As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[kalbir]

That's right, one full contract (spring 1985 to spring 1988). Her departure was during the writer's strike and before Robert Calhoun was replaced as EP by Laurence Caso.

[MarlandFan]

1988 was a difficult year not only because of the 6-month strike, but also because it's virtually impossible to maintain the high standard of 1986 and 1987.  That being said, I like the Caso period very much; 1990 was very strong (almost as good as 86/87).  And (if you ignore the Carolyn Crawford murder mystery) 91 and 92 were also excellent.  I'm not certain what story ideas Caso may have contributed to, but he seems to have been a strong supporter/protector of Doug Marland.

[dragonflies]

 

[Soapsuds]

 

[RavenWhitney]

I've been watching 1984/85 episodes on youtube, posted by "Astheworldstillturns"   There are a string of spring 85 episodes in March and April.  The writing team is not shown in the credits for 12 consecutive episodes between 4/4 and 4/15. The last posted episode with writer credits is 3/20.  Horgan/Wasserman/Klein are head writers on 3/20 and when the writing credits return it's Horgan with two producers, Michael Laibson and Bonnie Bogart.  Benjamin is gone from the list of break down writers. Jane Willis added.  Lefferts replaced by Lemay as creative consultant. Does anyone know if Calhoun temp fired the writing staff and Bogard/Laibson/Lemay were writing during that interim 2 to 3 week period?  It encompasses Bob and Kim's wedding. I don't believe there was a writer's strike.  

[Soapsuds]

 

 

[danfling]

I had not known that George Lefferts (the original producer of Ryan's Hope) had worked on As the World Turns.

I am somewhat somewhat shocked at learning this because he had worked on Ryan's Hope for such a short time and the quality of Ryan's Hope had improved so much when his replacement (Robert Costello) began working on the show.

[Darn]

I started watching during this storyline. I think right after Barbara was injured in the explosion. The scenes of an injured Barbara talking to James with the moody lighting and intense music were so intriguing.  I enjoyed it quite a bit as someone who'd never watched the show before. And I loved Simon and Katie (I know), Rose and Paul, Hal and Emily. I never liked Lily and Holden, she was obnoxious and he was a deathly dull actor. The show actually lost me when they fired Scott Holroyd (who WAS smokin') for that ham Roger Howarth. And I just realized I wasn't invested in the show for very long!

Edited January 24, 2023 by Darn

[Vee]

I loved Paul and Rose with Holroyd in the role. I think Roger had it with Martha too tbh despite the totally unnecessary recast, but they were so committed to turning Paul into Todd Manning and never looked back (including almost replicating his "Hell No" wedding from OLTL with Rose in place of Blair) that it wrecked everything.

Holden and Lily are hot as hell in the '80s Marland episodes I've been bingeing. The overall sexual and psychological dynamics on the show were way more complex and explicit than what we get on soaps now. But by the 2000s Jon Hensley was a boring, tired suburban dad onscreen.

[j swift]

In the GL thread @NothinButAttitude referenced the "toilet flush theme", a term that I was unfamiliar with until today.  So, I went back to the opening compilation and saw that were two instances of "the swish", first in the 1993-1999 opening, and again in the 1999-2002 version.  I guess it was meant to indicate the turning of the world, but I found the computer animated quickly spinning earth bouncing around the screen to the disconcerting.

Overall, I don't like the generic cast-turn-to-camera openings that were prevalent among soaps at the turn of the century, although, I recall how revolutionary the first white background seemed when it premiered in 1999.  But, in hindsight, I enjoyed the final opening with the cast photos in the context of their surroundings.

 

Edited January 26, 2023 by j swift

[NothinButAttitude]

@j swift, see I loved the 99-02 opening theme. I found the shots with the white background cheap looking. I don't mind the intro beauty shots on soaps when they make sense and look nice. I always felt they should've kept the theme for 99-02 but changed the toilet flushing sound (i.e., the world spinning) and combined it with beauty shots/background from 02-06 intro. Or at least have the background of the cast shots with them in front of the world or space. 

I loved the '06 opening and theme but hated that they never gave the other half of the cast intro shots. It was basically an intro centered around Goutman/Passanante's faves and sprinkling in Bob/Kim/Lucinda to shut up us long-term fans.

At this stage though, the remaining soaps (well B&B, GH, and Y&R) simply need to drop the beauty shots in their openings as they constantly have to change them. 

[j swift]

I'm also surprised by the number of theme songs. If you asked me to name the ATWT theme it would have been the 1981-1993 song, but doing the math, that theme was used for less than 80% of the time ATWT was on the air.

Edited January 26, 2023 by j swift

[Fevuh]

I liked the theme that was just before the non-theme (the one before the last just title/nothing).  The one that looks like midwest with a more Indiana Jones feel LOL.   

Edited January 26, 2023 by Fevuh

[Soapsuds]

They use to call it the cornfield opening.

[Paul Raven]

Really don't understand the need to be changing the theme music/graphics after a few years.

They would have been better off concentrating on character and story.

It just contributes to a lack of identity and loss of continuity. A little tweak is fine. Ironically things went full circle so by the time the last opening appeared it  mirrored the original with just a globe and title.

Having cast shots is a problem if they are not going to be updated.