Another World Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

Thanks. 

I remember there being big budget issues around then too so even if she hadn't quit it all seems likely to be reaching the same end.

[j swift]

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Kale Browne and Nancy Allen’s son popped up on a rerun of Chopped, which I caught on a plane, so it could’ve aired anytime between last spring and Taylor's last era. That show exists in a time loop.

Anyway, if you ever need a visual aid for the Punnett square, just Google Nicholas Browne. Genetics did not play coy.

Also, whenever someone’s listed as a “private chef,” I assume it means they can cook and needed a reason to be on TV. It’s the culinary version of “freelance creative." Technically true, but his other IMDB credit is for costuming, so he's a renaissance guy.

[bongobong]

I don't know about the P&G side, but I'm pretty sure NBC wanted her to stay. Starting in Spring of '96, AW had its last stand of being relevant ratings-wise. Until the end of that year it was regularly beating or tying not just the other P&G shows, but often B&B too in W18-49. Though she left in late summer '96, the show continued to do well in '97 versus the 3 lower CBS shows (although not reaching its Q3 1996 numbers).

1998 is when its fate was sealed. The CBS 3 leapfrogged AW immediately in the demo and never looked back. Unfortunately, this coincided with Reilly delivering his bible for Passions. By the Summer it was tying or being beaten by PC (once even tying Sunset Beach). Even its last week the next year lost to PC in the demo.

If Jill stayed and kept the show around GL/ATWT demo numbers, I wonder if NBC would have renewed the show. The likeliest scenario is that would have gotten another year in Sunset's timeslot(s) before getting cancelled, but who knows.

[TheyStartedOnSoaps]

Though JFP boosted AW as the top P&G soap among women - I've always wondered if it ws becaise of her, or because AW followed Days of our Lives on most NBC stations

At that time, Days was the number one show for women 18 - 49. This was not only among all soap operas, but all daytime shows (talk shows, games shows etc) 

[bongobong]

Days helped for sure, but she was able to hold over half of their demo. Still the worst hold of all the soaps at the time, but the show lost a bigger portion in '97.

[Paul Raven]

[Xanthe]

I don't think I have seen the cliffhanger comment before. Maybe it was slightly  warranted because the pacing of the show had been a bit off for at least a year, but it's not as if it had always limited cliffhangers and big moments to Fridays. But it feels like De Priest is making a lot of ridiculously grand claims.

[Soaplovers]

I think the issue with Depriest was that her style fit much better on a soap that was Days Of Our Lives/General Hospital oriented.

I will say that some of her decisions in her almost two year stint as head-writer did provide some focus/structure with her stating what she viewed as the core families (remember that the Matthews family was all, but gone by 1986)... and her decision to bring Mitch back was a smart decision since his presence made Mac/Rachel nervous... and did provide Felicia with a love interest (although why Zane was killed still boggles my mind).. which caused tension in the Felicia/Rachel friendship.

Some of her decisions didn't make sense with her killing off of popular supporting characters like Maisie and Quinn, and making Donna into a shrieking harpy (when Donna was usually frosty and confident).

However, some of her decisions did provide some good story threads that played out after she had departed from the canvas (i.e. Sam/Amanda, Lisa/Jamie/Vicky).

After a few years of constant headwriter changes.. her almost two year stint actually provided some  stability once she was through with the cast cuts.  Her last six months as head-writer was decent

[DRW50]

What "substantial" story did she give Ada? Buying into Mary's? 

@Soaplovers You make valid points. I think my biggest issue with her tenure is the grimy feel and the misogyny. And awful Reginald. 

Someone uploaded this because of the contrast between the music and the scenes, mainly one at around 48 seconds. It did make me laugh. I miss getting proper closing credits on TV shows.

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[Soaplovers]

Depriest also objectified Cass as well with that whole Cecile kidnapping plot.

Oddly I'd take grimy and toxic over the non descript vibe the show had between 1984 and 1986. 

[Tisy-Lish]

In old soap opera lore, there is a tradition that no soap opera secret ever stays secret for very long.   But the history of Another World gives us one of the few exceptions to that rule: Walter Curtain murdered Wayne Addison, but only Walter Curtain and the viewing audience knew the truth. Then many months later, Walter admitted to his wife Lenore, that he had been the killer.  That same night, Walter died in an auto accident  So the secret of Wayne Addison's murder was known by only two characters on the show (Walter and eventually, Lenore), plus the audience.   And although Lenore remained on the show for several years after the murder, she never shared Walter's secret with anyone.   

 

Edited October 9 by Tisy-Lish

[Xanthe]

So today I was surprised to learn that Coldplay used a segment from Linda Dano's talk show Attitudes in their video for one of their songs and so Linda appears and speaks at the beginning and the end. 

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[Xanthe]

Do you remember why the jury acquitted Lenore? I was looking at the AWHP synopses and there isn't really a reason described, just her relief at the verdict. And I think I had assumed that the reason Lenore wasn't convicted was because Walter eventually took the blame, which clearly wasn't the case. 

[Tisy-Lish]

I don't know the reason Lenore was acquitted.  It may have been that she was simply found not guilty by the jury.  I don't think a jury is required to give a reason for a not guilty verdict.  Or it may have been related to lack of evidence, because the scarf Lenore left behind at the murder scene was taken by Walter and locked in a safe.  Had the police (rather than Walter) found Lenore's scarf at the scene, that would have supplied proof that she had indeed visited Wayne on the night of the murder.  I'm not sure if her visit was disclosed to the jury or not, but I'm sure the prosecution did not have the scarf.  So that may have contributed to her being acquitted.

[j swift]

Well, there was reasonable doubt based on Liz also visiting Wayne, and the number of prior spurned lovers he left behind.  Also, Walter gave a tour de force closing argument.