As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[amybrickwallace]

Thanks for clarifying that. Susan Brown aka Gail Baldwin? Somehow I can't see her and Beverly Penberthy playing the same role, as they look and sound absolutely nothing alike, but it seemed like that character wasn't going to be a major player on the canvas anyway.

[DRW50]

Yes. The character was a recurring role who was mostly there because she knew all of Kirk's past, so she was the only person he could be honest with. I think he may have left his wife and kids for her, or they were lovers before he got married. I can't remember.

Here's an episode with Susan. (she also came back for Kirk and Ellie's wedding)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrJviNS6QW4#t=0

[amybrickwallace]

Thanks!! What happened with Kirk and Ellie to end their marriage? I remember him with Lucinda's sister, but not with anyone else. Also, it seemed like Tom Wiggin exited with no fanfare. Did he quit or was he fired? (I'm guessing the latter.)

[DRW50]

Kirk wanted to have more children. Ellie was not happy with this, as she was a career woman, and he had already abandoned two children. Ellie learned she was pregnant and wasn't sure what to do. She went to New York for business, and while there, tests revealed that the baby would be deformed. Ellie had an abortion. When Kirk learned what she'd done, he dumped her. A year later, they finally divorced, although he had some regrets about it.

They had tried to write Kirk out several times (he was supposed to drown while on his honeymoon with Samantha in mid-1995), but finally wrote him out for good in 1999. I think there was some fan backlash, as he had something of a following (they called themselves "Kirkadoodles"), but not enough for the show to bring him back, obviously.

On the one hand I could see where he'd reached his end, but I always liked Kirk. He had a humor and sharpness that made ATWT stand out from a dozen other soaps. His exit was another example of the ABC-ification of ATWT in those years.

Here's some of Ellie learning about the baby. I must warn that ATWT was the definition of open-a-vein at this time.

Trivia note - Renee Props (Ellie) had been involved with Jon Hensley around this time. I think one of the reasons she left was because of the breakup.

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Edited March 11, 2014 by DRW50

[cassadine1991]

They never explained what happened to Samantha and Kirk, did they.

[amybrickwallace]

Thank you, Carl, for filling in the blanks. Boy, Jon Hensley sure was involved with a lot of actresses before marrying one, wasn't he? Are he and Kelley still together (haven't kept up with soap news lately, sorry).

[DRW50]

Yes, they are.

No, they never said what happened to Sam and Kirk. Of course the writer and producer who did that story were fired later the same year. Still, it annoyed me, as family was precious to Lucinda.

[amybrickwallace]

Thanks. Jon and Kelley are coming close to two decades of marriage by now, I imagine (didn't they wed around the same time as the DePaivas?).

[cassadine1991]

Guess James did a "Jimmy Hoffa" with them

[P.J.]

They pinned Diego Santana's murder on Kirk and were going to write him off in '97, so TW did get a little reprieve. I LOVED Kirk. And Kirk and Iva.

[Soaplovers]

I liked Kirk with Iva.. and I loved him with Samantha #1. Plus, I loved his friendship with Connor and was glad that they didn't advance from friendship to romance even though he had a crush on her in 1994.

[Mitch]

Lily whipping Holden???? It seems that the original idea had a lot more interesting heat then the boring one that Marland went with..and also maybe showed another side of Marland's uh...interests...(I can imagine that a shirtless Holden in his tight jeans would be sweat and bent over ...and well lets hope so! )A bitchy Lily and the hot sexually forward stable boy and their interest in S/M would have been much more interesting then boring St. Lily...and Holden, Jr. Business Man. "Its all about honesty," Uh shut up Lily and pick up the horse whip!

I always thought Seth was gay too..(and interesting that Marland based the character on himself.) God, I totally forgot the wretched Angel storyline, with all the Snyder boys circling that dull as dishwater woman and the rape thing..(though I did think it interesting when they hinted Angel was going to go nuts and she kept fondling Marland's weapon du jour..the ever present letter opener...Go Angel Go!)

[amybrickwallace]

Sounds more like AW's Donna and Michael (aka the heiress and the stableboy)!!

[DRW50]

Well Holden and Michael were similar (self-righteous assholes).

[amybrickwallace]

Were Donna and Michael before Lily and Holden, or was it the other way around?