Sheri Anderson run November 1986 to July 1987. Pamela Long second run July 1987 to December 1990.

29 minutes ago, DeeVee said:

Now I have many, many questions.

Did that ever happen? Dinah was kidnapped, does that count? Did anyone care about Christine being accused of murder? Is this when they went to San Rios to look for the "Encantadora?" Gag, that story was stupid.

Claire and Warren were written out during this period, I believe. I'm not sure I would call them "old" at this point of their lives. Oh, and Sally, I guess? But that storyline was over because Larkin Malloy left.

At this point, besides HB, the oldest characters were probably Alan and Alex. Were they thinking of getting rid of them? When Bernau had just returned?

I believe these are the people who created the faux Bauers. Were they planning to supplant Ed and Mo with them?

Now we know who to blame. 😁

I can't figure out that "love on the run" thing either. Simon and Jessie are almost done, Calla's on her way out. She must introduce Chelsea, the fake Reardon?

Jordan Clarke leaves December '86, but I thought that was more his decision. Henry has another heart attack in March of '87, but I'm not sure they ever seriously considered firing William Roerick.

Oh, and Andersen couldn't figure out how to hook Vanessa and Ross up.

1 hour ago, P.J. said:

I can't figure out that "love on the run" thing either. Simon and Jessie are almost done, Calla's on her way out. She must introduce Chelsea, the fake Reardon?

Yes, I'm pretty sure Chelsea started autumn of 1986.

She did the awful art theft storyline, brought back the too-quickly SORASed Alan Michael (though I loved Carl, they should have brought Hope back first), gave us the faux Bauers. She teased returns both for Hope and Rita and then neither happened. She seemed allergic to couples who had chemistry, breaking up Ross and Vanessa and not doing anything with the chemistry between Alan and India. I think she's also the one who created Alan's live-in whore who pretended to be the maid. Which I guess is why he inexplicably kept turning down sex with India and Christine.

Not a good time on GL.

17 minutes ago, DeeVee said:

Yes, I'm pretty sure Chelsea started autumn of 1986.

She did the awful art theft storyline, brought back the too-quickly SORASed Alan Michael (though I loved Carl, they should have brought Hope back first), gave us the faux Bauers. She teased returns both for Hope and Rita and then neither happened. She seemed allergic to couples who had chemistry, breaking up Ross and Vanessa and not doing anything with the chemistry between Alan and India. I think she's also the one who created Alan's live-in whore who pretended to be the maid. Which I guess is why he inexplicably kept turning down sex with India and Christine.

Not a good time on GL.

Chelsea---in contention with **** for worst Reardon EVER. RME.

If Sheri Anderson's the end of '86, beginning '87, she's also the weird Josh return (where he's running from some organization) and the quick Josh/Reva reunion that fell flat.

We never really did see Sheri Anderson without co-headwriters during her dayime career. Maybe she was more character, while her co-heads largely came up with the plots. That was certainly the case for her short time with JER.

17 hours ago, Bright Eyes said:

We never really did see Sheri Anderson without co-headwriters during her dayime career. Maybe she was more character, while her co-heads largely came up with the plots. That was certainly the case for her short time with JER.

No, I don't think so, at least not at GL. She sure didn't understand Alan's character. The idea of him being an art thief was hilariously out of character.

I hated it when Long paired Alan and Reva, BUT at least when she came back she had Alan behaving like Alan again. He would absolutely do certain underhanded things (like mess up Marah's DNA test), and I could see him buying stolen art. But dirtying his hands by being involved in the thefts himself? No way. Totally ridiculous.

I know we were meant to see a softer side of Vanessa when she was looking for Dinah, but it never rang true. I sure as heck didn't buy that she would let Alan manipulate her so easily to the point that Ross would break up with her. She would have been ruthless about looking for her child and would have told Alan to eff off.

43 minutes ago, DeeVee said:

I know we were meant to see a softer side of Vanessa when she was looking for Dinah, but it never rang true. I sure as heck didn't buy that she would let Alan manipulate her so easily to the point that Ross would break up with her. She would have been ruthless about looking for her child and would have told Alan to eff off.

Ugh---a lot of the Dinah story doesn't ring true. But the Van/Ross break up is plot-plot-plot to sell Alan and Reva. RME.

17 minutes ago, P.J. said:

Ugh---a lot of the Dinah story doesn't ring true. But the Van/Ross break up is plot-plot-plot to sell Alan and Reva. RME.

That spilled over into Long's tenure. But they retconned like crazy for the Dinah story. Ross and Vanessa's backstory changed from snootty Vanessa dumping Ross for not being rich enough to Vanessa being left preggers in high school while shoehorning in a HS romance with Calla for Ross, too.

I get the impulse to give major characters secret children to help build up the teen population, but that was so awkward. The one good thing that could have come out of it was Ross and Vanessa getting a real romantic story, but yeah, Long put a very quick end to that in service of Reva's story.

Anyone remember Ellen Foley as Hope?

59 minutes ago, DeeVee said:

That spilled over into Long's tenure. But they retconned like crazy for the Dinah story. Ross and Vanessa's backstory changed from snootty Vanessa dumping Ross for not being rich enough to Vanessa being left preggers in high school while shoehorning in a HS romance with Calla for Ross, too.

I get the impulse to give major characters secret children to help build up the teen population, but that was so awkward. The one good thing that could have come out of it was Ross and Vanessa getting a real romantic story, but yeah, Long put a very quick end to that in service of Reva's story.

Retcon children are usually awkward, and on the whole Dinah works out better than most retcon GL children (in fact, I can't really think of one GL surprise child that worked out better.)

I wonder if Long would've committed to Holly/Ross/Vanessa triangle in '89, if Jordan Clarke hadn't come back. When Vanessa left, Long did give Van/Ross a sort of wistful goodbye.

Edited 3 hours ago3 hr by P.J.

2 hours ago, Stevel said:

Anyone remember Ellen Foley as Hope?

Wait, what? THE Ellen Foley? Awesome!

When? Was she a temp/fill-in?

TBH, I never bought that Ross and Vanessa had had a child together.

Edited 2 hours ago2 hr by Khan

2 hours ago, P.J. said:

Retcon children are usually awkward, and on the whole Dinah works out better than most retcon GL children (in fact, I can't really think of one GL surprise child that worked out better.)

Well, yeah, years later, and they changed her character significantly. She went from spunky foster kid to sweet ingenue, then leaves town and comes back much later as the ultimate ***ch.

3 hours ago, Stevel said:

Anyone remember Ellen Foley as Hope?

Around what time period was this? I remember Robin Mattson, and after her Katherine Justice. Then Hope went away and came back as Elvera. I think all the rest were child actors?

2 hours ago, P.J. said:

Retcon children are usually awkward, and on the whole Dinah works out better than most retcon GL children (in fact, I can't really think of one GL surprise child that worked out better.)

I wonder if Long would've committed to Holly/Ross/Vanessa triangle in '89, if Jordan Clarke hadn't come back. When Vanessa left, Long did give Van/Ross a sort of wistful goodbye.

In terms of storyline, I suppose you could say Jonathan, as he only added to storyline for his mother (and story that wasn't sidelining/degrading her, as Dinah did to Vanessa), and gave the show a lot of buzz. I found Jonathan repulsive, personally, so I'm just going based on the overall response.

47 minutes ago, DeeVee said:

Well, yeah, years later, and they changed her character significantly. She went from spunky foster kid to sweet ingenue, then leaves town and comes back much later as the ultimate ***ch.

Around what time period was this? I remember Robin Mattson, and after her Katherine Justice. Then Hope went away and came back as Elvera. I think all the rest were child actors?

True.

29 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

In terms of storyline, I suppose you could say Jonathan, as he only added to storyline for his mother (and story that wasn't sidelining/degrading her, as Dinah did to Vanessa), and gave the show a lot of buzz. I found Jonathan repulsive, personally, so I'm just going based on the overall response.

I could only think of three--Dinah, Dylan and Jonathan. There must've been more? Geez--John Dixon had two retcon children himself. Even Bob Hughes had a retcon kid. (Ooops, just remembered Hilary Bauer. I'm not sure Quint counts, as Henry didn't really have that deep history with the show at that point.)

Well, nothing ever sidelined Reva, but some of her crappy actions (namely keeping the fact she knew Sarah was alive and allowed Lizzie to think she had died) for Jon, didn't endear Reva to me.

Hart was a retcon too if I'm not mistaken.