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[soapfan770]

Never heard about the trucking story so I'll don't know but I've seen some clips from early 1987 with Alan running some art scam and then being accused of murdering Paul Valere. It was ok material I thought, but I've heard that particular story as well as a few others on the show at that time were considered some pretty low points for the show. I don't believe the show got better until that fall.

Has the Xmas 1987 episode surfaced on Youtube yet? I saw it on WOST except for the delightful Alan and Reva scenes the whole thing seemed hokey as it was focused on Johnny Bauer being sick awaiting a miracle to happen. I've also see a clip from that time period when Vanessa called it quits with Alan over his growing infatuation with Reva.

[DRW50]

I know the actor that played Johnny talked about how horribly confusing the Valere story was...which seemed to be a theme for this era of GL (Robert Newman said the same about the mammoth Sonni/Solita saga).

I'm not sure if Johnny ever had any stories that were worth watching. What I've seen of the cancer story is overheated, and what was done to Roxie was just tacky. Pam Long said the story should have had more of him doubting his faith, but the strike ended it.

It seems like a lot of GL at this time was so free-floating, which may have worked for strong personalities like Alex, Reva, Alan, HB, etc. but quieter people seemed to sink. I can see why Maeve Kinkead quit - she'd had nothing to do for years and I think even getting the Dinah story was tough.

I do like the stuff with Mindy going out to investigate and getting into danger. It's stupid, but fun. I really missed that side of Mindy when they began beating her down in the early 90's.

The December 22 and 23 episodes of 1987 are on Youtube, if that was Christmas. Reva-centric Christmas 1987 clips are also up.

Amanda never came back around this time, did she? A long time ago I read that she did, but I've never seen it anywhere else.

[soapfan770]

You know, I don't remember if Amanda came back or not. I've always seen dates that Cullen did return in '87 though. The one I watched on WOST was the 12/24/87 episode. Funny there is an interview out there somewhere, maybe already here on SON too or in this very thread from early 1984 in which Pam K. Long discussed bringing back Amanda in spite of considering Cullen to be the ultimate Amanda. Those plans obviously never materialized.

Have you seen the Bauer BBQ eps from that year Carl? I saw it on the old WOST site, and they attempted to tie in the show's 50th Anniversary with it. It's pretty surreal to watch, probably most memorable for Alan-Michael's introduction by parachuting in. Cameron Stewart and Lacey Bauer also went up in a hot air balloon, and I heard it never came back down! Instead it floated away from Springfield before finally crashing all the way in Beverly Hills!

There also seems to be some strange stories for the show, like India adopting Dorrie, the arrival of Josh's dead wife etc. Didn't Claire Ramsey inexplicably wake up from her coma for a second time and ran off with her doctor?

[DRW50]

I think I have seen part of it but it's so difficult to invest in that stuff...I remember an episode where Dinah was being held prison by the evil caravan or whatever, and Ross and Vanessa were at odds, and Henry had to pay ransom money.

Claire became a psycho bitch, then the guy from 2001 diagnosed her with a brain tumor. She was cured. They left town. Susan Pratt hated that story.

Some time ago I remember a script of Amanda with, I think, Alan-Michael, or Phillip, from 1987. I wish I could see that if it exists. I still can't believe the number done on that character later on.

In the long run I think GL lost a lot by casually dumping the women they probably saw as "boring," like Amanda, Hillary, Trish.

[saynotoursoap]

Yes, Kathleen Cullen returned for two episodes in December 1987. Phillip needed Amanda's shares to execute a takeover of Spaulding Enterprises from Alan, so he brought Amanda to Springfield for Christmas. If I remember correctly, Kathleen Cullen had a young daughter and was not interested at that point in returning to GL fulltime. It is too bad, as maybe it would have spared us the inanity of the later storyline in which Amanda is revealed as a Hollywood madam. It should be noted that Hope Bauer was referenced at this time as well.

[DRW50]

Thanks, as always, for your knowledge and details.

I know Cullen talked about her infant daughter in some early 80's Digest issues but for some reason I thought she was let go. Perhaps by 1987 she'd just transitioned out of acting. It's a shame, because she was something very special as Amanda.

Was she around for any scenes with Grant Aleksander before her 1983 exit or did he arrive after she left?

I know a summer 1986 Digest told viewers to be on the lookout for Hope, and a very different Hope than what they knew. I guess that never panned out.

[saynotoursoap]

I did not intend to imply that Cullen left GL willingly, I believe her contract was not renewed in 1983, but at the point she was brought back by Long for a guest appearance, I believe she was not interested in returning full-time. It was similar to Lenore Kasdorf. Pam Long intended to bring Rita back at the same time as Holly and Roger in 1988/89, but it was incumbent upon Kasdorf returning. GL contacted her, and although she was free, Lenore refused to come back, stating that it was not the right time in her life to reprise Rita. Yes, Cullen and Alexsander acted together in 1982/83, before Cullen left.

[DRW50]

Thanks. I was just asking because I'm never entirely clear on which actors wanted to leave during that Kobe era and which didn't (for instance, I was never sure about Don Stewart).

I know they tried again with Rita when Gus was revealed as Alan's son but that must have fallen through as well.

I'm glad that Cullen and Aleksander had some stuff in her first run.

How long after Phillip learned Justin was his biological father did Justin leave town?

Here are the episodes with Cullen's return.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O01mrNURTgM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoOQ7wz6hns

[rcsnj]

Phillip learned Justin was his father around August 1983. Justin was written out a month later. I never understood the decision to axe Justin. Tom O'Rourke was a charismatic and talented actor and his Justin had major ties to Springfield. The character had major story potential that never materialized.

[DRW50]

Only a month? That's nuts. I wonder how annoyed longtime fans must have felt.

[Vee]

I remember seeing a lot of early episodes with Kathleen Cullen's Amanda before she was unmasked as a Spaulding, when she was just the sheltered, virginal pianist locked away in that house, pining away for some architect. The neurotic edge to the character was fascinating, and it turned really spiky when she became a Spaulding. I always thought it was a shame she was never brought back.

Nice to see Sonni/Solita/whoever. Years ago, I dreamed up a very bizarre twin mystery storyline involving Blake and Ross's sons, kind of Vertigo-esque, and at that time Marcia Cross could not get arrested in show business post-Melrose Place and pre-Desperate Housewives. I had wanted her to come in and do a bit as Carrie Todd, who would be kind of a side schemer in the storyline due to her own prior bifurcated personality issues, which would give her a unique perspective on what becomes of Blake and Ross's kids. That's off the table now, of course - I wouldn't have minded seeing it with Michelle Forbes as Sonni instead. She'll do anything these days. GL has such a rich, crazy, sometimes austere, sometimes madcap history, and I think it would do well as a 13-week seasonal show on cable with a select cast.

Edited August 15, 2011 by Vee

[DRW50]

There are quite a few 1987 and 1988 episodes of the Sonni/Solita era up at monejcim if you ever want to see any. There's a lot of scattered stuff but also this old Sonni-and-Rose clipset that goes up to 25 or more.

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If P&G would sell the rights then something like that Sonni webseries could happen. It would certainly be fascinating to watch.

[Khan]

When Peapack has you looking back at Diamondhead and the Paul Valere murder mystery with fond memories, you know something's wrong.

[Khan]

I blame the WGA strike for the confusion with Sonni/Solita. The Valere story, though -- that was just bad writing.

He didn't.

Say what you will about Pam Long, but if not for her '87 return, there's no telling what would have happened to GL.

[DRW50]

I think in some ways Long's writing choices set the path for what it was after she left - the heavy focus on the Lewises, big mystery stories, etc. I guess they just weren't able to pull this together the way she could. I also think some of the story choices were odd, like the whole thing where Simon is a con artist who has a torrid affair with India but gives it all up for mousy Jessie. Really? And some of the writing for India also seemed a little odd to me, sort of taming her when she didn't need to be tamed. But the show had strong enough characters to where it's still very watchable.

So Long was gone by the time of stuff like Floyd going psycho, and the Infinity story? Or was that still her?

Did she have any involvement in the creation of Rusty, Sarah, or Hawk? Or did she have nothing to do with them? I thought the show made those relationships very believable. I've always had a soft spot for the Reva/Hawk relationship. I'm glad that he was there even close to the end. I just wish they hadn't killed Sarah off.

I have very mixed feelings on the Roxie character, as I don't think Kristi Ferrell is a very good actress, but she has a lot of heart and this adds to emotional scenes. There's a scene with Mindy/Roxie in this clip that is beautifully done.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCHs8OaexCw