Another World

[Contessa Donatella]

Beautiful! 

[Efulton]

Thanks Donna.  By the time I tried to place the order the orders were closed.  I emailed Karen but never heard back.  I am still interested though.

[Contessa Donatella]

What I'm thinking about doing is having a zoom watch party!

[Paul Raven]

The Desert Trail Twentynine  Palms. California Dec 9. 1993

Big Doings in Brooklyn by Connie Passalacqua.

The soap world is abuzz with the dismissal after five years of Another World executive producer Michael Laibson. With considerable grit and tenacity Laibson kept AW alive during a time when the low-rated soap was rocked by drastic changes that NBC made in its afternoon serial line-up- specifically the cancellations of Generations and Santa Barbara. The show survived its own cancellation scare last spring when NBC decided at the very last moment to renew the show for three years. Apparently part of that deal is rumored to have been the replacement of Laibson, a long-time Procter and Gamble employee (AW is owned by the soap company) with someone more closely affiliated with NBC. AW’s new producer is Terry Guarneri. Guarneri was once a producer of The Cosby Show which incidentally was taped at the same Brooklyn studio as AW. Most recently she was the vice president of daytime east coast at ABC. Laibson, who was said to be quite surprised by his dismissal accomplished a great deal at AW. To remain for five years at a faltering soap in an executive producer's position is a miracle in a network environment that encourages personnel changes at every turn. When Laibson arrived at the soap it was in a shambles. In the 6Os and 70s, AW was daytime’s classiest and most sophisticated show (and also in the 70s top-rated). Under the long reign of Paul Rauch and several subsequent producers the show had degenerated into a soap that was both boring and cliche. Under Laibson (and head writers Donna Swajeski and Peggy Sloane) the women characters on the show became particularly strong. The high level of acting on the show was maintained by relying both on the talents of long-term cast members Victoria Wyndham (Rachel) Linda Dano (Felicia) and Stephen Schnetzer (Cass) and by developing such dynamic young actors as Alicia Coppola (Lorna) and Alla Korot (Jenna). If not a ratings favorite then the show under Laibson certainly distinguished itself critically. What will happen to AW (founded 1964) one of the greatest of the old warhorses of daytime? Stay tuned.

I think a 5 year run was a enough for Laibson. He didn't manage to jolt the ratings or create any real hype for the show. 

[Contessa Donatella]

Thanks, Paul. I enjoyed that.

[TEdgeofNight]

Thanks Paul. I’m going to move over to Guiding Light and give my thoughts about Michael Laibson because that is where I met him as EP of GL. 

[Contessa Donatella]

@DRW50 You might be interested. 

If you do Facebook, I recommend this group to you

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1500292994035731

It's Kim Wells's group, new as of this year & she has me as a co-admin just to help her out. And, all it is, is AW full episode uploads. Kim has some stuff not found anywhere else. But, right now all of her uploads are 1990s. You may recall that she had her long-time AW group hacked last year & lost it. So, she is starting again but this time just concentrating on full episodes, not discussion. Although if someone had something to say about an episode I am sure it would be welcome. 

Edit to Add: Kim's just announced that she's going to begin uploading earlier episodes too. 

Edited May 27 by Contessa Donatella
more

[Paul Raven]

Cashbox 4/4/92

David Lewis, member of group Atlantic Starr, will make his acting debut on NBC-TV's daytime drama Another World, on Friday, April 3. Along with his role as a club entertainer, Lewis will team with British vocalist Alicia Warren to perform Sam and Amanda's (Brian Green, Sandra Reinhardt) love theme, "My Love For You."

[Contessa Donatella]

I found it. It's in Kim Wells new group, that I posted about here last week. Unfortunately, at the moment there is a problem with the audio. Get back to you. 

[Matt]

 

[Contessa Donatella]

Begins about 37:00. 

[DRW50]

Thanks for letting me know. I'm glad that you are both helping to keep AW alive.

[Xanthe]

Oh, interesting. I wonder how much the song was used for Sam & Amanda prior to this episode and performance as a true theme. Thanks @Matt for posting the episode.The way the song was used was a bit odd as a love theme in that they showed both a loving Sam and Amanda but also Marley with Jamie interspersed with Dennis in a racecar thinking about Marley. Frankly I thought that was clumsily done -- at first I thought that there was something wrong in the broadcast when racetrack noises came in.

I am also wondering who the Obvious Seductress who took Dennis back to her motel was. She talked about getting reacquainted and I think he called her Dawn, but I didn't catch any real information about where they knew each other from. Surely she wasn't supposed to be Dawn Marshall from Texas? 

[Mona Kane Croft]

After the 90-minute disaster, what would you say was Another World's biggest failure during the show's last 20-years (1979 to 1999)?  I'm really asking about big fundamental failures -- not casting decisions and smaller mistakes.   

I'll go first.  I think AW's biggest failure during it's final 20-years was never hiring an established well-known head-writer with a long record of success (a writer similar to Nixon, Marland, Bell, Lemay, Phillips, Labine, etc.), AND giving that head-writer the freedom to write, AND keeping that head-writer for 7-8 years.  

What do you consider AW's biggest failure during the show's final 20-years?   

[Contessa Donatella]

The gruesome onscreen murder of Frankie Frame, wife, mother of a small child, PI, possibly a legacy character, possibly a core family member. 

But, the show, and P&G certainly should have hired & retained & well-used a high caliber HW. 

After those 2 items, not having to fight with NBC perpetually.