Another World Discussion Thread

[adrnyc]

 

Speak for yourself. I was one of the many people I knew who watched AW during Swajeski's time and LOVED the show. 

 

 

Exactly! I had no idea people didn't like Swajeski's tenure on AW until I came on this board. Everyone I know speaks of that time with glee, appreciation, and so much love. 

[DRW50]

 

This isn't about us. "Revered" would, presumably, mean that fans or critics in general loved the show, which was the case for someone like Harding Lemay, or Agnes Nixon. 

 

I thought Swajeski's AW was watchable enough, sometimes very good, but the truth is the ratings were poor and critical opinion was mixed at best. I think this was also another period where the show was nearly canceled.

 

I enjoyed Richard Culliton's return in 1998, but I wouldn't be able to come on here and say he was "revered," because he wasn't. 

 

A word like that has a very broad reach. It doesn't mean one person and one opinion. 

Edited January 8, 2018 by DRW50

[BetterForgotten]

Swajeski's AW was probably the last "consistent" era of the show, but I myself never got the big deal about it, and I think a lot of it hasn't aged well (beyond the production). 

 

They were lucky to have a pretty solid cast, a lot of whom made the material work somehow. 

[Soaplovers]

 

I recall the big critism during her era was the pacing of her stories....that the ideas worked, but that the pacing w asnt good.  

 

An example given was character A and b were talking the kiss..ens of episode...then two episodes later, character a and b were still kissing.

 

And I recall soap magazines thought the who shot Jake story was interesting, but the reveal was a letdown...and it was swept under the carpet except for one really good scene where Marley let Paulina have it for not fessing up...

 

And viewers didn't like the hatchet job the show did to Kathleen to make Frankie look better.  That the triangle had potential because Cass was good with both...but character propping of Frankie was evident.

 

For me, she created Lorna...a small part that grew so much..and making her Felicia' s daughter was genius considering how Lorna spent over a year making Jenna' s life miserable....i recall my mom was watching during that time and was excited to see when Jenna would find out cause the two hated each other.

 

I also think the reason her AW is looked at better is because she wrote it on her own with good support...while she shared co head writing on GL and AMC with a hack.  Kind of wish she had been given a chance to write.those on her own.   Last I read, she writes plays and works in community theater.

[robbwolff]

I’m not sure why you say Texas was non-canonical to Another World. Things that happened on Texas — Vivian coming to Houston to work for Iris, Iris marrying Alex, Alex dying, Dennis being Iris and Alex’s son — were all facts that were part of the Another World universe. Iris wasn’t a threat on Texas in a business sense because she was written first as a heroine, then regresses to her scheming ways. 

[watson71]

 

I think that is what I appreciate most about Swajeski's headwriting stint was that she was a "consistent" writer the show had for four years steady.  Between Lemay's 8 year stint and Swajeski taking over as headwriter in 1988, there were 9 headwriting combinations  on the show:

 

Tom King and Robert Soderberg- 1979-80

L. Virginia Browne 1980-81

Corinne Jacker 1982

Robert Soderberg and Dorothy Ann Purser 1982-1984

Richard Culliton and Gary Tomlin  1984-85

Sam Hall and Gillian Spencer 1985-1986

Margaret DePriest  1986-1988

Sheri Anderson 1988

Harding Lemay 1988

 

Of these, I believe Robert Soderberg and Dorothy Ann Purser do not get the credit they deserve.  They quickly righted the ship and cleaned up the mess they inherited from Corrine Jacker.  The duo created the following characters- Felicia Gallant, Carl Hutchins, Donna Love, Lily Mason, and David Thatcher.  They created the "Who Killed Alma Rudder?" story, laid the groundwork for Catlin Ewing to appear on the show, reunited Mac and Rachel- finally!, and moved Mary Page Keller's Sally to the forefront of the show with her backstory of having a baby with David Thatcher.

[Efulton]

While I enjoyed Donna Swajeski’s four year run as head writer it was not amazing.  It was a relief to have one vision long enough for storylines to actually play out. 1989 and 1991 were two of my favourite years in the 23 years I watched Another World. I loved that she kept Rachel and her children / stepchildren front and centre.  She built a new generation of Frames.  Donna, Felicia, Jake and Cass had storylines.  She created some great characters - Frankie, Lucas, Lorna, Paulina, Ryan, Grant - and couples - Felicia & Lucas, Jenna & Dean, Ryan and Vicky, John & Sharlene. I thought she wrote incredible returns for Kathleen, Carl and Cecile.  I’ve watched the episodes from the 25th anniversary and Mac’s death multiple times and they hold up

well.  On the flip side the show could be quite boring under her pen.  She botched the opportunity to rebuild the Matthews family with the return of Russ,  the introduction of Olivia and the revelation that Josie was his daughter. Why were the Matthews doomed!!?? Sigh.  

[Soaplovers]

 

I actually liked how she wrote Olivia.. but I do think the ball was dropped with Josie being Russ' daughter.. and basically writing off Josie and Russ months after the fact.

 

With Olivia... I liked how Donna S kind of wrote the Sam/Olivia/Amanda triangle... with Olivia as the Rachel, Amanda as the Alice.. with Sam as the Steve....shame that Sam had two bad recasts.. but I liked the irony that the Rachel/Alice feud had moved to the next generation... but sadly without more visits from Alice.. it didn't live up to it's potential.  

[amybrickwallace]

 

Not to mention the brief returns of Alice in 1989. If Jacquie Courtney had been open to staying for the long haul, they should have gone for it. The return of her old rival would have given Rachel something to do after losing Mac.

[Efulton]

I also liked Olivia. She had so much potential. 

[amybrickwallace]

Did Allison Hossack ever appear on any other American soaps after AW?

[watson71]

 

If Courtney agreed to stay in 1989, I would have tried to get George Reinholt to return as Steve Frame as well with a creative rewrite that David Canary's Steve was an imposter.  Mac died offscreen.  They could have said that he discovered the real Steve alive and sent this information to Rachel in the red swan that the real Steve was alive before his death.  The show had nothing to lose by bringing Courtney and Reinholt back to the show.

[amybrickwallace]

That's as good a potential plot as any!! 😊

[Efulton]

Why weren’t you the head writer!?? 😀

[Soaplovers]

 

Agree... I thought the show realized a lot of that potential.  The twist of her having Iris' grandchild was genius given the fact that her dad Russ had been engaged to Iris back in the 70s.  A shame the actress left and the character ceased to exist.