13 minutes ago, Tisy-Lish said:

I agree, the Red Swan was probably Swajeski's first completely independent plot (meaning completely independent from Lemay).  But WOW, it was terrible -- and an undignified way to write the death of an iconic and dignified character like Mackenzie Cory.  

And regarding Iris, I'm not sure Lemay would have redeemed Iris at all.  And if he did, it would have taken months and months (possibly years) before Mac (or the rest of the Corys) forgave her.  But that's what creates believable drama.  

Didn't Mac tend to forgive Iris fairly quickly in the Lemay era? I know months passed but she would usually go back into the fold.

30 minutes ago, watson71 said:

AW was really good with the umbrella story of Who Killed Jason Frame story that involved all of the characters on the show.  I assume this was a Lemay story that Swajeski followed.  The first hiccup Swajeski had was Douglass Watson’s sudden death.  The Red Swan was probably her first original storyline and was all over the place.  
 

I wish someone had a copy of Lemay’s bible from 1988.  It would definitely be an interesting read to see how Iris would have been redeemed. 

Sometimes I am amazed that the show was even able to recover after May 1st, 1989, Doug's death.

But the Red Swan was in a way a punishment visited upon the fans. 

 

Bad Recasts:

Russell Todd ( Jamie Frame)      Very Bland...

Linda Borgeson ( Alice Frame)   Boring...Boring...Boring...

Judy Dewey  ( Blaine Ewing)     What a letdown after Laura Malone...

Good Recasts

Irene Dailey ( Liz Matthews)     Great Actress...Great chemistry with Doug Watson, Victoria Wyndham, Beverley Penberthy and Hugh Marlowe...

Nancy Frangione ( Cecile DePoulignac)  I did enjoy Susan Keith as Cecile.

Edited April 26, 20251 yr by jmgaw
delete repeat post

The Red Swan was terrible but it was not the worst story ever told on Another World. I cannot imagine the pressure on the Swajeski and Michael Laibson to quickly pivot and deal with the loss of their leading man who was front and center at the time of his death.

8 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

Didn't Mac tend to forgive Iris fairly quickly in the Lemay era? I know months passed but she would usually go back into the fold.

Well, "quickly" is a relative term.  LOL.  I would not describe "months" as quickly.  But yes, she always managed to charm herself back into Daddy's good graces.   

The Red Swan was slow moving and boring. Ken Jordan was a dud of a character.  Donna Swajeski was lost without Harding LeMay's outlines. LeMay was the reason Another World was nominated for best writing in 1989.  The Jason Frame Murder, Iris revealed as the Chief, and Josie Watts learning Russ Matthews was her father put Another World at the tops of its game. The inexperienced Swajeski couldn't keep the momentum going. 

15 minutes ago, Tisy-Lish said:

Well, "quickly" is a relative term.  LOL.  I would not describe "months" as quickly.  But yes, she always managed to charm herself back into Daddy's good graces.   

I think for the severity of some of what Iris did in the '70s it was quick, but then I have never seen most of that, only read it. 

If Mac had lived I imagine he and Iris would have had a further period of estrangement. The only reason they needed to have forgiveness after several months was because the Corys would have been too scattered otherwise. I think it also may have been down to not really having story if Iris was fully estranged from the Corys as she was never close to any of them anyway - Mac was the one she loved. I think it was R Scott Colishaw (?) who said Mac's death was the ultimate comeuppance for Iris all through the rest of her time on the show.

18 minutes ago, Efulton said:

The Red Swan was terrible but it was not the worst story ever told on Another World. I cannot imagine the pressure on the Swajeski and Michael Laibson to quickly pivot and deal with the loss of their leading man who was front and center at the time of his death.

100% agree. But, now you've done it. What was the worst story ever told on AW?

4 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

I think it was R Scott Colishaw (?) who said Mac's death was the ultimate comeuppance for Iris all through the rest of her time on the show.

Wow, I have never heard that quote before. But it is a very deep thought.  I'd agree with Colishaw.  Had Lemay written Mac's death, I can imagine Iris being completely inconsolable and likely suicidal.   

10 minutes ago, Tisy-Lish said:

Wow, I have never heard that quote before. But it is a very deep thought.  I'd agree with Colishaw.  Had Lemay written Mac's death, I can imagine Iris being completely inconsolable and likely suicidal.   

I agree. I think he also would have been more overt in her looking for Mac replacements, which was sort of implied with how quickly she fell for Lucas, and later, Spencer, but never properly told. 

It's all been written about enough as it is but the show did Iris so dirty in the '90s. The last mention of her being in an interview where Michael Malone basically had to say that P&G saw her as too old to return still bothers me. 

Edited April 26, 20251 yr by DRW50

47 minutes ago, Contessa Donatella said:

What was the worst story ever told on AW?

In no particular order:

The Red Swan

Lumina

The Egyptian/Arizona Poison Bottle of Sand

49 minutes ago, Contessa Donatella said:

100% agree. But, now you've done it. What was the worst story ever told on AW?

Without a doubt, that poisonous dust in that Egyptian urn that Nancy gave to Mac and Rachel for Christmas.  Both of them in the hospital at the same time in early 1986 because they both inhaled the dust. 

5 minutes ago, watson71 said:

Without a doubt, that poisonous dust in that Egyptian urn that Nancy gave to Mac and Rachel for Christmas.  Both of them in the hospital at the same time in early 1986 because they both inhaled the dust. 

That Egyptian dust was my first thought.

1. The Egyptian dust story was horrendous.  Poorly written....

2. The return of Steven Frame. Perhaps had Jacqueline Courtney played Alice at this point it may have worked.  The writing was pretty bad in 1981-1982.

 

29 minutes ago, jmgaw said:

1. The Egyptian dust story was horrendous.  Poorly written....

2. The return of Steven Frame. Perhaps had Jacqueline Courtney played Alice at this point it may have worked.  The writing was pretty bad in 1981-1982.

 

I thought the return of Steve Frame was well written on paper and David Canary did his best but the casting of Alice was an huge issue.  Also, soon after Steve returned (on October 13, 1981) L. Virginia Browne was replaced by Corinne Jacker (November 9, 1981). Corinne was a disaster although she did give us Cass Winthrop and Alma Rudder so I will her praise for those creations.