Another World Discussion Thread

[John]

Yep

And when ABC couldnt get AW as a whole they tried to buy the Felicia Galant role but P&G refused

 

Angela Sharpiro then came up with Gretel Rae Cummings (Linda Dano) returning to OLTL and soap hopping for a year along the network

[watson71]

It's the End of the 'World' As They Know It on NBC

Television. Fans and cast members are fuming over the cancellation of a soap that featured mature actors.

June 21, 1999|WILLIAM KECK | SPECIAL TO THE LA TIMES

 

 

Back stabbing. Harsh words. Broken promises. Misplaced loyalty.

 

The essential components of a successful soap opera? Absolutely. But the same words also characterize the resentment much of "Another World's" cast, crew and fans harbor toward NBC, which broadcasts the final episode of the 35-year-old serial this Friday to clear airtime for a new daytime drama.

 

Much of the confusion and anger surrounds NBC's decision to cancel the Procter & Gamble-produced "Another World," while renewing "Sunset Beach," a struggling 2 1/2-year-old NBC-owned soap. This despite the fact that "Sunset Beach" attracts nearly 1 million fewer viewers daily than "Another World," and is the lowest-rated soap of the 11 currently on the air. Although "Another World" consistently attracts more female viewers aged 18-49 (the most sought-after daytime demographic for advertisers) than "Sunset Beach," NBC felt the Aaron Spelling-produced soap opera would have greater long-term youth appeal.

 

Still, NBC's "aging" serial generated much buzz in recent years with the steamy sexual coupling of mature lovers Rachel and Carl. Today, their portrayers, Victoria Wyndham, a 28-year vet, and Charles Keating, a familiar face since 1983, are relieved to be free of NBC and hope never to return to daytime again.

"In this medium, if they're going to insist on only writing for children who don't know how to act yet, and they don't want to write for those who are beyond 45, then fine. Goodbye!" fumes Wyndham, who attempted to quit the soap a number of times following Keating's dismissal in early 1998.

 

"Word came down from the brass at NBC that they wanted our show to be more like 'Days of Our Lives,' " adds Keating, "They wanted a teeny-bopper emphasis."

 

Mary Alice Dwyer-Dobbin, executive in charge of production of P&G Productions, a company that in 1959 had 13 different daytime serials on the air, confirms NBC's insistence on taking the "Another World" cast younger. "NBC decided they wanted to target the 12- to 18-year-old audience," says the executive. "I'm not sure that I agree with that as a strategy. Because 'Another World' was not a show that had operated in that realm over the years. It was a struggle to try to deliver to NBC what they wanted. But we truly had pruned the cast, and youthened the cast as they had asked us to do."

 

"We wanted to bring in the next generation," says Susan Lee, senior vice president of daytime programming at NBC.

 

"The show was skewing old and if you don't continue to build your young audience you will have no audience. When you are 25, you don't relate to a 50-year-old's love story. There's a lot of stuff that went down in our research that I wouldn't tell the people on 'Another World' because it would be too painful for them."

 

As a result of NBC's decision, Keating became the last in a long line of senior "Another World" performers released from the serial during its waning years. He did accept an invitation from the show's producers and P&G to return for the final week of episodes. "I was delighted that the bastards hired me back," quips Keating. "But I didn't return to please either Mr. P&G or NBC, but rather it was appropriate to be there. Even if it is not going to be terribly satisfying storywise, the fans need to see this wrapped up."

 

Keating says his wife has flatly refused to purchase any P&G products since his release last year. "My dear Mary told me, 'There are three or four products of theirs I really love--but I'm not buying them.' "

 

For a while there was hope the show might land at another network. Dwyer-Dobbin confirms that ABC had initiated talks to license the show, but a deal could not be reached.

 

As "Another World's" fate seemed sealed, many devastated viewers began waging their own war. On April 23, more than 150 fans protested the show's cancellation outside "The Today Show's" window on the world, though according to protesters, NBC cameramen struggled to keep the disgruntled fans out of camera range. As part of a "Joy to the World" campaign, fans mailed in bottles of Joy dishwashing liquid, a P&G product, to the company, encouraging it to find a new home for the defunct show.

 

Other embittered viewers have pledged to boycott NBC's replacement soap, "Passions." However Kathy Morley, 38, of Port Chester, N.Y., is among a group of more radical fans who have chosen to take their loyalty one step further. Morley vows: "NBC will be effectively wiped out of my life, just as they have wiped out the existence of 'Another World.' "

 

"Another World" fan club president Mindi Schulman said that reaction is typical. "I've received hundreds of letters--after three or four hundred I stopped counting--from viewers who told me they would definitely not watch the new show and were dropping (NBC's) 'Days of Our Lives' and 'Sunset Beach' as well," says the 37-year-old Long Island resident. "I personally want no part of NBC. I was loyal to NBC, but on April 12 when 'Another World' got the cancellation I never watched anything on NBC again."

[juniorz1]

Of all the cancelled soaps over the years, I don't remember there ever being an uproar like there was when AW went off the air.

[Soaplovers]

 

Oh I agree...i was in college when it was announced.  Ironically..the show was actually starting to turn around.  The Lumina story was weird...but it was a good umbrella story with the ball..and how some of the characters were going to the foundation for help (I recall one scene with Marley taking Donna there..and stark remarking how she intrigued him..yet nothing came of that.).. as well as the grant murder case.  It made no sense at first that Paulina would confess...bit when the killer was revealed as the person she thought was her child..it made sense..cause tough on the outside Paulina was all about family...misguided as it was sometimes.

 

So the irony was the show was turning aeound..even gaining a few new viewers..and was starting to beef up the younger set with ally, Remy, KC, and Jakes nephew...when the show got the ax.

 

[Melroser]

I thought the show was getting much better at the end of its run as well. I liked having Ellen Wheeler back to the show even though I hated the "crazy Marley" story with her obsessed with Jake (who raped her). I LOVED that Alice Barrett was back and stirring things up for Cass and Lila. I thought that story had great triangle potential. Amanda's pairing with Cameron was my favorite of hers since Sam and enjoyed them. Cindy and David/Jordan Starks could have been a fun couple and throw in Donna in the mix (as mentioned above) and a Cindy/Donna rivalry could have been a hoot. I was so disappointed that the show was yanked when it was. There had been several years where it was less watchable than it was in early '99.

[juniorz1]

I LOVED Felicia/Sergei as well!

[Melroser]

Yes, they were such an odd pairing but worked for me as well. Would liked to have seen how that played out. If Felicia would have stayed with him for long or just been a "fling" for her?

I, also, thought at the end having Marley and Tyrone together was interesting. They could have played out the beats of his family's opposition to him being with the "crazy lady" for several months and the two, I thought, had great chemistry. 

Edited June 27, 2017 by Melroser

[Soaplovers]

The Marley crazy story could have worked had it been told differently.  It made sense after getting hit and then having her face burned in the hospital fire would habe left her feeling at a loss..especially since she no longer resembled Vicky...who let's face it...rhe show always had Marley in Vicky's shadow except the last year or so of Anne Heche's stint.

 

I could see Marley taking Vicky hostage..but not cause she wanted Jake..but perhaps trying to remind her sister that Jake raped her..and that marrying him just proves Vicky had no loyalty to her sister...and history could have been mined with Vicky reminding Marley that Jake was her boyfriend and that she stole him from her..etc.   I always thought there was a lot of untapped story potential between Vicky and Marley that never got played or explored..imho.

 

Also, the last year of the show...rachel was written more like Rachel of old.  Even her regal accent kind of went away..and she regained some of the sarcasm she had pre Carl.

[rlj]

I loved de fact that 4 almost the last decade of AW, the 4 tentpoles of the show were women, Rachel, Iris, Donna, Felicia; later IMO Iris was replaced by Etta Mae!

[slick jones]

I totally agree. The main male tentpoke would have been Cass. Most of the other major males were recast or killed off. Etta Mae was a great character and her no nonsense attitude kind of reminded me of Ada.

[watson71]

49 years ago today on July 2, 1968- the character of Steve Frame first appeared on Another World at Lenore and Walter's wedding reception...

 

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[vetsoapfan]

I remember when Steve was introduced, ushering in the Alice/Steven/Rachel triangle, possibly the best story in the history of daytime TV. It remained engrossing for a staggering seven years, through three different headwriters. George Reinholt, Jacqueline Courtney, and Robin Strasser had tangible chemistry on-screen, and this saga kept viewers on the edge of our seats throughout. Rachel was SUCH a bitch! I still have not forgiven her for sending Alice the baby bunting, LOL.

[watson71]

 

Yes they did have chemistry.   Even though the videos above are a black and white copy of a color episode, it looks like AW had some high production standards compared to other 1968 soaps from YouTube.  This was before my time, I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on AW from this time period.

[vetsoapfan]

 

I loved AW during this era. I personally think that Agnes Nixon's very best writing was on The Guiding Light and Another World. The best aspect of the show during the Alice/Steven/Rachel storyline is that it was naturalistic. Heightened and romanticized, sure, but everything worked so well because you could believe what you were seeing. The writers did not use cheap, idiotic gimmicks like devil possession, clones, time travel, mad scientists freezing the world, or whatever. The drama arose from the interpersonal-relationship conflict among complex, driven, human characters. 

[GSGfan2017]

Check this out!