Sherry Mathis seems to be a bright side of the show in the 80s.. where it went through so many writers and changed tones like people changed clothes.

 

The sad thing is that even if the show had a consistent tone and writing team.. it still would have been doomed because of P & G being stubborn in 1982, NBC picking it up and putting it in a time slot known for preemptions and ranking third (in the areas that did air it).   Part of me thinks it probably would have been better to have ended it in 1982 since we would have been spared the obnoxious McCleary clan... but I'm sure there were some golden nuggets and scenes that would have been missed if that had happened.

5 hours ago, vetsoapfan said:

 

I don't think it was very popular. IMHO, Aniston was stiff, wooden, and uncharismatic on both LoL and SFT.

 

Aniston did not produce any sparks with Stuart either, but this time (to my changrin), SFT went ahead and had his character marry Jo and remain on the show for 6 years. Blechh.

 

Thanks. It seems that John Aniston didn’t truly come into his own until he went to DAYS and became Victor Kiriakis.

 

Robert Mandan (Sam #1) has passed away.

I'd love to see his work from SFT. From everything I've read, the Jo/Sam love story was one of the greatest the show ever had. When Robert Mandan left the show to move to LA, I've read that neither of the Sam recasts had even a fraction of the chemistry with Mary Stuart that he'd had. Thus, the creation of Dr. Tony Vincente, who Jo would ultimately marry.

2 hours ago, amybrickwallace said:

I'd love to see his work from SFT. From everything I've read, the Jo/Sam love story was one of the greatest the show ever had. When Robert Mandan left the show to move to LA, I've read that neither of the Sam recasts had even a fraction of the chemistry with Mary Stuart that he'd had. Thus, the creation of Dr. Tony Vincente, who Jo would ultimately marry.

 

 Some recasts are just...painful, when the original actors had had such great chemistry with their co-stars.Stuart and Mandan really clicked. IMHO, he was her best leading man.

I've heard that George Gaynes and Robert Loggia were the recasts. Which one immediately followed Mr. Mandan? Did you think one or the other were better in the role?

George Gaynes was the first recast.  Roy Shuman was playing Sam when the character was killed off.  Robert Loggia played Tony Vincente while Tony George was recovering from lung surgery in 1973.

 

2 hours ago, amybrickwallace said:

I've heard that George Gaynes and Robert Loggia were the recasts. Which one immediately followed Mr. Mandan? Did you think one or the other were better in the role?

 

George Gaynes, the first recast, was a comedown from Robert Mandan. He lacked the charm Mandan had had, and after a while it was clear that Sam Reynolds was no longer a viable long-term romantic partner for our Jo. BTW, I found Gaynes to be rather wooden on GH too.

4 hours ago, hendersonite said:

George Gaynes was the first recast.  Roy Shuman was playing Sam when the character was killed off.  Robert Loggia played Tony Vincente while Tony George was recovering from lung surgery in 1973.

 

 

OK, I stand corrected. Thanks!

When Robert left.Sam left on a trip and then was reported missing.

They decided to recast and when that wasn't working out,Sam went crazy and was killed off.

I'm sure fans of the couple weren't pleased with the resolution to that story.

 

Later, Anthony George leaving forced the writers to kill him off.

Had he not left, I wonder what story Jo and Tony would have had throughout the 70's?

Edited June 6, 20187 yr by Paul Raven

Yes, that's a good point. Would they still have brought on John Aniston and had a Tony/Jo/Martin triangle?

Ken Kercheval took over from Burr DeBenning as Nick Hunter in Aug 66.

 

Louise Shaffer replaced Pamela Murphy as Emily in Sept 67.

Edited June 26, 20187 yr by Paul Raven

I watched Search for Tomorrow in 1967 and 1968.    I am very glad that it continued on NBC.