Another World Discussion Thread

[Contessa Donatella]

Happy Birthday, Linda Dano! @LindaDano She is 79 today.

[victoria foxton]

 

  

[Contessa Donatella]

23 yrs ago, on Sun, May 16th, 1999, the cast & crew of AW were finishing up their last weekend as employees of PGP. The next week would be their last full week in the studio in Brooklyn. Chris Goutman had tried to get Beverlee McKinsey back for the last several show days, to appear as Iris one more time. But it didn't work out.

Edited May 18, 2022 by Tonksadora
Reflect changing info.

[Vee]

I'm not sure if McKinsey even agreed to do it.

[Contessa Donatella]

Of course, we don't know if the offer was even tendered since it is safe to assume that he might have asked for permission first. Once denied, there would have been no point to actually ask the great lady.

[Mona Kane Croft]

It was Beverlee McKinsey who said no, not P&G.  P&G had agreed to it.  Also it was Goutman (not P&G) who refused to do a retrospective show, use flashbacks, or bring former characters back for the final send off (other than Iris and Russ, who he had agreed to tentatively).   Goutman was quoted in more than one publication saying something along these lines -- "We're making the end of the show for the current fans, not the old fans. (not an exact quote)."  That was his flimsy and stubborn rationale for not looking back at the show's history during the final episodes. There were plans for Russ Matthews to return for a reunion with Josie, and share some memories with Rachel (and perhaps Iris).  David Bailey was unavailable, so the show hired Sam Groom and flew him all the way from California to appear as Russ.  But at the last minute, Goutman even refused to allow that tiny nod to the show's history, so they treated Groom like a glorified extra, and had him play the minister at Cass and Lila's wedding.   Insulting to the long-term viewers.  

Edited May 16, 2022 by Neil Johnson

[Contessa Donatella]

Well, this is very interesting. Some things don't matter; some things don't make sense. At any rate, if the offer was made to Beverlee & she declined, Goutman still had what the fans agree was a great idea but he couldn't bring it home. At any rate he tried. And, of course, Beverlee & Iris #1 is all over "old show" not new. Then Carolyn Culliton & the gorilla & her mate Richard (Culliton again) & her keeper, Sam & who Felicia was asking for on the phone, is Samuel D. Ratcliffe, RIP, the W & HW responsible for the comedy & high-jinks of Cass & Wally & Felicia & the gorilla Carolyn & that is all old show, not new. That is an homage. Maybe I'll add in confusing to interesting. At any rate soap journalists don't tend to get things wrong but at some point they are relying on what someone at the show told them, so there are many possibiities. I will say that if Goutman thought those last 2 days were for the new fans, at a wilder time in my life I'd like to have had whatever he was smokin'.

[Mona Kane Croft]

Yes, that's what is so ironic about Goutman's decision making.  He made a big deal about no retrospective stuff and making the finale for the new fans, instead of the old, etc., etc..  And then he agreed to bring back that ludicrous gorilla from the mid-1980s.  He could have invited Pat, Alice, Liz, Clarice, Jamie, etc, etc, etc -- but no.  We get the gorilla.  And Russ Matthews playing a minister. Poor Sam Groom must have wondered what kind of mess he had returned to.  Nuts.  

Edited May 16, 2022 by Neil Johnson

[victoria foxton]

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[Contessa Donatella]

Well, we got the entire cast, speaking directly into the camera telling us how much they love us & what good things they wish for us. That was a clever device.

Does anyone know where that YT clip is of Felicia & Wally in the truck cab, speeding downhill, no brakes, screaming, aimed dead ahead at Tall Boy's?

[Paul Raven]

Stephen Schenkel also got the exec producer role on AMC.

He made little impression on both shows.Maybe he had good people skills...

July 85

SOAP SCOOP By Connie Passalacqua Syndicated Columnist

For the most part, dictators of South American banana republics enjoy better reputations than executive producers of daytime soap operas. Total authority is vested in these producers, who can kill off a character (thus firing an actor) with a stroke of a pen, or completely change life in his or her soap opera dominion (both in its fictional locale and backstage at the studio) on any kind of whim. Most rule despotically, inspiring fear in their actors and writers, which inevitably surfaces on the screen and subtracts from a show's quality.

Then there's Stephen Schenkel, who became executive producer of "Another World" last fall. He's been described by one of his actresses as a "teddy bear." He has noticeably improved the show, mostly because his natural warmth encourages backstage cohesiveness, and he believes in personalty nurturing his staff and cast. "I like to be supportive," he says. "I like to generate a certain amount of enthusiasm. I love actors and writers and technical people. And I like to laugh." Schenkel says that most of the factors that have led to the show's improved ratings existed before he took over. "There were well-defined characters, outstanding writers and excellent production values," he explains. "These things were in place but needed to be stimulated. There wasn't a lot of excitement. What really was missing was an adequate story. We added Gillian Spencer as a writer (she also plays Daisy on "All My Children"), who's wonderful, and it just coalesced. The writers' energy and commitment to the show began to give it an emotional intensity and some real passion within the characters."

Schenkel, a former ABC programming executive who helped develop "Ryan's Hope," is a strong believer in stressing romantic and comedy elements in soap operas. "AW" is also one of the only soaps with an established group of comic characters, including Wallingford (Brent Collins) and Lily Mason (Jackee Harry). Schenkel raves about the talents of all his actors, and even has something good to say about the Brooklyn location of the show's studio, which most of his Manhattan-oriented staff loathe. "I like the people here. I like to walk down the street and feel their energies," he says. He also violated a soap opera no-no, inviting actors and writers to the same party. "Everyone got to know one another," he says. "And I didn't get any complaints about actors begging for story lines,' he says. 

 

[AbcNbc247]

^^

From what I've seen, Schenkel's run as EP started off strong, but once Richard Culliton and Gary Tomlin left, the show just seemed to fall apart. 

[victoria foxton]

Le Soleil and the Egyptian treasure. Were universally panned by the fans.

[AbcNbc247]

I should back and watch that time period. My memory's gotten a little hazy lol

[Olive Randolph]

Absolutely not. Schenkel rode for a few months on former EP and original show producer Allen Potter's set-up and Richard Culliton/Gary Tomlin's outline. It degenerated into a mess with various names holding the head writers spot until it settled on Sam Ratcliffe and Gillian Spencer in April 1985ish. Sam was a long-time show writer and knew the story and was great with humor but was shortly removed and pushed back to breakdown/script writer before leaving for a few years replaced by Sam Hall. That's where the mess really began - favorites were ignored and the Egyptian/Le Soleil/Arizona storyline was started and was a disaster - this was NOT an Another World story. The show looked dark, sets were sub-par, actors TRIED to make sense with what they were given but even they looked confused and that was Schenkel's contribution. It took new head writer Margaret DePriest and new EP John Whitesell to pull it all together but they lost a large amount of the familiar cast and went in a different direction - somewhat hopeful -  but ultimately a Days rip-off. This describes 1985-to late 1987. DePriest and Thom Racina STARTED to get it back on track in late 1987/early 1988 with Victoria Love (Anne Heche) back and some Frame history. The writers strike - insertion of legendary show head writer Harding LeMay's return, Donna Swajeski's scab work and brief use of Sheri Anderson with Racina as head writer was exciting to see play out in early 1988. Ultimately LeMay became head writer, Iris was reintroduced and the story and production under new EP Michael Laibson really came closest to the show's heyday in the early/mid 1970s. Swajeski took ultimate writing control and LeMay was out again and the show was watered down and limped to cancellation in 1999 with some great highlights and hot stories interspersed but not strong enough to build the demo/audience. I would LOVE to know why they blew up the Richard Culliton - Gary Tomlin writing team in 1985 as they really had the show on track and proved themselves with Carolyn Culliton initially as a team on Texas (I even forgive them for stealing parts of Texas' Hitopah story and using that with Sally/Catlin Ceclile/Cass/Felicia/Wallingford in 1984.) They created the FIRST real umbrella story for Another World during that time using all characters including Ada/Liz/Brian/Clarice in the overall plan. I ultimately blame Stephen Schenkel for the real destruction of Another World. Yes, writer Corrine Jacker and producer James A Baffico in 1982 ripped the historical guts from the show but there was time to restart the show and Allen Potter, Dorthy Ann Purser, Robert Soderberg and then the Cullitons and Tomlin started that process. Potter's "retirement" seemed to start the road to destruction but I'm sure P&Gs Ed Trach and others just made some REALLY bad choices.