ATWT Tribute Thread

[Paul Raven]

In 1965, CBS took out a full-page ad in the New York Times to boast about its daytime dominance.

The ad consisted of a large photo of Chris and Nancy Hughes sitting in the living room after dinner. Underneath the photo was printed a tongue in cheek dialogue between Chris and Nancy where he informs her that they've the most popular daytime program on television.

"How marvellous!",exclaims Nancy.

"There's more", adds Chris. "CBS has all 5 of the top 5 daytime programs, 10 of the top 10 and 13 of the top 15. That's the reason why advertisers spend almost as much on CBS alone as on the other two networks combined.And they've been doing it for years".

Nancy drew close to her husband and sighed,"They've been wonderful years,Chris,haven't they?"

And Chris answers, "The best-and there are many more to come".

[DRW50]

That's interesting. I guess in a way it's a bit arrogant, but then why not flaunt your success at the time you have it. In many ways it's amazing ATWT lasted at #1 as long as it did considering how much daytime changed through the 70s.

I wonder what the two non-CBS programs were in the top 15.

[DRW50]

From the 1/77 Daytime TV Stars

[DRW50]

0814ma has put up some new ATWT episodes, including a 1963 episode, some of which is already on Youtube but I'm not sure if all the scenes were.

And some episodes from 1988, including one from March, which isn't that represented on Youtube. With this and Oakdalian that means there are at least a few episodes on there. This episode is kind of a B or C episode, the stories are mostly supporting stories, but still, some great characters and character interaction, and for the first time in these episodes I actually saw some depth in Beau (even if he reminds me of one of those singers at a kid's party). This is the seance scene, with a very annoying medium (she looks familiar), a somewhat annoying comic relief maid, Colin Crowley, who is unpleasant and looks like a bad mashup of Tonio and Craig, Lisa dressed as Rhoda Morgenstern, and Shannon who, although looking beautiful in closeup, is dressed like she's in a nativity play. I guess I can see why this story wasn't hugely popular -- I kept hoping that Quentin from Dark Shadows would show up and make the psychic keel over.

And we get repeated references to Lien's beauty, which is great, but also seems like an act of pity as poor Ming Na was put in a pantsuit which Lyla or Ellen Stewart were more likely to wear.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAC3dxlx9es&feature=related

[Mitch]

AHHH, the Ghost of MacKenkie Castle storyline, a storyline that proved Marland was a "mortal," (actually anything that involved McKecknie castle was a dud, especially when they turned it into a "youth center.") The funny thing is, I remember this episode like it was yesterday, and I think it is all because of Lisa's weird, "Rhoda," look. Who was Beau??? I don't even remember what the story was behind the ghost.

ATWT was big on putting ladies in pantsuits at that time, which was weird as that wasnt the style was it? Marland had a habit of making characters refrence good or bad qualities of other characters that was evident in either the actor or the writing. We were constantly told that Tom, Margo and Ellie were "funny," and "fun," and other characters like that oogly doctor that was after Tom were "breathtaking!" or that Andy Dixon's girlfriend, played by the cute, but not knockout Hayley Sparks, was indeed a "knockout," and would make a "top model," if she wanted to!

[DRW50]

I guess with Julie as a top model Courtney was going to have a shot.

Beau was brother to a horrible character named Laura, a matronly psycho who apparently had some kind of father issues and had also lost custody of her children to her ex-husband, and seemed to be attached to Tom when she first worked for the Hughes family, then, perhaps because of the writers strike, instead became fixated on Bob and ultimately tried to convince Kim they were lovers. I think Oakdalian has that episode, and another episode, Bab and Hal wedding #1, where she is rubbing a pair of scissors and acting crazy. Kim's reaction is classic -- it's basically, "No way, kiddo! You have problems!" As with a lot of Marland psychos there was emphasis on how damaged her life had made her and how she just needed help. Beau was also dating John's niece, Pam. He was a singer/songwriter. I think he might have been a Duke prototype. He left sometime in 1989 I guess, I don't know his exit.

I don't know if you can embed with Oakdalian, but here's one from 0814 a clip of nutsy Laura the day after:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBYKMEx0k7s

What did you think of the story where Lauryn Hill accused Duncan of sexual harassment?

I don't know where the Colin stuff was supposed to go but some episodes later in 1988, again probably during the strike, have Shannon in nightmares, dreaming she is Margaret, Colin is her true love, and Duncan is Angus, her evil husband, who, in a fairly stark scene by soap standards, murders her even when she says she's pregnant with his child. The story isn't really very good. I guess Colin left with Sabrina not long after this. Based on this episode I don't know how anyone would want to be with him.

[DRW50]

Wow, now there's a 1966 episode I've NEVER seen any of, at least on Youtube. Hughes family drama, as they deal with Lisa coming to visit, and Grandpa Hughes and Tom talk about a letter from Lisa which Tom claims was sent to him but he actually found. The scene with Grandpa and Tom is very believably written, both in Grandpa's toughness and also the way that Tom tries to talk back (saying he doesn't believe George Washington never lied, reminding Grandpa that he's Tom, not "Tommy"), without Tom seeming like an OTT brat you often find on soaps. This just reinforces for me that they wasted years of potential drama by aging Tom so quickly. He was already an adult what, 4 years after this?

And the scenes with Bob, Nancy, and Chris are fascinating. Nancy is a bulldozer! I love when she "asks" Chris if he will let her speak her mind on Bob's feelings towards his nurse Sylvia. And then when Bob tells her he she hasn't let him get a word in about not being with Tom more often, and she says right back, OK, I'll let you have two words. I can't get enough of this tough Nancy.

Then there is the brilliant/hilarious/dramatic moment when they ask if Bob really needs his attorney when dealing with Lisa and he basically says, with fanfare, that he will never do anything again with Lisa without his attorney.

I love it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skS0JGTc9uY&feature=channel

The second part has also been uploaded if anyone wants to see it. Bob is trying to dodge a patient named Sarah -- does anyone know about this story?

Oh and also, Don says he has to write his brother. Did we ever see this brother on the show? What was his name? I'd forgotten there was anyone besides Chris and Edith. They should have brought him in.

[Mitch]

Ah, I remember him now, he was the big guy with the funky haircut..I used to think he was kind of hot..I forgot about that Pam niece of John's lord how did Melanie Smith get a job with ATWT, most of Marland's female actresses were fairly sexless, like poor sweet Pam. I dont know what happened to him, the actor must not have let Marland uh, interview him on his casting couch. They should have kept him instead of dopey, ugly Duke where John finds he has yet another kid he didnt know about.

I remember the Laura storyline, it happened at the same time ...and I can't remember that psycho's name..but she was the one that went nuts and shot those kids in the school in the Chicago suburbs. It was weird, the day ATWT showed Laura's break down was the same day that whole thing happened and they kept switching back and forth between the make believe psycho and the very real, one.

Well I thought that any story, where they nuetered the formally virile and adventuress and rascaly Duncan was boring as hell. That ment any story with Shannon after he fell for her, and he followed the pattern that Marland established with Ross Marler, and he became a big p*ssy. Duncan should not have been sitting around in his too tight polos in a friggen Youth Center! I was just happy to see Lilith show up to make those dullards a bit interesting...(plus Lilith HATED boring Shannon.) The story was stupid but I loved how Lilith would ship her murder victims to McKeknie castles with notes attached to them...."Your next Shannon!"

LOL at Kim's big ass 80's hair! This did take place during the writers strike and when you compared ATWT to GL at the time you could tell how more organized Marland was compared to Long, or how could his EP was, that there is nary a slip in the flow of the stories, where poor GL plodded along messily until Long got back.

[All My Shadows]

Yeah, Edith had a fraternal twin named John. He was on the show for a little while in the early, early years, and he's talked about in the ATET bible. He was sort of a shady figure, IIRC.

If they never wanted to revisit that character, they should have brought on one of his children or grandchildren since it was never established if he had any or not.

And wow, I'm shocked at these two uploads on that channel. I always thought of that as a treasure trove for 80s GL and ATWT, and I never imagined he'd add older stuff. Can't wait to watch this 1966 episode.

Needless to say, you know I'm hoping he's got some early 70s stuff

[DRW50]

Mitch thanks for some of the answers -- that's creepy about the real psycho in time with the fake one. I hope you have seen some of the Lillith stuff Oakdalian has posted recently, her first few episodes. It's great stuff, as you can believe her when she tells Duncan she's all better now, but actually she's still a lunatic, as the show lets us see by having her make a racist comment and by playing psycho electronica music. Lillith doesn't seem as much like a Marland villain -- she's a lot more fun. I enjoy seeing her mix it up with James.

I'm glad that others are seeing the 1966 episode too. Earlier there was one from 1963 but I'd seen that on Youtube before so I thought there might not be much new out there, but I'd never seen this.

AMS thank you for answering my question about the other brother. Why they didn't bring him or some family in later on to shore up the Hughes, it is a loss of dramatic potential. I know a lot of the later producers didn't care about the Hughes family but I'm a bit surprised that Calhoun/Marland never thought about bringing John or any of his family back.

Look at the drama they get out of Tom taking loose change! See this, soap writers and producers who think the only drama involves teenage pregnancies or suddenly being aged to 30?

And Bob arguing/flirting with this Sara about the dangers of ruffage. OK...I do love the playful, contemplative organ music at the end of the scene.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lBEAtaEPkA&feature=channel

[Mitch]

Great find! Lucinda had nothing on Nancy in meddling in her kids lives. As I said before, I wish Marland had connected those two, Nancy could have warned her against meddling and it would be the one person Lucinda would cow down to...plus drive Lisa crazy that Nancy was "mothering," her nemesis.

I love the pan though the window, (which strangely echoed the pan through the window slats in the other clip posted.) Kind of weird though, from years of soap viewing I thought the Hughes had a stalker.

I love how Nancy contrary to what people say about housewives on soaps back then, ran the whole damn household and town! I want whatever youth potion Hastings and Wagner took.

I would love to see some stuff around what, 67, with the whole Michael Shae storyline where Lisa was at the height of her bitchiness (and ATWT at the height of its ratings) which was really a turning point for her, where she showed signs of being the more caring woman she would become. Love to see Lisa vs. Claire, and what Nancy thought of what her "daughter," was doing to one of her best friends.

Chris had a brother who took over the family farm from Grandpa..which was a missed opportunity for every writer from the Dobsons on, who could have brought the Hughes poor farm cousins to the show. Would love to have seen Nancy, around the Dobsons time, having to take in Chris' great grand niece, who I would make a total farm tramp Lisa in training!

[All My Shadows]

Yeah, I just watched the '63 episode when I saw you post about it. It's on YT already (I think it's the "Lisa, Young and Restless" videos), but I never watched it before because the other one is cut strangely.

The thing with John, I think, is similar to what other soaps did. After time went on and the characters got older, the sibling with the most kids is kept around while the others are phased out. Kinda like how ATWT phased out Don, and AMC phased out Paul. Still, a story with an unknown Hughes materializing to cause some terror and then hopefully be welcomed into the family would have been awesome. Which is why they never wrote it, of course.

I'm sooo anti-SORAS. Seeing these will probably make me even more against it. So many stories are lost due to SORAS, and it really screws around with characterization, I think. In real life, people grow and change and become a big part of who they are during those formative years, but soaps just skip them. Ugh.

What year is that Xmas clip with Ellen and David from? Because Dan and Paul are only teenagers then, but in the credits of the '66 episode, there's Susan's name rolling by, which means Dan had to be med school age by then. He must have been aged between that Christmas (1964?) and when he came back with Susan.

YES!! A Daisy Duke type making Nancy clutch her pearls. Would have been great.

[DRW50]

Yeah, I would have loved seeing Nancy try to deal with Lucinda. I think Marland might have been reluctant to write Nancy as a cold or controlling mother because he saw that behavior as being psychologically unbalanced and the Hughes weren't written that way, whereas I think, at least after the first few years of the show, other writers who wrote for Nancy might have just said, "She is what she is." I do love the later Nancy, so kind and warm, but I'd have enjoyed more of a balance too. I guess Helen brought that in her performances.

There's so much they could have done with John Hughes -- didn't he resent Chris for leaving him to work on the farm?

And imagine what they could have done with Edith. What if they'd recast her with Meg Mundy and had her return to Oakdale in the 80s and ruffle some feathers in the family and also try to avoid her past regarding Jim Lowell. What would she say to Ellen? And what if they cast her with a scheming daughter, perhaps played by Tudi Wiggins?

The last time they tried to sort of expand the Hughes was with Ryder (Black and Stern were awful writers but they did try to write for the vets), and then after Kerr Smith left they seemed to give up.

[Soapsuds]

I floved Lillith! She was one of my favorites!

[DRW50]

It must have been around 1964 because Edmund Gaynes, who played Paul from 64-66 or so, was about 16 or 17, and Doug Chapin, the Dan in 1964, was about 14 then.

I really love the 88 stuff I've seen...I don't remember the later returns. I guess her last was when Shannon "died."