Another World

[Contessa Donatella]

I'm so excited! For the AW Anniversary Event, Karen McKenny has hired a videographer & there is now going to be a video of the event which anyone can buy! $45.00 

 

https://soaphub.com/general-soap-operas/soap-opera-history/another-world/how-you-can-celebrate-another-world-60th-anniversary-with-cast-members/#flyout-close

Edited April 5, 2024 by Contessa Donatella
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[Xanthe]

I have been reading Agnes Nixon's book My Life to Live. Here she describes watching Another World when Irna Phillips suggested she take the head writer position after CBS passed on All My Children:

On first reading it sounds as if the actors were already there and inspired her writing, but based on the dates I believe Nixon created all of their characters.

I also thought it interesting that she doesn't seem to mention Rachel at all, not even as a prototype for Erica Kane whom she discusses as if the character had no precedent in her work. 

Unlike Harding Lemay, Agnes Nixon was capable of delegating to subwriters while headwriting two shows.

 

Edited April 5, 2024 by Xanthe

[Contessa Donatella]

Rachel & Ada on AW were only one of many things that were nowhere to be found in her book at all.

She covers 3 things in order of how much attention is paid. 

1. her life & familiy

2. All My Children

3. One Life to Live

GL no, AW no, Loving no, The City no, ABC Writer's development no, ... 

Also I was one of many fans when reading it when it first came out who were horrified by its having so many errors.

This week I've gotten it out of storage with an eye to re-reading it.

 

Edited April 5, 2024 by Contessa Donatella
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[Mona Kane Croft]

I know for a fact that Agnes Nixon was one of the two or three best writers in the history of daytime. And she was likely the very best head-writer Another World ever had.  But sadly, her book (My Life to Live) is so full of errors it probably should never have been published.  There are things in her book that will go down in history as truth, when there are simply incorrect.  Not two or three errors, but likely dozens of errors. Her book will do much more harm than good, as future television historians use it as a source for soap opera history.   If only Ms Nixon had written this book ten-years earlier.  Things might be very different.   Just my opinion, of course.   

[chrisml]

What was the deal with Neal Cory? I had never heard of the character until recently. Was the character another missed opportunity?

[Xanthe]

Neal (played by Robert Lupone) was a kind of ambiguous character who did a lot of shady-seeming stuff related to the Egyptian treasure. In the end I believe it turned out he had been on the side of right all along but he was sort of isolated so it was hard to feel good about the twist.

He pursued Victoria (then played by Ellen Wheeler) -- sometimes in a way that seemed like it could be charming, but at least once in a way that seemed like attempted rape. Then suddenly one day he left as his handsomer, more obviously straight-arrow brother Adam came to town to work for the BCPD.

I don't know why they replaced Neal with Adam so it's possible that they could have transitioned him into Adam's role if they hadn't decided to burn Neal's bridges. 

[j swift]

I was more of an Adam Cory fan, but that is because I found Robert Lupone's performance as Neal to be too mannered for TV.  He is an established stage actor, but his acting on AMC and AW was too OTT.   Lots of flared nostrils and hysteric yelling that might work on Broadway, but was too broad for daytime.

It often feels as if writers or producers tried to tie new characters to existing families without including any notable family characteristics.  It indicates an attempt to appease the audience by showing an interest in the history of the show, without making a commitment to actually explore the background of key characters.   For example, if Frankie was introduced as Donna's cousin, but still had the same quirks, then she'd be a Love in name only.  Which would've been meaningless.

So, Adam and Neal were not very memorable, because neither was vital to the history of the Cory clan, nor did they engage in any stories that had a lasting effect.

Edited April 7, 2024 by j swift

[Paul Raven]

To have Neal suddenly appear as Mac's nephew was odd. as stated I don't believe there was any exploration of his history/connection to Mac,just a quick way to tie a newbie  to established characters.

As for Adam replacing Neal,there was a writer change and they probably decided to go with a 'hotter' actor. Lupone was definitely a character actor, not a leading man type. Surprised he was also cast as Tom Bergman on SFT.

I guess this was the after effect of Tony Geary's success on GH.

At that point, having Mac's grandson Dennis return would have been a more logical move. He was an established character with a history and connection to the show but had been away 5 years (maybe more in soap time) so there was an opportunity to modify the character a little if need be.

The Dennis/Jamie friendship could be utilized -maybe a Jamie/Dennis/Vicky triangle?

Edited April 7, 2024 by Paul Raven

[DRW50]

I always liked Ed Fry on ATWT, and he was a very handsome man, but to be honest I never found him attractive in that way. I actually found Robert Lupone to be more attractive, even though I only ever knew him as Roger's heel on GL. He had charisma, which Ed did not. This suited Ed more with the role he had on ATWT, where he was second choice to Frannie and then paired with Susan, who was much older and had been with much worse men so was happy for the change.

Ed didn't really need it, I suppose, as Adam was such a straight arrow, but it does make Adam less compelling, along with the ugly, misogynist writing given to MJ. All you have to do is compare Adam to Ryan Hudson, a similar character, but played by a much more charismatic actor.

On paper, a complex figure like Neal should have fit into AW, but that was a terrible time to deal with complexity or bring in new characters.

@Xanthe I would have loved hearing Agnes' thoughts on AW in the early '80s...

Edited April 7, 2024 by DRW50

[j swift]

Yes, it is always that absurd soap troupe that Mac has a brother whose sons were close enough family to stay at the Cory mansion, but they never contacted Alfred when Mac was married, shot, or on trial.

Edited April 7, 2024 by j swift

[Xanthe]

I would have been interested in her thoughts on any time period -- although I have to admit that I never really watched AMC or OLTL and don't have a good sense of what they were like under Nixon. 

I have to find the link again but I was reading an article originally published in the early 1990s that alluded to Agnes Nixon's having created a character on AW who had been Miss Black-Eyed Pea of 1960. Surely that must have been Lahoma. 

I've been trying to get my head around Sam Lucas -- was he supposed to be significantly younger than Ada or was Lee older than the novelizations gave me the impression she was? 

[Contessa Donatella]

I always thought it was something like me & my baby brother. 13 years difference in our ages. 

[chrisml]

Thanks to everyone for answering my q. about Neal Cory. This was from a period I didn't know much about, and Neal Cory never came up in any of the summaries I read. Was his hiring considered a "get" since he had been nominated for his work on All My Children? I liked Ed Fry's Adam, but as others have noted, I wish he (and Sally Spencer) had not been saddled with the prostitution storyline. 

In watching some of the episodes from the above period, I wish Katie Rich had been better integrated into the show and I was reminded of how much I liked Jane Cameron. I'm not bored by this period (perhaps it's nostalgia kicking in) but I can see where they're just throwing stuff at the wall and hoping something will stick. 

[Mona Kane Croft]

It was very strange to suddenly have (not one, but) TWO of Mac Cory's nephews arrive in town as law enforcement officials, with no mention of that being unusual -- considering the multi-generational wealth of the Cory family. Wouldn't it have been expected that someone (Mac? Rachel? Ada? Jamie? The maid? or someone?) might mention how odd it was to have two brothers coming from a millionaire family and choosing law enforcement as a career? Trying not to stereotype, but it was written as if the Corys were suddenly working-class, with two nephews "movin' on up" into law enforcement.  

I'm not suggesting it should have been a huge deal in the scripts, but still it was worthy of mention.   And the situation itself could have made for some good social-class drama, had it not been ignored.  Imagine how Iris would have felt about two of her cousins joining law enforcement?  Or how about Neal and Adam's mother? She could have come to Bay City to express her displeasure about her sons' choices.   Lots of opportunities for class-conflict that were ignored or lost.  Just my opinion, of course.  

[DRW50]

Do you think the show lost the idea of Mac being from wealth due to Douglass Watson's take on the character? It seemed like the initial take on Mac, pre-recast, had this as more prominent. Mac certainly was comfortably rich and held on to what he had for dear life, but it feels like the show chose to focus on wealthy trappings more with others in his life like Iris and even Rachel (resorting to bribery to get rid of Blaine).

Edited April 10, 2024 by DRW50