Jump to content

Another World Discussion Thread


Recommended Posts

  • Members

And/or there was someone they wanted who was unavailable but they counted on to be available soon (and then fell through)?

It's interesting to me that when they did establish a head writer, they promoted Gillian Spencer and added Sam Hall, which makes it seem as if if they were holding out for someone specific they didn't get them. The pairing lasted until March 1986 when Margaret DePriest came in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 13.8k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Members

Bear with me briefly as this is not about Another World ... The next blog I am going to be working on is "Interesting Credits" but that will not be its name. I don't know what it's name will be. But, it is for preferential treatment in credits that do not rise to the level of "star billing." Right now all it is, is some scattered notes. I know there were some people who were interested in this. If you are, PM me. Won't be posting about it here. Thank you.

Turns out that I just had to do a revision to the star billing blog. A new instance has been located, 1951, MISS SUSAN. If you were interested in the past, PM me for a new copy. 

And, now, for the continuing story of Another World ... 

Sam & Amanda, NYC, Jan. 26, 1988 

Please register in order to view this content

 

Edited by Donna L. Bridges
combine 2 posts
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

It is interesting to think of Sam Hall as a staff writer, because he brought such a specific tone to OLTL that mirrored his work on Dark Shadows. I can't imagine him trying to write for another head writer's vision.  And a pairing with Gillian Spencer feels out of left field.  But, at this moment, I can't recall the difference between when Rachel was blind and when she had amnesia. 

However, (on a related note), I wonder if I were watching each day  in real time, if I would've felt that Mac's undercover wooing of Rachel while she was blind felt unmotivated given their recent history.  I know we were supposed to think of Mac and Rachel as "endgame", but prior to her accident, do others think that the proper groundwork was laid for Mac to go to such extremes to try to win her back?

In other words, I'm happy that they got back together.  But was the pairing at that moment in the early 1980s just due to fate, or was it established during Rachel's time with nu-Steve that Mac still pinned for her?

Edited by j swift
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Please register in order to view this content

Sam & Amanda, playing in leaves 

 

 

 

 

I know. I had the exact same thought. It doesn't seem to make any sense at all. 

But, about your query regarding blind Rachel & Mac pretending to be someone else. I never found Mac to be lacking in genuine intent but I also thought it was a kind of wacky reaction to blindness. Essentially he set out to fool her & that makes you think about taking advantage of someone! 

Edited by Donna L. Bridges
combine 2 posts
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Eddie Drueding has uploaded some of my favorite episodes from Lemay's short return stint - when Liz blurts out too much to Matthew about Mitch and Janice, leading to Rachel telling Matthew about the circumstances behind his paternity. Now I'm just waiting for the episode where Rachel confronts Liz. 

(the scene with Liz and Matthew is about 28 minutes into the first episode)

I'm sorry that the show did not continue forward with this harder, and at times more manipulative side of Rachel after Lemay left. For all the talk of Lemay making Rachel AW's central heroine, he was also willing to write her as very flawed, which is much more compelling to me than how passive Rachel became in the '90s.

Please register in order to view this content

 

Edited by DRW50
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Poor Liz.  She kept trying to avoid talking about the issue, but Matthew would not let up, lol.

I do not know why, but it feels to me like all the drama over Matthew's learning the circumstances behind his conception is a lot of ado over nothing.  Maybe it is because Matthew knows already that Mitch is his biological father and that takes some of the sting out of this latest revelation.  (Why did all this information not come up when he did learn he was Mitch's son?)  Maybe it is because Mitch had redeemed himself somewhat in the original story by trying to stop Janice from killing Mac, even though Matthew is refusing to consider that fact.  Maybe it is because I cannot understand Rachel's antipathy toward the entire Frame family when only a handful of them - Steve, Willis, Janice, Jason - caused trouble for the Corys and others (and Steve's mention on that list is debatable, because it was more than clear that Rachel herself was the antagonist in that triangle with Alice).  Again, I do not know why.

However, this much, I do know: I think AW had changed so much in the years that Harding Lemay was away that I question how successful he would have been again, even if he had been allowed to continue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I think you're correct! Obviously, reading up on the show's history, other Corys had been introduced along the way: Iris, some random nephews of Mac's that didn't seem to last long, Adam (who I sort of remember), and Sandy. But, I can see where some would think the Corys weren't a core family in the traditional sense. For years, it may have just been Mac and Rachel (and Jamie) for the most part...and by connection, Ada. And, it appears for a few years there they were mostly backburnered. 

This era of the show smartly decided to really put the focus on them with Mac and Rachel as the matriarch and patriarch and with Jamie, Amanda, and Matthew as their children. Of course, Iris and Dennis also return to town. It's so sad about DW passing. Even as a kid watching the show, it was so sad when he died. The show kind of struggled for a bit there trying to figure out what the heart of the show would be now, and we never got to see the full story with Mac and Iris play out.

I started getting heavily invested in the show as a young teen around this time. I thought all of the history was fascinating. Despite the mess-up on backstory about the farm, Matt and Josie were a great use of history to start a new generation on the show. There were some wonderful clips on YouTube of Rachel and Sharlene in conflict over the pairing AND the fact that Rachel had killed Janice. It set the show up with the "has and the has nots" which is something that I think is desperately missing on the current versions of Y&R and B&B, where everyone is already rich and successful. As a writer, you miss all sorts of potential conflict when you don't have those characters clawing their way up.

I was kind of disappointed that they sort of dropped the Josie connection to the Matthews in the 90s and changed her last name back to Watts. Even though it was just her from the family in town at that point, it still would have been a nice nod to the show's history.

I can see where they moved Rachel to matriarch during this time, and for a bit there, she even got a bit of her "bitchiness" back if you watch the clips on YouTube with her and Sharlene and also with Donna. I wonder if that was Lemay influence who wanted to give her an edge again. I did find reading his book fascinating just to get her perspective on things.

Since I was too young to watch the show in the 70s, I was curious if some others thought that Rachel was prematurely aged too quickly with the rapid aging of Jamie in the 70s. He would have been shown as being in his 20s by the time Matthew was even born. VW must have only been in her early 40s during the mid-80s.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

You're right about all of this. I assume Lemay came back and decided he wanted to play those beats even if the best time had already passed. If he had stayed I do wonder if we would have had more estrangement between Mitch and Matthew. 

I think the writing did try to point out that Rachel was only blaming all the Frames because of regret or bitterness, and that she was wrong in doing so, but they could have been more nuanced (I would have had Josie being a bit of a schemer, or at least edgier).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Carolyn Culliton sometimes replies to an AW "on this day" account. Here are her thoughts on the exit of Fred J Scollay (Charlie Hobson). I'll post them as text too as Twitter will be lucky to be around by this time next year (as most of us will, admittedly).

She confirms in a second tweet that he was fired and she didn't know why.

On his last day in the studio, Fred came into the production office and sadly said, “I finally found out who you have to [!@#$%^&*] to get off this show …Ada”. We all said we were sorry to see him go.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Ada probably holds the record for most dead husbands-Ernie, Gil and Charlie.

They probably sacked him because he was old, not really important to the story and the money could be used for young newbies.His contract was up and they didn't see Charley being necessary for 3 more years.

He married Ada in Jan 80 and died in December that year.

And he wasn't alone. Almost 20 characters departed that year for Texas or parts unknown.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

It seemed clear to me at the time, Charlie was killed-off as a plot device to get Rachel out of prison, so her storyline could go forward.  If I recall correctly, Rachel was temporarily released from prison to attend Charlie's funeral (do people REALLY get released from prison to attend funerals??).  And then while she was out, something happened -- I think she ran away, or something like that.  Anyway, Charlie's death got Rachel back on the canvas so she could remain center-stage without playing all her scenes from a prison cell.  They needed a big event that would get Rachel briefly released, and Charlie was sacrificed. It was embarrassingly transparent.  That's the long and short of it, in my opinion.   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Yes, they do.  As a matter of fact, a distant cousin of mine was released so he could attend my maternal grandfather's funeral, wearing handcuffs and being escorted the entire time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



  • Recent Posts

    • They didn't need to have some slutty gay dude as their representation. Just a 'normal' guy getting involved with another guy or two (or three). Just like the straight characters. Thinking about it, they missed the boat by not having a few other single charcters at the beginning. Maybe Naomi or Ashley could be shown meeting Derek/Jacob and  we could follow their romance. Too many characters were coupled up at the start. As a tattoo hater I was surprised to see Tomas so inked. Don't find it attractive or sexy. I'm surprised an actor would do that as it's definitely a statement and may not be appropriate for some roles. Suppose they can cover if necessary. I didn't buy Kat being all girly and then paying off Darius to get into Eva's room. Way too cliche. She should have just come along when the housekeeping was leaving and breezed in saying it was her room. And her smug looks in the hotel room and 'Now I've got you!!' talks to herself at Orphey Gene's...no.  
    • Omg I was so annoyed. Like girl calm down. Coming on way too strong. Omg I forgot about this

      Please register in order to view this content

    • I thought it got stale before Jocks death lol. His death picked things back up for me.
    • 1976 Pt 5 Tony is summoned to the reading of the will in the Llanfair library,as he’s a principal in the will. He tells Joe there’s not a chance of coming to terms with Dorian, as he is sure she brought about Victor’s death by torturing him emotionally when he was her helpless prisoner after his stroke. Ironically, Chapin hand delivers to Viki a letter her father wrote before his stroke, praising Dorian and asking Viki to befriend and support his widow when he was no longer there. Viki feels a responsibility to her father’s wishes and vows to try with Dorian. Victor’s will leaves the expected amounts to members of his family and staff, with the lion’s share of his stock and property going to Dorian. Victor’s will explains that his son Tony expressed the desire that he not be “bought from the grave,” and, in keeping with his son’s wishes, the only bequest to him is the knowledge of his father’s love and respect. Tony is deeply moved. Dorian’s first attempt to use her new power is the recommendation of Peter as head of the Merideth Lord Wolek hospital wing, claiming that naming Larry would be virtual nepotism. Peter, who has devoted considerable time and effort to helping Jenny get over Tim’s death with gentle, affectionate support, is happy at this suggestion, but Jenny points out Dorian is merely using him to hurt Larry. Viki disregards Dorian’s ingenuous assurances that she’s not trying to wield her new power but is merely putting Peter up for consideration for a future opportunity, if not this one, and tells her she won’t be able to fulfill her father’s desire that they be friends unless Dorian stops interfering. Larry, fully understanding Dorian’s personal motives, warns her he’s going to fight for the appointment no matter what. Realizing that she has made a tactical error, Dorian announces that she won’t even attend the board meeting but will give her proxy to Jim. She admits to Matt McAllister, still her confidant, that this was humiliating, but it was a necessary protective tactic. Dorian manages to win her next round at Joe’s office when, after he praises her decision to yield on appointing Peter, she expresses concern for Viki “at a time like this.” Joe, of course, jumps on her words, and Dorian, pretending great distress at having mentioned something she shouldn’t have, is “forced” to explain that she knew about the congenital heart condition Megan had and that any child of Joe’s is likely to inherit it. She overheard the doctors discussing it at the time of the accident, she continues, and naturally assumed that Joe already knew.  Joe arranges a meeting at home with Viki and asks her how she could live a lie like this; how she could go through their lives as if everything were fine while every moment was a lie. He is further upset when, in trying to explain that it was out of her love for him that she kept the truth from him, she mentions that Jim and Larry also know but Cathy still hasn’t been told. Viki tells Joe that Dorian deliberately told him this way to hurt their marriage, and she is very upset when he starts toward the door, pleading that they have always talked things out in the past. Joe coolly points out that she didn’t do that when she learned about Megan and continues out the door.  A tearful Viki is shaken and when Joe later returns, having spent several hours in a bar drinking only soft drinks,she breaks down, crying that she was convinced he’d left her. Joe assures her they can get through this despite everything, because their relation is based on love and mutual respect. 
    • If you think about it, DALLAS and DYNASTY grew stale right about the same time, even if the ratings were slow to reflect that.  FC and KL, on the other hand, tried to stay fresh, but KL was way more successful at it, I think, than FC.  (That [!@#$%^&*] with The Thirteen does not hold up well, lol).
    • GH 1976 Pt 8 Heather takes advantage of the situation by asking Jeff to come and look at Tommy. She uses sympathy, compassion, and her own feminine wiles, together with his misery and his pills, to lure him into bed. Later, sober, he apologizes. Learning from Pearson that Monica has seen a divorce lawyer, Jeff confronts her, and she insists it’s a lie. Avoiding his attempts to kiss her, she musses her hair and tears her blouse, then rushes to Rick’s, claiming that she can’t stay with that maniac any longer. They wind up in Rick’s bed, and after making love he confesses he always loved her. Rick replies to her question of whether he wants to marry her by saying he has to talk to Jeff. Monica insists that Jeff not bear any pressure from their problems. As she leaves, Rick gives her a key to his apartment. Jeff, having spent the night drinking, misses his surgical assignment, and Steve, informing him that his personal life can’t interfere with his profession, puts him on suspension. Rick can’t persuade Steve to reverse his decision, but Mark, sensing what’s at the heart of Jeff’s problem, convinces Steve to lift Jeff’s suspension and transfer him to Mark’s service. Rick asks for his key back, telling Monica they can’t do anything as long as she’s under Jeff’s roof. So she has a duplicate made and moves into intern’s quarters, explaining that Jeff’s violence drove her out. She tells Jeff she needs privacy to work things out, and tells Rick Jeff wanted her out. Thinking that this is the preliminary to a divorce, Rick tells her she can come to his place. In New York, Leslie’s abortion is delayed by a mix-up in scheduling, and she calls Terri to commiserate. Rick overhears Terri’s conversation and forces the whole story from her. He flies to New York to stop Leslie, feeling responsible for pointing out how evil Cam was, and arrives to find that she has decided she can’t deny her child the right to live. Monica, meanwhile, expecting that Rick will be home, uses her key to let herself into his apartment and is shocked to find Mark there; knowing that Mark was uncomfortable at the hotel, Rick offered Mark use of the apartment in his absence. Monica is upset to learn that Rick is in New York with Leslie, and Mark doesn’t know why. Mark does advise Monica to play fair with Jeff, but she resents his interference. The next day, while covering for Leslie at the clinic, Monica discovers Leslie’s lab test report and jumps to the conclusion that the baby is Rick’s. When Rick and Leslie return, Monica wastes no time in accusing him. He is dismayed to see that she is still as suspicious and possessive as she was before he went to Africa, and points out that her making a duplicate  key proves she hasn’t changed. Terri encourages Leslie to see Rick in a romantic light and then suggests to Rick that Leslie is interested in him. Rick likes this idea and tells Mark he’s growing ‘unwilling to cope with Monica’s unreasonable demands. But Monica immediately recognizes the threat Leslie represents and decides to attack. She goes to Leslie and tells her flatly that she and Rick are having an affair and he’s her exclusive property. Leslie, who realizes she has been falling in love with Rick, is hurt, and Rick is mystified when he feels Leslie pulling away from him. Monica’s big moment comes when she brings Rick a housewarming gift and seduces him into letting her stay overnight. She is in the bedroom when Leslie stops by to apologize for refusing his dates, and makes a dramatic entrance into the living room draped in Rick’s bathrobe. Leslie turns and runs out. Rick later informs her he’s disappointed in her, because she prejudged Monica and him rather than giving him the benefit of the doubt. Heather tries to arrange another tryst with Jeff, but he replies that he still loves his wife. Heather decides there’s only one way to get Jeff to be pregnant with his child. She manages to overhear Monica putting Jeff down by telling him he no longer turns her on and should look for someone he does. Heather goes to Jeff and tells him that she heard Monica and that she is the one he’s looking for. She manages to get him into bed again, and sweetly assures him this is right. She then sets the stage for future meetings. Steve, meanwhile, offers to help Monica and Jeff work out their problems. Jeff is willing, but Monica turns the idea down. Instead, she presses Terri to convince Jeff to end the marriage. Terri now knows that Monica isn’t a good wife for Jeff and promises to try. But Jeff makes it clear to Monica that he still loves her and won’t let her go. She is bitter and upset, as she has already implied to Rick that she will soon be free. Audrey is upset to find that Florence Andrews has been inquiring about Tommy and herself. She goes to Florence’s home and finds she’s away now. Florence has gone down to Mexico to sign a sworn statement that she purchased a false death certificate for Tom, to protect his son after his wrongful conviction. Tom, learning from her that Steve and Audrey are to be married and Steve is planning to adopt Tommy, tells  Florence not to do anything, as there’s still no assurance that he’ll ever get out. But the judge does accept the statement, and, ironically, on the day that Steve  and Audrey are married, Tom is released from prison.
    • 1976 Pt 12 Final part Laurie agrees with Stuart that Peggy is rushing into marriage to prove that the rape didn’t ruin her life.  She points out that the only way Peg can be sure is to make love with Jack before the wedding. Stuart admits she’s right but points out that he can’t suggest that to Peggy. As the wedding approaches, Peg seems happy that Jack’s become close to the family. However, her happiness is shattered by a nightmare in which her loving bridegroom turns into a leering Ron Becker, forcing her to cancel the wedding. Jack reassures her he’ll wait as long as it takes, and Chris confides that she and Snapper didn’t consummate their marriage on their wedding night because of her own rape experience, but Peggy tells Chris she might never be ready.  Despite her desire to keep Karen as her own daughter, Chris helps a police artist create a sketch of Nancy so it can be printed in the newspaper as part of a search for her. When the attempt proves fruitless, however, Chris asks Greg to file application for permanent custody of the child. Greg points out that adoption is the only way to prevent Ron from returning and claiming the child, and that it will take quite a while. Meanwhile, a nurse in the psychiatric ward sees a resemblance  between the newspaper drawing and her autistic patient, Mrs. Jackson, but since “Fran” doesn’t respond to the name Nancy and no one else sees the similarity, she fears she’s mistaken. Jill is horrified to overhear Kay, when brihging baby Phillip a Christmas gift, telling the child she remembers the night he was conceived. Kay has to then admit to Jill she saw her with Phillip in the bunkhouse that night. Jill is aghast to realize that Kay new the truth all along and put her through such agony in spite of it, denying her baby his father’s name. Lance tells Laurie they’ll marry on Valentine’s Day. He laughs that it’s corny but agrees, secretly wishing it were sooner, as Vanessa has vowed to prevent it. Indeed, Vanessa makes an unprecedented venture out of the house to visit Brad, telling him to rebuff any advance Leslie might make to him, as she’s reaching out to him only from a sense of duty. But Laurie then makes a concerted effort to reach Vanessa. Without being sure why she’s trying so hard, she tries to assure the woman she’s not losing Lance and she, Laurie, will help her find a plastic surgeon somewhere who can help her. Grudgingly, Vanessa seems to be reconsidering her view of Laurie, and Laurie is delighted when Lance offers her a choice between two diamond necklaces, explaining that her preference will be Vanessa’s Christmas gift. Learning from Les about Brad’s blindness, Stuart tells Brad he could have turned Leslie away only out of great love. Knowing that Les is going to see Brad again, Laurie warns him not to bring the baby into their discussion, as Leslie will come back only she’s convinced he loves her, not for the babies sake. Leslie finds Brad disheveled and sloppy, and proceeds to straighten the apartment, stating that she can't respect him if he lets himself go. Realizing that neither Brad nor Les will make the first move, Laurie hurries things along by refusing to help Brad with his grooming, saying he should ask his wife. Then, having learned  that Brad offered Les the use of their piano, Laurie untunes the Brooks' piano forcing Leslie to accept his offer. By refusing to cater to his  blindness, Les manages to get Brad to stop wallowing in pity, and by the time Leslie’s Christmas braille message of her love and her need for him arrives, they are husband and wife again Lance takes Laurie on a business trip on New Year's Eve, and tells her, on board his plane, she won't be  won't be able to call him “Mr. All Talk and No action” after tonight. When Laurie protests that waited this long and will continue to wait until married, Lance delights her by instructing his pilot to land in Las Vegas, where they are married immediately.
    • Yeah, not sure why Jack and Jen didn’t rush to Marlena - or even Carrie - to offer their condolences. A few flashbacks would've been a nice touch too. Instead, we got a whole episode of them talking about Chad and Abby? Come on. On the bright side, I loved Anna’s scenes with Marlena and Carrie - sweet and heartfelt, felt like a real 80s throwback.
    • Martin and Smitty were designed to avoid the stereotype of gay men sleeping around (which to an extent is true). If you recall Martin had a line about them not being open when Chelsea came to talk to him. The producers are walking a very fine line right now and it might not be popular to say but I can understand it. Establishing enough footing to ward off complaints will let them showcase gay characters more openly later.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy