As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

One more. I can't believe I forgot this one!

Rosemary Prinz had so strongly ruled out an ATWT return that she basically said her mother would have to be in front of a firing squad. Yet you got her back for Bob and Kim's wedding. That was quite a coup. How did this happen? Was it difficult?

[Brandon's Buzz]

You're a lifesaver, Carl. Thanks so much for all the great questions, everyone! Keep 'em coming!

[DRW50]

Thanks so much for taking the time to read all that. This is a great opportunity to hear about some of ATWT's best years.

[Brandon's Buzz]

No it's great. Susie gave me a few talking points, but I would never have known about any of that stuff. It will give us a great foundation to build upon, I think. Thanks so much!

[DRW50]

Thanks again. I don't have the exact article with me at the moment where an ATWT actor talked about behind the scenes issues, but this sums it up. It's Ernie Townsend.

[Khan]

Unless Ms. Bedsow Horgan doesn't like to speak ill of the dead (LOL!), I'd really love it if she could share more memories of working with Robert Calhoun & Mary-Ellis Bunim at ATWT, and Allen Potter at GL. How was each EP's relationships with writers, cast, crew, etc.? What were their strengths as EP's, and what were their weaknesses? (You could ask that question about Doug Marland as HW as well.) Did she learn anything -- good or bad -- from Calhoun, Bunim or Potter that she applied later on at OLTL, either as a writer, a producer, or both?

I say this without the slightest hesitation: I adore Susan Bedsow Horgan as an EP. I didn't agree always with the direction of certain stories under her watch, but I loved (and missed) the romantic and adult sensibilities she infused the entire show with. In my opinion, next to her former bosses Calhoun and Potter, she's the best producer the business ever produced, and one of the reasons why I hate I never got to work on a soap is because I never got the chance to work under someone like her. (And if you want to tell her I said all that, Brandon, that's quite alright with me, lol.)

Edited December 9, 2011 by Khan

[DRW50]

I'm glad you chimed in too Khan, I remembered how you appreciate her work.

Dates, courtesy Daytime TV.

Irene Sun (Amy Hughes) left at the end of September 1972, and Conrad Matthaei (Grant Coleman #1) joined at the same time.

[EricMontreal22]

I randomly read on the Dopuglas Marland Wiki page that hwen he pased away, they considered hiring Alice Munro as his replacement. This kinda shocked me--has anyone heard anything about this? She's one of my all time fave short story writers--and spent a lot of her time where I'm from in Victoria BC (where the biggest bookstore is actually Monroe's Books) as well as still getting published often by the New Yorker, and she definitely has a keen Chekovian sense of emotion, drama and particularly female characters, even if the drama is often lower key although can be quite devestating (the Canadian lit genre of Southern Gothic--as opposed to American Southern gothic was practically created by her). But to my knowledge not only has she never written a long form story let alone ANY dramatic writing (film, theatre, TV--though Sarah Polly adapted a short story of hers for her much praised movie Away From Her).

So this just seems SO random to me--and I've never heard Alice talk about soaps or TV, and by the early 90s when she would have been already, she was such a successful and awarded short story writer she wouldn't have needed the money... So anything know any more? This would have been right after OLTL hired an untested author in Michael Malone and already was seeing some success--so maybe others wanted to try something similar? (Michael Malone is a successful writer but I'd argue Alice Monroe is a better known one...)

Edited December 9, 2011 by EricMontreal22

[DRW50]

I'd never heard that. How fascinating.

[EricMontreal22]

Wait the same link says August Wilson was also approached which would make him the first black HW. I LOVE the plays of Wilson and they definitely are soapy but... Really? lolI know it's Wiki but this seems too random for someone to make up

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Marland#Loving (in the post death area)

[DRW50]

I'd heard that before but not in a while. Either one probably would have been better than just status quo.

[EricMontreal22]

Oh for sure--either one would at least, I'm nearly positive, been *interesting* even if they had failed at the soap format spectacularly.

[Mitch]

Would love to hear from her what initiated the show to change direction from the Bunim/Dobson's years, to bringing back the Hughes family as the core family (the Dobson's obscured the Hughes in favor of the Stewarts.) I think at that time Frons was head of CBS daytime...did he have objections to having a middle aged couple (Bob and Kim) take center stage and also object to the return of Chris and Nancy?

[Brandon's Buzz]

I believe Brian Frons had already moved on to NBC by the time of Susan's tenure.

[Mitch]

Thanks, I love the behind the scenes stuff! That was an interesting time as the show evolved from the Dobson's era to the Marland era, interesting bridge time.