As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[Contessa Donatella]

They also were the first to pair Tom & Margo romantically. 

They created James Stenbeck.

Dusty Donovan & Margo Hughes

They created Craig, Lyla, Steve Andropolous, and Cricket on ATWT

 

[MarlandFan]

At the time, I totally bought Iva's "sacrifice" for Craig.  Pre-therapy, Iva definitely had low self-esteem + she felt enormous guilt for the destruction that Tad had caused her family and friends.  She REALLY loved Craig and knew that the only reason Craig was in prison accused of a murder he did not commit was because Tad had followed her to Oakdale to begin with.  I agree: a longer Iva/Craig/Sierra story would have been interesting. (I, for one, never understood the Craig/Sierra appeal.)  RIP Lisa Brown.

[Contessa Donatella]

When she died, I was so distressed. That was when soaps being "hard hit" began for me, Personally I mean. And, it's just kept going & going some more. And, now we hear that Justin Deas has stage 4 lung cancer.

[Liberty City]

Wow! Thanks for sharing this rare find.

[DRW50]

Back when I started ATWT around 1989 or so, I loved Shannon, but while Margaret Reed is a very charismatic and talented woman (as shown by her steady primetime work, she's also a survivor in a tough industry), I don't think most of Shannon's material has aged well - lots of "comedy" and iffy pairings (aside from Duncan) and then a lot of misery. I never see Marland as a comedic writer and the attempts with Shannon often feel like they got dumped from AMC (not that he was especially fond of Agnes Nixon by that point). I wonder what she might have been if the glimpses we saw of her early on (much more of a scheming mystery woman, albeit with a heart) had stayed.

I don't think I ever saw any voodoo or shrunken heads in what's been available on Youtube and I don't remember reading about it in any synopses, but others have paid much closer attention to the synopses than I have. 

I don't have any investment in Craig and Iva because to me it's entirely pitched as "poor Iva," and he was always just in love with Sierra, but they may have taken more time if Scott Bryce hadn't been leaving. The one time they seem to write Craig as genuinely torn between two women is Ellie and Sierra. 

I have a lot of respect for Larry Pine, but he was badly miscast as Tad Channing #2 and it hangs over the whole story.

Thomas was Beatrice's dead fiancé. When Beatrice was mentally ill, Brian had to pose as him. I think maybe just Duncan and his servants knew the truth at this time, but I can't remember. 

Mark Pinter said quite a few years ago that soon after Marland arrived at ATWT, he told Pinter that he was writing Brian out, and had the story in place, but it would take a while. 

Edited February 13 by DRW50

[Reverend Ruthledge]

The voodoo Shannon mentioned was probably just a throwaway line not related to any type of storyline. Shannon had traveled extensively with her Uncle Earl and she was constantly dropping random bits of travel stories into conversation. It was just part of her character as being a worldly, well-traveled woman. The shrunken head thing didn't become part of an actual story until Shannon went missing and left the show. Duncan tracked down his first wife, Lilith, in Africa thinking that Lilith had kidnapped Shannon. Lilith showed Duncan a shrunken head that looked like Shannon to show him that she was dead. Later, it was revealed that Shannon had not been killed and that the shrunken head was not her. 

[Khan]

Lilith was nothing if not a prankster, lol.

[Vee]

I think Larry Pine was an absolute hoot as Channing and one of the few overtly snarky humorous characters I've seen Marland do so far, but it does hit different in 2025 vs. even 2024 since he was so, so obviously a deliberate riff on Trump. That said, if they'd intended one of the several other previous Tads to be a serious romantic test for women on the show they'd clearly given up by the time they got to Pine (though he's a handsome older man, the character becomes a total sleaze).

I also got around to watching that dinner from hell in 1977 with Joyce Colman. Mitch wasn't kidding. Holy cow! I didn't know a character that apeshit existed on the quiet, stately ATWT of back then.

Edited February 13 by Vee

[Mona Kane Croft]

Who were the other actors who played Channing?  Larry Pine is the only one I remember, and I was watching daily from 1985 until around 1995.  Really strange that I don't even recall another actor in the role.  

[Vee]

I thought there were at least two others (both younger and less overtly sleazy than Pine). I may be wrong.

[Mona Kane Croft]

I've heard about that before, so I'm sure you're correct.  But I just don't remember them for some reason.  If I can get their names, I'll google them for a photo.  Perhaps seeing their faces will jog my memory.   

[Paul Raven]

Andrew Potter was the first Tad. Once Marland decided to expand the character Larry Pine took over.

The Dobsons did not create Dusty. That was Caroline Franz/John Saffron.

[DRW50]

Here he is. 

He's no Larry Pine in terms of acting but I think he makes more sense as someone who could have gotten to Iva, and other vulnerable girls, and someone who might have caught Betsy's eye (I think that story may have been truncated due to Frank Runyeon quitting or whatever went on there).

ATWT April 23, 1986 Pt.4

[Soaplovers]

Shannon in the pre Marland episodes was less zany/eccentric and was more of a free spirit...and a positive person in teen Lily's life.  I wish SBH has stayed on as a writer since she would have been able to keep Shannon as less campy.

That 1977 episode with Joyce is so interesting since it explained why Lisa amd the Hughes family were so guarded about her in the 1980 episodes.  

As the World Turns always seemed too serious and stodgy.  The early 80s was a fun time, but it reminded me of a middle age person trying to be hip instead of embracing who they are.

[Contessa Donatella]

Noted & thanks!