Another World Discussion Thread

[Xanthe]

Mansion of the Damned sounds much more dramatic than A View From the Bay. 

Did Jamie write the screenplay? Who was producing the movie? If it had occurred during the Carl Hutchins years I could imagine Carl wanting to produce the movie locally in order to humiliate Mac somehow.  But also a little too Lesoleil, a crowd of foreign intruders who don't add up to much or have any lasting impact.

I don't think I have ever been very clear on what scandals Jamie used in his book -- in the synopses on the AWHP I see that he dates the actress who plays "Yvonne" (his character based on Cecile). Was it all about Jamie/Sandy/Blaine/Cecile or did it get into the whole Mac/Rachel/Mitch/Janice affair?  

[j swift]

The comparison to MOD is that both films were being sabotaged by their own production.  In both cases it was an inside job that prevented the films from being completed and released.

Jamie wrote the screenplay with the help of his editor Mark Singleton.  Jamie was dating Stacey, Cass's sister, but his drug use ended that relationship so she started dating Mark.

It terms of the scandal, my vague memory was that it was Pat who was embarrassed by the book, because it had references to her murder trial.  But, it is very likely that I am incorrect and I would appreciate anyone who recalls the specifics of that story.

[Vee]

Didn't MOD end with Owen Madison discovering the reels had erased themselves mysteriously in the screening room, suggesting that 'the curse' behind the real witchcraft story was real after all even after the hoaxster in question died? Or was there more to it after that?

[DRW50]

From what I've read, Pat was deeply upset, and this was the excuse given for her exit when they fired Beverly Penberthy.

[Xanthe]

What was the motive? I feel as if some kind of tax dodge could explain a lot (fiction is always full of rich people who want a business that will innocently lose money to reduce their taxes, or at least it was before we learned about money laundering) but knowing soaps it is probably revenge or stalking or something.

[Vee]

On EON, the Mansion of the Damned shoot was sabotaged because its producer, huckster Eddie Vaughn, was keen to boost its PR profile with a series of horror-themed stunts and faked 'disasters' on the set and soundstages to spook the public and media and get it a ton of attention and hype. MOD was supposed to be based on a 'real' legend of a witch local to the Monticello area, and Vaughn's angle was to make people believe the witch's curse was plaguing the production.

Things went south when starlet Nola Madison urged her old flame Eddie to set the soundstage on fire after filming had wrapped (IIRC) in order to both collect the insurance money and cement MOD's legend as a 'cursed' movie before its impending release. (Her real motive was to kill her romantic rival in the fire.) Eddie thought it was going too far and refused, but Nola did it herself. Eddie died in the fire trying to save her, and the MOD shoot came to a fiery end. It was only a week or two later when, IIRC, MOD's director Owen Madison realized the raw footage had been erased when he tried to play it back - suggesting that the witch's curse was real after all.

Edited January 13, 2023 by Vee

[AbcNbc247]

 

Yeah.

Jamie included Pat's past in his book and the shame and embarrassment of it all being dredged up again was what prompted her to leave Bay City. Still one of the stupidest ways to write out a character ever. 

The excuse was that they ran out of storyline for Beverly Penberthy, which is total B.S.

[robbwolff]

Mark Singleton was a politician, not an editor. He didn't have anything to do with the screenplay for "A View of the Bay." That storyline took place in 1982 during Corinne Jacker's stint. Mark didn't show up until sometime in 1983. 

[chrisml]

I'm curious. For those with a wider knowledge of AW (my knowledge extends vaguely to the MJ hooker storyline and beyond), what do you think were the major mistakes that were made with AW? I always felt that AW would right itself and then there would be an idiotic mistake that would derail everything.

[Paul Raven]

Where do I start ?

The major problem AW faced, like many others, was a refusal to embrace the history and instead following a mistaken belief that new characters and stories were the answer to ratings woes.

The Matthews and Frame families were a part of the show when it reached ratings peaks yet later producers/writers wanted to ignore that and expect viewers to embrace new families. even then the Loves and McKinnons were diminished as time went on.

Sure, new characters are important but tying them into established characters is a way to keep longterm viewers watching.

On the one hand they eliminated half the cast but then focused way too much on Rachel and Mac, creating stories that diminished those characters and their love story.

Meanwhile viable characters like Pat, Nancy, Dennis, Jamie, Mike,Marianne etc were not used.

Viewers want to see familiar families and their interactions, not fractured families and over exposed characters.

The character of Pat was case in point. An original character played by a long term actress who was still vital and attractive but because she was over 40 was tossed aside. Instead Pat , who only had one marriage under her belt could have been used to usher in a new family by having Pat marry and have a couple of step children as Bill Bell did with Jill marrying into the Abbotts.

[watson71]

A lot of mistakes were made with AW in a 3 year span from 1979-82.

AW expanded to 90 minutes when it was starting to lose viewers to General Hospital and Guiding Light.

AW was in the 3:00 PM time slot since its debut in 1964 where it was successful .  The 90 minute broadcast moved its start time to 2:30.

Once NBC/P&G realized the 90 minute episodes were not working, they decided to spin off Texas.  In 1980, AW changed time slots again with a 2:00 PM start time where it would remain until 1999. A lot of NBC stations moved the daytime lineup around and aired programs in different time slots.

With Texas debuting in 1980, it removed Iris (Beverlee McKinsey) from AW.  She was one of AW’s most popular characters.  The character would not return to AW for 8 years.  In addition, Texas was doomed from the start in the 3 PM time slot against GH and GL.  NBC should have left AW in that time slot and put Texas on at 2 PM in between DAYS and AW.

The writing on AW was not the best in 1981-82.  A bright spot was the Blaine/ Sandy/ Cecile story, but that worked because of the talented actors, not because of the writing.  The biggest mistake during this time was reviving the Rachel/ Steve/ Alice triangle- which on paper was a good idea- but Steve and Alice were recasts, not the original actors.

Once Paul Rauch left in 1983, and Allan Potter returned to AW as executive producer the show turned itself around creatively until 1985.  The ratings went up, but AW would never move out of the middle rated soaps.  The only real problem with Potter’s AW was that the show brought back Jacqueline Courtney’s Alice but then never gave her a big storyline.  While she was featured prominently, she remained a supporting character.

 

[AbcNbc247]

Exactly! And it could have played in to Jamie’s book storyline too. 

Pat could have decided to stay in Bay City and dealt with the fact that people are gossiping about her, her past is now front and center, etc. At the same time, you introduce a co-worker of Pat’s, who stands by her and stands up for her. Eventually, they begin to fall in love and we get a Brian/Pat/This guy triangle. 

Then you introduce his grown children. Some like Pat, some don’t. Have them plot and scheme and be torn over their father’s relationship with Pat. And have them mix it up with Jamie, Julia, whoever. They could have driven story for years. 

It could have been a good storyline. And would have been much more preferable to see then that movie crap. 

Edited January 14, 2023 by AbcNbc247

[robbwolff]

I believe Frank Fish is the one that wrote the screenplay. Frank was played by William H. Macy. Milo Simonelli was the producer. He was played by Louie Zorich, husband of Olympia Dukakis. And Vic Strang, played by Ben Masters, was the director. As for Jamie's novel, it must have been a huge book as it covered so many characters based on the residents of Bay City, including relatively new characters like Melissa Needham and Jason Dunlap.

[Xanthe]

Thanks. I see from the synopses that the sabotage was Milo causing accidents in order to profit from the insurance claims. But there was also some kind of scheming and intrigue around changing the script to pacify different offended parties.

I was surprised to see that Cass got involved with the movie after Milo ran away -- he was scheming to help Cecile by hindering the distribution of the movie. While looking for episodes I came across what seems to be Cass' introduction -- he arrives and sees Elena and baby Maggie at Mac's house. I was very interested since in the later retcon where Cecile claimed he was Maggie's father it seemed impossible that they had known each other when Maggie was conceived, but it appears that he and Elena already know each other, so maybe he also knew Cecile as well?

 

 

[Efulton]

Each decade behind the scenes decisions would put another nail in the Another World's coffin.

1960s

1966 - Writing out Janet Matthews and never bringing her back was a huge missed opportunity.  Actress Liza Chapman died in a car accident but after some the role should have been recast.

1969

Losing Audra Lindley (Liz Matthews), Shepperd Strudwick (Jim Matthews), Carol Roux (Melissa Palmer Matthews), Joseph Gallison (Bill Matthews) and Barbara Rodell (Lee Randolph) changed the show significantly.  While Liz and Jim were successfully recast killing off Lee and Bill and never bring back Melissa (other than briefly in 1970) was short sighted.  Lee, Bill, Melissa and their children should have been the future.

1970s

Popular characters Sam (Jordon Charney) and Lahoma Lucas (Ann Wedgeworth) were spun off to Somerset.

I loved Harding Lemay and Paul Rauch's Another World but their egos got in the way and they made some horrible decisions that had negative effects for the rest of the show's run.  

Firing George Reinholt (Steven Frame), Jaqueline Courtney (Alice Matthews Frame), Virginia Dwyer (Mary Matthews) and Michael M Ryan (John Randolph) gutted the show's core and it never completely recovered.

1980s

After Harding Lemay left in 1979 subsequent writers decimated the Matthews family. Beverly Penberthy (Pat Matthews Randolph) was fired in an unbelievably stupid move.  Hugh Marlowe (Jim Matthews) died. The Steve and Alice recasts did not work out. Michael and Marianne Randolph were forgotten.  Susan Matthews was written out again. Julia Shearer and Sally Frame (who was very popular when played by Jennifer Runyon and Mary Page Keller) were killed off.

It did turn around from December 1982 - mid 1985 but then Margaret DePriest took a wrecking ball to it from 1986 and 1987 and after that it was completely different show. I could right short novel on all the things DePriest did wrong.

1990s

From 1990 to mid 1995 the show was different but still enjoyable with many of my favourite stories (Who Shot Jake, the return of Carl and Kathleen and a new super couple era (Vicky/ Ryan, Jake / Paulina, Carl / Rachel, Dean / Jenna, Donna / Matthew, Cass / Frankie, John / Sharlene).  Then the Jill Farren Phelps followed by Charlotte Suavity torched the show and it never recovered.

Sorry for writing an essay!  

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Edited January 15, 2023 by Efulton