Another World

[SFK]

Robin Strasser touched upon Margie Impert's casting in at least one interview I read. It was Strasser's opinion that Impert was cast based upon a physical resemblance to her, but ultimately, such superficial casting never works. (This reminds me of anecdotes about Joanne Dorian for Gillian Spencer as Viki on OLTL.) Recasting the characters with actors based upon their own merits is what worked and Victoria Wyndham (and Erika Slezak) became most strongly identified with the characters in question regardless of their resemblance to the originators. 

[Jdee43]

Doing research, probably one of the reasons Impert was gone so quickly was the change in executive producers. Paul Rauch stared as ep in December 1971. Apparently he came on just after Impert was hired by his predecessor. Raunch no doubt wanted to put his own stamp on the character.

Interesting how, from Strasser to Impert to Wyndham, Rachel got less working class and ethnic looking.

Edited January 24, 2024 by Jdee43

[AbcNbc247]

I’m still wondering what finally happened that made Paul Rauch and everybody realize that the show was in a bad place at the time.

Pete, Diana and so many others were all sent packing at the end of September. 

[watson71]

I suspect that was the time Rauch realized that his days at AW were over after almost 12 years as EP. Probably the last “big thing” that Rauch did at AW was to introduce the character of Felicia Gallant.  P&G would move Gail Kobe to GL after TEXAS was canceled, and move Allan Potter to AW from GL in early 1983.  Potter did clean up AW quickly given the mess Rauch left him with, and AW was again watchable for most of 1983 through the end of 1984 when Potter retired. 
 

The only real fault during Potter’s time at AW was not using Jacqueline Courtney’s Alice more effectively, given the fact that he was AW’s first producer in 1964.  He was aware of Alice’s history on the show. Rather than give her a big storyline, he made her a supporting character in Sally’s story.  If the show had waited to do the Steve Frame back from the dead story once Courtney came back, it probably would have worked.

[Efulton]

Thank you!  A big wasted opportunity to fix one of the show's biggest blunders.

[Xanthe]

Aw, I have a soft spot for this theme. I'm not crazy about the arrangement which is maybe verging on the bombastic, but I enjoy the melody. I like the earlier theme as well and prefer the logo with the rainbow of rings to the opeming blocks that become profiles. 

[watson71]

Always liked this theme and the one before it. Always liked that they kept the interlocking rings at the beginning of the opening credits as a nod and wink to the past.  Also, for 1981, the credits were technologically advanced- I wonder if the company that created the credits for the Superman movie in 1978 worked on these credits?  They are very similar. 
 

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[Mona Kane Croft]

The most amazing thing to me is, the original expanding "circle of rings" opening (the one used throughout most of the 1960s and 70s) was created without the assistance of computer technology.  To me, it it almost impossible to imagine how that opening was put together.  Would that be called "analog" animation?  

[watson71]

I almost wonder if they designed the 60 and 70s opening with a kaleidoscope toy and somehow filmed it to capture the interlocking rings and the title.

[Xanthe]

How dynamic was the original opening that ran until January 1966? Based on the description on the AWHP it sounds like it was at least partially animated, and perhaps a bit similar to the rings since there is a circle that expands into a sort of latticework background.  

http://www.anotherworldhomepage.com/openings.html

http://www.anotherworldhomepage.com/open5.html

I am not an expert, but do we know that the opening didn't use computer technology? The pattern is very regular and 2 dimensional so I don't think it would have been impossible for the time.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_computer_animation

[Contessa Donatella]

We now have 1300 signatures on our petition to get a Lifetime Achievement Daytime Emmy awarded posthumously to the divine Beverlee McKinsey. Our goal has been 1500 signatures. Do you think we can make it? Have you signed yet? If not, can you sign today? Do you know anyone who might want to know about this? If so, can you get this link to them? https://chng.it/9s22wzb7rF 

[TEdgeofNight]

Spamming the board doesn't help Beverlee McKinsey get an Emmy. That's not how NATAS works. They don't give awards out because someone should have received one 30 years ago. This is a futile agenda. Beverlee McKinsey deserved to win over 30 years ago but she didn't. End of story. 

Edited January 28, 2024 by TEdgeofNight

[Contessa Donatella]

 

 

Posting topical information does not even come close to spamming. 

Edited January 28, 2024 by Donna L. Bridges

[Mona Kane Croft]

I guess we don't know that for sure. But I read somewhere, a few years ago, that it was done without computer assistance.  It don't remember where I read it, but the author briefly explained how it was done.  I didn't understand his explanation, so I can't recount it here.  But I believe it was some kind of stop-camera animation.  I doubt there is any way now to find the article (or interview, or whatever it was) that I read.  Sorry about that.   

Just to be clear -- I'm talking about the color version of the "circle of rings" that expanded in front of a black background, with the title Another World within the circle.  I believe this was the show's second opening graphic and lasted until around 1980-81, I believe.   

[Xanthe]

Thank you, that is helpful. I did understand you meant the coloured rings, but when I started hunting to see if I could find any info I was struck by how similarly kaleidoscopic the effect of the original opening was and started to speculate about whether they used the same technique for both and whether the change was prompted simply because they knew they would be switching to colour or because they had new technology at their disposal.

The AWHP gives the starting date for the circle of rings opening as January 19, 1966 and the transition to colour on June 20 the same year. September 7, 1981 was the debut of the "block letter" opening.

Did any other shows (or movies) have similar openings that would provide insight into how it was done, I wonder?