As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[Soapsuds]

It's a recent pic. They were both vacationing in Florida.

[VelekaCarruthers]

Marland Story Bible Summer/Fall 1991 Pages 26-31

Please register in order to view this content

[MarlandFan]

From the outset, Marland planned to make Daryl Carolyn's killer.  I wonder why he changed his mind at the last moment.  It robbed the story of an amazing climax and both Daryl and Frannie exited the show (separately) not with a bang but a whimper.  It made the entire 18-month mystery a waste of time.

[VelekaCarruthers]

I believe there are reports that Marland wanted to keep Rex as a viable character.

[MarlandFan]

But Marland wrote Rex Smith out of the show a few weeks after the story ended.  And Frannie was written off as well.  I'd love to read Marland's story projections for late 1992 and early 1993.  Perhaps he had written some future ideas/plans for the two characters? I'm assuming he finalized a 6-month projection prior to his scheduled surgery.

Edited March 20 by MarlandFan

[TheyStartedOnSoaps]

Actually Mary Ellen Stuart had decided to leave on her own accord - so perhaps Marland changed the story because he didn't recast the part of Frannie at that time. 

[Mitch64]

Darryl was so boring the only redeeming quality would be if he was a murderous villain. I like Marland's idea that he is a true sociopath, but we never saw that play out, he was always polite (I guess in Marlandland even psycho sociopath's have manners) and nice. It would have been interesting if Margo instead of calling him "Dreamy Darryl" or whatever she kept repeating cause she knew him in high school, was a bit wary of him, as he was "popular" in hs and she was in a fringe group and she saw how he used girls back then (I always thought Margo would not be "popular" girl as she would be loud and pushy and stick up for the geeks, etc...maybe I am thinking more of Collin's Margo.)

The only way for this mystery to work is if it wasnt a mystery and we the audience see that Daryl is a freak and are just biding our time to see who is next. I wonder if Leslie Dennison ever got sick of playing an invalid on PG soaps (it seems most of her time as Maeve was spent in bed while preggers with Ben.)Come to think of it, this storyline would have worked on GL with Kyle killing boring Maeve to keep the kid and have Reva...Reva gets together with Kyle again to get married, Fletcher is suspicious, and Josh could have come it to save her from getting her loud mouth silence..FOREVER..mwhahaha... Larkin Mally gave out serious psycho vibes as Kyle so it could work.

[VelekaCarruthers]

Remainder of 1991 Story Doc.

Please register in order to view this content

[Vee]

What a privilege to see all this now. The idea that Hal's niece(?) in 1991 is so out of the modern world that she is mesmerized by washing machines and phones is a bit much - especially played by Parker Posey. (Upon doing some digging given her recent role on The White Lotus, it seems she's always been largely complimentary of her time on ATWT in interviews - she name-checks Colleen Zenk as being especially good.)

[TheyStartedOnSoaps]

Amanda Seyfried (Lucy Montgomery) rolls her eyes when asked about her time on ATWT in a new interview this week - this was not a happy experience for her. Few years ago when she was asked about ATWT she remembered that the character came from Montega and she is good friends with Peyton List who later played the part of Lucy!

Please register in order to view this content

[Soapsuds]

She was on when ATWT sucked. I don't even recall her being on ATWT. That's how memorable she was on the show.

PP was there during the Marland years. She was there during the good times.

[DRW50]

Oh I knew they were still close - I think it was talked about on Locher Room (Melanie popping up on there repeatedly is why I'll always be glad for its existence - one of the reasons, anyway). Glad to see them though.

She has repeatedly spoken about how horrible the show was for her. I think she outright said it was scarring or traumatic. That was her first acting job, IIRC. She said she knew she wasn't good but she did not think she was treated with kindness. 

Not exactly atypical of the industry, so I shouldn't put all the blame on Goutman, but it does exhibit a callousness and ugliness that also bled through onscreen at the time - one of the reasons I could barely stomach those years.

I haven't seen a lot of her early early material as Tess but if they kept this in I wonder if it matches what we soon got of Tess - she was a liar and schemer who played up the "hills" persona.

ATWT is where I first saw Parker and I just adored watching her, especially given how unbearably earnest all the other young characters were, aside from Evan Walsh. I'm glad she speaks well of the show. 

[NothinButAttitude]

Thank you @VelekaCarruthers for sharing that jewel of soap history with us. 

I screenshot and then PDF'd it for anyone who wants a copy. 

[Vee]

She definitely says it was a different kind of acting in an certain older style she loved, and that she tried to have fun with it when they would try to do melodramatic flashbacks or something. She also says that it was great training and she learned from the vets like CZ. The usual stuff.

Apparently she even ran into Alan Locher in P-Town a couple years back and the show came up. Small world.

[Liberty City]

 

Brilliant.