On 3/18/2026 at 8:14 PM, dc11786 said:

@Paul Raven I just don't think they were going to cast an actress in her 40s to play Patti. When you are casting 30 something Domini Blythe as the romantic rival of Jo's ex husband the show is going younger. Now, do I think they could have cast a 30 something person who could have played older? Yes. Scultz wasn't only too young, she appeared young. A slightly more mature actress in the same age range would have been more effective. Do you have anyone you would have cast in the role?

The infrastructure simply wasn't there in late 1985 when Patti was reintroduced for the hospital focus, but that's not to say they couldn't have rebuilt it. I would have started with the Riverfront Clinic where Angela Bassett's Selina McCulla worked and then slowly shifted things back to the hospital. Even By late 1985, the clinic wasn't present but had been earlier in the year. By late 1986, I think there were more emphasis towards the hospital reemerging with Jack Bett's David Glenn and the younger set considering medical careers (Evie and Jerry, I believe).

I like the Kendalls overall more than the McClearys, but I do think of them in terms of getting Peter Haskell back as Lloyd and some solidplaying Martin to make them viable. Which, given the youth emphasis, was highly unlikely. For me, the McClearys are more of a problem in the Addie Walsh / Pam Long era when you have Evie with Cagney and Quinn with Kat because they are so disconnected from the core. Even at the Kendalls worst (Chase / Adair / Alec triangle), the original story was tied to the bigger canvas (Adair having baby Elan by one of the brothers and abandoning it to be raised by Liza) before the connective tissue (Elan's parentage) was changed.

In a sense, the Kendalls replaced the Adamsons and another well off family could have come in and been integrated without much harm. Maybe have Estelle remarry.

I know I've read Gary Tomlin had planned to bring back Gary in 1986 and pair him with Sunny, which is why we ended up with Craig Walton for the summer. I wonder if the plan wasn't to bring on Laine in 1986 to as part of the revitalization of Henderson after the flood as I believe Adamson had a construction division or were a construction company.

I think there were a multitude of angles that could have been revisited and weren't.

@VelekaCarruthers Funny, I don't think Louan Gideon's accent bothered me because I always heard a hint of it in Sherry Mathis.

On 3/18/2026 at 8:14 PM, dc11786 said:

@Paul Raven I just don't think they were going to cast an actress in her 40s to play Patti. When you are casting 30 something Domini Blythe as the romantic rival of Jo's ex husband the show is going younger. Now, do I think they could have cast a 30 something person who could have played older? Yes. Scultz wasn't only too young, she appeared young. A slightly more mature actress in the same age range would have been more effective. Do you have anyone you would have cast in the role?

The infrastructure simply wasn't there in late 1985 when Patti was reintroduced for the hospital focus, but that's not to say they couldn't have rebuilt it. I would have started with the Riverfront Clinic where Angela Bassett's Selina McCulla worked and then slowly shifted things back to the hospital. Even By late 1985, the clinic wasn't present but had been earlier in the year. By late 1986, I think there were more emphasis towards the hospital reemerging with Jack Bett's David Glenn and the younger set considering medical careers (Evie and Jerry, I believe).

I like the Kendalls overall more than the McClearys, but I do think of them in terms of getting Peter Haskell back as Lloyd and some solidplaying Martin to make them viable. Which, given the youth emphasis, was highly unlikely. For me, the McClearys are more of a problem in the Addie Walsh / Pam Long era when you have Evie with Cagney and Quinn with Kat because they are so disconnected from the core. Even at the Kendalls worst (Chase / Adair / Alec triangle), the original story was tied to the bigger canvas (Adair having baby Elan by one of the brothers and abandoning it to be raised by Liza) before the connective tissue (Elan's parentage) was changed.

In a sense, the Kendalls replaced the Adamsons and another well off family could have come in and been integrated without much harm. Maybe have Estelle remarry.

I know I've read Gary Tomlin had planned to bring back Gary in 1986 and pair him with Sunny, which is why we ended up with Craig Walton for the summer. I wonder if the plan wasn't to bring on Laine in 1986 to as part of the revitalization of Henderson after the flood as I believe Adamson had a construction division or were a construction company.

I think there were a multitude of angles that could have been revisited and weren't.

@VelekaCarruthers Funny, I don't think Louan Gideon's accent bothered me because I always heard a hint of it in Sherry Mathis.

On 3/18/2026 at 8:14 PM, dc11786 said:

@Paul Raven I just don't think they were going to cast an actress in her 40s to play Patti. When you are casting 30 something Domini Blythe as the romantic rival of Jo's ex husband the show is going younger. Now, do I think they could have cast a 30 something person who could have played older? Yes. Scultz wasn't only too young, she appeared young. A slightly more mature actress in the same age range would have been more effective. Do you have anyone you would have cast in the role?

The infrastructure simply wasn't there in late 1985 when Patti was reintroduced for the hospital focus, but that's not to say they couldn't have rebuilt it. I would have started with the Riverfront Clinic where Angela Bassett's Selina McCulla worked and then slowly shifted things back to the hospital. Even By late 1985, the clinic wasn't present but had been earlier in the year. By late 1986, I think there were more emphasis towards the hospital reemerging with Jack Bett's David Glenn and the younger set considering medical careers (Evie and Jerry, I believe).

I like the Kendalls overall more than the McClearys, but I do think of them in terms of getting Peter Haskell back as Lloyd and some solidplaying Martin to make them viable. Which, given the youth emphasis, was highly unlikely. For me, the McClearys are more of a problem in the Addie Walsh / Pam Long era when you have Evie with Cagney and Quinn with Kat because they are so disconnected from the core. Even at the Kendalls worst (Chase / Adair / Alec triangle), the original story was tied to the bigger canvas (Adair having baby Elan by one of the brothers and abandoning it to be raised by Liza) before the connective tissue (Elan's parentage) was changed.

In a sense, the Kendalls replaced the Adamsons and another well off family could have come in and been integrated without much harm. Maybe have Estelle remarry.

I know I've read Gary Tomlin had planned to bring back Gary in 1986 and pair him with Sunny, which is why we ended up with Craig Walton for the summer. I wonder if the plan wasn't to bring on Laine in 1986 to as part of the revitalization of Henderson after the flood as I believe Adamson had a construction division or were a construction company.

I think there were a multitude of angles that could have been revisited and weren't.

@VelekaCarruthers Funny, I don't think Louan Gideon's accent bothered me because I always heard a hint of it in Sherry Mathis.

I wonder who you think would have been a good Gary recast who would also have chemistry with Marcia McCabe? And I'd have to think Laine would return, so who do you think should play her?

It would have been good if both Rick Lohman and Megan Bagot returned to the roles. Search had so many new characters that some familiar faces would be appreciated. They could use some flashbacks if former actors returned.

Lohman was doing guest spots at that point so might have been amenable to a return to SFT.

Second thoughts I think it was Steven Burleigh that played Gary at the time Laine was on the show. He didn't seem to be as popular as Rick in the role. That's when Gary was dropped. But he might have been acceptable if Gary returned.

Megan Bagot seemed to vanish. Maybe she was doing theater. Might have returned. Would Rebecca Hollen make a good Laine?

@Paul Raven I don't think Rebecca Hollen is a bad choice. I was trying to think about an actress who could embody Laine's ability to operate in a man's world, while also embracing their feminity in a way that bordered on manipulative. The best option I could come up with was Brynn Thayer, but I don't see her jumping ship from One Life to Live to go to the much lower rated Search for Tomorrow. I figured someone like Lisby Larson was more likely to be cast, but Hollen seems better.

I don't dislike Stephen Burleigh the way others do. I haven't seen much of Dr. Mike Powers, but he seemed fine opposite Hilary Bailey Smith in the few episodes I saw. I enjoyed him enough in some of his sleazier roles, Ian Cox, the arrogant philandering lawyer husband of Andrea Hall's alcoholic Virginia Cox and father of two teen girls on Tribes, and as Rhonda's sexual predator boyfriend who had abused Karen on General Hospital.

If Burleigh wasn't available, I would probably lean towards Richard Bekins as Gary.

2 hours ago, dc11786 said:

@Paul Raven I don't think Rebecca Hollen is a bad choice. I was trying to think about an actress who could embody Laine's ability to operate in a man's world, while also embracing their feminity in a way that bordered on manipulative. The best option I could come up with was Brynn Thayer, but I don't see her jumping ship from One Life to Live to go to the much lower rated Search for Tomorrow. I figured someone like Lisby Larson was more likely to be cast, but Hollen seems better.

I don't dislike Stephen Burleigh the way others do. I haven't seen much of Dr. Mike Powers, but he seemed fine opposite Hilary Bailey Smith in the few episodes I saw. I enjoyed him enough in some of his sleazier roles, Ian Cox, the arrogant philandering lawyer husband of Andrea Hall's alcoholic Virginia Cox and father of two teen girls on Tribes, and as Rhonda's sexual predator boyfriend who had abused Karen on General Hospital.

If Burleigh wasn't available, I would probably lean towards Richard Bekins as Gary.

Love the Bekins idea, if Lohman weren't available and also Hollen. Just thought of someone, too, Stephen Yates, loved him on GL and AW!

About 20 years ago, some guy on The World of Soap Themes claimed that Carla Borelli was slated to play the role of Liza had Search for Tomorrow continued. The guy who claimed this was eventually revealed as a fraud, but I absolutely loved the thought of Carla as Liza.