5 hours ago, Mitch64 said:

I have no idea why the show didn't just keep a floating roster of recurring characters like Ellen, Lyla, especially since those two had reasons to not be around every day in Oakdale.  It would not have cost that much and would given the show greater depth.

I agree and had been saying that they should have short storyline arcs with these characters coming into town on occasion, the way Penny and David once went back and forth.

It wouldn't have cost that much but it would have required organization, and the show became a mess in the last decade or so. 

 

  

On 3/29/2022 at 1:06 PM, Soaplovers said:

Ellen was an important fixture in the 50s, 60s, and 70s.  By the early 80s, she'd settle down as the talk to before she was dumped in the mid 90s.

 

Oh, well that's disappointing.

She was actually dumped in the 1970s (around 1975 or 1976) and once before that in the 1960s.    The actress was NOT used to her full potential very well.

 

Edited April 2, 20224 yr by danfling

The early '80s were the last time Ellen was a more prominent character, as her family was put in a more prominent role, along with her marriage to David.

2 hours ago, danfling said:

and once before that in the 1960s.

I know about her being written off in the mid 70's, but not the 60's.

Could you please elaborate?

Being dropped in the 70's was I think it was at the time that Dan , Susan etc were written off. Annie/Dee were still young teens.So David was at the hospital and it was assumed Ellen was at home with the girls.

Then when the show expanded and the girls were aged, Ellen returned. Wonder how Pat felt about being dropped? Obviously, she rolled with it and happily returned.

Thanks to the SORAS-ing of Dan, Ellen was a great-grandmother(!) by the early 1980s. As such, the character was considered unexciting for youth-oriented storylines. Also in the early 1980s, Henderson Forsythe, who played her husband David, was often away doing movies and plays for extended periods of time. Without a husband on the canvas, Ellen was placed on the back-burner. 

Edited April 1, 20224 yr by MarlandFan

Once again, I have to hand it to Doug Marland (and to Laurie Caso): when David Stewart died, in 1991, they brought back Annie, Betsy and Dee for his funeral (even if Betsy was played by someone who hadn't played the role before).  I doubt Chris Goutman would have cared enough had he been EP.

1 hour ago, Khan said:

Once again, I have to hand it to Doug Marland (and to Laurie Caso): when David Stewart died, in 1991, they brought back Annie, Betsy and Dee for his funeral (even if Betsy was played by someone who hadn't played the role before).  I doubt Chris Goutman would have cared enough had he been EP.

They were also going to recast Emily if Melanie Smith hadn't been able to return (although in another world, that recast might have been better than the one we got a year later).

Considering that David hadn't been a major character in at least a decade, and Marland's ATWT was often restrained emotionally aside  from select characters, I thought they did a good job paying tribute to him. A world away from  the  dubious sendoffs for characters like Hal or Nancy. I think the part I remember most was a letter from  Hank Elliot, talking about how David had cared for AIDS patients and done AIDS research long before  it was fashionable to do so. One of the few times you really felt that bite and anger in daytime about just how horribly dying gay men were treated in the '80s.

Just a min in and Patricia already corrected Alan twice. He got the number of years she was on atwt wrong. Lord this guy is bad!  Patricia looks good!!

 

Edited April 1, 20224 yr by Soapsuds

I love how Patricia is taking control of this chat.😂 Alan was trying to cut her off and she wouldn't have it.

Edited April 1, 20224 yr by Soapsuds

She looks better than she did a couple years ago. What a legend, who never got the full exposure she deserved on ATWT.

Thanks for keeping us updated @Soapsuds

Hearing an 85-year old woman talking about protecting our democracy, gay  rights, women's rights...she represents so much that the P&G soaps and ATWT turned their back on. They are gone, and she's still here. 

4 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

Thanks for keeping us updated @Soapsuds

Hearing an 85-year old woman talking about protecting our democracy, gay  rights, women's rights...she represents so much that the P&G soaps and ATWT turned their back on. They are gone, and she's still here. 

This is the first chat I've seen in a while. There has been many that I haven't watched. 

Alan should've had Susan Masters and Melanie Smith on this reunion too. 

2 minutes ago, Soapsuds said:

This is the first chat I've seen in a while. There has been many that I haven't watched. 

Alan should've had Susan Masters and Melanie Smith on this reunion too. 

Me too. I think this is my first since Eileen, Melanie, or Susan Marie Snyder. That I make time to sit through these reminds me of how close ATWT still is to my heart.