ABC Daytime: What Was Wrong With Angela Shapiro?

[Toups]

She brought Bob Guza back to GH....and 7 years later, he's still here.

[rangethatrover]

REALLY???? Well, I guess that doesn't surprise me regarding Robin.

I really like Linda Dano. Very much. OLTL was lucky to get her. And it was ingenious to have her as Llanview's psychotherapist- The story possibilities were endless. But once the crossover garbage started- I was over it.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Linda was also a Friend of Jill's, and JFP and Strasser have nothing but hatred for one another. Whereas many producers over the years put up with La Strasser's diva-like qualities, JFP wasn't having any of it. I hear Strasser and JFP's fights were legendary during that time period, so much so that Strasser refused to re-sign in 2000.

Not to mention, Jill was basically turning OLTL into a dumping ground for her friends from GL and AW.

[DaytimeFan]

Linda got a 5 year deal, at the insistence of her brilliant, wonderful late husband, the gallant Frank Attardi. It was a pay or play deal without ANY cycles. It got her coverage across all 4 ABC soaps plus a recurring slot on The View. And her salary was very high. Robin was PO'd that Linda got all the good scenes while she got the shaft. Understandable, but Robin has always been somewhat...petty...about these sorts of things.

[rangethatrover]

Daytimefan- That is RIGHT!!! I forgot about that. That has to be one of the best contracts that an actress has ever negotiated in daytime- and defintely the last.

Frank and Linda. May he rest in peace. I loved watching them on talk shows. They had serious chemistry.

Frank was known to be one of the friendliest guys- And Linda has an excellent reputation too.

Wow. I can totally see Robin seething with anger..

She has a TERRIBLE reputation as far as how she treats the crew too..

I always thought JFP was the villian in the JFP vs. RS thing....

Sonia Satra and Kale Brown were the worst.

I never minded Tim Gibbs.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

It's hard to tell who was at fault, Jill has a horrible reputation with female actors, like Beverlee McKinsey at GL or Genie Francis at GH, but Strasser doesn't have the best reputation with producers or production crew. She used to be known for demanding rewrites, according to Victor Miller, and throwing fits unless her scripts were rewritten to her liking. Rauch and Strasser also had a tumultuous relationship.

[Caramel]

Well, JFP has a HORRIBLE reputation for how she treats actresses who are not "friends", so I can see how she would be the villian. Robin is fabulous, but I am sure she is difficult, to say the least. But I like her honesty.

[DaytimeFan]

I think JFP and RS are both very tough, bitchy women. You don't stay in this business, if you aren't genuinely nice (there are several very well known actresses who are honest to God nice people, which is why they don't get fired), by being a wallflower...it's dog eat dog, bitch eat bitch.

And yes, JFP has a bad reputation with women who aren't her friends. However, she wasn't the one who chastised Genie Francis about her weight, that was Carol Scott. In fact, JFP has always been quite cordial to Genie.

It seems that the only producer who actually digs RS is Valentini...I'm thinking she's the embodiment of everything he wishes to be.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Jill and Genie's problems stem from contract negotiations. Genie believed that she was equal to Anthony Geary and should be treated as such. She wanted as much vacation time as he was getting, Jill refused, and thought that Tony was much more the face of GH than Genie was. Genie talked about this in one of her exit interviews. Beverlee McKinsey had similar problems with Jill at GL, in terms of working time.

[EricMontreal22]

Exactly. She felt a little too unconcerned IMHO which is ironic because I'd love to have her back now...

[EricMontreal22]

Me neither--sure his Kevin was dakr but everything under McTavish/JFP was (and to give McT a tiny bit of credit she probably doesn't deserve the show WAS a bit better under her than when Pam Long wrote for JFP and then worse that long stretch where JFP ghost wrote--although I suspect McTavish largely just carried out JPF's orders) But MAN I couldnt' stand Kale Brown.

[EricMontreal22]

Some crossovers work better than others but Agnes Nixon has ALWAYS had her shows in the same universe with crossovers between AMC and OLTL going back to the 70s, Loving having several major AMC crossovers, City, etc. GH and the other shows have had some too (Steve HArdy was on OLTL in the 60s, Alex on AMC, of course Patrick Thornheart from OLTL's brother was meant to be on Port Charles--as a vampire eventually, etc). It odesn't btoher me within reason--especially between AMC and OLTL--I like when they mention each other's towns etc--their own universe.

Of course pre that the soaps have had even more Proctor and Gambles's shows had several even on diff networks. Irna Phillips spun off Guiding Light into the huge radio hit Brighter Day in the 30s. IMHO they're a soap tradition

[rangethatrover]

Tell us more about Victor Miller re: Robin Strasser... He was a scriptwriter at one time? When was this???

[FrenchFan]

Slightly off-topic but can someone draw a little chronology of ABC Daytime President:

Angela Shapiro (1998-2002)

Brian Frons (2002-present)

How long has it been existed? Thanks

[SFK]

HEY! Pull yourself together! *I* didn't create them, and I CERTAINLY didn't say that I LIKED them!

I was aware of Robin's feelings towards Linda, but I still wanted to see them together onscreen, work out some of that aggression through the character Robin. Those two seem to have a weird relationship. Linda has talked about mulling over taking the role of Felicia with Stephen Schnetzer at a party at Robin's house, Linda used to dress Robin when she had her Strictly Personal business, I remember a picture of them acting silly when Linda launched her perfume "Dano"... but then there were the SOD rumors of Linda visiting the OLTL set while she was still on AW and perhaps she was going to replace Robin as Dorian as Robin's contract negotiations were up in the air at the time, then of course she came to OLTL with the promise of taking ABC by storm, even Robin mentioned in a TV Guide interview that she wishes she'd been been offered the sweet pot Linda got. Plus little remarks that could be taken out of context, like Robin being asked about the possibility of plastic surgery, saying maybe but she wouldn't exactly have her stitches taken out on The View like Linda, then Linda dissing Robin's Emmy dress on the SoapNet special (which Robin mentioned on her hotline, "Thanks Linda!"), and Linda dissing Robin's dress yet again the following year in SOD, something to the effect of, "I know she went to Paris and everything, but I'm not sure a red leather bustier is the right statement for a woman her age."

But back to Angela...