Another World

[robbwolff]

 

1984 was an interesting time for Another World. I remember Soap Opera Digest announcing that Linda Elstad (who is credited here on the writing team) had been named head writer. In the article, she previewed one of her planned stories: where Donna Love would buck tradition by trying to gain entrance to an all men's social club. Not sure what happened but Elstad never became head writer.

[I Am A Swede]

 

 

 

I have a feeling that the viewers would have been more accepting than expected. Maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but I feel that if the writing was good enough the majority would go along with much more than anticipated. The networks and the sponsors were probably more nervous than what was necessary, and most likely pulled the plug on a lot of stories too soon.

[watson71]

 

I agree and enjoyed Allen Potter's AW in 1983 and 1984.  The show had the same interesting, likeable, believable characters that his tenure on The Doctors and Guiding Light had.  In 1982-83, when Potter took over from Paul Rauch,  AW was in 10th place with a 4.8 rating. Potter' AW in 1983-84 was in 9th place with a 5.6 rating, and in 1984-85, AW was in 9th place with a 5.5 rating.  Potter retired from AW with the last episode of 1984.  I suspect that he would have stayed on longer had he been able to move AW higher up in the ratings.  You have to give him major props for turning AW around quickly in 1983 after the disastrous 1982 the show had under Corrine Jacker's pen.  Potter turned the show around keeping most of the cast intact without a mass exodus.  My only fault with Potter's tenure at AW was his misuse of Jacqueline Courtney's Alice after her return in May 1984.  Courtney would be gone from the show by April 1985, shortly after Potter's retirement.

 

AW did the same thing ten years later with Felicia and Marshall Kramer.  The viewers complained and execs got scared of the pairing. 

 

I also wonder why they never brought the character of Ben McKinnon back to the show in later years....

[Soaplovers]

Why do you think Agnes Nixon jumped ship to ABC?  She had headaches with p and g...and feeling stifled by their rules.  No surprise that p and g were unwilling to change even in the 90s and thereafter.

[rlj]

I don't remember that, I do remember them testing Thomasina/Perry tho!

[watson71]

 

Yes- they did test a Thomasina/Perry pairing with Donna being opposed to the pairing in Spring 1984.

[NothinButAttitude]

 

Why was Donna opposed to it? B/c Thomasina was Black or b/c of their class differences? I'm interested to hear about this.

[watson71]

 

More of a class difference- go to the 17 minute mark in the video below- while Carl greets Perry and Thomasina with warmth, Donna is more reserved  and says more with her body language than words:

 

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[Soaplovers]

That is fascinating aboit her not approving due to class differences...im going to guess in 1984 it w asnt in the plans at that time for her to have had a romance with a stable guy and had twins....right?

[watson71]

 

The character of Marley would show up in May 1984.  I'm not sure if TPTB at the time planned for her to have a twin or if they had planned Donna's back story with Michael Hudson.

[Melroser]

Man, I miss Cecile DePoulignac! My fave AW character of all-time. Loved how Mac, Rachel, and Felicia weren't enthusiastic about going to the dinner party because it was Cecile. haha. And Felicia's outfit! Holy 80's! Loved it. 

[Soaplovers]

 

To me.. the character of Marley got the short end of the stick in regards to stories/focus/writing once Vicky came onto the scene as the 'bad' twin.  Other then the Anne Heche era... Marley really wasn't given that much range/focus other then as the long suffering good twin to Vicky... even her final year when she went crazy was just a way to prop Vicky and rapist Jake.

 

To me, the show never really delved into the whole Donna/Marley connection... since Marley was raised to believe Donna was her sister and not her mom.  I know there were occasional focus on the two... but it seemed like the show was more interested in Vicky then Marley.

[j swift]

 

I would offer an alternate hypothesis.  I think Ellen Wheeler's period on the show had much more focus on Marley; possibly because Wheeler's Vicky always seemed a bit contrived.  Then, from Anne Heche to Jensen Buchanan the focus was on Vicky because she became the more interesting twin.  

 

 

[DRW50]

 

Supposedly Anne Heche asked for changes with Marley because of aspects of the character she couldn't take (like that wig, and presumably also how weak and insipid Marley was). I thought Anne did a great job as Marley in those last few years, and I think it was a good balance to Vicky, because it meant she wasn't overexposed and got to keep some of her edge. You could also really feel the love that Vicky had for Marley, especially in that rape trial, a story that honestly shouldn't have worked but somehow did. 

[soapfan770]

Jensen Buchanan actually did some remarkable work as Marley there in 1992, it's a shame the show would later stop writing for Marley altogether toward the end of '93 after Marley and Dennis inexplicably broke up. If recall right Buchanan didn't like Marley or being paired with the actor who played Ian Rain(well, guess who had the last laugh on that one?), and thus her 1994 contract to return was negotiated as such. 

 

What did you guys think of Russell Todd's Jamie as compared to previous Jamie's(i.e. Lau, Bekins, Yates etc)