This is the most I've ever seen of Bobby Doran as Jamie. I never knew he had red hair. I'd say he got that from the Frames but I am not sure they ever had red hair either.

I can see why they had to recast, especially as it soon led to Richard Bekins, who defined the role, but I thought Doran was a real natural in these scenes, much more than many who grow up in a part.

The show erred in making Jamie so bland and losing touch with what made his relationship with Rachel unique - being her oldest child and being the one who had been there before Mac, before everything. As she says here, the one thing she did right.

I also wish they had not made Dennis into such a generic figure after they replaced Mike Hammett. Iris having a nerdy son just feels right.

Seeing Rachel reminds me of how I appreciate that even when Victoria Wyndham got away with the fairies in the show's last few years, she still managed to keep the core of the character in a way a lot of long-running soap actors now just don't bother with. The Rachel we see at AW's close is still the woman we see here.

Edited October 24Oct 24 by DRW50

2 hours ago, DRW50 said:

This is the most I've ever seen of Bobby Doran as Jamie. I never knew he had red hair. I'd say he got that from the Frames but I am not sure they ever had red hair either.

I can see why they had to recast, especially as it soon led to Richard Bekins, who defined the role, but I thought Doran was a real natural in these scenes, much more than many who grow up in a part.

The show erred in making Jamie so bland and losing touch with what made his relationship with Rachel unique - being her oldest child and being the one who had been there before Mac, before everything. As she says here, the one thing she did right.

I also wish they had not made Dennis into such a generic figure after they replaced Mike Hammett. Iris having a nerdy son just feels right.

Seeing Rachel reminds me of how I appreciate that even when Victoria Wyndham got away with the fairies in the show's last few years, she still managed to keep the core of the character in a way a lot of long-running soap actors now just don't bother with. The Rachel we see at AW's close is still the woman we see here.

Most people forget that Tim Holcomb played the role of Jamie after Bobby Doran for about a half year or longer. I remember it was after Jamie came back from the dude ranch visit. He was very handsome and quite different than Doran. Of course he was now not a teenager and married to Blaine.

Just now, denzo30 said:

Most people forget that Tim Holcomb played the role of Jamie after Bobby Doran for about a half year or longer. I remember it was after Jamie came back from the dude ranch visit. He was very handsome and quite different than Doran. Of course he was now not a teenager and married to Blaine.

I know of him but I don't think I have ever seen his Jamie. I guess he wasn't well-received.

8 hours ago, GymnastGuy said:

December 30, 1977 just uploaded to YouTube!

Thank you. I always think that I have seen every possible video footage from the 70's and then all of a sudden I something like this shows up.

22 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

I know of him but I don't think I have ever seen his Jamie. I guess he wasn't well-received.

True. Not sure if the show dropped him or otherwise. I wish there were some episodes of him.

AW always listed the cast in order of seniority- except for VW and DW who received top billing. Anyone have any idea why Hugh Marlowe and Susan Harney were before Constance Ford in the credits since she joined the show in 1967, while Marlowe joined in 1969 and Harney in 1975?

2 minutes ago, watson71 said:

AW always listed the cast in order of seniority- except for VW and DW who received top billing. Anyone have any idea why Hugh Marlowe and Susan Harney were before Constance Ford in the credits since she joined the show in 1967, while Marlowe joined in 1969 and Harney in 1975?

AW didn't always list the cast in order of seniority. That happened sometime in the early-80s. In the very early years, important members of the Matthews family were listed first -- starting with Mary and Jim Matthews then Pat, etc. Later when Steve and Alice became super popular, Courtney and Reinholt negotiated top billing in their contracts (not sure what year), so Steve and Alice were listed first, followed by Mary, Jim, Pat, etc. Then when Vicky Wyndham joined the cast, she also negotiated top billing, so it became Alice, Steve, Rachel, Mary and Jim, Pat, etc. After Courtney, Reinholt, and Virginia Dwyer were fired, Wyndham and Doug Watson got top billing, followed by Hugh Marlowe and Bev Penberthy. Susan Harney also stayed high in the cast list until she left in 1979. Penberthy was fired around 1982, but I'm fairly sure Marlowe remained number three in the credits until his death, when Connie Ford got the number three position. After that, it was Wyndham, Watson, Ford, and everyone else according to seniority.

Edited October 25Oct 25 by Tisy-Lish

I've always been fascinated by the stories about Lemay introducing a frail, geeky son for Iris which would be so unusual for soaps at the time (or now, often). And I'd read Mike Hammett's account of working on the show at AWHP (I think?). So it's nice to finally see these performers in uh, a more easy way than some of the few available Lemay-era eps that have been out there in the past.

10 hours ago, Vee said:

I've always been fascinated by the stories about Lemay introducing a frail, geeky son for Iris which would be so unusual for soaps at the time (or now, often). And I'd read Mike Hammett's account of working on the show at AWHP (I think?). So it's nice to finally see these performers in uh, a more easy way than some of the few available Lemay-era eps that have been out there in the past.

Yes, it was unusual. Most soap writers would have written her son to be some obnoxious "Chad" that was already woman crazy. (think of a smart-ass Jason Bateman type).

16 hours ago, DRW50 said:

This is the most I've ever seen of Bobby Doran as Jamie. I never knew he had red hair. I'd say he got that from the Frames but I am not sure they ever had red hair either.

I can see why they had to recast, especially as it soon led to Richard Bekins, who defined the role, but I thought Doran was a real natural in these scenes, much more than many who grow up in a part.

The show erred in making Jamie so bland and losing touch with what made his relationship with Rachel unique - being her oldest child and being the one who had been there before Mac, before everything. As she says here, the one thing she did right.

Seeing Rachel reminds me of how I appreciate that even when Victoria Wyndham got away with the fairies in the show's last few years, she still managed to keep the core of the character in a way a lot of long-running soap actors now just don't bother with. The Rachel we see at AW's close is still the woman we see here.

Bekins and Doran both seemed to have infused the same essence into Jamie, but I do agree that the very elements that made Jamie a unique character went away.. although the last Jamie was very easy on the eyes (and has aged nicely as well).

I had no idea that OG Dennis was more nerdy and a bit awkward.. but late bloomers are a reality and it would explain how much of a lost soul he was on Texas.. since he'd had a glow up, but was still the same on the inside. Not sure what the show was going for when he was recast in the early 90s.. though at least the consistent element that was maintained was Iris not ever being able to read nor connect with Dennis (though Carmen's Iris did try a lot to connect with him in the early 90s).

My favorite late scenes were when Lila was trying to rope Matt.. and she would try to be all sugary sweet with Rachel.. even calling her 'Mother Hutchins'.. while Rachel just stood there both bemused and watching Lila like a hawk. She was probably thinking 'Oh honey... I wrote the book on trapping a man and you obviously need a copy of that book LOL'

2 hours ago, Soaplovers said:

I had no idea that OG Dennis was more nerdy and a bit awkward

I remember reading the novelizations where Alice first met Eliot Carrington because he wanted to hire a private nurse for his ill son Dennis. The AWHP describes him as having been "anemic" but I thought his illness had been something more severe. I believe Russ eventually treated Dennis -- did he need surgery?

I was thinking that there was a longer gap between the introductions of Dennis and his neglectful socialite mother but based on the AWHP dates it was only a couple of weeks.

2 hours ago, Soaplovers said:

Not sure what the show was going for when he was recast in the early 90s

Early 90s Dennis was not to my taste, but I suppose I can understand an ugly duckling finding he is a swan and taking up reckless manly activities like racecar driving.

42 minutes ago, Xanthe said:

I remember reading the novelizations where Alice first met Eliot Carrington because he wanted to hire a private nurse for his ill son Dennis. The AWHP describes him as having been "anemic" but I thought his illness had been something more severe. I believe Russ eventually treated Dennis -- did he need surgery?

Yes, Dennis had a serious heart condition when he was first introduced. When Russ agreed to treat Dennis, Elliot and Dennis moved to Bay City and Iris soon followed. Russ was the surgeon that corrected Dennis's condition. That's how the Carringtons ended up living in Bay City, and not Manhattan.

The Hollywood Reporter 12/26/1973

21 hours ago, watson71 said:

AW always listed the cast in order of seniority- except for VW and DW who received top billing. Anyone have any idea why Hugh Marlowe and Susan Harney were before Constance Ford in the credits since she joined the show in 1967, while Marlowe joined in 1969 and Harney in 1975?

The longest seniority in this cast was Michael T Ryan who played John Randolph. He started in 1964 even longer than Connie Ford. I think this was a LeMay thing as I believe he was the one who asked the EP to put VW and DW as the first in cast credits. True, after the 70's, you did see seniority first

I think it's hilarious that Stephen Yates who was born in 1948 played Victoria Wyndham son who was born in 1945. I wonder how she felt about that?

Yates should have been considered for some of the roles on ATWT. Maybe a back from the dead Chuckie, Scott or Tom after Marx departed.