co-starring roles in it and not only that, it was marketed as a gay comedy released only on DVD, but there wasn't a lot of comedy going on there.

Very amateur low-budget Christmas film with mostly awful acting and directing, but for some reason it's still in circulation 27 years after it was shot and 24 years after it's release in 2001. Edye Byrde died shortly after shooting ended.

You wouldn't believe the lines coming out of her mouth while MaryJean pretty much had a big cross to bear and not just figuratively...you'll see for yourself. Edye's first scene starts at 00:15:01 while MaryJean's at 00:16:23. You really don't have to waste your time on this other than on their scenes...

Visions of Sugarplums (2001) - a gay comedy film by Edward J. Fasulo - Gay Themed Movies https://share.google/wJIIXuyLKQToEeHIe

Edited September 7Sep 7 by YTG

@YTG Thanks for finding these movies I'd never heard of and letting us know the plot details.

I knew about this movie a long time ago. The screenwriter Tony Bruce was a huge fan of AL and that's how he got both actresses on board. He wanted to do another film project with MaryJean Feton in the Nineties but it didn't work out in the end.

https://share.google/EIazYUwJhviPwOwEK

This is a very well written synopsis and a very elaborate critical review that makes some good points about how one should reevaluate this effort looking 20 years back.