As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[DramatistDreamer]

Seems as if he might have been given a directive to trim some cast members from the outset. With Pinter having been there from mid '84 or so, he hadn't been on the show very long, so he may have been vulnerable to being cut. I know a lot of people found Brian boring but I agree with @Vee that he did seem to have good chemistry with Margaret Reed. Brian was so strait-laced and Shannon,  so quirky (before quirkiness became a "thing").

Hillary Bailey Smith once said she marveled at his storyline projections and how extensive and detailed they were. Today's soaps don't do this and it shows.

[Vee]

They were on, what, Brian #4 at that point? I can't blame them for cutting him and the McColls loose; that whole pre-Marland era of story just seems turgid to me when I try to watch it, up to and possibly including Nancy Pinkerton's big murder confession. Mark Pinter, personal dramas aside, was a sexy and charismatic actor on multiple soaps but when you're up to four Brians or whatever that's the way the cookie crumbles. You can see how much Reed sparks at least as well with Michael Swan on his second day or whatever I'm up to here in May '86. (And the eps available get a bit less consistent soon; it is a crime these years are not readily available on streaming.)

Edited October 4, 2021 by Vee

[DRW50]

I imagine the McColls all being gone by that point probably played a big part too. 

I never can remember if Cris Leblanc wanted to leave or if he was let go.

[DramatistDreamer]

That's a definite sore spot for me. There are so many entertaining episodes missing. Many people complain that the show revolves around Lily but that's not how I remember it. I think that what's up on YouTube paints a misleading picture. Perhaps some uploader are die-hard Lily and Holden fans because there is an abundance of episodes centering them but 80s Tom and Margo episodes are scarce. As much as we talk about Julianne Moore, the amount of early Frannie episodes are scarce. Hardly any with Julianne and Steven Weber together.

So much missing, it's a shame.

[Paul Raven]

The McColls were Dobson creations? 

Whatever they were a family from a previous regime who had already been sidelined and Marland wanted to bring in his have not family the Snyders so room had to be made.

He claimed Marcy and Stewart were already on the way out when he arrived and he got rid of Maggie and Frank.

In his first year or so, what other characters got the chop?

Who did he bring in?

[Vee]

I believe it was Peter Miner, a very longtime soap director, who said in the OLTL oral history that Marisa Tomei left ATWT of her own accord because she couldn't handle the workload and feel she was still doing good work. I have no clue who the others are, but my pre-Marland ATWT knowledge is extremely spotty at best. I'm curious to know who exactly he wrote out and how.

As for Jay and Spree, characters are mentioning Spree onscreen as late as May 1986 - Lisa brings her up around the time of Brian and Shannon's wedding as being part of some function, I can't recall which. Jay appeared in the climax of the Doug Cummings story around February. I remember someone else saying Jay turns up again later on after Frannie is rescued to talk with her, but I've yet to see him and the YT episodes from February through to May are largely pretty consecutive.

Edited October 4, 2021 by Vee

[victoria foxton]

@Soapsuds

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Edited October 4, 2021 by victoria foxton

[amybrickwallace]

I wish someone would track down and interview Ross Kettle. He was the leading man of two daytime upstarts of the mid/late 1980s who made it big - Marisa Tomei on ATWT and Robin Wright on SB.

[DramatistDreamer]

He and Michelle Forbes were married??!

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I don't think anyone mentioned this in that previous thread of soap actors who were romantically linked.

[amybrickwallace]

Yes. I wonder if being bicoastal soap stars (he on SB and she on GL) is what ultimately did them in.

[Soapsuds]

[Mitch]

Yea, all of the characters previously mentioned plus, some guy who Lisa had taken under her wing..he was an ex con and Doug Cummings killed him. I liked him and he and Fulton had a weird younger man/older woman chemistry. I remember her saying she was pushing for them to get together, and then he was murdered and she was. "They made me wear black and cry and mourn and I never got to sleep with him!"

[Soapsuds]

Kettle was better on SB. I never got his character on ATWT. I also thought his pairing with Wright was better than Tomei. 

[DramatistDreamer]

IKR! Now I want to see photos, lol.

We don't even get to see much of Tomei on YouTube videos and other than what's been posted on YT, my memories of this time is scattershot. I wish there were more episodes to watch.

People moan and whine about Julianne Moore's British accent that she used for Sabrina at the time but "Stuart" had this odd South Afrikaans accent mixed with a hint of British-y peppering. The actor was cute enough but that accent bothered me.

[amybrickwallace]

Ross Kettle is actually a native of South Africa (Johannesburg, if I'm not mistaken). Maybe he was trying to mix up the accent a bit.