The Great Douglas Marland

[DRW50]

Thank you Paul. That's a very detailed answer. When I read about ATWT from that era there are so many character names I don't know, so many people who soon vanished from the Oakdale ethos, and so many stories which amounted to nothing. Sometimes I'm amazed they survived that era.

[SteveFrame]

Soderberg & Sommer were writing ATWT when John was married to Kim.

It has been awhile that I studied all this but I think that Lesan & Phillips created John but Soderberg/Sommer really defined him.

And yes Marland was only on like 3 months. I don't remember a lot of the time other than the Bennett Hadley story. He really wasn't there long to make an impact.

I liked the Dobson's time on the show. And although I loved that they made John more of a prominent character, I didn't like a lot of what they did to John. The character that I loved what they did for was David Stewart. They gave him some of the best material he had in years, and they remained true to his character.

As far as Dee Stewart, she is one of those characters that suffered the most by the constant writing changes in the late 70's and early 80's. She came of age during a time that each writer seemed to have different ideas about her - at least to me anyway. Plus I never really felt they found the right actress for her.

I loved Vicky Dawson on Another World but she was totally miscast when she was brought in to replace Schultz who was also really mediocre too.

And remember folks Marland did bring Dee back but only for short visits. He brought her back 3 times during his early days in 1985 and 1986. He just never kept her around. The last one was for 3 days in July 1986.

The biggest problem with Dee and many of the Stewarts (and I have heard several writers say this) was the rapid aging of all of them that occurred from Irna Phillips on up. Phillips and Bell made the initial mistake when they aged Dan so fast that it pushed Ellen out of her age bracket, and forced later writers to get rid of Claire who had been pushed so far up the age chain.

And then Dee followed in the same vein. She was born onscreen in 1969 and by 1976 she was 18 years old. They upped her to 14 in 1974 and then she celebrated her 18th birthday onscreen in 1976.

Off topic but strange that Bell would later do the same thing to poor Julie on Days when he upped David Banning's age so quickly. He pushed Julie and Addie's ages up and led later writers to make the bigger mistake of having Julie as a great-grandmother to a teenager when it was relatively impossible for her to be.

[DRW50]

Thanks for all the background, SteveFrame. I didn't know most of that.

It was Claire's death which made Eileen Fulton ask for the "grandmother clause", wasn't it?

Did Marland write the Margo miscarriage story which some fans blamed on her?

Does anyone know if Marland wrote in a different style depending on whether the role was recast? Like Tom or Margo. Did he change his writing style to suit the new actors who took over during his run (Holmes and Dolan)?

[Khan]

Someone at ATWT should put a call in to Julia Barr (ex-Brooke, AMC). I've always felt she'd make a good Dee.

[Khan]

True. As Marland remarked in Schemering's GL anniversary book, however, he only had three months before Michael Zaslow (Roger) was slated to leave; and given everything that had happened to Roger before then, he knew that Roger couldn't just leave town, or die some "small death". Marland gave Roger the kind of send-off fitting for him. How many characters today are afforded that privilege?

[Mitch]

Marland did write the Margo miscarriage, which was when she was trapped in the tunnel when James came back, one of the most iconic scenes ever, "Helllo Barb-ar-a" People were pissed at Fulton but she says that the grandmother clause was long gone as she was definatley of age to have grandkids. God, I love that show the first two years of his writing.

He did change his writing style for Holmes and Dolan..in essense really taking their sense of humour away (why I have never liked stiff Holmes and or Dolan.) Deas and the Dobsons took Tom away from what he was, making him into a kind of hippy, 70's guy with a weird sense of humour, but for some reason, I liked it (and I cant stand Deas Buzz..) he played off of Hastings well, and especially Fulton, who he always seemed to be kidding during his scenes and she treated him like her little scamp.

Funny how tastes are different here. I HATED that annoying Angel....Marland's "vunerable," women could be annoying, and his reliance on letter openers as weapon dujour got old fast. But, as I said earlier, I LOVE Lilith, simply because she tortured dimbulb Shannon and the fact that it got us away from the deadly "earnestness," of Marland's ATWT. She shouldnt have exisited in that world but it was hilarious when she did.

The Dobsons made ATWT the John Dixon show....thankfully Marland brought back the Hughes family as THE family of the show. The Stewarts I was not so much on, both David and Ellen always looked like they had gas...(see, I could have been one of the execs maids, making weird comments which would change a whole show.)

[Khan]

That's so wrong.

I've always appreciated how the Dobsons injected more levity and adventure into ATWT. I don't believe I could've (would've?) enjoyed '70's ATWT for that reasons. Unfortunately, whenever the Dobsons weren't involved, those who were and would attempt to duplicate their approach would miss.

[Sylph]

I'm interested in that most iconic scene. Which scene was that?

[Mitch]

I wouldnt say its the "most iconic scene," but its up there, when James turns around and drops his hood to reveal himself to Barbara ..he says, the line....must have been good, about every time he comes back they have him say it to her the same way! That was back in the days before the internet spoilers so I was like "cool, James is BACK!"

Oh, and in that synopsis above, the Dr. Eric character who tells Lisa she is not preggers was played by none other then Doug Marland.

[SteveFrame]

What is weird about Scott Holmes is that he is a very funny person off screen. And even his character on Ryan's Hope was less stodgy than Tom comes off as sometimes.

Gregg Marx and Tom Tammi still remain as my 2 favorite Tom's but I also loved what I have seen of Richard Thomas in the role as a young teen.

[Khan]

For me, picking my favorite Tom and Margo is tough, since there were characteristics that I enjoyed about each performer (Justin Deas, Gregg Marx and Scott Holmes, for Tom; and Margaret Colin, Hillary Bailey Smith and Ellen Dolan, for Margo). But you know who I think wasn't given a real, fighting chance? Glynnis O'Connor, who replaced ED during that period of time she was away from the show to pursue other work. I know many fans still think she was awful, but I loved how "natural" she seemed. It was better that they cast someone like her, as opposed to someone who was overly glamorous, you know? I just wished the show had been more supportive with her.

[Mitch]

Hmm, Greg Marx brought the hottness on as Tom...that deep voice.....Tom went from being a scraggly hippy (and I actaully thought Deas was kinda hot back then...ahhhhhh!!) to being tall, clean cut and good looking.

As for GLynnis O'Connor, I remember when she first came on, DM out did himself this time by bringing on the plainest, dullest, washed out woman he could find. It wasnt just that she was uh, "natural," it was that she acted like she needed some vitamin shots, plus, put some damn make up on. O'Connor would have made a great, battered wife or a farm woman neighbor to the Snyders, but she no way was dynamic cop Margo Huges. She made Scott Holmes Tom seem exciting.

[Khan]

No offense, Mitch, but nobody could make Scott Holmes' Tom appear exciting, no matter how hard they tried.

[Mitch]

Now THAT is funny!!

I remember when they had Taylor, the plainest dullest vixen to ever come across a screen, chasing after Tom and they flirted, I thought that religious groups should use those tapes to make extramarital affairs seem DULL!!!

I remember Lisa having a scene with Taylor and I could just hear her toughts, ("Oh honey, THIS is what a vixen is now!")

[Khan]

@ Mitch's comments.

Like I said, Scott Holmes' Tom can be...oh, alright, I'll come right out and say it...dull. OTOH, whenever he's in a scene, he communicates a sense of authority (especially, as an attorney) and reassurance that I've missed since Ross Marler's death on GL. He doesn't have to have his own storyline, really, nor should he. He should (gradually) replace Bob and Nancy (because, let's face it, we might not have either one for very much longer) as the show's moral compass; because, as long as he is there, I'll feel "safe," if that makes any sense.