Another World Discussion Thread

[janea4old]

There's already a thread for that:
"ALL: The "Soapourri" Thread"
https://boards.soapoperanetwork.com/topic/65864-all-the-soapourri-thread/

 **** Edit to clarify that that thread has a specific purpose outlined by the person who started it.
It might not be what you want.

Edited March 4, 2024 by janea4old

[Contessa Donatella]

Okay. I never had any idea what "Soapourri" meant in this context. Issue solved. No further discussion necessary. 

But, Mona, I meant it to be a place where these conversations would ideally originate. I agree that moving discussions is problematic.

[Jdee43]

Going back to a pre 1975 character you would have liked brought back, how about Mitchell Dru? They could have revealed that he was really a lothario, and that he was also Cass Winthrop's true biological father

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 And of course, being the only old guy in town, they'd finally have to pair him with Ada

Edited February 28, 2024 by Jdee43

[Mona Kane Croft]

I'm not sure Mitchell Dru liked women.  

[Contessa Donatella]

I'm not sure Ada liked men. 

[Sapounopera]

Exactly. Nobody should expect people to stop discussing topics they are bored with. One can always move on, right?

Exactly. 

I never mind when people start talking about another show. Most of the times it comes in an organic way and I am sure that everyone here is smart enough to follow the conversation or... ignore a few messages they don't care for, Contessa Donatella. 

[vetsoapfan]

I had no idea this thread even existed. Thanks for the heads up!

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I never wanted Uncle Dru to be written out in the first place. As a character who had been featured on The Brighter Day, As the World Turns, and then Another World, he was like a lynchpin of the Irna-verse. Plus, I have always found warm and wise patriarchal and matriarchal figures on soaps to be comforting.

If the show could have ever gotten good writers who were knowledgeable about and invested in the show's rich past, I would have asked Jacqueline Courtney to return again and USE HER EFFECTIVELY this time. I probably would have brought Ricky Matthews and Wally Curtin back to Bay City too. To newer viewers, Wally would have been like any other new character they were asked to invest in, but his addition to the canvas would be a nice nod to history for veteran viewers.

I realize TPTB would veto a sudden influx of much-older characters, but it would have been wonderful to see Beverly Penberthy and Sam Groom put back on contract as Pat Randolph and Russ Matthews.

 

[robbwolff]

Even though I've frequented this board for many years, I wasn't completely familiar with the whole Virginia Dwyer story. So I'm personally grateful that this subject came up over the past few days.

[AbcNbc247]

The storyline possibilities would have been endless if producers and writers had just taken the time to learn AW history. 

[Mona Kane Croft]

Absolutely!  Although all the old soaps had great untapped histories, Another World's history was especially ripe for new (or resurrected) storylines because of the unfortunate multitude of short term writers who were constantly writing character in and out of the show.  If AW had ever had a long-term head-writer in the later years (like Lemay, Nixon, Marland, or Bell), things could have turned out very differently in 1999. 

The soap opera is the only genre that can use its long history as fodder for new stories.   And fans love nothing more than that!

LOL, Donna.  Then they'd have been a perfect couple!   Although Dru was probably almost old enough to be Ada's father.   

[denzo30]

Totally, When I look back at the episodes where I see Connie Ford and most especially Victoria Wyndham constantly looking down at the cues for their lines, I have to wonder why Lemay was so upset with Jackie Courtney doing the same thing?  No disrespect to Hugh Marlow but I am sorry, he fumbled almost all his lines.  The footage I have seen of Virginia Dwyer, she appears to be a fine actress and very much playing mother Mary Matthews.  Lemay just wanted to change the landscape.  He should have really just been honest instead of commenting on their acting abilities considering he excused the actors he praised for the same flaws.  I think George Reinholts acting appealed to Lemay.  He even created the Frame family after him but that was more of Paul Rauch issue where George was difficult on the set.

[chrisml]

As someone whose knowledge of AW pre-1986 is from family members and online boards I'm always thankful for these discussions. I love reading about the history of the show and the firings/hirings that happened. I didn't witness a lot of these AW events at the time, and I have not watched my family's tapes in a very long time (my family was an early VHS adopter so they have tapes from the early 80's). As someone who does read a lot of soap history, I would not consider anyone's account to be the only valid or reliable one. In fact, it seems to me that some execs and performers are not the best when it comes to remembering specific details or accuracy in detailing events. It's been years since I read Lemay's book, but I felt that a lot of his remarks about the show and the performers were tinged with a degree of self-serving reflection. 

[Efulton]

I think Lemay may have had a distaste for “soap” actors like Courtney and Dwyer and had respect for the actors who came from movies like Marlowe & Ford and those from theatre like Watson, Wyndham & McKinsey. 

[Soapsuds]

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[Jdee43]

Seriously, if the producers wanted to bring Larry Haines or Forrest Compton or someone like that to the show long term, they should have had them be a recast Mitchell Dru. Then they instantly would have had Ada, Rachel, and Aunt Liz to talk to. Since Dru was a lawyer, they could also have had him hang around Cass. Such a recast could have fulfilled the older, wiser male character role that the show needed, especially in the 80s and then especially after Mac died. Also having him around would have paid tribute to Irna Phillips, who loved the character. 

Edited February 29, 2024 by Jdee43