Another World Discussion Thread

[Paul Raven]

Oakland Tribune, 14 July 1985

  AW is another show with Schenkel at helm By Connie Passalacqua

For the most part, dictators of South American banana republics enjoy better reputations than executive producers of daytime soap operas. Total authority is vested in these producers, who can kill off a character (thus firing an actor) with a stroke of a pen, or completely change life in his or her soap opera dominion (both in its fictional locale and backstage at the studio) on any kind of whim. 

Most rule despotically, inspiring fear in their actors and writers. Which inevitably surfaces on the screen and subtracts from a show's quality. Then there's Stephen Schenkel who became executive producer of Another World last fall. He's been described by one of his actresses as "a teddy bear."

He has noticeably improved the show, mostly because his natural warmth encourages backstage cohesiveness, and he believes in personally nurturing his staff and cast. 'I like to be supportive', he said.' I like to generate a certain amount of enthusiasm. I love actors and writers and technical people. And I like to laugh..  '

Schenkel said that most of the factors that have led to the shows improved ratings existed before he took over. There were well defined characters, outstanding writers and excellent production values, he explains. 'These things were in place but needed to be stimulated. There wasn't a lot of excitement. What really was missing was an adequate story. We added Gillian Spencer as a writer. (she also plays Daisy on All My Children), who's wonderful, and it just coalesced. The writers energy and commitment to the show began to give it an emotional intensity and some real passion within the characters."

Schenkel, a former ABC programming executive who helped develop Ryan's Hope, is a strong believer in stressing romantic and comedy elements in soap operas. AW is also one of the only soaps with an established group of comic characters, including Wallingford (Brent Collins) and Lily Mason (Jackee , Harry). Schenkel raves about the talents of all his actors, and even has something good to say about the Brooklyn location of the shows studio, which most of his Manhattan-oriented staff loathe. I like the people here. I like to walk down the street and feel their energies, he said. He also violateda soap opera no-no, ' inviting actors and writers to the same party. "Everyone got to know one another, he said. And I didn't get any complaints about actors ' begging for story lines, he said. 

[DRW50]

Thanks @Paul Raven 

That's a lovely writeup. Do fans feel it was warranted?

[Contessa Donatella]

Thanks, Paul, I did not know about his interest in the comedic elements or that he was one of our many people who came from the network!

I have always liked Marlena de la Croix's writing, which is not to say I 100% agree with her. She's been a member of my FB soap group for a good long time & she actually posts, which I love. Recently I posted about an e-copy of Robert LaGuardia's SOAP WORLD that is free to borrow like a library e-book but on the Internet Archive site & I posted that at the time of their publications, all of his soap opera books were the gold standard. 

She immediately posted about "Bob" who was her close friend & how much she still misses him to this day & that he loved to talk soaps & was also a nice guy, etc. which I was over the moon to have her share about the author & his time etc. like that!!!

 

[Xanthe]

Dragging this quote over from the Texas thread just because it shows a reference to Bay City as a fictional location at least as early as 1981. It doesn't quote Gail Kobe as saying it directly but the point she is making about the Houston setting of Texas does seem to take it for granted that Bay City is not real.

[VelekaCarruthers]

Schenkel was a disaster despite being a nice guy. The show was doing fine I thought (and watched live) under Culliton/Tomlin but Schenkel dismantled the writing team and proceeded to oversee a merry go round for several months until they brought in Sam Hall to collaborate with Spencer.  Here's the writer changes from the AW homepage (fairly accurate too although Tomlin remained on the head writing team at least through mid February if not a little longer)

• Richard Culliton and Gary Tomlin, July 1984 - January 1985
  (In 1984, with Linda Elstad, Joe LeSueur, Lloyd Gold, Gary Tomlin, David Cherrill, Carolyn DeMoney Culliton, Judith Donato, Samuel D. Ratcliffe, Frances Myers, Roger Newman, Judith Pinsker, Cynthia Saltzman, and Warren Hite)
  (In 1985, with David Cherill, Carolyn Demoney Culliton, Judith Donato, Samuel D. Ratcliffe, Frances Myers, Roger Newman, Judith Pinsker, and Stephen Wardwell)
• Gary Tomlin, January 1985
  (With Samuel D. Ratcliffe and Gillian Spencer; Richard Culliton, Carolyn DeMoney Culliton, Judith Donato, David Cherill, Judith Pinsker, Frances Myers, Roger Newman, Lloyd Gold, Cynthia Saltzman, and Elizabeth Levin)
• No headwriter, February 1985 - July 1985
  (With Samuel D. Ratcliffe, Gillian Spencer, Caroline Franz, David Cherrill, Judith Donato, Richard Culliton, Fran Myers, Roger Newman, Carolyn DeMoney Culliton, James W. Kearns, Elizabeth Tooker, Peter Brash, and Ted Kubiak)
• Sam Hall and Gillian Spencer, August 1985 - March 1986
• (In 1985 with Jan Hartman, Elizabeth Tooker, Peter Brash, David Cherill, Richard Culliton, Frances Myers, Roger Newman, Carolyn DeMoney Culliton, Todd Kessler, and Eric Rubinton)
  (In 1986 with Peter Brash, David Cherrill, Barbara A. Morgenroth, Fran Myers, Roger Newman, Carolyn DeMoney Culliton, Todd Kessler, Elizabeth Wallace, Donna Pode, John Boni, Penelope Koechl, Elizabeth Tooker, and Richard Culliton)

Edited 19 hours ago by VelekaCarruthers

[AbcNbc247]

I've always wondered who was writing the projections from February to July. And why they weren't credited as head writer.

[Contessa Donatella]

I do not understand. Of course Bay City wasn't real. Who said anything different, ever?

[watson71]

Schenkel was indeed a disaster.  
 

During 1985, the following characters exited the show: Brian Bancroft, Sandy Cory, Blaine Ewing Cory, Jamie Frame, the first Peter Love, Alice Matthews Frame, Ben McKinnon, Vince McKinnon, Mark Singleton, Perry Hutchins, Grant Todd, and Tony the Tuna.

 

The following characters were introduced and quickly disappeared Chris Chapin, Neal Cory, Dee Evans, Daniel Gabriel, Michaud Christophe, Edward Gerard, Daphne Grimaldi, Zane Lindquist, and Brittany Peterson.

 

The only successful characters Schenkel introduced were Bridget Connell, Vicky Hudson, and Jake McKinnon.

 

Schenkel recasted the popular Sally Frame with Taylor Miller when Mary Page Keller left AW.  Also, he recasted Peter Love twice in 1985 with Christopher Holder and Marcus Smythe.

 

Schenkel brought back Carl Hutchins for the Egyptian/Arizona treasure story with the poisonous dust.

[Contessa Donatella]

If he was responsible for Egyptian dust, you should have led with that! That one thing cinches it for me.

[DRW50]

I do think Zane could have been a decent long-term addition if they hadn't disposed of him - up to Lucas' arrival, at least.

Edited 16 hours ago by DRW50

[Contessa Donatella]

The first time I cried from a soap, Zane's death. I cried for 3 days.

[Xanthe]

It has come up in this thread before that early on it was specified that Another World was set in Bay City, Michigan, but somewhere along the line the references shifted to Illinois-ish. 

 

I have tried and failed to find any specific clear reference to Michigan, although there have been some circumstantial details that suggest Bay City is not in Illinois.

i notice that the AW Bible begins by describing the location as simply "not far from Oakdale", but things do change (the bible calls Pat Cynthia) and we can't take that as pure canon.

 

 

Edited 15 hours ago by Xanthe

[Contessa Donatella]

Yes, I am aware of the ballyhoo about Michigan. But, I still do not understand & I will  endeavor to explain why. Do some of us think it was a real place in Michigan, because not thing ever gave me such an idea. I thought we all knew it was a fictional location & I am positive that Irna meant it to be just that.

 

[robbwolff]

Xanthe, evidence of the Michigan setting could be found in the scenes when Rachel is on the run for shooting Mitch, which was in late 1980/early 1981. I remember a scene where they showed Bay City on a map of Michigan.

[watson71]

In 1986, the writers had Zane shot twice in March and August when he died.  It’s like they didn’t know what to do with the character after they married him to Felicia.