As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[P.J.]

The only thing useful about Rosanna was MW's Carly. What fascination Marland had with poor little rich girls I will never understand. I guess she kind of filled the ingénue void left when Byrne left/was recast with Heather Rattray. But OY vey...if only she'd had as much talent to fill her bra with as she did flesh....

I don't remember much of Babs/Gunnar, but I remember loving them. But I do have a special place in my heart for Hal&Babs. I thought BH and CZ had great chemistry. I was kind of shocked to find out they didn't really get along all that well.

[Faulkner]

I Googled Gregg Marx to see what he was up to and found this great interview. He talks a bit about why he left ATWT, Bill Bell offering him a role on Y&R, his friendship with HBS, coming out as a gay man, and his career in cabaret. (The site is flagged as NSFW, but I didn't notice anything racy on the mobile site.) He still looks amazing.

http://marcharshbarger.blogspot.com/2013/02/deeper-dish-with-gregg-marx.html?m=1&zx=e2640becc189fcf1

[Mitch]

Khan, I have to admit, I kinda thought Deas at the time of Tom was kind of hot...though not right for Tom. It might be his year as Freakin' Buzzard Cooper where he ate up my show and half the scenery that I started to call him Dustbin Fleas. as he looked like he hated showers and spit on everyone yet every woman in SF fell at his feet!

So I would put Deas into two categories...B.B. (before Buzz where I thought he was okay on the show, kind of hot, in the "Dont let any of my neighbors see you leave in the morning way," and A.B. (after Buzz) where I wanted to spay Lysol on my tv when he came on.

So, it would not be that big of a fight, (lucky for me I say!!!) I just felt he would have worked as the new hippie weirdo lawyer in town. If they had gone back to Tom's vietnam history, said it made him kind of anti-establshment..that he got the "oddness," from Lisa, but the do-gooder from Bob, and that he would have a push-pull thing with staid family I could have believed it..but they all acted like he was normal and they never had many scenes with his family.

Greg Marxx is really, and truly gay??? Oh, if my college age self would have not that hot Tom Hughes was gay...I think I woulda stalked him!

And yes...God I would loved to have scenes with Nancy Hughes.."Young man quit yelling!" Did they have scenes together?

Edited October 12, 2013 by Mitch

[YRBB]

He's gay?!

And Bill Bell would have created a part for him. How amazing would that have been?

[DRW50]

Sometimes I wonder who CZ got along with. I think she was close to Anthony Herrera, although didn't she say they had some issues early on?

[DRW50]

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[Khan]

Easy, girls. "Gay" doesn't automatically mean "available."

[P.J.]

I've never seen that; but I can't recall reading much about their early relationship. It sounds like she got along with Gregg Marx.

[DRW50]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSTz7toIwNQ

[Limenade]

It's interesting to see these 1979 performances by Suzanne Davidson, because I did not start watching ATWT regularly until mid-1980s. I thought she did a credible job projecting quiet angst over her sense of loss and grief over Dan's death. It's also interesting to see the discussion with Kim of the drinking issues at school--maybe the writers were setting up some type of teen stories here?

At the same time, it must be disquieting for Davidson then as an actress at an awkward age and crossroad, because TPTB--perhaps Marland included--must be assessing her potential and ability to have the kind of impact like what Genie Francis had done on GH. (I checked and Davidson is only one year younger than Genie Francis.)

I guess TPTB in the end concluded in the negative, and Davidson would leave ATWT in 1980 (per IMDB), to be replaced by Meg Ryan, and Marland would find his Laura-reincarnate in the form of Morgan Richards on GL by K. Vigard.

Edited October 13, 2013 by Limenade

[All My Shadows]

Such a thrill to see more from this era of ATWT! The DVDs didn't last, but I'm glad they realized the goldmine couldn't just sit collecting dust. Hopefully they unearth an early-mid 70s episode or two like they did with GL!

[P.J.]

I know at some point some of Betsy's inheritance was used to establish a shelter for teens/some kind of youth center (on what later became McKechnie Island if I'm not mistaken).

And I do think Betsy did get some kind of "experiments with drugs" kind of story, briefly. I remember something about a party where something bad happened, but it may have also been Frannie.

[DRW50]

I do wonder what would have happened if Davidson had stayed. I think she left for school, and was replaced by Lisa Denton. If she had wanted to stay, I wonder if they would have let her stay. She's very good in these clips, great understated grief. It's a beautiful performance.

One of the soap magazines at the time also said she was dating Peter Reckell.

[Limenade]

Yes, I do recall reading about story lines involving Betsy as a troubled teen, and in that 1979 episode seems to foreshadow that. We don't seem to be seeing other teens interacting with Betsy here, other than the young girl who was always with Valerie. We haven't seen Frannie in these 1979 episodes, have we?

Thank you for pointing out Lisa Denton. Regardless of how Davidson's run ended on ATWT and as much as I admire her performances here, hers is not your "typical" soap ingenue looks and it might've been more difficult to transition her into a young romantic lead like Genie Francis.

For some reasons Davidson reminds me a lot of Allison Smith of the mid-80s sit-com Kate and Allie; for a while she was going out with Brian Bloom (Dusty). (Photo below with her co-star Ari Meyers)

[P.J.]

No, I haven't seen Frannie in these episodes (or even heard her mentioned). I don't really think she had any stories until she was SOARSed in 83/84.