Lovers and Friends/For Richer For Poorer Discussion Thread

[BuckyB12]

The two L&F/FRFP characters that appeared briefly on AW just before the launch of Lovers and Friends were Austin Cushing (Rod Arrants) and Amy Gifford (Christine Jones). I believe the Cushings were said to be friends of Mac Cory. It was, IIRC, on a smaller scale than the launch of Texas a few years later, which involved more characters showing up in Bay City just in time to go back home to TX.

 

I think Mac and Rachel appeared briefly on L&F, but I'm not sure if there was any more back-and forth.  In addition to Richard Backus, Stephen Joyce and Vicky Dawson were hired by AW soon after FRFP was cancelled, and Christine Jones also returned to AW , but this time as Janice Frame. 

 

Oh, and Patricia Estrin, L&F's Megan, who was replaced for FRFP, joined AW about a month after L&F was cancelled, going from playing the romantic lead to the rather minor character of Joan Barnard, John Randolph's secretary.

Edited January 24, 2019 by BuckyB12

[Paul Raven]

Rare to come across any pics from L&F/FRFP.

This is Vicky Dawson and David Abbott

[EONGLOLTL]

Is there any video footage of the opening and closing credits for Lovers & Friends?  I've heard audio and it's the same theme as For Richer For Poorer but I have never seen video footage.

I wish I could see the first episode.  Surely P&G saved that!

[vetsoapfan]

 

P&G did not even keep the first episodes of ATWT, SFT, TGL or TEON. It's incredible how short-sighted TBTB have always been.

[RavenWhitney]

Here's several scenes with opening credits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIyN0ANUDsQ

[vetsoapfan]

 

That's a great find. I can't recall ever searching for this show on youtube, but I'm glad some footage has survived. I'll bet FRFP would be more interesting to watch than any of the four soaps still being produced today!

[EONGLOLTL]

Thanks so much!   I can lose myself on YouTube for hours watching old soap credits.

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[vetsoapfan]

 

Soap fans are blessed to have youtube, that's for sure. Before that site was launched, soap fans had to find each other and trade videotapes by mail. It was a slow, difficult, and often disappointing way to see vintage episodes. Now we all can spend hours kicking back and watching classic soaps with just the click of a mouse!

[watson71]

I like the wink and nod to Another World in the For Richer, For Poorer opening with the interlocking Os in Poorer similar to AW's interlocking rings in their opening.

[amybrickwallace]

 

What a neat find. Thanks for sharing. ☺

[Khan]

 

The opening two lines of the Dawn commercial:

 

Girl at Slumber Party: "Oh, mirror, mirror, when will I meet the boy of my dreams?"

 

CUT TO:

 

Mother (laughing, from downstairs): "As soon as you girls go to sleep!"

 

Damn, Mama, lol!

[SoapDope]

David Abbott looks like he could be one of the Bay City Rollers.......LOL

Edited October 7, 2019 by SoapDope

[SFK]

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[amybrickwallace]

Flora Plumb (Eleanor Kimball) passed on last year. She was the sister of Eve Plumb (The Brady Bunch). In her later years, she recorded audio books for the blind.

 

https://thisstage.la/2018/07/la-stage-insider-304/

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[dc11786]

It's unfortunate to hear Flora Plumb has passed away. I loved reading those old SOD summaries of "Lovers and Friends" where she was determined to rise above her lot in life, but wasn't really seducing a wealthy man to do it. George was a lawyer so he wasn't hurting for money, but he doesn't seem to be the type of old money that the Cushings, the Brewsters, and the Hamiltons represented. During the 1977 run, Ellie was getting chummy with Edith Cushing in hopes that Edith would help introduce her to society. Edith seemed to only care about using Ellie to keep Megan and Rhett apart. Ellie ended up miscarrying her child because she intervened in Rhett and Megan's romance on Edith's behalf.

 

The miscarriage created friction in Ellie and George's marriage leading George to seek comfort in the arms of Barbara Manners. I don't think Barbara and George slept together, but it was clear where this would end up going. Edith would most likely manipulate George and Barbara into a relationship, sacrificing George and Ellie's marriage, in order to save her marriage to Richard in order to maintain social standing. I wonder what Lemay would have had Ellie react to Edith's deception. 

 

From the summaries of "For Richer, For Poorer," none of the Ellie/George/Barbara/Edith story continued. It seems like the show did a C-story love triangle between widowed Edith Cushing, desperate Viola Brewster, and Edith's first love, Roger Hamilton. This only gets some brief references in the summaries of SOD and the columns at the time. I imagine it didn't get much airtime before being abandoned. Ellie and George had some issues with fertility. Ellie was obsessed with Billy, Connie and Bill's son, and then George learned he was the source of the fertility problems. This seems less interesting than the potential manipulation of Edith Cushing into the lives of all those around her. 

 

The 1978 clip is nice to see. It seems to be a very low energy show, but I find Tom King's "Another World" similar. I don't hate it, but I can see why it didn't catch the world on fire. I do think the Laurie Hamilton material is intriguing. Everyone seems to have their own mixed motivations here. Does Laurie really want to spare Megan, her childhood friend, of heart ache or is she just jealous that Megan landed Jason? Viola similarly seems to have some layers here. I'm pretty sure Viola hired Chester Higgins, the PI who took the photos, so she isn't as innocent in her declarations either. Laurie and Desmond are planning to buy back the Brewster home, the one briefly owned by the Saxton family. If Desmond and Laurie split, Viola loses her chance to return to her home. 

 

The Lee / Lester scenes are very bland. I don't hate the idea of Lee Ferguson, the sort of minor underworld figure with ties to the Saxton clan. I just don't care for the bulk of Tessa / Lee angst. There are some interesting layers, Lee being Amy's former lover, which should have allowed the show to explore some of Amy's darker sides, but mostly its Tessa and Lee against the (under)world.