OLTL/Agnes Nixon two New York Times pieces

[EricMontreal22]

Well to be fair Sam Hall was an associate writer I believe with Russell for most of it (is that the reverse oftheir roles on Dark Shadows? I can't remember)--but they did work some together. Russell died in Jan 1981 but I think he was sick for a while, so Hall probably got more and more control in 1980.

Wiki claims the switchover happened in 1980 though I think Wiki's soap writing credits, for the pre 90s anyway usually is just fans like us trying to work out and guess--so take that with a grain of salt. The next era pre Rauch did have a lot of turn around--Sam Hall, then Slesar, then Hall with Slesar, then the Corringtons I think while the OLTL writers went to the Corringtons show (was it Texas?) then 6 months later Hall again, etc...

[Paul Raven]

Wasn't Gordon Russell set to move to GH when he succumbed to cancer?I 'm sure I've seen mention of it here and there.He wrote OLTL up to March 80(with Sam Hall)

How this fitted into Pat Falken Smith's stint at GH,I'm not sure.

[EricMontreal22]

I remember reading that too... Was it to sacrifice OLTL for the sake of GH? Or they felt that Hall who worked with Russell could handle it himself? In the Palye interview Agnes talks about the Judith Light "Belle Du Jour" storyline and being a consultant on it--so I guess she was still somewhat involved though she does say she's not involved since Loving started with any of the daily operations at OLTL (this was 88)

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Yes, I remember hearing that Gordon Russell was set to be transferred to GH before he died.

Pat Falken Smith and Gloria Monty had a very tumultuous relationship, no surprise there, maybe ABC and Monty were eager to replace Smith as soon as possible, since most of the credit for GH's rise in the 80's was attributed to Monty.

Gordon Russell is one of the great soap writers that never gets the respect he deserves, though that is most likely due to his unfortunate death. The man seemed like a real storyteller.

[EricMontreal22]

He really did--I think he never quite got the attention he deserved for a number of reasons--Lemay (and Bell, Nixon, etc) aside, soap scribes weren't as well known in the 70s. Also, while most Dark Shadows fans (myself included) think much of the best material was done by Russell, Dan Curtis liked to take so much credit, and Sam Hall lived to the time when DS fans really became a huge presence and took away that attention. And at OLTL itself--I think the fact that Agnes was still a main writer till 73 or so, somehow she still gets a lot of credit (the few times proper credit is given lol) for all of 70s OLTL. Of course she'd be the first, and has, to give Russell his props--from the Muzseum of TV interview on youtube she seemed to think VERY highly of him as a writer and as a man (and to entrust him with OLTL--surely not an easy decision for her to leave despite what some grumpy OLTL fans think--speaks volumes).

Re GH so do you think ABC saw how well OLTL was doing under hima dn thought it could keep up with Hall and they could use him at GH? I know about Monty and Smith's probs

[LoyaltoAMC]

Gordon Russell is definitely an underrated writer. I'm a huge Dark Shadows freak and I enjoyed Russell's work much better than Hall's. Hall didn't join DS under AFTER his wife Grayson Hall joined about a year or so into the show. Russell at GH? Intersting. Of course Gloria Monty was steering that ship at the time and made most if not all story decisions. Not sure how the show would've been much different since it was so mired in all the action adventure stuff at the time and that wasn't going to change no matter who was writing. Was he related to AJ Russell who was a long-time GH story consultant under Monty?

[EricMontreal22]

Yeah I think Sam Hall had his moments, and was even very good at times but Russell just seemed natural with the material, Hall not so much--reading his recent interview where he shows quite a bit of contempt for what he's written I admit explained a lot. Still, I think a lot of his material was good, it just wasn't inspired.

[LoyaltoAMC]

Was Agnes the person who offered or suggested Robin Strasser as Dorian after her Christina Karras character on AMC wasn't well-received? Or was that ABC or Joseph Stuart who was EP of OLTL then. Just curious as to how much power Agnes had at ABC and OLTL in 77/78. Was Claire Malis fired to make room for Strasser, or did she leave willingly, leaving a vacancy for Strasser? I know I'm in the minority, but I have to say I really enjoyed Malis in the role. Strasser has always tended toward the cartoonish/caricaturish, while Malis was more subtle. I remember Malis's Dorian scaring the bejesus out of me in a way that Strasser never did. I'm pretty well versed in AMC history, but OLTL not as much, though I adored both shows in the late 70s.

[Paul Raven]

Malis played Dorian for 2 years.Did performers sign 2 year contracts in those days?

An article from that time states that Malis wanted to move on,but that could be just PR hype.

I think James O'Sullivan wanted to leave AMC as Jeff and they probably weren't too keen on recasting again,or writing more story for the character at that point.Strasser had never really clicked as Christina,and I don't think she enjoyed the role,so maybe ABC were looking for something more 'Rachel' like for her,and the whole thing just fell into place.

Claire Malis never did another soap,but she and Strasser appeared together in an episode of 'Civil Wars' in 92.

Speaking of Dorian,what were the circumstances of Nancy Pinkerton leaving the role in 75?She went to The Doctors as soon as ex OLTL exec producer Doris Quinlan took over in 79.

[LoyaltoAMC]

I saw Nancy Pinkerton as Dorian in an old eppy posted on youtube last year. Had to have been around 76/77. You could tell from the story that Jackie Courtney and George Reinholt had just joined. I thought Pinkerton was really good, a very good actress. Strasser's Dorian is a totally different character than Pinkerton's or Malis's. Not as big a fan of Strasser as a lot of people are, but I have to say that if Strasser hadn't taken over the role, the character would probably have been phased out years ago. It's really a credit to Strasser that the character has endured all these years. Strasser wasn't happy playing Christina and asked Agnes to write her out. I'm sure that assuming Dorian was part of the deal. Strasser was still a huge star then and I'm sure ABC didn't want to lose her. Christina was kind of wishy washy, so I can see why Strasser didn't take to the character. I recall her saying something years later about her AMC experience, that the character wasn't well-received because the Martins didn't like her. The Martins were the moral compass of the show, and she said that because the Martins didn't warm to her or like her as Jeff's wife, the audience never warmed up to Christina or found her a sympathetic character either.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

She must have also hated seeing Lucci playing the same type of character she was playing years earlier on AW, and watching Lucci got all the popular appeal for it.

[Paul Raven]

i think after playing the mega bitch on AW,Strasser wanted to show her range and play less of a heavy.But Christina wasn't the role she hoped for and she realized that the bad girls offered more of a challenge.

[IcyOne]

Nancy Pinkerton was fired shortly after Dorian killed Victor. The brass knew Dorian was a kick-ass character and wanted to keep her around, which meant introducing redeeming elements to counter balance her evil so that they could ease her out of the corner she was now in for being a murderess. They didn't think the viewers would accept Pinkerton's version being lightened up. Pinkerton was an excellent actress, and her original portrayal of Dorian was brilliant; very eerie, literally spine chilling. Think of Viki's "Jean Randolph" alter. That clinical, that efficient. God help anyone who Pinkerton's Dorian was gunning for. She could easy go toe to toe with Mitch Laurence, or even be his female counterpart. She could be downright scary and to this day remains THEE QUINTESSENTIAL Dorian. Claire Malis played Dorian more like an "Amanda Woodward"-type; very bitchy, overtly self-serving, "mean lady executive" esque. Probably more verbal than Pinkerton's Dorian; regularly browbeating and sniping at people. She'd conspire and scheme, but unlike Pinkerton's Dorian could never really get a plan off the ground and would usually wind up giving up. Far as what led to her exit, the story goes that she gave the show notice. Her husband was moving to the west coast and she wanted to follow him there. The timing just happened to coincide with Strasser preparing to leave AMC, and she managed to snag the opening for Dorian.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I've always wanted to see Nancy Pinkerton's Dorian, seems like a completely different character.

[SFK]

I have often said this, though pure speculation on my part. Strasser never liked the part of Christina, but she couldn't assume a Rachel-like character on AMC with Lucci occupying that role. Her eyes lit up at the chance to morph Dorian into an older, richer Rachel.

From what I understand, Malis' departure was purely amicable, her husband was moving to California and she wanted to be with him. That's the same reason why Strasser left AW, to be with Larry Luckinbill out in L.A. I've also read, on here I believe, that Pinkerton was actually fired from OLTL. The show wanted to continue with the character, but they didn't trust that the audience could/would ever accept Dorian in the form of Pinkerton as remotely sympathetic. I wasn't born until Strasser was in the role, but from what I understand, Malis' Dorian was to be a youthened, softened, partially de-clawed take on the character, unlike what they saw as Pinkerton's irredeemable black widow.

Strasser talks about all of this in an interview with Mari Lyn Henry, where she went to the head of ABC daytime, Jackie Smith, and discussed her unhappiness playing Christina. Earlier, the role of Cathy Craig had been offered to her (trying to make lighting strike twice with a Strasser/Reinholt/Courtney triangle), but she didn't want to be a recast. But when Smith said to her, "I don't suppose you would want to play Dorian..." bells went off. Then she met with Joe Stuart and began to suggest the many qualities and traits that have made Dorian the woman we know today... the clothes, the glamour, her particular brand of comedic neuroses. In the same way that Agnes Nixon is always generous with sharing the creative credit of Erica Kane with Susan Lucci, I would say that Nixon and Strasser deserve the same credit in the creation of Dorian. Strasser brought her own bag, and all that Nixon gave her at AW along to OLTL.