Another World

[Xanthe]

 

It's not that they thought that no one would want to see the episodes as much as the cost to them was much more in the short term than even the long term benefit. We live in a time when data storage is relatively cheap and there are a lot of options. But back then it was significantly more expensive and they would have had to be able to see how to make money from choosing to preserve the shows. 

[FrenchBug82]

 

Wasn't there an issue of having to convert them to a new format or something - a time-consuming expansive process - or something? I seem to vaguely remember something like this.
Still hard to believe they thought it made more business sense for that content to be lost forever.

[Xanthe]

 

I remember reading that some old shows were lost because production reused the same tapes. Not sure about conversion issues. 

 

Back when they were making these decisions there were also a lot fewer distribution options. Before home video, cable channels, YouTube, streaming services ... where could they broadcast such a long form? The soap serial form has no real internal start and end points -- and some of the storylines might be too dated to attract a general audience. 

 

Edited May 8, 2021 by Xanthe
Fixed typo

[FrenchBug82]

 

Sure but it seems so short-sighted. How did NOONE imagine that one day there might be a way...?

I guess hindsight is twenty twenty but I would have tried donating them to the Smithsonian and getting a tax break or something lol

[jam6242]

I believe Laurie Heineman is in the Downy commercial at around 1:35.

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[applcin]

Was watching Constance Ford in a Thriller episode from 1960. She did play quite a few scheming characters back in the day. Some of her characters would have given Rachel a run for her money, for sure. 

[j swift]

I recalled that back in October this promo caused some debate about whether or not Steve Frame was the richest man in Bay City (specifically if he was richer than Mac).

 

Well, I was reading the 1981 weekly summaries (really enjoyed the Jordan Scott mystery, Jamie's drug addiction, and the Pat/Cecile rivalry - really disliked Jerry's sudden psychosis, Leigh & Sally, Rick & Marianne, and Mitch's inexplicably sudden exit).

 

Anyway here's a detail that caught my eye

NOVEMBER 16-20, 1981
James accepted Steve after Steve revealed his identity to all at a posh wingding.  Steve purchased Blaine's house

 

Blaine's house had been Jordan Scott's house, which while it was referred to as a mansion, and coveted by Cecile, never seemed as palatial as the Cory estate, nor did it have a stable.  However, from a practical stand point, it was a lovely set and deserved a second life

 

DECEMBER 28, 1981 - JANUARY 1, 1982
 Rachel supported Steve in his competition with Mac to be the most powerful man in Bay City.

 

So, I guess that was a thing...

Edited May 7, 2021 by j swift

[AbcNbc247]

I liked that set too.

 

So many characters lived there over the time that it was featured, but then it just suddenly disappeared.

[Mona Kane Croft]

 

The house Steve bought from Blaine had originally been Iris's mansion -- the house she built when she was engaged to Russ Matthews.  Her mansion had been designed by Robert Delany (before she married him), and built by Frame Enterprises (the original Steve's company). Iris lived there for a few years, before she moved into the penthouse.  I believe Iris sold her house to Elena, who sold it to Miranda Bishop.  The house had several owners possibly including Reena Cook, then Blaine, then Steve, before the set was finally retired.    

 

Edited May 7, 2021 by Neil Johnson

[AbcNbc247]

I think Mac and Janice lived there too for a little while. And so did Cass, I think, once Cecile owned it.

Edited May 7, 2021 by AbcNbc247

[Xanthe]

 

Was that where Cass was living after Cecile left in 1984, until she sent an emissary to evict him in early 1985? The AWHP has an address for that place as 30 Meadow Lane. (Not that addresses are mentioned often enough to be sure whether there is accurate continuity.)

Edited May 8, 2021 by Xanthe

[Mona Kane Croft]

 

You are probably right, because I was thinking Mac owned it too, briefly during one of his divorces from Rachel.   Wow, that house really got around.  Undoubtedly holds AW's record for house owned by the most different characters.  

 

I remember when Walter and Lenore moved into Bill and Missy Matthews' former house, and I thought that was a big deal.  Later, Lenore lived in the same house with Robert Delany.   That was the house with the sunken living room.    

[j swift]

watson71

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Posted May 6, 2019 (edited)

About the only thing Corrine Jacker did correctly at AW in 1982 was integrate Bay City with African American characters.   While their storylines were standard soap fare, the casting of the African American characters was top notch from 1982-84:

 

Quinn Harding (Petronia Paley) and her brother Ed (Howard Rollins, Jr.)

 

The Morgan Family- Bob (Robert Christian), his estranged wife Henrietta (Michelle Shay), and children RJ (Reggie Rock Bythewood) and Mary Sue (Tisha Ford)

 

Architect Roy Bingham (Morgan Freeman)

 

Dr. Abel Marsh and his rock star twin brother, Leo Mars (Joe Morton)

 

former prostitue turned good girl Lily Mason (Jackee Harry) and her niece Thomasina (Sheila Spencer and Pamela Kay) who was adopted by Quinn

 

Grant Todd (John Dewey Carter) and his son,  Carter (Russell Curry)

 

I wholeheartedly agree with you @watson71

 

I really enjoyed reading, then re-watching, the Bob/Henrietta/Quinn triangle.  It was so modern for its time because it referenced their culture, but it was also a story about a marriage just like Pat & John or Clarice & Larry.  Neither of the women were forced in stereotypical roles, there was no sassiness or neck rolling.  Both women had higher earning potential than Bob, which seems revolutionary for soaps both then and now.  But, also Bob wasn't just indecisive, he was actually understandably stuck between his devotion to his family, the fact that he couldn't maintain a physical/sexual relationship with Henrietta, and the perception that Quinn's independence meant that she didn't prioritize Bob's commitment.

 

It contrasted well with the adolescent games being played in the Sandy/Blaine/Cecile triangle.  Having just read 1981-1984, Sandy had to lie to his significant other about his job for her protection three times in a row.  One would think by the third time Blaine would at least start to question his motives.

 

The one other odd thing that I noticed about both the Brown (12/80 - 11/81) and Jacker (11/81-11/82) eras was that regular characters would take long breaks out of town.  Pat left for weeks before her return and final exit.  Steve left for a few weeks before his exit, and Mac left town as well.  I would guess it written to explain the actors' vacations, but it seemed odd that with such a big cast they couldn't just have someone off screen without explanation.

 

Also in that period, Brian was so good during Blaine's trial that it is a true shame that Cass's introduction made his legal expertise redundant.  I didn't like how Brian reacted to Iris, so I never appreciated the character until his defense of Blaine and relationship with Pat.  Paul Stevens (who played Brian) reminded me of Cary Grant with his distinguished nature and charisma. 

 

Most of the younger male characters really suffer during the writing change.  Rick Halloway was never appealing to me but, one day he is gung-ho at becoming a psychiatrist, then a few months later he abandons that plan to be a community health specialist.  Joey pivots from Eileen to Kit without much mourning, Jerry gets sudden onset brain injury induced psychosis which causes him to make prank calls, and Jamey, now James, gets four different love interests (Christine, Marianne, Susan, and Julia).

 

Finally, I found it odd that in 1982 not only was there no mention of AIDS (although I guess it is similar to today's pandemic that it was deemed too political), but Marianne and Cecile both think they are impregnated by James, which means that both women slept with a drug addict before AIDS tests were publicly available, without condoms, and nobody discusses it as an issue.  Hindsight is 20/20, and those were obviously different times in daytime TV, but I can't imagine watching a soap produced in New York in the early 80's and not immediately thinking that was huge oversight.

Edited May 8, 2021 by j swift

[AbcNbc247]

Yeah, that was the place. I think after that was when the set disappeared

And the interesting thing about it was that it never a reused set (like the way Ada's house became the Shea house). All those characters all were supposed to have lived at the same place, which I was think was supposed to be near the Cory estate

[j swift]

 

I went back to look at the Cass and Steve iterations of the house.  It is amusing that wall color and fabric prints changed, but none of the subsequent owners ever rearranged the furniture.  Blaine, Jordan, Steve, and Cass all kept their respective sofas in exactly the same place.