ATWT: Question about 1985 transition

[DRW50]

I know Doug Marland arrived as headwriter at some point in 1985 (I'm not sure of the date). Did they also get a new EP around that time?

What was Doug's first story? Do we know who the first character he introduced was?

Which characters did he write out?

To those who were watching back then -- did you see a shift in tone when he arrived, or did you not really notice?

And I was also going to ask, did Frank Runyeon choose to leave ATWT or did Marland and the EP want him out? I've just always thought it was strange that Steve went from being one of ATWT's most important characters in 1983 and 1984 to, a few years later, being shipped off to Greece and finally we were told he was languishing in a Greek prison.

Did he put Bob and Kim back together or did that happen before his arrival?

How do you think his writing for Lisa compared to the writing for her before his arrival?

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Robert Calhoun was already there as EP a year or so before Marland came.

In the credits, you'll actually see Harding Lemay credited as a Creative Consultant prior to Marland's arrival.

Can't help with everything else, but I'm sure some of the historians here know.

[DRW50]

Thanks. I never knew Lemay was there at that time. I knew he was around 1993 or 1994, because he said in a TV Guide interview that he told them it was ridiculous that three characters on the show had their own jets (Damien, Lucinda, Cal).

I know these questions are annoying, they just nag at me. Since many here have such extensive soap knowledge I was hoping they could help.

Thanks for your help.

[Paul Raven]

Bob and Kim were already married.

Marland penned the 'who's stalking Kim story?'

The first characters to go were Lord Stewart and Marcy as well as Frank Andropolous and Maggie Crawford(Lyla's sister)

I think Holden Snyder was the first new character,but I will check SOD to see.

[DRW50]

I knew the Snyders were created very early in his run, I just wasn't sure how early.

Why do you think they wanted Frank and Maggie gone? I always thought it was strange that after Maggie left, they never brought her back or really mentioned her, even though most of her family was still on the show.

So Sierra was already on the show when he arrived? For some reason I thought he'd created her.

[soapfan770]

I know that the McColls except for Brian were written out(although I think Diana left before Marland arrived, can't remember about Kirk) and then Cal Randolph who had been involved with Maggie was killed off. At some point in addition to Emma and Holden we were introduced to Hal Munson.

Lord Stewart...wasn't he the long lost Stewart relative who married Marisa Tomei's Marcy?

There was a brief writer's strike in 1985 and if I recall right that Bob and Kim's wedding episode was actually written by scabs. I remember reading that on the old WOST site after watching the ep. Of course that occurred in the spring of '85.

[DRW50]

Was Cal the one who had a story with Iva when she first arrived?

I remember Mark Pinter talking about how Marland told him he was writing Brian out and was going to give him a story for about a year which would phase him out. I don't remember what happened with Kirk though.

Frannie's boyfriends, Jay and Kevin, they were both pre-Marland, right? I know he killed Kevin but I don't remember what happened to Jay.

I never knew there was a strike in 85.

[soapfan770]

Not too sure about Cal and Iva interacting, my mind is fuzzy on the details right now. I know both of them got caught up as suspects in the murders which Doug Cummings was committing, and Cal who thought he had killed Marie Kovac ended up being killed by Doug himself. The Doug Cummings storyline of course was really Marland's first major storyline, started in '85 and going into '86. As for Brian, they had him break things off with Barbara and fall for Shannon for ahwhile, another early Marland character best remembered for surviving being beheaded and then having her head shrunken.

Jay Connors was for sure pre-Marland as he was the half brother of Kirk McColl and introduced in '84. They shared the same mother Dorothy, played by none other than Nancy Pinkerton of OLTL Dorian fame in her last daytime role. Kevin may have been borderline.

[DRW50]

Shannon was one of my favorites when I started watching ATWT around 1989 or so. I really did not like her return story though. I haven't seen her earliest stories (when she was living with John Dixon -- I did like their friendship later on). Brian went off with Duncan's daughter, right?

I've seen some clips here and there of Jay, one when he and Kevin were both suspects in Marie's murder and an earlier one when Jermaine Jackson and Whitney Houston were singing and Jay, wearing a huge leather jacket with what almost look like shoulder pads, bounded up to the stage to call out for the pre-Julianne Moore Frannie. I don't know that much about him though.

I didn't know Marie was on the show for as long as she was. For some reason I thought she was just on for the Doug Cummings story, and then her murder. Was she pre-Marland?

[Paul Raven]

Sod dated August 27th 1985 states that Marland is the new headwriter.That went on sale around August 13th.

In those days,news wasn't as quick as today.I think Marland started in mid June 85.

The synopses in that issue would be a month behind(I guess)

So here's what was happening mid June.

Kirk decides to leave Oakdale.

Craig runs over Dusty.A rich boy named Harrison is vying with Dusty for Lily.

Frannie is torn between Kevin and Jay.

Sierra and Craig deal with his sterility.

Barbara and Brian split.

Shannon is involved in the mystery of Evelyn Stone's murder which Margo is investigating.

This sounds pre Marland to me.

I'll locate the next issue and see what happens next.

[P.J.]

I wish I remembered...I wasn't nearly as critical of soaps then as I am now.

Anyway, on the Frank Runyeon question, I think he wanted out. I remember one writer saying there was such a different tone to Betsy after Meg Ryan left and Lindsay Frost took over the role, that Steve/Betsy changed irrevocably.

[DRW50]

Yes, P.J., that's how I was too. I think it was around 1994 or so that I started getting upset enough with my soaps that I wanted to know more and wonder if others were also upset. Looking back I kind of wish I hadn't, but then, if I hadn't, I'd probably just have given up soaps altogether.

That's true about the difference between Ryan and Frost. They seem like completely different characters.

Was Shannon a Marland character?

And those Marland clips hold up so well. They could pass as contemporary drama even now.

[Paul Raven]

Shannon was definitely Pre Marland.I think she had just been introduced prior to his taking over.Her real name was Erin Casey and she had a mysterious past.Marland reshaped the character and her back story.

I recall that Runyeon only wanted a I year contract in 86 and P&G were pulling back from this.

Also Steve & Betsy were part of another era and Marland probably found it difficult to find story for 'supercouple'.

In terms of writing out Frank,Maggie,Stewart and Marcy,I think he looked at the canvas and where he wanted to go and decided these characters were expendable.He wanted to make room for the Snyders.

[DRW50]

I can see why he wanted Marcy and Stewart out, and possibly Frank. I do wonder why Maggie never appeared again. Did they ever mention her later on? It's just weird, as she was so close to Lyla, Margo, and Craig.

[Paul Raven]

Shannon was definitely Pre Marland.I think she had just been introduced prior to his taking over.Her real name was Erin Casey and she had a mysterious past.Marland reshaped the character and her back story.

I recall that Runyeon only wanted a I year contract in 86 and P&G were pulling back from this.

Also Steve & Betsy were part of another era and Marland probably found it difficult to find story for 'supercouple'.

In terms of writing out Frank,Maggie,Stewart and Marcy,I think he looked at the canvas and where he wanted to go and decided these characters were expendable.He wanted to make room for the Snyders.